Mark 11:27-12:12 ~ Authority

 

May 2020 Rioters and News Media Clashed all over, especially in Atlanta.

Mark 11:27-12:12

27 And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, 28 and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” 29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” 31 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. 33 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Mark 12

12 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 servant 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;

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.

When Jesus began to engage daily in Conflict, He fought to be all in. And as a result Jesus' ministry

lasted the entire duration Jesus wanted His Ministry to last.

The Gospels teach us the crowd began as entire towns on day one, 3 thousand or more. And the crowd became what the Gospels tell us was "Great Crowds." 'Multitude' describes 2 Million according to Josephus, in "Antiquities of the Jews", and this happened when all of Israel realized Jesus is Alive.

When Jesus spoke of His Return, He made the Statement: "The Son of Man would not find faith on earth."  Jesus also said, all the Gospels would be known throughout earth. This has not occurred.

Jesus did not lose crowds over His conflict. 

He pulled up concerns all-the-travel-to-Jesus-people had noticed. John the Baptist routinely denounced Herod running the Temple married to his brother's wife. The people had noticed the hypocrisy in pleasing the Roman Government. Herod had built the Royal Stoaa housing the Money Changers in the Roman Style. Pilate had a violent riot, killing Jews on a High Holy Day.

The verses end, teaching us the agitators left. 

Today, the agitators continue.

The unreasonable lying is boring. Conversely, to the time of Jesus, we have reached velocity news viewer

 loss. The Conflict isn't unique. It isn't fair, it is repetitive, boring, lying, lacking common sense, apart from the Greater Population Desires. Feeds nonsense and lack of moral compass. Breaks all tradition of moral fighting behavior. And assumes the viewer is unintelligent and easily shocked, amused or led. Bold statements are made, not gracious, not based in fact. This level of dishonesty isn't going to be able to have a firm foundation.

Jesus only lost people - one time. 72 Disciples did not want to know the reality of eating and drinking Jesus. Jesus uniquely claimed to be the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Jesus was proclaiming a level of faith and reality the 72 Disciples could not adhere to.  Jesus was always constant. And His Claims did not suddenly change one day.

AUTHOR

Greg Koukl

A. Jesus either directly or indirectly made many profound claims for Himself:

The Son of God (Matt 26:63)

The Son of Man (Matt 16:13; Mk 14:62)1

Giver of eternal life (Jn 10:28)

One with the Father (Jn 10:30)

One Who Forgives Sin (Mk 2:10)

The Bread of Life (Jn 6:35)

The Good Shepherd (Jn 10:11)

The True Vine (Jn 15:1)

The Great “I Am” (Jn 8:58)

Before Abraham (Jn 8:58)

The Giver of  Living Water (Jn 4:10)

The Light of the world (Jn 8:12)

The Future Judge (Jn 5:22–23)

The Lamb of God (Jn 1:36)

* The Lamb of God is the Lamb loved, cared for, held to avoid blemish and then sacrificed to the sorrow of all. Sacrificial and Beloved. Undeserved death. Stained. 

The Baptizer in the Holy Spirit (Lk 3:16)

The Door of Salvation (Jn 10:9)

The Savior (Jn 3:14–16)

The Messiah (Jn 4:26)

The Healer (Lk 18:42)

B. The greatest claim: “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (Jn 14:6).

This is the cornerstone claim of Jesus because it subsumes all other claims under one of these three categories.

1. The Way

• Lit. hodos, “a natural path, road, way” (Vines, p. 668).
• Used to refer to Christians because they represented “the way” to salvation (Acts 19:23).
• Jesus is the exclusive source of salvation. He’s not a way but the Way.
• This is the most offensive claim of Jesus, it seems.
• It is the first claim that is jettisoned when Christian groups begin to get “tolerant.”
• Yet there are at least nine separate lines of reasoning that the Scripture gives demonstrating why Jesus is the only true “way.”
• Jesus is the source of salvation for the world (Acts 4:11–12).
• Jesus is the Father’s choice (Jn 6:28–29).
• Rejection of Jesus is rejection of the Father (Jn 5:23b).
• Rejection of Jesus results in God’s wrath; belief in Jesus rescues from wrath (Jn 3:36).
• Jesus is the one who provides forgiveness from sin (J 8:24).
• Jesus will be man’s final judge (Jn 5:26–27).
• Many impostors will claim to provide salvation (Matt 24:4–5).
• But there are no other alternatives for salvation (Gal 2:21).
• Therefore, all nations are to be given this Gospel (Lk 24:47).

