Beware: even your God given instincts can wreck you. Gospels: Week 7 - The cost of discipleship Luke 12:13–34 (NASB95) 13 Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14 But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” 16 And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. 17 And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.” ’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ 21 “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” 22 And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! 25 And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span? 26 If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 28 But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! 29 “And do not seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. 30 For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 32 Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. 34 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 110 Q. What does God forbid in the eighth commandment? A. He forbids not only outright theft and robbery, punishable by law... -- In addition he forbids all greed and pointless squandering of his gifts. Summary On one hand, it's hard to imagine, but then on the other, it's not at all surprising. Imagine you had the opportunity to stand in a crowd and hear Jesus speak personally. And then even more, you got the chance to ask Jesus a question. What would you ask Him? The anonymous someone in the crowd got such an opportunity, but rather than take the opportunity to ask Jesus do dig deeper into a theological profundity, he provided a dark insight into the ugly corruption of our souls. He ordered Jesus to tell my brother to divide the inheritance. This was the most pressing issue for this man as he stood before the Son of God sent to redeem the world. Jesus immediately made clear He had no interest - or, ironically, no authority - to arbitrate such a matter. But He doesn't miss the moment to insert an extended teaching moment on the vapidness of amassing material wealth. Jesus explains that no matter how much abundance you may have, your life does not consist of your possessions. But Jesus doesn't stop there. Because greed is such a deeply embedded vice in all of our hearts, such a short answer will not suffice. Starting with a parable about a self confident man who thought he'd amassed enough goods for many years to come, yet had his soul demanded of him that very night and then piling up no less than eleven proverbs concerning the danger of wealth as He unpacks His warning to Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed. Dig Deeper We don't have the space to dig deeper into all of Jesus' warnings, so we'll have to content ourselves with just one here today. After finishing the parable by indicating that after the man's sudden death, others will own all that he'd prepared, Jesus said “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Notice here that Jesus doesn't condemn storing up treasure. In fact, He goes on to encourage us to seek and to ultimately gain treasure in heaven. Nor does Jesus condemn material wealth, either in today's passage or elsewhere. He says, in fact, that your Father knows you need these things. What Jesus is condemning is, of course, the deep seated greed for more and more stuff - the myopic type of ambition that the rich man had to tear down his barns and build larger ones to store his grain and goods. In this man's case his greed led to a God-less self dependence. For so many others greed only results in worry about your life. The drive that you have to seek and build up treasure isn't in itself sinful. It's actually part of God's image shining through, reflecting His mandate that you be fruitful and multiply, and to fill the earth and subdue it (Genesis 1:28). It's what you're seeking and the location of your treasure that concerns Jesus. After all, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will seek His kingdom; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Your life is a song. Who are you singing it to? PSALM 96 1 Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. 3 Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. 4 For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. 6 Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. 7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; Bring an offering and come into His courts. 9 Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth. 10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.” 11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and all it contains; 12 Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy 13 Before the LORD, for He is coming, For He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness And the peoples in His faithfulness. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 103 Q. What is God’s will for you in the fourth commandment (to keep the Sabbath day holy)? A. First, that the gospel ministry and education for it be maintained, and that, especially on the festive day of rest, I regularly attend the assembly of God’s people to learn what God’s Word teaches, to participate in the sacraments, to pray to God publicly, and to bring Christian offerings for the poor. Second, that every day of my life I rest from my evil ways, let the Lord work in me through his Spirit, and so begin already in this life the eternal Sabbath. Summary God's people are to be a singing people. The opening verses of Psalm 96 make this abundantly clear, with its threefold repetition of the command to sing! These repeated imperatives give good insight as to how and what we're to sing: To the LORD - We have an audience of One. We're not singing just because we enjoy it or to entertain a crowd, we're singing as a way to fulfill the purpose