His eyes were narrowed and his fists were clenched. He was disgusted by the waste! As the the odor filled the room, rage filled his heart. The ointment could have been sold for almost a year's wages, but instead it was just dripping off of Jesus’ hair and beard, filling the room with the suffocating smell.
Judas was indignant that the ointment had been wasted. When Judas had left everything to follow Jesus, he had anticipated having a major part to play in the kingdom that Jesus was proclaiming. He was honored to be chosen as one of the twelve apostles. It had been exciting to see the miracles, to be sent out on the missionary journey and experience the power of God. But something changed when Peter had declared what all twelve had believed, that Jesus was the Christ. From that point on Jesus had begun to speak of suffering and death. Judas wanted to be part of a kingdom, and the message that Jesus was now giving wasn’t what he had sacrificed everything for.
Judas was offended by and disappointed with Jesus. He had been given the position of being the treasurer. As his disillusionment grew, so did his desire to be compensated for the time he had wasted following this man who now said that the greatest in His Kingdom must be a servant. That was not why Judas had left everything to follow Jesus! He had begun to recompense himself with the money that he stole from the treasury. He added his voice to those who scolded Mary as he calculated what he could have taken from the sale of the alabaster jar of spikenard.
God had called Abraham to leave behind all that was familiar to him. With the call came a promise of land and of descendants that would be as numerous as the stars. Yet Abraham’s wife Sarah was barren. He was given a call and a promise, and an opportunity to become bitter and disappointed with God. Abraham did not become offended, because he had faith. Abraham had confidence that God was good and would keep His promises. He had conviction about what he could not see.
John the Baptist had been set apart from before he was born to be the forerunner of the Messiah. In response to Jesus' growing ministry John had said, “He must increase and I must decrease.” At the height of Jesus’ ministry, John was in prison. When John had described the one who would come after him, he had said, “His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire” (Luke 3:17). But Jesus’ ministry didn’t match John’s description. John sent word to ask Jesus if He was the One or if they needed to look for another. Jesus told the messengers to tell John about all the miracles that He was doing. Then He sent word that, “Blessed is the man who isn’t offended by Me.”
Without faith it is impossible to please God, and without faith it is impossible to be pleased with God.
Check out my podcast at anchor.fm/sarah-joned.30
Monday, April 27, 2020
Friday, April 24, 2020
The Fragrance of Love (Mark 14:3-9)
In the heart of the Bible there is a love song. In this love song there is a picture of the King seated with His friends at a banquet. “While the King sits at his table, my spikenard gave forth its fragrance” (Song of Songs 1:12). The one beloved by the King responds to his love by filling the air with the fragrance of her perfume. What is spikenard? It is a lowly herb, the emblem of humility. In the Songs of Songs, the King has chosen a humble shepherdess upon whom to lavish his love.
The gospel is also a love story. Not only had Jesus come declaring that the kingdom was near, He had also come as a bridegroom to declare His love for His bride. To establish the kingdom, Jesus had to first break the curse that had given Satan dominion. To claim His bride, the church, He had to break the curse of sin and set her free.
Mary had chosen to sit as Jesus’ feet. She had been listening. During the last week of Jesus’ life He had spoken in clear terms and plain words about the sacrifice He would make. What could she do? How could she respond? She took her most precious possession, an alabaster flask filled with spikenard, worth almost a year's wages. With sweet abandon she broke the flask and filled the room with fragrance of her worship.
Spikenard has a very powerful fragrance, and its scent will linger for days. It is used in hospice as a calming oil. Spikenard is used as an effective means of managing the distress that comes at the end of life. When Jesus sweat drops of blood as He contemplated His death, the aroma of her gift comforted Him. During His mock trial, when they pressed the crown of thorns deep into His brow, the fragrance of Mary’s worship was present.
The alabaster jar had been broken, and its content had been poured out and used up as Mary lavished her love on Jesus. She had given her most precious possession to express what she was unable to say with words. On Friday of that same week, Jesus would spread His arms wide on the cross and, with abandon, pour out His love.
Check out my podcast at anchor.fm/sarah-jones.30
The gospel is also a love story. Not only had Jesus come declaring that the kingdom was near, He had also come as a bridegroom to declare His love for His bride. To establish the kingdom, Jesus had to first break the curse that had given Satan dominion. To claim His bride, the church, He had to break the curse of sin and set her free.
