Mark 12:1-12 ~ Have you not read this Scripture

Mark 12:1-12

English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio

 And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. ² When the season came, he sent a bondservant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. ³  And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ⁴  Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. ⁵  And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. ⁶ He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ⁷ But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ ⁸ And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. ⁹ What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. ¹⁰  Have you not read this Scripture:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone ^{[Psalm 118:22]};
¹¹ this was the Lord's doing,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

¹² And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away.

One Solitary Life, by James A. Francis

Nearly two thousand years ago in an obscure village, a child was born of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village where He worked as a carpenter until He was thirty. Then for three years He became an itinerant preacher. 

This man never went to college or seminary. He never wrote a book. He never held a public office. He never had a family nor owned a home. He never put His foot inside a big city nor traveled even 200 miles from His birthplace. And though He never did any of the things that usually accompany greatness, throngs of people followed Him. He had no credentials but Himself. 


While He was still young, the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His followers ran away. He was turned over to His enemies and sentenced to death on a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – the simple coat He had worn. His body was laid in a borrowed grave provided by a compassionate friend. 

But three days later this Man arose from the dead – living proof that He was, as He had claimed, the Savior whom God had sent, the Incarnate Son of God.
Nineteen centuries have come and gone and today the risen Lord Jesus Christ is the central figure of the human race. On our calendars His birth divides history into two eras. One day of every week is set aside in remembrance of Him. And our two most important holidays celebrate His birth and resurrection. On church steeples around the world, His cross has become the symbol of victory over sin and death. 


This one Man’s life has furnished the theme for more songs, books, poems and paintings than any other person or event in history. Thousands of colleges, hospitals, orphanages and other institutions have been founded in honor of this One who gave His life for us.

All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the governments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned have not changed the course of history as much as this One Solitary Life.


 

John 1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 

"One Solitary Life" has beautiful truth in it. And it touches us. While Jesus was a Man, He was God. Let's take a minute & look together at this in Scripture. So many times the written word has a tone, but unless we are clear, it can be misinterpreted. So this is done gently. With love, looking in the Scriptures. We'll add another Scripture to set a tone to adding to "One Solitary Life."

Psalm 131

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;

my eyes are not raised too high;

I do not occupy myself with things

too great and too marvelous for me.

2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul,

like a weaned child with its mother;

like a weaned child is my soul within me.

3 O Israel, hope in the Lord

from this time forth and forevermore.

Nearly two thousand years ago in an obscure village, a child was born of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village where He worked as a carpenter until He was thirty. Then for three years He became an itinerant preacher.

Mary was recorded by Isaiah ~ 700 years before ~ the birth of Jesus. Just as we really cannot understand the Book of Revelation, people looked for 700 years for Jesus to be born a King. Records today exist of Caesar Augustus' census.

Believers believe Mary stood with Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God.

Jesus, like many today, came from a blended family. His parents did hard work going back to Nazareth and facing down an unusual marriage.  The community saw them as a complete family. Joseph integrated Jesus into his family.

Matthew 13:54-56
and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? ⁵⁵  Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? ⁵⁶ And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”

This man never went to college or seminary. He never wrote a book. He never held a public office. He never had a family nor owned a home. He never put His foot inside a big city nor traveled even 200 miles from His birthplace. And though He never did any of the things that usually accompany greatness, throngs of people followed Him. He had no credentials but Himself.

Jesus did something we rarely think about. Mark 12:10 records Jesus ~ read. He came from David's Line. This young Man was literate.

Isaiah told us about Jesus' public office.

 Isaiah 9:6
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
     Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Jesus was acknowledged, during Good Friday, as King, in three languages. And by the man placed there by the Roman Government, as their representative.  John 19:22.

Each day Jesus stood facing down the establishment proclaiming mercy over power. At great risk to Himself. Suffocation was really the cause of death in most crucifixions because the way the government has placed their shoulders on the cross. 

Jesus did indeed write a Book.

2 Peter 1:21
For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Many believers believe in the Big Bang Theory of Creation. Creation is the Word of God spoken. In the Beginning was the Word - with God. John 1.

Proverbs 8:27 and on....


I was there when he set the heavens in place,
    when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
²⁸ when he established the clouds above
    and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
²⁹ when he gave the sea its boundary
    so the waters would not overstep his command,
and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
³⁰     Then I was constantly at his side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
    rejoicing always in his presence,
³¹ rejoicing in his whole world
    and delighting in mankind.

John the Baptist bore witness in John's Gospel; known as the eye witness Gospel, the Gospel of John's First Chapter, (Beloved Disciple): among you stands one you do not know.  He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.

He never had a family nor owned a home.

Yes, Jesus had a family. Not just as Son of God, but a family God provided for Him. Just like us. And Jesus, in well-known Scripture, did not always get along with them. When Jesus adopted John, on Good Friday, Jesus increased His Family. Mary was given to John as John's responsibility, in part, because Jesus knew His Family would be coming to Him.

 
Mark 3:31-35 
And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” 33 And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother."

Acts 1:13-14
And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. 

1 Corinthians 9:5

Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?

a big city ~ nor traveled even 200 miles from His birthplace

 
Yes and no. Jesus' Israel was called Judea by the Roman government. It was a suburb of the larger county of Syria. Yet Cleopatra and Marc Antony wanted a portion of this country and fought with different Herods. Cleopatra's sister, Arsino's, DNA shows paternity from this area of the world. The Ptolemy family wanted part of this world beginning in 330 B.C.

And Jesus took his disciples to Caesarea, a city made entirely to brown nose the Roman Emperor, to discuss the future of an unborn Church.  Jerusalem, Time magazine reports, had a population of 80,000. The population rose by 250,000 visitors during Holy Days.  The 2nd Temple was a world renown wonder. Rome would have been around 800,000 to 1.2 million  people in population, based upon Caesar Augustus' bread dole census.

While He was still young, the tide of public opinion turned against Him. His followers ran away. He was turned over to His enemies and sentenced to death on a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth – the simple coat He had worn. His body was laid in a borrowed grave provided by a compassionate friend.

John 19:23
When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom

Today, we can still hold Jesus' garment in wonder, in our souls. Not such a simple coat. An article held dear even by his executioners. Perhaps given to Him in love. What do we know in Scripture of this garment?

Matthew 9:20
Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. ²¹ She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

Matthew 14:35-36

And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him ³⁶ and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

And one of His Followers did not run away.


John 21:21-24
When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”
²² Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” ²³ Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”

²⁴ This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. 

There is plenty of amazing Wonder just in these few verses of John 21. Stand in awe.

The Rylands Library Papyrus P52, also known as the St John's fragment. The front is lines from the Gospel of John 18:31–33, and the back contains lines from verses 37–38. The papyrus was found in Egypt. Recently dated again, the oldest date is 125 AD, not the late part of the 2nd century, as previously thought. During the apostle John's lifetime. Housed at John Rylands University Library, Manchester, UK.

But three days later this Man arose from the dead – living proof that He was, as He had claimed, the Savior whom God had sent, the Incarnate Son of God.

Twenty centuries have come and gone and today the risen Lord Jesus Christ is the central figure of the human race.  His cross has become the symbol of victory over sin and death.

1 Timothy 6:16

who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

1 John 4:9

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

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