we were created for: to glorify and enjoy the LORD. Why? For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods (the people's idols). A new song - this certainly doesn't mean we need to continually learn brand new songs each day and never sing the old ones again. In each of the seven times this phrase appears in the Old Testament (six of which are in the Psalms), it refers to a victory God has given His people. We're to sing of the new life that God has victoriously secured for His people. The psalm goes on to do exactly that, imploring us to proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. All the earth - Your singing ought not be limited to the sanctuary on Sunday. Your entire life, and all that you control ought to be a song of praise and glory to the God who created all things. The LORD made the heavens! Blessing the LORD's name - You already know the Biblical word for 'bless' - eulogia. It's where we get the word eulogy from. It literally means to say good words. The best way to bless the LORD - that is, to eulogize Him - is to sing back to Him the words He's written to us. That's why you should sing psalms often, singing of His wonderful deeds among all the peoples. Dig Deeper Notice Psalm 96's repetitive patterns: v1-2 - Sing to the LORD - 3x v7-8 - Ascribe to the LORD - 3x v11-12 - Let the heavens be glad, Let the sea roar and Let the fields exult. The psalmist is going for more than just poetic effect here; He's demonstrating cause and effect. When we, the image bearers of God who've been given dominion over creation, continually remind ourselves of who the LORD is and why He deserves every bit of our praises by singing and ascribing, it results in a world that is doing exactly what God created it to do: exude gladness as it roars its exultation. And we're not to just sing of the LORD's wonderful deeds among all the peoples - in other words, the things that God has done. We're to also be singing of what He will do: He will judge the peoples with equity. This psalm reminds us that the LORD is coming to judge the earth - the whole world (including the cosmos) and its people in righteousness and faithfulness. As we've seen, you need to be singing and ascribing all week long. The best way for you to do this is to start your week singing with the LORD's people in His house on His day. Sunday's quickly coming, so commit yourself right now to bringing an offering and coming into His courts where you can worship the LORD in holy attire (the righteousness of Christ, not your Sunday best). AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will sing, proclaim, tell and say the good tidings of the LORD's salvation from day to day; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Sometimes Jesus allows pain in your life BECAUSE He loves you!! Gospels: Week 6 - Confession, offense, glory, and resurrection power CONTEXT: Jesus has been called to his sick friend Lazarus by his sisters Mary and Martha, but he ended up dying before Jesus arrived. John 11 (NASB95) 1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, which was the village of Mary and her sister Martha... -- 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” -- 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. -- 17 So when Jesus came, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. -- 20 Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house. 21 Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 “Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.” -- 32 ...When Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, 34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?” 38 So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 “I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” 44 The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” Belgic Confession Article 26: The Intercession of Christ We believe that we have no access to God except through the one and only Mediator and Intercessor: Jesus Christ the Righteous. -- For neither in heaven nor among the creatures on earth is there anyone who loves us more than Jesus Christ does. Summary John wants us to know for certain that Jesus' friend Lazarus wasn't just mostly dead, telling us specifically that by the time Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had been in the tomb four days. According to rabbinic teaching of Jesus’ era, when someone died, their spirit remained near the body for three days, hoping to reenter it, but after three days the spirit departed and resuscitation became impossible. So four days after Lazarus had died, his sisters both greet Jesus at different times with the same piercing accusation, saying, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But Jesus lets what could have been a relationship ending insult roll off like water from a duck. Instead, He recognized the immense pain lying behind their outbursts and entered into it with them. When Jesus saw her weeping... He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled. As they took Jesus to Lazarus' tomb, we read a verse that, although is the Bible's shortest, is also one of the Bible's most profound statements: Jesus wept. He wasn't just upset His friend had died, He was overwhelmed "by the sight of the havoc wrought among people through sin and death in this world" (source). Those two words - Jesus wept - remind you that no matter how it is that you've been impacted by the havoc brought about by sin and death, Jesus knows how you feel because He's felt it. And as we continue to read in today's passage, you can know that He has power over it. Dig Deeper Jesus, of course, didn't show up four days late because circumstances beyond His control held Him up. Mary and Martha had sent word to Jesus, telling him that Lazarus was sick, yet Jesus purposefully