2. The Truth

• Lit. aletheia, “The reality lying at the basis of an appearance; the manifested, veritable essence of a matter.... Not merely ethical ‘truth,’ but ’truth’ in all its fullness and scope” (Vines, p. 645).
• Jesus is the substantial foundation of all reality.
• 3. The Life
• 
  
• Lit. zoe, “Used in the NT of life as a principle, life in the absolute sense, the life as God has it, that which the Father has in Himself” (Vines, p. 367).
• Life which He gave to the Incarnate Son to have in Himself (Jn 5:26).
• Life from which man has become alienated as a result of the fall, “...excluded from the life of God” (Eph 4:18).2
• This “life” is a reference to Jesus deity. Jesus is the life; He doesn’t merely have the life. He is the source of it

3. The Life

• Lit. zoe, “Used in the NT of life as a principle, life in the absolute sense, the life as God has it, that which the Father has in Himself” (Vines, p. 367).
• Life which He gave to the Incarnate Son to have in Himself (Jn 5:26).
• Life from which man has become alienated as a result of the fall, “...excluded from the life of God” (Eph 4:18).2
• This “life” is a reference to Jesus deity. Jesus is the life; He doesn’t merely have the life. He is the source of it.

4. Conclusion:

Jesus is God in the flesh, 

representing to man all that God is and His plan for mankind (Col 1:15–22).

The phrase “Son of Man” is actually a messianic title from Daniel 7:13.  

Zoe is also used of that life which is the common possession of all animals and men by nature 

(Acts 17:25)

Completely astonishing,

Jesus had 3 years of Ministry.

Jesus drove out the money changers from the Temple.

John 15:27 - He told His apostles that they would bear witness of Him because they had been with Him from the beginning.

John 21:24 - John wrote his personal testimony and testified that it was true. [John 20:30,31]

2 Peter 1:16-18 - Peter denied they had followed fables about Jesus. He claimed instead that they were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

Matthew 7:15-20 - Beware of false teachers.

Matthew 15:13,14 - If the blind leads the blind, both fall into the ditch. God will root up all such leaders.

Matthew 3:17 - At Jesus' baptism, the Father spoke from Heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Matthew 17:5 - At the Transfiguration the Father again spoke from Heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." 

Matthew 16:13-17 - As it is today, some people in Jesus' lifetime thought that He was just a prophet. But in contrast, Peter confessed Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Rather than rebuking Peter, Jesus said that the Father Himself had revealed this to Peter.

John 4:25,26 - When the Samaritan woman suggested that Jesus might be the Messiah (Christ), Jesus directly acknowledged that was who He was.

John 9:35-37 - He told a blind man He had healed that He was the Son of God.

Matthew 26:63-66 - During His trial in the presence of His enemies, Jesus acknowledged that He was the Christ, the Son of God.

What a contrast. Jesus filled with the Sovereign Lord, proclaiming Good News to the poor, binding up the brokenhearted, proclaimed freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. Jesus accused of gluttony and being a drinker,

 Jesus proclaimed the Joy of the Lord.

Abba, Father

We pray You:

Isaiah 49

Saying to the prisoners, ‘Come out,’

    to those who are in darkness, ‘Appear.’

They shall feed along the ways;

    on all bare heights shall be their pasture;

10 they shall not hunger or thirst,

    neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them,

for he who has pity on them will lead them,

    and by springs of water will guide them.

11 And I will make all my mountains a road,

    and my highways shall be raised up.

12 Behold, these shall come from afar,

    and behold, these from the north and from the west,

    and these from the land of Syene.”

13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth;

    break forth, O mountains, into singing!

For the Lord has comforted his people

    and will have compassion on his afflicted.

Abba, Father God,

Thank You for Jesus.

Help us to always seek You first.

Dwell in us Daily. Know every aspect of our Being.

We ask Your Willing Blessings for us

and for those we Love.

To be part of Your Love and Encouragement in Jesus Christ.

Help us to seek You first.

And to end well.

Blessed be the Highest Name of Jesus.

You desire to save the world in Jesus Christ.

We lift up our Nation to You for Your Mercy and Help.

Blessings upon this Nation in Jesus, we pray.

We ask to see more of Heaven on earth 

and pray for Your Good Creation.

We pray for Haiti and earthquakes, Alaska with earthquakes

and 3 volcanoes. War torn areas.

Mercy of Jesus we pray.

Bless those we Love.

Bless our families.

Thank You for Hearing our Prayers. 

We thank You for our Blessings.