Mary had chosen to sit as Jesus’ feet. She had been listening. During the last week of Jesus’ life He had spoken in clear terms and plain words about the sacrifice He would make. What could she do? How could she respond? She took her most precious possession, an alabaster flask filled with spikenard, worth almost a year's wages. With sweet abandon she broke the flask and filled the room with fragrance of her worship.
Spikenard has a very powerful fragrance, and its scent will linger for days. It is used in hospice as a calming oil. Spikenard is used as an effective means of managing the distress that comes at the end of life. When Jesus sweat drops of blood as He contemplated His death, the aroma of her gift comforted Him. During His mock trial, when they pressed the crown of thorns deep into His brow, the fragrance of Mary’s worship was present.
The alabaster jar had been broken, and its content had been poured out and used up as Mary lavished her love on Jesus. She had given her most precious possession to express what she was unable to say with words. On Friday of that same week, Jesus would spread His arms wide on the cross and, with abandon, pour out His love.
Check out my podcast at anchor.fm/sarah-jones.30
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Just as Planned (Mark 14:1,2)
The Almighty God is a God of detail and precision, and nowhere is this more clearly seen than when He sent His only Son into the world so that anyone who believed in Him might have eternal life. How was this to be accomplished? When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he proclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29)! When would this be accomplished? It would be accomplished on Passover.
The date and time had been fixed since the foundation of the world. God had spoken through His prophets, and every last detail had been planned. Jesus rode down the Mount of Olives toward the eastern entrance to the city of Jerusalem on the day that lambs were being chosen from the flocks that the Sadducees had bred and raised for that occasion. In a very symbolic way, Jesus was presenting Himself as the Passover Lamb.
Two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the chief priests and scribes came together looking for a treacherous way to arrest and kill Jesus. They only had one stipulation: they didn’t want it to take place on Passover. However, they were not in control.
The chief priests were made up of Sadducees, the very ones who were responsible for breeding and raising the lambs that would be used during Passover, But they didn’t recognize the Lamb of God. The scribes were scholars of the Old Testament. However, although they devoted themselves to the study of the law and copied the Old Testament Scripture, they did not recognize the true Word of God when He was in their midst.
Times and seasons are set by God, not man. Jesus had come to break the curse and take away the sins of the world. The chief priests and scribes were spiritually blind and unable see the true Passover Lamb. In Revelation John was given a prophetic vision. In his vision he saw the Lamb who was slain. But this time it was proclaimed by myriads and myriads and thousands of thousands of angels that the Lamb was worthy “to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing” (Revelation 5:12)!
But the chief priests and scribes were blind to this reality. All they knew was that they wanted to arrest and kill Jesus, just not on the Passover!
Check out my podcast at anchor.fm/sarah-jones.30
The date and time had been fixed since the foundation of the world. God had spoken through His prophets, and every last detail had been planned. Jesus rode down the Mount of Olives toward the eastern entrance to the city of Jerusalem on the day that lambs were being chosen from the flocks that the Sadducees had bred and raised for that occasion. In a very symbolic way, Jesus was presenting Himself as the Passover Lamb.
Two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the chief priests and scribes came together looking for a treacherous way to arrest and kill Jesus. They only had one stipulation: they didn’t want it to take place on Passover. However, they were not in control.
The chief priests were made up of Sadducees, the very ones who were responsible for breeding and raising the lambs that would be used during Passover, But they didn’t recognize the Lamb of God. The scribes were scholars of the Old Testament. However, although they devoted themselves to the study of the law and copied the Old Testament Scripture, they did not recognize the true Word of God when He was in their midst.
Times and seasons are set by God, not man. Jesus had come to break the curse and take away the sins of the world. The chief priests and scribes were spiritually blind and unable see the true Passover Lamb. In Revelation John was given a prophetic vision. In his vision he saw the Lamb who was slain. But this time it was proclaimed by myriads and myriads and thousands of thousands of angels that the Lamb was worthy “to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing” (Revelation 5:12)!
But the chief priests and scribes were blind to this reality. All they knew was that they wanted to arrest and kill Jesus, just not on the Passover!
