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THE GOSPEL OF MARK – “I’LL BE BACK!”

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“I’LL BE BACK!”

Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joseph, and Salome. 41 In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there.

42 It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. 45 When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. 46 So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid. Mark 15:40-47

Mark is careful to record the activity of the women around the cross. No mention of the disciples – they were probably hiding, but the women were present, watching what was happening and planning their next move. So was Joseph of Arimathea. According to Mark, he must have anticipated Jesus’ death since he was a non-consenting member of the Sanhedrin. He had decided to take charge of Jesus’ body and had brought the linen cloth in which he would wrap the body.

By this time. the hostile crowd had melted away. Their sport was over. Jesus was beyond their taunts and jeers. Besides, the strange events in the heavens made them restless and uneasy. Only the women, Joseph and soldiers kept vigil. When Joseph was sure that Jesus was dead, he made his way quickly to Pilate to request His body for burial. He did not want the body of His Master to be thrown on the city garbage heap where the bodies of criminals were burned. Pilate consented after ensuring from the centurion that He was really dead – something unusual because victims of crucifixion could hover between life and death for days.

The women watched – Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James the less and Salome. According to John, there was a third Mary, the mother of Jesus, held by her love for her son. Matthew also mentions the mother of James and John and Luke adds Joanna. They were all loyal women who had trailed Him all the way from Galilee and who were always hovering in the background, seeing to His needs and serving Him and His disciples.

Unlike the disciples, they were no threat to anyone, least of all the Roman soldiers. They were not afraid of associating with Jesus. What a beautiful ministry they had, just being there! They followed Joseph so that they could see where His body was being buried. The Sabbath was only hours away. They would rest and then pay Jesus their last respects by anointing His body with oils and spices.

There is an atmosphere of sorrow that hovers over this scene.  Everything has slowed down. The panic is over. Time seems to have stopped! It’s as though heaven and earth are holding their breath, waiting for something to happen. Only His friends mourn, unaware of a new drama to unfold un three days. In the pain of their loss they had forgotten His promise, “In three days I’ll be back!”

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – MISPLACED EXPECTATIONS!

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CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

MISPLACED EXPECTATIONS!

“The women, who had been companions of Jesus from Galilee, followed along. They saw the tomb where Jesus’ body had been placed. Then they went back to prepare burial spices and perfumes. They rested quietly on the Sabbath as commanded

“At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared. They found the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb, so they walked in. But once inside, they couldn’t find the body of the Master Jesus.” Luke 23:55-56; 24:1-3.

Everything these loyal women did after Jesus had died was to fulfill a certain expectation. Their beloved Master had perished at the hands of the Jewish leaders and the Roman authorities. All they could do for Him now was to give Him a decent burial. Nothing was spared in their preparation for that final act of love. They had little time before the beginning of the Sabbath at sundown. Working together, they pooled their resources and then waited for the dawn of the first day of the new week.

Although they had a mission to accomplish, they put it in its proper perspective. Their first obligation was to submit to a Higher Authority. Sabbath was a special day every week, symbolic of their covenant relationship with Yahweh, and they rested as was the custom so deeply ingrained in them that they would no more ignore it than ignore all the other requirements of the Torah.

Even their obedience had a certain expectation in it. It was prophetic of another rest of which their Master had spoken, the rest of release from the tedious details of their teaching which was given to them to introduce them into the rest of His completed work.

If they grasped why they had to do so many things to keep their Law, they would understand that these were pictures of Jesus’ death as redemption from sin. Jesus had invited them into His yoke of freedom from the “labour” of trying to satisfy God’s requirements in their own strength.

All their “laws” and cultural practices were the foundation for understanding the mighty redemptive work of Jesus which was unfolding before their eyes. Redemption from slavery in Egypt was a picture of His daring rescue of mankind from slavery to sin. The entire rigmarole of sacrifices pictured His once-for-all offering of Himself on the cross as the perfect sacrifice of atonement and the first-fruits of the resurrection.

They were, at that moment, right in the middle of that drama. They had not yet grasped where it was leading. They went to the tomb expecting to find His body where it was placed and to carry out their final loving ministry to all that was left of Him that they could honour. They expected to be the givers and the corpse of the Jesus the receiver.

Their first shock was to find the tomb open. Had they not witnessed with their own eyes the mighty effort it took to seal that tomb with a massive stone? In their grief and passion to do something for Jesus, they had not taken into account the problem that faced them when they reached the tomb. A few women’s combined strength would never dislodge the stone.

Even when they found the stone rolled out of the way, they still expected His body to be where Joseph had left it. They did not consider why the stone would have been moved – for one purpose only, for His body to be removed and taken elsewhere, perhaps for reburial at an unknown site, or perhaps to hide in order to offset any false claims that He had risen. Whoever had moved the body would be able to produce it as evidence to disprove that claim.