Peace. Better than the riots from last year.

We pray for those who are so concerned and not saying.

We ask Your mercy upon the dying. My mother.

We pray for families to find wisdom and Love in encouragement

and the discussions we need to know one another. 

Help families strengthen one another.

Bless our efforts to

communicate.

We pray You Reign over the Changes of Life

we do not control and ask Your Capable Love upon these days.

Your Mercy and Willing Help. Comfort. Comforter.

Bless us with Healing worldwide.

Willing vaccinations.

Freedom.

In the Most Loving, Most Capable,

Highest Name of Jesus we pray, Amen!

Hebrews 4:16

Let us then with confidence draw near 

to the throne of grace, 

that we may receive mercy 

and find grace to help in time of need.

♔ LORD JESUS SAVES †

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John 5:17 ~ Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I am working too.”

The Woodlands Methodist Church. Bishop Bob Hayes.

Especially minute 12!

God is still working.

Jesus Alive and Working. Rebuilding.

For all His Children.

John 5:17

 

Jesus said to them, 

“My Father is always at his work to this very day, 

and

 I am 

working too.” 

Nehemiah 8:10 

for the joy of the Lord 

is your strength.

The Lord won't mind if we picture these Sparrows

as "Quail" Today.

Abba, our Father,

Teach us to see our Blessings and add to Life. Add in Gratitude. Appreciation. The ability to add to the day in "Give us the Day."

Dwell in us.

Help us to seek You first.

And help us, in Jesus, to finish well.

Bless us to have the ones we Love, add to Your Adventure Today. 

Help them to take Your Blessings and "Give us the Day." 

Enfolded in Your Love. With Gratitude.

Help the Nations Trusting in You to comprehend the height 

and depth of Your Generous Blessings. 

To add Blessings together 

to create more Heaven on earth.

Encourage the Depth of Your Fullness bring Your Beloved, 

surrounding the Good earth, 

more Heaven on earth. Love, Joy and Peace.

In the Highest Name of Jesus we ask healing of the hurting places and nations. 

Many including Alaska and Haiti.

The states of the USA seeing a rise in Covid, for more trust, for more vaccinations.

Healing.

Help us to be the people You want to dwell in. 

And in the Highest Name of Jesus seek You first, help us to finish Well.

Praying for Lynn's good health.

And the birds of our ten states to be healed of their illnesses

as Harris County, Houston, Texas saw birds healing after

March-May of 2021. Thank God!!!

And in this same hope, the Healing and Loving Word of God

for an increase and healing, trust in one another

to see an increase in our Freedoms granted for 245 years in

our families, here in the United States of America.

                                           

With Gratitude, Father God, for the use of my arm and the health already there.

Amen in the Highest Name of Jesus.

We are free to assemble,

worship Jesus Christ

keep hold 

of the deep truths 

of the faith 

with a clear conscience

In God we Trust

and dwell secure.

♔ LORD JESUS SAVES †

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John 15 ~ because of The Word

 

Blessingham Gardens, Norfolk, U.K.

John 15

 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 

7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 

9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 

11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 

13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 

17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.


18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’

26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.

I've been watching the 53 Season UK "Gardener's World." Actually, I've seen the first program set in early March of the first season!  Texas gardening is profoundly different and extremely the same. We have many of the same varieties of flowers. Ours just look like they inhabit earth, especially as August in Texas is about the time the leaves begin to give up and gently fall down. We don't have the tremendous fall color - usually - we have a gasp and drift away. Usually.

The UK reminds me of my brother calling me from Canada and showing me a text photo of a plant he has never seen before but wanted to plant in El Paso. Could I please send him the name? It was ....a... Rose. My brother replied, "Nooooooooo. Why don't we grow Roses like THIS!!!"

We have stress from water, stress from moisture suddenly creating illness, you name the condition, you have problematic smaller Roses in Texas. And yet, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." It is what it is. We will grow Roses in Texas and enjoy them tremendously. 

"Now is the winter of our discontent 
Made glorious summer by this sun"

And yet, to see this amazing to me, absolutely stunning Winter Garden - is to both wonder what is possible to find, be dismayed remembering my many endeavors in the Nursery to find South African plants require Hawaii or Columbia and dismay. And the spark to try to plant the garden with zest and adventure. With remembrance, the many walks I've gone on and found inspiration with more creative gardeners than myself. With the desire to stick to what I know and have easier success. Being ruthlessly honest, the wondrous jaw-dropping thought to flee to enviable Garden Climates and try again.

How does all of these layered garden words forthrightly fit the Scripture?  With various textures, blazing variables in color, winsome aromas and the path keeping our feet in God's Path.

We all have times in our lives when we are like the New Google Ads talking about new gifts, new talents, new skills, new adventures and plain despair asking us to pivot, watch the hips and shoot a new game. Frankly, when we look at a Garden and decide to have weak knees, limp hands and have envy and a tide of despair. Lack everything and receive nothing in abundance. Summing up this despair in technicolor is Dr. Seuss' the absolute Bingo, dead ringer, bull's eye, "Oh the Places You'll Go."

The truth is, no Garden stays the way the photo appears. And eventually, the truth is revealed.

Thank God, our Father in Jesus Christ, for the Truth.  When we see the bare bones, we can understand the rhythms of trying again. Facing:  'Agains'. 

If we call 2021, we hoped the year would be called, "Yay, Survival and Thrive!" Instead, this looks like, "We are tired and trying to survive with more anguish, problems and another round with new difficulties." We could shorten this to: "Oh, No, Not Again."

I will tell you what John 15 is to me. When I'm angry. Bleak. Frustrated. Upset. Feeling Alone, John 15 assures me when I don't see. When the night is too dark to say, "All I need is a tall ship and a star to steer her by." Because instead of optimism, I feel despondency.

Jesus is telling me, I'm part of His Vine. Jesus is assuring me, "You are Fruitful." Jesus is reminding me, we live to be the Way, Truth and Life for Him and for His Beloved. Jesus Christ is telling me I shepherd even when my flock is bleating.  Jesus is reminding me, He seeks and holds, tenderly, the lost sheep who is apart from the flock. Jesus is encouraging me to lift my face to the Light of Christ in mankind and set my expectations up and put up my Hope.  Jesus walks the distance that Day. Jesus is Giving Me the Day. Even when my day doesn't have surplus much of anything other than same ol thing. Jesus is saying when Give Us The Day requires us to believe in the five Loaves and 2 fish. Jesus tells the deaf man to walk with Him, even as the deaf man is focused on his own lack.

John 15 is a Garden. 

The Garden of Hope we have been seeing in Scripture. We put in our seeds and ask Jesus to be the Light, the gentle supply of Living Water. The Bread of Nourishment. The process of forgiveness. We are required to remember the Joy of meeting Jesus in Church, in the school, in the lane, at any type of sea. 

And if we are slain by the fierce wild beast of surprise, discomfort, self-doubt, unfair judgement. We rise again in Jesus as part of His Nourishing and Bloom in His Garden. Again. The Garden will find a way, in Jesus, even when Seasons change and return.

Isaiah 41:10

Fear not, 

for I am with you; 

be not dismayed, 

for I am your God

I will strengthen you, 

I will help you, 

I will uphold you with 

My Righteous Right Hand.

Isaiah 9:10

 "The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone; 

the fig trees have been felled, 

but we will replace them with cedars." 

Sequoia

Philippians 1:18-22 

 Yes, and I will rejoice, 

19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 

20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful work for me.

And give You Thanks for the many Years and Eternity where You will Continually Bless us.

Thank You, You Dwell in us.

Help us to always seek You first.

We want to end well.

Please Well Bless our Families

and Loved Ones.

Thank You, Father God for the amazing ways we have all witnessed Healing 

and answered prayer. Your Word upholds the Universe. Thank You.

We give You thanks for Your Word telling us You Delight 

to bring Your Good Will and more of Heaven upon earth.

Amen in Jesus.

Abba, Father God,

I sing a song of the saints of God,

patient and brave and true,

who toiled and fought and lived and died

for the Lord they loved and knew.

And one was a doctor, and one was a queen,

and one was a shepherdess on the green:

they were all of them saints of God, and I mean,

God helping, to be one too.

 They loved their Lord so dear, so dear,

and 

God’s love made them strong;

and they followed the right,

 for Jesus’ sake,

the whole of their good lives long.

And one was a soldier, and one was a priest,

and one was slain by a fierce wild beast

And there’s not any reason, no, not the least,

why I shouldn’t be one too.

They lived not only in ages past;

there are hundreds of thousands still;

the world is bright with the joyous saints

who love to do Jesus’ will.

You can meet them in school, or in lanes, or at sea,

in church, or in trains, or in shops, or at tea;

for the saints of God are just folk like me,

and I mean to be one too.

Our Alleluias 

are in Jesus Christ.

Aaaaaaaamen.

♔ LORD JESUS SAVES †

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