Check out my podcast at anchor.fm/sarah-jones.30
Friday, April 17, 2020
Be Alert! (Mark 28-37)
“Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when all these things are about to take place” (Mark 13:3,4)? Jesus’ answer was long and detailed, giving them signs to watch for, but then two days later He was crucified. After Jesus’ death and resurrection the disciples again asked Him, “Lord, at this time are You restoring the kingdom to Israel” (Acts 1:6)? Jesus repeated to them what He had said on the Mount of Olives: “It’s not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority” (Acts 1:7).
Even though the exact day or hour wasn’t given, that doesn’t negate the fact that Jesus had given them signs to be watching for. “Learn this parable from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that He is near—at the door” (Mark 13:28)! The signs that He told them to watch for had not yet come.
After Jesus had told them that it wasn’t for them to know the time or period set by the Father’s authority, they watched in amazement as Jesus ascended into the clouds. They were gazing into the heavens when suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them and asked, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into the heavens? This Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen Him going into heaven” (Acts 1:11). Jesus had told them on the Mount of Olives that the Son of Man would come in the clouds with great power and glory. In Revelation 1:7 it says, “Look! He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him.”
How long can you watch and wait without losing interest? The disciples saw Jesus’ ascension and they lived their lives believing the promise spoken by the angels. Many generations have come and gone and still we wait. My great grandmother, Nell Gillespie, believed in Jesus’ second coming but she died without seeing it. It is only natural at some point to stop waiting, to shift your attention from a coming Kingdom and let the hope fade.
Jesus ended His prophecy of His return by saying, “Watch! Be alert! For you don’t know when the time is coming” (Mark 13:33). One thing I’ve been told about Nell Gillespie is that her hope in Jesus’ return dictated how she lived her life. The torch of faith was passed on to her children. I remember visiting my Great Aunt Ellen on her death bed. She knew that she was dying. Her last words to me were, “He will return!” Jesus said, “And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be alert” (Mark 13:37)! I believe He is near, even at the door!
Even though the exact day or hour wasn’t given, that doesn’t negate the fact that Jesus had given them signs to be watching for. “Learn this parable from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that He is near—at the door” (Mark 13:28)! The signs that He told them to watch for had not yet come.
After Jesus had told them that it wasn’t for them to know the time or period set by the Father’s authority, they watched in amazement as Jesus ascended into the clouds. They were gazing into the heavens when suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them and asked, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into the heavens? This Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen Him going into heaven” (Acts 1:11). Jesus had told them on the Mount of Olives that the Son of Man would come in the clouds with great power and glory. In Revelation 1:7 it says, “Look! He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him.”
How long can you watch and wait without losing interest? The disciples saw Jesus’ ascension and they lived their lives believing the promise spoken by the angels. Many generations have come and gone and still we wait. My great grandmother, Nell Gillespie, believed in Jesus’ second coming but she died without seeing it. It is only natural at some point to stop waiting, to shift your attention from a coming Kingdom and let the hope fade.
Jesus ended His prophecy of His return by saying, “Watch! Be alert! For you don’t know when the time is coming” (Mark 13:33). One thing I’ve been told about Nell Gillespie is that her hope in Jesus’ return dictated how she lived her life. The torch of faith was passed on to her children. I remember visiting my Great Aunt Ellen on her death bed. She knew that she was dying. Her last words to me were, “He will return!” Jesus said, “And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be alert” (Mark 13:37)! I believe He is near, even at the door!
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
After the Tribulation (Mark 13:24-27)
After the tribulation the sun will be darkened, the moon will not shed its light; the stars of heaven will fall to the earth as a fig tree drops its ripe figs when shaken by a mighty wind. The celestial powers will be shaken. The sky will be like a scroll being rolled up. After the tribulation, “They will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power” (Mark 13:27).
When Jesus described His return, I wonder if His disciples were reminded of what Daniel had seen in the night visions? In the night visions Daniel had seen thrones set in place. “The Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white like snow, and the hair of His head like whitest wool. His throne was a flaming fire. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from His presence. Thousands upon thousands served Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The courts convened, and the books were opened” (Daniel 7:9,10).
Was the “abomination that causes desolation” that Jesus had warned about in Daniel’s vision? Yes, he was there speaking arrogant words until God dealt with him. Jesus described the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. In the night vision this is what Daniel saw, “And I saw One like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before Him. He was given authority to rule, and glory, and a kingdom; so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14).