Whatever their expectations might have been that early Sunday morning, one was too unlikely to consider, that He was not there because He was alive and had walked out of the tomb! In their shock and grief at His loss, they forgot His promise. The reality of His death crowded out the only possibility that befitted the one they had believed was the Son of God.

Because our expectations are often so earth-bound because of present reality that we ignore God’s promises, like the women, we miss the indescribable joy of expecting Jesus to show up in the middle of our crises because He is no longer in the tomb but alive and with us as He promised.

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE – GOD’S GIRLS

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CHAPTER EIGHT

GOD’S GIRLS!

“He continued according to plan, travelling to town after town, village after village, preaching God’s kingdom, spreading the Message. The Twelve were with Him. There were also some women in their company who had been healed of various afflictions and illnesses: Mary, the one called Magdalene, from whom seven devils had gone out; Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod’s manager; and Susanna – along with many others who used their considerable means to provide for the company.” Luke 8:1-3.

Luke gives us an interesting little interlude that is not included in the other gospels – some titbits of information about Jesus’ travelling companions, a group of women who accompanied Him and His disciples. This must have been quite unusual. Jewish women were normally in the background and would certainly not have travelled around the country with a roving rabbi.

Luke’s inclusion of this bit of information about the women is in keeping with the theme of his gospel. He had a special focus on the humanity of Jesus, on His dependence on the Holy Spirit, on His prayer life and on the way He treated people, and especially women.

Unlike Roman society – and Theophilus, the recipient of Luke’s story, was a Roman – where women enjoyed elevated positions, women were nothing in Jewish society. Luke takes time to point out to Theophilus that Jesus had a different attitude to women from other Jewish men. He treated them with dignity and respect as equal to men rather than as subordinates or possessions.

These women who followed Jesus all had very personal reasons for loving Him. Mary Magdalene, for example, had been demon possessed until Jesus rescued her, probably from a life of prostitution, and gave her back her dignity. From that moment on she became a loyal disciple, following Him and ministering to Him and His disciples wherever they went.

She was there at the cross, unashamedly to let him know that she cared, even though she could do nothing for Him at that moment. She was at the tomb in the pre-dawn darkness to anoint His body. She was the first one to see Him alive and to tell the glad news to His disciples.

Why did Jesus choose Mary to be the first person to whom He revealed Himself? Was it to show His disciples and the world that women should be given the honour due to them as the crown of His creation?

There has been much speculation and even stories written about the relationship between Jesus and Mary. Was there a romantic connection which the Bible carefully kept hidden? I believe it is safe to say that we can trust the Bible to reveal the truth about something as important as this.

Right from Genesis, the writers of the books of the Bible, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, were brutally honest about their characters. Nothing was put under wraps, not even the lapses into sin of its most revered characters, Moses and David. The gospel writers would certainly not have ignored or neglected to write about any romantic connection Mary Magdalene had with Jesus.

They loved Him and served Him out of gratitude for who He was and for His gracious treatment of them as people of worth who deserved the dignity and respect given to them by their Creator. That’s who Jesus is.

No matter who you are, you can be sure that the Master sees you as He saw those women, beautiful, treasured and worthy of honour because He created you in His image to worship Him and to be one with Him.

A Shocking Discovery!

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A SHOCKING DISCOVERY!

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, ‘Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?’

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ’You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him, just as He told you.’

Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone because they were afraid. (Mark 16: 1-8)

What a shocking discovery! It was nothing like these women expected when they arrived at the tomb. What did they expect to find when they got there? A cave in the rock, the entrance guarded by a huge stone which they were powerless to move? How would they get in? They thought about it and discussed it on their way through the quiet city. It was too early for anyone to be out and about to help them. It was a problem but it didn’t seem to bother them. They would make a plan when they got there.

Imagine their surprise and horror when they found a gaping hole at the entrance instead of a huge rocky barrier. What did they think? Were they afraid to go in for fear that grave robbers might still be inside? It seems that curiosity drew them into the tomb. Imagine their shock when they found, not a body but a person – a young man dressed in dazzling white, sitting on the edge of the slab! He spoke to them, and what he had to say shocked them even more.

‘He is not here.’ Well, that was pretty obvious! But where was He? Did they even hear the first words of the stranger? ‘He is risen!’ Preposterous! As far as they were concerned, no one gets up and walks out of a tomb. It was unheard of. There must be some other explanation.

The young man had a message for them to deliver to His disciples. What he had to say made no sense to them. Not only did he tell them the unbelievable news that Jesus was no longer dead; that He had got up and left the tomb; but he told them to tell His disciples that He would meet them in Galilee, as though He knew that they would be the first to arrive at the tomb, It was just too much for them to absorb.