stayed put. John adds an interesting wrinkle to the story as to why He stayed: 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. In other words, it was because Jesus loved Mary and Martha so much that He let their brother die!!!! Keep this in mind the next time you face trouble and turmoil. It might feel like God has abandoned you or just doesn't care. That's exactly how these two sisters felt about Jesus four days after their brother died. Of course John makes it clear why Jesus waited. He wanted these beloved sisters and all of the people standing around to believe that God sent Him. Jesus wanted them to know that He alone is the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Him will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Him will never die. Sometimes it's only in times of extreme grief and pain like what these sisters experienced that we can truly answer the question Jesus asked Martha: Do you believe this? AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who always hears our prayers; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that when turmoil comes that your faith will be strengthened as you remember Jesus' love for you; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

God doesn't speak from Heaven often, but when He does, He tells you to listen to Jesus. Gospels: Week 6 - Confession, offense, glory, and resurrection power Mark 9:2–13 (NASB95) 2 Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; 3 and His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them. 4 Elijah appeared to them along with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. 5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to answer; for they became terrified. 7 Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!” 8 All at once they looked around and saw no one with them anymore, except Jesus alone. 9 As they were coming down from the mountain, He gave them orders not to relate to anyone what they had seen, until the Son of Man rose from the dead. 10 They seized upon that statement, discussing with one another what rising from the dead meant. 11 They asked Him, saying, “Why is it that the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 12 And He said to them, “Elijah does first come and restore all things. And yet how is it written of the Son of Man that He will suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 “But I say to you that Elijah has indeed come, and they did to him whatever they wished, just as it is written of him.” Heidelberg Catechism Q. Why is he called “Christ,” meaning “anointed”? A. Because he has been ordained by God the Father and has been anointed with the Holy Spirit to be: our chief prophet and teacher who perfectly reveals to us the secret counsel and will of God for our deliverance... Summary Today's Summary and Dig Deeper are reposted from March 21, 2023. Jesus’ earthly life is usually described as His time of humiliation until His resurrection and ascension to heaven, which is then His exaltation. The transfiguration was a unique moment when a few of Jesus’ disciples glimpsed His divine glory. It is also a confirmation of His office as the chief prophet of God. Mark mentions in verse 2 that after six days, the transfiguration occurred. Six days prior, Jesus was with His disciples in Caesarea Philippi, and Peter had testified that Jesus is the Christ (Mark 8:29). Then, on this mountain, Peter, James, and John saw Jesus speaking with two prominent Old Testament prophets, Moses and Elijah. Plus, Jesus radiates such a pure light, reminiscent of Moses’ encounter with meeting the Lord on the mountain. It's recorded in Exodus that “When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him (34:30).” Next, a cloud overshadowed them, just like the pillar cloud would descend over the tabernacle in the Israelites’ time in the wilderness to show God’s presence. All these elements on the mountain point to the fulfillment of Jesus as the Messiah. The voice in the cloud confirms He speaks for God, “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.” This is divine approval that Jesus, the Son of God, would declare the Word of God to His people, fulfilling His office as a prophet. At the close of this event, the other prophets disappear, and only Jesus is in front of them. Jesus was not only a prophet but the chief prophet and the one the other prophets prophesied of and pointed to (cf. Deuteronomy 18:15; Malachi 4:5). Dig Deeper Jesus would confirm His prophetic message throughout His ministry by performing miracles, making predictions of things to come, and preaching and teaching with authority. Jesus did not just quote Scripture but was an embodiment of it and fulfillment before their eyes. As He states within the sermon of the mount in Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” The way Jesus spoke was different from an ordinary teacher or prophet. Taken at His Word, He cannot merely be another prophet in a line of religious prophets or a great moral teacher. Even today, the Father’s voice calls us to listen to what Jesus says throughout Scripture. As Heidelberg Catechism QA31 notes, He perfectly reveals God’s secret counsel and will for our deliverance to us. He shows us the power of God to save: “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).” The plan to rescue His people was made visible and fulfilled through the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the prophet representing God to His people and God for His people. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Jesus is our chief prophet and teacher, the Word who became flesh who revealed the glory of God full of grace and truth (John 1:14) ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Jesus, as a prophet, spoke words of warning and promise. Pray that you'll listen to Him in whatever He tells you in His Word; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Where would you go if following Christ seems too difficult? Gospels: Week 6 - Confession, offense, glory, and resurrection power CONTEXT: Jesus has just explained that "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves" (John 6:53). John 6:60–69 (NASB95) 60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” 61 But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? 62 “What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? 63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64 “But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. 65 And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” 66 As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” 68 Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. 69 “We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.” Belgic Confession Article 35: The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper ...Christ has instituted an earthly and visible bread as the sacrament of his body and wine as the sacrament of his blood. He did this to testify to us that just as truly as we take and hold the sacraments in our hands and eat and drink it in our mouths, by which our life is then sustained, so truly we receive into our souls, for our spiritual life, the true body and true blood of Christ, our only Savior. We receive these by faith, which is the hand and mouth of our souls. Now it is certain that Jesus Christ did not prescribe his sacraments for us in vain, since he works in us all he represents by these holy signs, although the manner in which he does it goes beyond our understanding and is incomprehensible to us, just as the operation of God’s Spirit is hidden and incomprehensible. Summary All four of the gospel accounts show the same thing: right at the peak of Jesus' earthly ministry, when the crowds are the biggest, Jesus shifts tactics. The miracles and healings that are so prevalent as Jesus began begin to slow down, and Jesus' teachings become much more pointed. As the difficulty increases, the size of the crowds following Jesus rapidly diminish. After all, who could really listen to and accept an invitation to eat and drink their teacher's body and blood? Jesus never seems bothered that all of these people who'd been following Him hoping for a miracle show lose interest. He never was trying to build an earthly kingdom, so the size of the crowd never meant much to Him. Go back and page through these early chapters of the gospels and notice how often Jesus is trying to ditch the crowds following Him! But He's aware of the grumbling of His disciples. Other English translations render Jesus' question to them as, does this - that is, these difficult teachings - offend you? I like how the NASB put it much more literally: does this cause you to stumble? Jesus' question to them, as was so often the case, was met by silence from the twelve. So Jesus doesn't skip a beat. If you think this is difficult, He continues, what then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? It's here in Jesus' rhetorical question that we find the reason that so many teachings in the Bible - especially those of Jesus - are so difficult. The difficult teachings here and now are preparing you for even more difficult things ahead. Things like Jesus' ascension and His second coming - things that are difficult to wrap our heads around now, but which usher in entire new realities. Wrestling with difficulty now prepares your mind to think different (= repent) enabling you to understand these wonderful new realities when they come. Dig Deeper Jesus doesn't let up. Not even a bit. In fact, He doubles down. He makes His teaching here even more difficult. He tells His confused disciples that their flesh - that is, our ability to think and reason and make decisions based on what we see, hear and feel - profits nothing. Rather, it's the Spirit who gives life, and this life comes through the words Jesus has spoken to us - words which can't be believed unless it has been granted from the Father. At this point, many of those still there finally had enough. Who is this Spirit Jesus keeps talking about, they must of wondered. This isn't the first time that Jesus mentioned it, but everything had been so cryptic. So they withdrew and were not walking with Jesus anymore. Again, Jesus isn't phased by their departure in the least. He simply said to the twelve, "You do not want to go away also, do you?" I wonder how long the awkward silence lasted as Jesus' haunting question hung over them. But it's really the most critically important question Jesus ever asks. He'd hand selected these twelve men and never really given them a choice. He'd simply commanded them to follow. So they did. Jesus' recruitment of them was probably more dramatic than the way He called you, but when it comes down to it, not very different. You were chosen to follow Him, and you have. But when life gets difficult or the Bible's teaching seems so contrary to that of the world, you face this same question as well: do you want to go away too? But you don't, because you're answer is the same as Peter's: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life! It's this solid belief and conviction, instilled in you by the Holy Spirit through difficult teachings and the words of Jesus found in all of Scripture, that not only prepare you for the wonderful reality to come, but keep you bound to Christ as you come closer to it. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Triune God: Our Father, the Spirit who gives life, and the Son, who is the Holy One of God; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that through the Spirit you would persevere even through life's difficult times; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