Jesus, who is the Son of Man, tells what happens next: “He will send out the angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky” (Mark 13:27). The disciples had wanted to know what to expect, and Jesus had told them. There will be birth pains because there will be a birth--the birth of the Kingdom of God. There will be a great tribulation, but after the tribulation the Son of Man will return in the clouds. The King of kings and the Lord of lords will at last set up His Heavenly Kingdom.
We are all part of this story. We are either those who will be gathered by His angels and who share in His Kingdom, or we are those who joined the rebellion against His rule. How do you become part of His Kingdom? Jesus Himself told us how, “I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirt is spirit” (John 3:5-6).
Visit my podcast at anchor.fm/satah-jones.30
When Jesus described His return, I wonder if His disciples were reminded of what Daniel had seen in the night visions? In the night visions Daniel had seen thrones set in place. “The Ancient of Days took His seat. His clothing was white like snow, and the hair of His head like whitest wool. His throne was a flaming fire. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from His presence. Thousands upon thousands served Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The courts convened, and the books were opened” (Daniel 7:9,10).
Was the “abomination that causes desolation” that Jesus had warned about in Daniel’s vision? Yes, he was there speaking arrogant words until God dealt with him. Jesus described the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. In the night vision this is what Daniel saw, “And I saw One like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before Him. He was given authority to rule, and glory, and a kingdom; so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14).
Jesus, who is the Son of Man, tells what happens next: “He will send out the angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky” (Mark 13:27). The disciples had wanted to know what to expect, and Jesus had told them. There will be birth pains because there will be a birth--the birth of the Kingdom of God. There will be a great tribulation, but after the tribulation the Son of Man will return in the clouds. The King of kings and the Lord of lords will at last set up His Heavenly Kingdom.
We are all part of this story. We are either those who will be gathered by His angels and who share in His Kingdom, or we are those who joined the rebellion against His rule. How do you become part of His Kingdom? Jesus Himself told us how, “I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirt is spirit” (John 3:5-6).
Visit my podcast at anchor.fm/satah-jones.30
Saturday, April 11, 2020
“Be on Your Guard” (Mark 13:14-23)
Jesus watched as twilight fell on Jerusalem. All who sat with Him on the Mount of Olives in the gathering darkness listened intently and looked with the eyes of their spirit as Jesus described what lay beyond the visible horizon. As the fine mist of night began to encircle them and they approached the last hours of the day, Jesus told them what to expect. He pulled back the filmy veil of time and pointed His followers to the end of one kingdom and to the time of His return.
“Be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand” (Mark 13:23). He had told them that there was a time of tribulation coming that had not been from the beginning of the creation that God created. His disciples listened intently, trying to understand, each one praying that they would recognize “the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be” (Mark 13:14).
The abomination of desolation had been first prophesied by Daniel when Gabriel came to him in swift flight in the gathering dusk at the time of the evening sacrifice. Gabriel had come to give Daniel insight and understanding concerning his people and the holy city, to finish the transgression, and to put an end to sin. Gabriel spoke of seventy weeks that had been decreed for Daniel’s people. Gabriel had warned that the end would come with a flood, there would be war, and desolation and finally, “On the wings of abomination shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolate” (Daniel 9:27).
As the disciples watched the pale stars appear they remembered their history. Antiochus Epiphanes, a Syrian ruler, had desecrated the temple by building an altar in the courtyard to the Grecian god Zeus. He then sacrificed swine's flesh upon the altar. In His final desecration he set up a trade of prostitution in the temple chambers. The cold reality of what Jesus was telling them caused them to shiver. The kingdom of God would come, but with it would come a time of great tribulation.
“Let no man deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3,4). Today, in the twilight of time as I await the coming of Jesus, I hear again the warning of Jesus, “Be on your guard; I have told you all things beforehand” (Mark 13:23).
Visit my podcast at Anchor.fm/sarah-jones.30
“Be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand” (Mark 13:23). He had told them that there was a time of tribulation coming that had not been from the beginning of the creation that God created. His disciples listened intently, trying to understand, each one praying that they would recognize “the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be” (Mark 13:14).