Not waiting to hear any more, they turned and fled – back to the city to cower behind closed doors and try to process what they had just seen and heard. They were so frightened and overwhelmed by what they had just witnessed that they did not breathe a word to anyone in case it was all in their imagination.

If we put ourselves in their shoes, would we have reacted any differently? Perhaps we may be thinking, “What’s wrong with you women? Why didn’t you just believe him and do what he told you to do?” Of course, we are wise after the event. We know better because we have the whole story. But they were at the forefront of the sequence of amazing events following Jesus’ crucifixion.

There are still many who refuse to believe that Jesus actually rose from the dead. Other religions have created fanciful stories about dead gods coming to life again, but there are no historical facts or proofs to back up their stories. Well-educated scholars have fine-combed the evidence of the resurrection in the hopes that they can find errors to disprove its truth, but every single one has come up empty.

The fact is, whether people believe the evidence or not, Jesus Christ rose from the dead. He is alive and at work in the world through His Spirit to transform the heart and lives of those who believe in Him. What other explanation can there be for the preservation of the world from the rot of sin which destroys wherever the influence of Jesus is not felt?

Religion, no matter how good or ethical it might be, can offer nothing but self-help which cannot work because the human heart is corrupt at best. Only the risen Jesus, who made forgiveness of sin possible through His sacrifice, can transform the hearts of those who believe and give them a brand new life. Because He lives, we will also live.

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Watch this space. My second book, Learning to be a Disciple – The Way of the Master (Copyright © 2015, Partridge Publishing), companion volume to Learning to be a Disciple – The Way of the Master, will soon be on the bookshelves.

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Always A Team

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ALWAYS A TEAM

“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

“I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement, and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.” Philippians 4:1-3.

There is no place in the Christian life for lone rangers and even less room for competition. Paul did not specify what the problem was between two women in the Philippian church but, whatever it was, it was enough to merit a comment and a plea.

As believers in Jesus, they had a common goal, but they would not reach it by going it alone. Paul had urged them to join together in following him (Philippians 3:17) as he followed Christ. One of the most important facets of God’s way is unity. Oneness of heart and mind in Christ is a sure sign of God’s supernatural work because people are naturally selfish and self-centred.

God is one. He created human beings in His image to be one with Him and with one another. Satan made sure to destroy our unity when he tempted the first pair to do their own thing. If there is any disturbance of unity in Christ’s body, you can be sure that, under the surface there is self lurking and wanting its own way.

These two women, Euodia and Syntyche needed a prod to remind them that they were not in it to please themselves. They were not to work against each other, causing a rift between them and in the fellowship because people will take sides. Paul also reminded his colleague not to remain aloof but to get alongside them and help them carry their load, whatever it was.

This is a timely reminder for us that the Lord Jesus calls us not only to follow Him but, as a body, to do life together. This is our apprenticeship for the real thing when we will graduate to His eternal presence.

During their journey through the wilderness, God set up the rules for His people to live together in preparation for their life in their own land. In Egypt they had tasted what it was like to live under oppression. God wanted them to be the model for the rest of the world, a community of people who looked after each other’s interests instead of living greedy and selfish lives. It was to begin with respect for God and His ways and it spilled over into lives of generous and unselfish service.

It was to their shame that they never got it. Instead of modelling God’s way, they followed the ways of the surrounding nations until they were swept out of their land into exile for two reasons, idolatry and oppression, the very things that they were warned not to do.

Teamwork is the way of the kingdom, everyone doing what they do best in a mosaic of gifts. The trouble is that one person envies another for his gifts, and others compete for attention and accolades and make trouble when they don’t get them. Rivalry and competition split the body of Christ apart. It’s just as well the organs of our human bodies don’t compete or we would be in big trouble. When cells take over and multiply out of control because they want to be in charge, the result is death.

There are no “big and small’ in God’s kingdom – only functions to build up the body of Christ and bring into maturity in love and unity. Any friction and fraction must be dealt with quickly lest too much damage is done.

A hairline crack in any part of an aircraft is a potential for disaster. Crashes happen with terrible loss of life when small failures are overlooked or neglected. Like aircraft mechanics we must be vigilant and deal with the weak places immediately to save us from the pain of big failure later on.

Hence Paul counselled, “Deal with your issues, Euodia and Syntyche before they get too big,” and “Help them to see the real issues, my dear companion, because they can’t see the wood for the trees.” It sometimes the objectiveness of a third party to put things into perspective. It’s not interfering. It’s loving the body enough to heal the hurt places.

That’s the important thing about the body of Christ; it’s more about us than about me. Unity is about submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. We are to preserve the unity which the Holy Spirit created in the first place because unity is evidence that Jesus came from the Father (John 17:23).

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.