It's easy to say what other people think about Jesus, but who do YOU say He is? Gospels: Week 6 - Confession, offense, glory, and resurrection power Logos.com Matthew 16:13–20 (NASB95) 13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” 20 Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ. Canons of Dordt Point III/IV, Article 11: The Holy Spirit’s Work in Conversion When God carries out this good pleasure in his chosen ones by working true conversion in them, He not only sees to it that the gospel is proclaimed to them outwardly, and enlightens their minds powerfully by the Holy Spirit so that they may rightly understand and discern the things of the Spirit of God, but, by the effective operation of the same regenerating Spirit, he also penetrates into the inmost being of man, opens the closed heart, softens the hard heart, and circumcises the heart that is uncircumcised. He infuses new qualities into the will, making the dead will alive, the evil one good, the unwilling one willing, and the stubborn one compliant; he activates and strengthens the will so that, like a good tree, it may be enabled to produce the fruits of good deeds. Summary The disciples were likely used to pop quizzes like this from their Teacher, where as they traveled, Jesus would ask them a question and listen to their answers. What they might have been relieved about this time is the easy question Jesus lobs at them. You see, it's always easy to report on what other people are saying. So when Jesus asks them who do people say the Son of Man is, the disciples are quick with their answers. Some say you're John the Baptist - whom Herod had beheaded months earlier - and others, the disciples continue, think you're a prophet. It must have felt good for these guys to finally be able to answer one of Jesus' questions correctly! There might have even been a few celebratory high fives and fist bumps when Jesus wasn't looking. But then Jesus tightened the screws. He said to them, "Who do you think that I am." This time, the sound of silence from the disciples following Jesus must have been deafening. Nobody dared chime in on this one. Nobody, of course, except for Simon, whom we know better for the name Jesus gave him in today's passage, whose mouth often engaged quicker than his mind. But this was Simon's moment. This time, the words that flowed out of his mouth form one of the Bible's boldest declarations of truth. Simon replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Dig Deeper For most of us, this isn't the first time we've read these words. And like anything else, the more times we encounter something stunning, the less impressive it seems. Of course Jesus is the Christ - that is, the Messiah or the anointed one that God had promised for so long. Of course Jesus is the Son of the living God. People like us have known this for longer than we've known how to count to five. But take a moment to consider just how monumental Simon's confession of Christ is. Or better yet, meditate on it throughout the day (meditate simply means to chew on it throughout the day, the way a cow chews her cud): Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God! There was likely another moment of acute silence after Simon replied. Whereas the silence that came after Jesus' pointed question about who they thought He was came as the result of twelve heads pointed to the ground in an attempt to evade Jesus' gaze, this time, all twenty four of those eyeballs would have been riveted on Jesus. How would He reply to this incredible thing Simon had just uttered? Had Simon said too much? Had his impulsive honesty drug him into blasphemy? It didn't take long for Jesus to relieve the tension with the very next word He spoke, calling Simon blessed. Jesus then explained that the only way Simon could come to this conclusion was to have it directly revealed to him by Jesus' Father who is in heaven. For the first time, these disciples now knew beyond any shadow of doubt that Jesus was indeed the promised Christ. How do you think this changed the disciples' lives from this moment forward? How does it change yours? (To Dig Deeper into Jesus' famously difficult declaration that Simon, whose name would now be Peter, would be the rock upon which Jesus would build His church, click here and here). AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the living God; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the boldness Simon demonstrated here, and that his confession would not just be your own, but that it would shape your entire perception of reality; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Psalm 95 is a joyful song with a stern warning. Psalm 95 (NASB95) 1 O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. 3 For the LORD is a great God And a great King above all gods, 4 In whose hand are the depths of the earth, The peaks of the mountains are His also. 5 The sea is His, for it was He who made it, And His hands formed the dry land. 6 Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. 