The abomination of desolation had been first prophesied by Daniel when Gabriel came to him in swift flight in the gathering dusk at the time of the evening sacrifice. Gabriel had come to give Daniel insight and understanding concerning his people and the holy city, to finish the transgression, and to put an end to sin. Gabriel spoke of seventy weeks that had been decreed for Daniel’s people. Gabriel had warned that the end would come with a flood, there would be war, and desolation and finally, “On the wings of abomination shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolate” (Daniel 9:27).
As the disciples watched the pale stars appear they remembered their history. Antiochus Epiphanes, a Syrian ruler, had desecrated the temple by building an altar in the courtyard to the Grecian god Zeus. He then sacrificed swine's flesh upon the altar. In His final desecration he set up a trade of prostitution in the temple chambers. The cold reality of what Jesus was telling them caused them to shiver. The kingdom of God would come, but with it would come a time of great tribulation.
“Let no man deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3,4). Today, in the twilight of time as I await the coming of Jesus, I hear again the warning of Jesus, “Be on your guard; I have told you all things beforehand” (Mark 13:23).
Visit my podcast at Anchor.fm/sarah-jones.30
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
The Persecuted Church Prophesied by Jesus (Mark 13:9-13)
I remember reading “Foxe’s Book of Martyrs” when I was a teenager. Reading the book about the brave men and women who were martyred for their faith caused me to look beyond the parameters of time. As a teenager it opened my eyes to see into a world that can only be seen with eyes of faith. I saw in the lives recorded in this book people who acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. These were people who believed in the kingdom of God.
The time of Jesus’ earthly ministry was drawing to a close, and His disciples wanted to know the details concerning His return. What would be the sign of His coming. He prepared them by warning them to be on their guard. Later that week Jesus would be forsaken. With His arms stretched wide and nailed to the cross, He would give His life a ransom for many. His first words recorded in Mark are, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the good news” (Mark 1:15)! The Lamb of God had come to take away the sins of the world and establish His kingdom.
As they approached Jerusalem for the last time Jesus had told His disciples repeatedly what He would encounter. “See, we are going up Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him” (Mark 10:33,34). Now, in answer to their questions about what the future would hold, He told them that those who followed Him would be hated for His name's sake.
This last century has seen more Christian persecution and martyrs than in all prior centuries put together. One of the stories I’ve been following is about Early Rain Covenant Church of Chengdu, China. * “Most of the Early Rain’s 500 members - even those with policemen posted outside their apartment door and those banished to faraway hometowns - are committed to bearing the cross of Christ and keeping the faith. Shortly before church elder Li Yingqiang was arrested, he encouraged the church with these words, ‘How wonderful it would be if, because of this suffering, we might be able to give off the sweet fragrance of the gospel!’”
Jesus told His followers about a kingdom, but He also told them to be on their guard concerning the things they would suffer before His return. “But the one who endures to the end will be save” (Mark 13:13). What does it mean to endure? It means literally ** “to bear up under (the load) bearing up (enduring); for the believer, this uniquely happens by God’s power.” In order to endure you must look with eyes of faith to see the One who is seated on the throne. He both sees and acknowledges the suffering of those who have repented and believed in His kingdom. And one day, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:17).
*The Voice of the Martyrs
Visit my podcast at anchor.fm/sarah-jones.30
The time of Jesus’ earthly ministry was drawing to a close, and His disciples wanted to know the details concerning His return. What would be the sign of His coming. He prepared them by warning them to be on their guard. Later that week Jesus would be forsaken. With His arms stretched wide and nailed to the cross, He would give His life a ransom for many. His first words recorded in Mark are, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the good news” (Mark 1:15)! The Lamb of God had come to take away the sins of the world and establish His kingdom.
As they approached Jerusalem for the last time Jesus had told His disciples repeatedly what He would encounter. “See, we are going up Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him” (Mark 10:33,34). Now, in answer to their questions about what the future would hold, He told them that those who followed Him would be hated for His name's sake.
This last century has seen more Christian persecution and martyrs than in all prior centuries put together. One of the stories I’ve been following is about Early Rain Covenant Church of Chengdu, China. * “Most of the Early Rain’s 500 members - even those with policemen posted outside their apartment door and those banished to faraway hometowns - are committed to bearing the cross of Christ and keeping the faith. Shortly before church elder Li Yingqiang was arrested, he encouraged the church with these words, ‘How wonderful it would be if, because of this suffering, we might be able to give off the sweet fragrance of the gospel!’”