7 For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness, 9 “When your fathers tested Me, They tried Me, though they had seen My work. 10 “For forty years I loathed that generation, And said they are a people who err in their heart, And they do not know My ways. 11 “Therefore I swore in My anger, Truly they shall not enter into My rest.” Canons of Dordt Point II, Article 6: Unbelief Man’s Responsibility The fact that many who have been called through the gospel do not repent or believe in Christ but perish in unbelief is not because the sacrifice of Christ offered on the cross is deficient or insufficient, but because they themselves are at fault. Summary Psalm 95 is most decidedly a psalm of thanksgiving, a purpose which it makes clear in its opening strophe: that God's people must come before His presence with thanksgiving. Most of us are pretty good at saying 'thank you', mostly because society mandates that we say it so often - to the store clerk, to the person who served you cookies at church or held the door open for you, even to the cop who just wrote you up for speeding. But Psalm 95 shows us how to express genuine and heartfelt thanksgiving - not just to other people who may truly deserve it, but to the LORD. First of all, the psalm tells us that to truly express thanksgiving to the LORD, you must know who you're thanking - that is, you must know both who and what God is. The rock of our salvation - the LORD - is a great God. Not just that, He's a great King above all gods (the psalmist here isn't saying there are really other gods - just the 'gods' our idol-factory minds cook up). The LORD God holds all things in His hand: both the depths of the earth and the peaks of the mountains. Both the sea and the dry land are His, because He made it, forming it all in His hands. But this transcendent God (a word we use in theology to describe how God is above all things) isn't just a powerful, yet detached force. The LORD is our maker, and even more than that, He's our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Psalm 95 doesn't just explain who we ought to give thanksgiving to, it tells us how. The opening words command us to come to the LORD, repeating and expanding the command a few lines later: let us come before His presence with thanksgiving. There's something to chew on today: what does it mean to come before God's presence? But the psalmist isn't finished yet; once again he repeats the command to come, this time worshipping and bowing down, kneeling before the LORD our maker. Fulfilling this command to come with thanksgiving is a noisy endeavor. You must sing for joy to the LORD, shouting joyfully! Singing isn't optional for God's people! So important the command is repeated: shout joyfully to Him. Not just by making a loud noise, though. Shout with psalms. In other words, when you gather with the LORD's people to give thanksgiving each Sunday, sing loudly. Like me, compensate for your lack of talent with volume. Dig Deeper Remember those old western movie scenes showing a crowded saloon with the piano playing and people noisily having a good time, when all of the sudden the doors swing open, the hero strolls in looking for the bad guy, and the music and fun come to a screeching halt? That's what happens half way through Psalm 95. God suddenly stops the music and interrupts this joyful psalm. Anybody can sing for joy and shout joyfully to the LORD, even if they don't really know whose presence they've come into. But true thanksgiving requires more than just music and song. It requires full submission: not hardening your heart or testing the LORD. Our God doesn't look lightly up such sins, for they caused Him to loath the generation of Israelites crossing the desert who erred in their heart and did not know His ways. God was so angry with these people that He swore in His anger that they shall not enter His rest. Their unfaithfulness resulted in them wandering in the wilderness till they died. For nearly a millennia, this dark cloud of God's interrupting anger hung over the joyful thanksgiving of the first half of Psalm 95. But the music starts again in the third chapter of Hebrews, telling us that unlike that unfaithful generation of old, Christ is faithful as the Son over God's house! And we are His house , if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, our great God and the rock of our salvation; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will demonstrate the true and genuine thanksgiving that Psalm 95 calls you to in Christ; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

Fear and faith are in a continual battle for control of your mind. Gospels: Week 5 - Jesus' power over creation, demons, hunger and unbelief Logos.com CONTEXT: Five thousand men, besides women and children, have just eaten their fill of bread and fish that the disciples fed them in the middle of nowhere through Jesus' power. Matthew 14:22–33 (NASB95) 22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. 23 After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. 24 But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” 28 Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!” Nicene Creed ...And we believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father. Through him all things were made... Summary Yesterday's passage began with Jesus looking privately for a solitary place. But His rest was cut short when the crowd showed up hoping for Him to heal their sick. When the massive crowd became massively hungry, Jesus had enabled His disciples to feed them all with just five loaves of bread and a couple of fish. But now that supper was over, Jesus sent His disciples on ahead of Him to the other side of the lake, and after He'd sent the crowds away, He finally found the rest He'd been hoping for - by going up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. How often don't we try and squeeze rest and relaxation out of manufactured experiences, only to exhaust ourselves even more in the process? We should follow Jesus' pattern of solitary prayer more often. It wasn't until the fourth watch of the night - almost dawn - that Jesus finished His prayer and went out to the disciples' boat, which was being battered by waves driven by a contrary wind. But it's Jesus' mode of transportation that deservedly captures the attention in today's passage: He came to them, walking on the sea! The disciples are understandably terrified because they think they're seeing a ghost (Greek = phantasma). But Peter - of course it's Peter! - boldly and faithfully calls out to his Lord, asking Jesus to command him to come to You on the water. After hearing Jesus utter the simple word come, Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. Dig Deeper Faith has a mortal enemy: fear. It wasn't Peter's feet that failed as he put one foot in front of the other on top of the churning water, it was his eyes. Notice that it was when he saw the wind that fear got the upper hand in his mind and he began to sink. So often it's our sensory perception of reality that calls the shots. It has been so ever since Adam and Eve saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye. But even in Peter's fear filled failure, it was only his faith that was left standing. As he sank, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Matthew notes that Jesus' response was immediate. He stretched out His hand and took hold of him. One thing we miss when we read written discourse, like this short conversation between Jesus and Peter, is the tone of voice the words are spoken with. Was Jesus angrily rebuking Peter with His famous and terse reply of You of little faith, why did you doubt?!? Or was there a gentle and reassuring smile on Jesus' face as he helped Peter back into the boat as the wind suddenly stopped? What do you think? Peter, as he does so often, provides a myriad of lessons for us to learn from in this famous Bible story. But it wasn't Peter that Matthew, or any of the other disciples huddled in that boat, wants you to focus on here. They want you to know what they discovered on that dark and stormy night: that Jesus certainly is God's Son! AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, whose Son has power over all that He has made; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will walk by faith, and not by sight; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

God often seeks to work His power through you! Gospels: Week 5 - Jesus' power over creation, demons, hunger and unbelief CONTEXT: John the Baptist has just been beheaded while in custody... Matthew 14:13–21 (NASB95) 13 Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself; and when the people heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 14 When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, “This place is desolate and the hour is already late; so send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!” 17 They said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” 18 And He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19 Ordering the people to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds, 20 and they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve full baskets. 21 There were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 116 Q. Why do Christians need to pray? A. Because prayer is the most important part of the thankfulness God requires of us. And also because God gives his grace and Holy Spirit only to those who pray continually and groan inwardly, asking God for these gifts and thanking him for them. Summary This is one of several times throughout the gospels where Jesus needed to take a break. Remember, Jesus is fully God, but He's also fully man, and He experienced the same physical and emotional exhaustion as everybody else. And the news of John's sudden execution hit him hard. So when Jesus heard what had happened, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. He just wanted to be alone for awhile. But the quietness Jesus craved wouldn't last long. Hearing that Jesus had left by boat, the crowds followed Him on foot. How would you feel if you were in Jesus' place, and you looked up and saw a crowd - to the tune of about five thousand men, besides women and children. And they weren't there to support Jesus in His time of need, but rather so that Jesus could pour more of Himself into them. But instead of losing His temper or lashing out at this unwelcome intrusion, Jesus had compassion on them and healed their sick. What a beautiful example of how much Jesus cares for His people - how much He cares for you! Even when He's physically and emotionally drained and desperately needs rest and time alone with His Father, He sets His own needs to the side to attend to those who've come to cling to Him. But it quickly becomes apparent as it was already getting late that this crowd hadn't even brought basic provisions with them to this remote place. So the disciples, presumably not wanting to stress their burdened Teacher even more, suggest that Jesus send the crowds away, so that they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food. Dig Deeper The disciples' request, even if it did come from the best of intentions, betrays their significant lack of faith. By this point in their time with Jesus they've seen Him miraculously provide for all sorts of needs - even turning water into wine at a wedding reception. Yet they shy away here from even asking Jesus for anything supernatural. The disciples likely think they're doing Jesus a favor by presenting a solution - send the crowds away so they can buy food - rather than just dumping the problem of hunger on Jesus. So often our prayers reflect the disciples. Rather than simply praying for God's will to be done as Jesus' has instructed, or even boldly asking for a miracle as we've been invited, our prayers are often merely a presentation of our own well intended plans and desires before God. Jesus doesn't miss the teachable moment, telling His disciples to give them something to eat. That sounds harsh and mockingly impossible, as if Jesus had lost His temper for a moment with them. After all these twelve men have only five loaves and two fish to give a hungry crowd pushing close to ten thousand, if not more. But