Jesus told His followers about a kingdom, but He also told them to be on their guard concerning the things they would suffer before His return. “But the one who endures to the end will be save” (Mark 13:13). What does it mean to endure? It means literally ** “to bear up under (the load) bearing up (enduring); for the believer, this uniquely happens by God’s power.” In order to endure you must look with eyes of faith to see the One who is seated on the throne. He both sees and acknowledges the suffering of those who have repented and believed in His kingdom. And one day, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:17).
*The Voice of the Martyrs
**HELPS Word-studies
Monday, April 6, 2020
Birth Pains (Mark 13:3-8)
I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had been told that labor would be painful. I was in my ninth month of pregnancy and I was terribly uncomfortable. Was what I was feeling birth pains? I’d never given birth before so how could I know? I did the only thing that I knew to do, I went to the hospital. I was terribly embarrassed when I was sent home and told that I had experienced false labor. A couple of weeks passed before I again went to the hospital. I was excited this time that they didn’t send me home. I heard the nurse outside my door saying, “The poor thing doesn’t realize that she’s on a runaway roller coaster that she can’t get off!”
Jesus spoke about birth pains. The disciples had asked Him how they would know when the end was coming and Jesus’ response was sobering. He spoke of wars and rumors of war, earthquakes and famine. He added, “This must take place, but the end is not yet”(Mark 13:7). The discomfort that I had felt when I went to the hospital with false labor didn’t mean that I wasn’t pregnant it simply meant that the labor pains would increase before the birth took place.
When I read about wars and rumors of war I see in my mind the vision given to John in Revelation when he saw the scroll that was sealed with seven seals. When the Lamb took the scroll a new song was sung in heaven, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the
earth”(Revolution 5:9). When the Lamb who had been slain opened the first seal there was a white horse. It’s rider had a bow, and a crown was was given him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.
When the second seal was opened a bright red horse appeared. “It’s rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword”(Revolution 6:3). In Mark Jesus had begun His prophecy about the end of time by telling His disciples that they needed to be on their guard. I believe that we need to heed that warning today. Will Durant a historical philosopher wrote, “In the last 3,421 years of recorded history only 268 years have seen no war.”
Jesus not only spoke of international disruption He also spoke of physical destruction. Jesus spoke of earthquakes and famines. In Revaluation when the third seal was broken a black horse appeared bringing with him famine. One out of eight in our world today live in chronic undernourishment. So this is what Jesus called the beginning of birth pains. He told us to pay attention so that we would know what to expect. But birth pains will bring with them a birth. The kingdom of God will come, but first there will be birth pains.
Visit my podcast at Anchor.fm/sarah-jones.30
Jesus spoke about birth pains. The disciples had asked Him how they would know when the end was coming and Jesus’ response was sobering. He spoke of wars and rumors of war, earthquakes and famine. He added, “This must take place, but the end is not yet”(Mark 13:7). The discomfort that I had felt when I went to the hospital with false labor didn’t mean that I wasn’t pregnant it simply meant that the labor pains would increase before the birth took place.
When I read about wars and rumors of war I see in my mind the vision given to John in Revelation when he saw the scroll that was sealed with seven seals. When the Lamb took the scroll a new song was sung in heaven, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the
earth”(Revolution 5:9). When the Lamb who had been slain opened the first seal there was a white horse. It’s rider had a bow, and a crown was was given him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.
When the second seal was opened a bright red horse appeared. “It’s rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword”(Revolution 6:3). In Mark Jesus had begun His prophecy about the end of time by telling His disciples that they needed to be on their guard. I believe that we need to heed that warning today. Will Durant a historical philosopher wrote, “In the last 3,421 years of recorded history only 268 years have seen no war.”
Jesus not only spoke of international disruption He also spoke of physical destruction. Jesus spoke of earthquakes and famines. In Revaluation when the third seal was broken a black horse appeared bringing with him famine. One out of eight in our world today live in chronic undernourishment. So this is what Jesus called the beginning of birth pains. He told us to pay attention so that we would know what to expect. But birth pains will bring with them a birth. The kingdom of God will come, but first there will be birth pains.
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Don’t Be Deceived (Mark 13:5)
Jesus had begun His ministry with these words, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). But the religious leaders had refused to repent or believe the good news that Jesus was proclaiming, and instead were seeking to destroy Him. As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives watching the sun set on Jerusalem, He answered His disciples’ questions about what to expect. This is the longest recorded lesson in the book of Mark. Through the power of “The Word” we can join the disciples on the Mount of Olives and we too can hear the message that Jesus taught them in private.
As they were going out of the temple complex, the disciples had pointed out to Jesus how impressive the buildings were. Jesus responded by telling them that not one stone would be left on another that would not be thrown down. I imagine that they were stunned by His words and walked in silence until they sat down at last to rest on the Mount of Olives. As they looked across at temple complex they finally gave voice to their questions. “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when all these things are about to take place” (Mark 13:4)? Surely the destruction of the temple complex would usher in the kingdom of God!
Jesus began by warning them not to be deceived. The word deceive means “to go astray, get off-course; to deviate from the correct path (circuit, course), roaming into error, wandering; (passive) be misled.”* Jesus told them that many would come in His name, saying, “I am He.” Jesus said that they would deceive many. Since Jesus began His teaching about the end of time with this warning, I want to pause and look at those who come in His name only to cause people to be misled and deviate from the correct path.
The list is long of all those who have claimed to be the Christ since Jesus made this prophecy. A couple of ones that stand out to me are from my life time. Sun Myung Moon (1920-2012) was born in what is now North Korea and was the founder of the Unification Church. I remember hearing about him in the 70’s. Sun Myung Moon spoke on the grounds of the Washington Monument in 1976 and around 300,000 people came. I remember seeing his followers, who had left school and careers to devote themselves to his teaching, selling flowers for donations. I also remember Jim Jones who led some 1,000 of his followers to the Guyanese jungle, where he proclaimed they would set up a utopian community. Nine hundred of his followers were deceived when they roamed into error by following him. They ended up committing suicide.
Lately, however, I have become aware of a different group who are claiming to be the Christ. It seems to me as if they have crept unnoticed into the church and are misleading many. The word for Christ has been redefined. They have changed the Greek meaning of Christ, “the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ,”** and instead say that the Christ Mystery is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process throughout time. This teaching distinguishes “Christ” from “Jesus.” I believe that this is the kind of teaching that represents the deception Jesus was warning about in His answer to His disciples about the end-times. I also believe that this is the teaching that was spoken of in 1 John when he warned that in the last hour there would be those who went out from them but were not really of them. “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son” (1 John 2:22). How widespread is this teaching? Books containing this teaching have been Amazon’s number-one book in both Christology and Christian ethnics. We need to listen closely to what Jesus said to His disciples, “Watch out that no one deceives you” (Mark 13:5).
*HELPS Word-studies
**Strong’s Concordance
Anchor.fm/sarah-jones.30anchor.fm/sarah-jones.30
The list is long of all those who have claimed to be the Christ since Jesus made this prophecy. A couple of ones that stand out to me are from my life time. Sun Myung Moon (1920-2012) was born in what is now North Korea and was the founder of the Unification Church. I remember hearing about him in the 70’s. Sun Myung Moon spoke on the grounds of the Washington Monument in 1976 and around 300,000 people came. I remember seeing his followers, who had left school and careers to devote themselves to his teaching, selling flowers for donations. I also remember Jim Jones who led some 1,000 of his followers to the Guyanese jungle, where he proclaimed they would set up a utopian community. Nine hundred of his followers were deceived when they roamed into error by following him. They ended up committing suicide.
Lately, however, I have become aware of a different group who are claiming to be the Christ. It seems to me as if they have crept unnoticed into the church and are misleading many. The word for Christ has been redefined. They have changed the Greek meaning of Christ, “the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Christ,”** and instead say that the Christ Mystery is not a one-time event, but an ongoing process throughout time. This teaching distinguishes “Christ” from “Jesus.” I believe that this is the kind of teaching that represents the deception Jesus was warning about in His answer to His disciples about the end-times. I also believe that this is the teaching that was spoken of in 1 John when he warned that in the last hour there would be those who went out from them but were not really of them. “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son” (1 John 2:22). How widespread is this teaching? Books containing this teaching have been Amazon’s number-one book in both Christology and Christian ethnics. We need to listen closely to what Jesus said to His disciples, “Watch out that no one deceives you” (Mark 13:5).
*HELPS Word-studies
**Strong’s Concordance
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