Jesus was serious. Notice here that it's not Jesus who fed the crowd, but the disciples gave this measly amount of food to the people, who all ate and were satisfied. Plus they picked up twelve basketfuls of left overs! Now certainly this was all done by Jesus' power, but it's significant that He worked this power through these ordinary men. All Jesus did was gave thanks and broke the loaves. It was the disciples that actually fed this crowd. God in His Word often tells you to do things that seem outlandish and impossible. And humanly speaking, keeping God's law and following His will are impossible! But you've been filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and enabled to do the impossible (Ephesians 3:20-21). So spend less time in prayer presenting your half baked plans and ideas to God, and more time asking Him to powerfully work His will through you. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who has given us His Holy Spirit that so that we're equipped to glorify Him; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Instead of presenting your plans to God, ask that He would work His will through you, even if it seems impossible; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:

The Kingdom of God has invaded to purify the defiled. Gospels: Week 5 - Jesus' power over creation, demons, hunger and unbelief CONTEXT: Today's episode comes immediately after Jesus calmed the sea, which we read about yesterday. Mark 5:1–20 (NASB95) 1 They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. 2 When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, 3 and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones. 6 Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; 7 and shouting with a loud voice, he said, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!” 8 For He had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he said to Him, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10 And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain. 12 The demons implored Him, saying, “Send us into the swine so that we may enter them.” 13 Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea. 14 Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the country. And the people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 They came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the “legion”; and they became frightened. 16 Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine. 17 And they began to implore Him to leave their region. 18 As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him. 19 And He did not let him, but He said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 1 Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death? A. That I am not my own, but belong— body and soul, in life and in death— to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil... Summary We left off our reading in Mark's gospel yesterday with him describing the disciples as very much afraid after witnessing that even the wind and seas obey Jesus. But their night was just beginning, and things would quickly get worse for them. It was quite likely dark by the time they came to the other side of the sea, and now they were in Gentile country. Mark, using his trademark fast paced style indicates that when Jesus got out of the boat, immediately a man ran from the tombs with an unclean spirit to meet him. This was a mad man that no one was able to bind, even with chains and shackles. He constantly screamed among the tombs and gashed himself with stones. But then an amazingly remarkable thing happened: this man, previously unable to be contained or controlled, ran up and bowed before Jesus. This legion of demons who'd posessed a gentile man recognized what neither the disciples nor any other Jew at this point had: that Jesus is the Son of the Most High God. Dig Deeper This story is filthy. Literally. Everything about it is unclean, starting with its location in the country of the Gerasenes. That's not so helpful for us as we read it 2,000 years later, but the name of the surrounding towns gives a big clue to the problem: the Decapolis - a very Greek sounding name simply meaning the Ten Cities. Jesus and His disciples disembarked their boat in Gentile territory, which immediately rendered them unclean by Jewish law. Then they're met by a man possessed by an unclean spirit, who just happened to have had his dwelling among the tombs - unclean by virtue that all of his neighbors there were corpses. Then there's the fact that there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain - beasts very different from our modern farm animals that topped the list of uncleanliness by Jewish dietary regulations. But there's a point to all of this filthiness. Walter Wessel writes, "Through Jesus, the kingdom of God is invading and purifying the defiled realm of Satan." After encountering Jesus the Son of the Most High God, the previously uncontrollable man who had been demon-possessed was observed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind. Ironically, this frightened the people of the Decapolis even more, so much so that they implored Jesus to leave their region. John Calvin aptly summarizes what this filthy story means for us: “Though we are not tortured by the devil, yet he holds us as his slaves, till the Son of God delivers us from his tyranny. Naked, torn, and disfigured, we wander about, till he restores us to soundness of mind.” AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the Most High God, who sent us His Son to deliver us from the devil's tyranny; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that having been "restored to soundness of mind" by Jesus, you will keep yourself clean and pure; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: