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As a Child (The Inescapable Story of Jesus #9b) (CCD)

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INTRODUCTION

Perhaps you’ve boarded a plane with your kids in tow, and seen the pained expressions on the faces of the other passengers. You may as well have killed a puppy in front of them. The scowls and sighs belie a cultural mood that is far from Jesus’ Kingdom.

THE TEXT

And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it. For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him. […]
Mark 9:30-50

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Jesus once more teaches His disciples about the endgame of His mission: death and resurrection (vv30-32). Once again Jesus alludes to himself in terms of Daniel’s prophetic vision of Dan. 7; but here Jesus introduces something new: the Son of Man will be betrayed (v31). The disciples are still confused by all this, but like timid pupils are afraid to ask the teacher to explain further; instead they devolve into bickering about which of them would be the greatest in this kingdom which Jesus was inaugurating (vv32-34). Mark tells us that this conversation took place in “the house” in Capernaum, Jesus’ own residence; this will be His last visit home before going up to Jerusalem (v33).  Jesus discerns the crackle between them and brings a child (likely a young relative of Jesus) to illustrate the lesson the disciples need to learn. Greatness is defined by humility and service. Showing hospitality in Jesus’ name to small ones is not only showing hospitality to Jesus, but to His Father as well (vv35-37).
The conversation shifts gears and John asks about a man who was trying to cast out devils in Jesus’ name, even though he wasn’t an authorized member of Jesus’ followers. John says they had rebuked him for doing so. Instead of finding Jesus’ approval they find that Jesus isn’t bothered by this in the least. This is a proof of Jesus’ divine nature in that the demons could only be driven out if God willed it; Jesus’ name wasn’t a magic incantation. Cobelligerents should be welcomed, not scolded, so long as they are cobelligerents in Christ’s name (vv38-41).
Jesus returns to the topic at hand. Sinning against the weak merits a swimming trip with concrete boots. And then Jesus wields the knife of His Word to cut up the disciples (and our) apathy towards sin. How seriously should you take sin? Seriously enough to lose limbs and senses in order to enter the kingdom of God instead of being cast into hell. Couple this with the restoration miracles which Christ has done. Jesus is, in effect saying, that there is a greater good than mere bodily wholeness. Better to be spiritually whole, and bodily maimed than to be bodily whole and gnawed eternally by the worms of hell (vv42-48). Jesus sums up this teaching episode with a final rebuke of their contentiousness with each other. The disciples need to understand that they are destined to be sacrifices, and as such must be seasoned with salt (Lev. 2:13, Ez. 43:24). Followers of Jesus must be salty, not like sailors, but like priests of God’s kingdom of peace (vv49-50).

HE SHALL RISE

This is the third time Jesus has explicitly taught His disciples about the humiliation and suffering which awaits Him, and those who would follow Him. But this humility is the pathway to everlasting glory. The indignity of Jesus’ death is swiftly coming. But Jesus explains here that after He is killed, He shall rise on the third day. Jesus states this with not only certainty, but as some He will do. The Resurrection, for Mark, is Jesus’ mightiest work. Where is death’s sting? It is in Christ’s nail-scarred hand. We know from elsewhere in Scripture that we can and should also say that Jesus was raised by the Father, “according to the working of his mighty power (Eph. 1:19-20).”

FIRST AND LAST

We need to be careful not to misunderstand what Jesus is teaching us here about desiring to be first. He is not warning against mere ambition. Rather, what He has in view is ambition which uses others as the rocket fuel burned up to raise you into glory. Desiring to be the greatest isn’t something that suddenly happens to you. Rather, you set your heart upon attaining some pedestal of greatness, and you then arrange all your activities to become numero uno.
Our Lord calls His disciples then and now to direct such energy and any desire for greatness in the direction of humility, sacrifice, and service. The disciples had been sucked into triangles of envy and rivalry, instead of emulating the Lord’s example. The glory Jesus calls us to is found in laying down your life for others. A husband sacrifices his strength to earn a living for his family. A mom sacrifices sleep to nurture a sick child in the night. A shepherd fights wolves to protect the sheep. Our culture seeks greatness through self-absorption. Jesus shows us that greatness is found in sacrifice, in following Him in self-denial, and even crucifixion (Cf. Mk. 8:34-35).

RECEIVING CHILDREN

We shouldn’t over spiritualize what Christ teaches here. He is not using a child merely as an object lesson. Rather, a culture’s attitude towards children is where this pattern of humility leading to greatness is displayed. Jesus calls us to receive children in His name, and in so doing you receive Him.
Contrast this disposition with what Jesus says about those who ensnare children. There is no mincing of words. A person who even conceives a plan to ensnare a child with some wicked design would be better off to go deep sea diving with “an ass’s millstone” necklace than to actually carry out such a plan. To abuse children, to lead them astray into error, and to slaughter them by the millions are great evils in God’s sight. There are no blunt edges on these sharp words of Jesus. For parents, pastors, and presidents this is a serious warning. Leading astray the little ones under our care is an evil which Jesus the Judge will recompense with terrible severity.
Not only should we have such a hatred of the sin against “little ones”, but Jesus leaves us with no room for escape. If you would enter His Kingdom, you must detest your sin. Do you think you have a wandering eye? An impulsive hand? A restless foot? Is it really your body parts that are ensnaring you in sin? Of course not, it is your heart. If you would follow Christ, you must recognize that He calls you to battle. He calls you to lay aside your feet, hands and eyes in order to be follow Him to victory. Picture a soldier on the battle field with a leg trapped underneath some heavy machinery that fell on him. Better to cut of the leg and flee to safety than to stay a sitting duck.

SALTY PEOPLE

Take everything that Jesus has been saying and doing. Remember how His healings match up with the consequences of idolatry which Psalm 115 describes. Jesus has healed lame feet, withered hands, and blind eyes. Now He tells the disciples that if they would enter His Kingdom, they must be willing to lose feet, hands, and eyes in order to flee from the horrors of Hell.
Jesus’ healings rebuke Israel’s idolatry, and demonstrate that the Jews have become like their idols. If you would be made whole, you must be salted. This is how God required His meals to be prepared. He wants His covenantal meals to be full of flavor and free of the rot of corruption. If you would be a pleasing sacrifice to Jehovah, the seasoned Word of Jesus must infiltrate you entirely. If this Word dwells in you richly, then the peace of God will also rule in our midst (Col. 3:15-16).

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The Father Speaks (The Inescapable Story of Jesus #9a) (CCD)

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INTRODUCTION

Matthew’s Gospel opens with a lineage from Abraham down to Jesus. Luke’s Gospel includes a family tree from Jesus back to Adam. Mark did not neglect to give a lineage. Rather, fitting his stylistic rapid pace gives us the most concise lineage possible for Jesus: He is the Son of God the Father. But the Heavenly Father promises His Beloved Son glory. But this glory will be bought with blood.

THE TEXT

And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them. And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them. […]

Mark 9:1ff

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

After the revelation of the last chapter that Jesus is indeed the Christ, and must die and rise again, Jesus informs His disciples and the crowds that His Kingdom will come with power in their lifetime (v1). Mark now underscores this point by taking us up a mountain to show us Christ’s glory. Mark gives a rare time-statement, six days later, a call-back to the creation narrative. Three witnesses, Peter, James, and John are led by Jesus to the top of a mountain and is transformed (metamorphosed) before them, His robes shine as bright as a mirror reflecting the sun; Elijah and Moses appear and talk with Jesus (vv2-4). Peter, out of fearful wonder, proposes the building of tabernacles for them (vv5-6). Instead, the glory cloud of the Spirit of God overshadows them and the Father’s voice proclaims, “This is my beloved Son: hear him.” In the blink of an eye, the wondrous cloud and OT visitors were gone and only Jesus remained with them (vv7-8).

While descending the mountain, Jesus instructs them to tell no one until the Son of Man (Cf. Dan. 7) rose again; this talk about rising again puzzles the three disciples (vv9-10). It sparks a question regarding the accuracy of the scribes’ teaching about Elijah coming before Messiah. Jesus assures them that the scribes are right, Elijah would come to restore all things, but the prophetic writings also teach of the Son of man’s sufferings. Jesus goes on to assert that the prophesied coming of Elijah had already taken place, and he’d been treated as was written (vv11-13).

The reunion with the rest of the disciples confronts Jesus with a squabble to sort out. His appearance shocks the crowds (Cf. Mk. 14:33, 16:5-6) and straightway they bring the point of contention to Jesus. A man speaks up for the crowd to tell that he’d brought his son to the disciples because his son was vexed by an unclean spirit that afflicted him with violent fits, deafness, and speechlessness. They’d been unable to cast out the demon (vv14-18). Jesus passes a judgement upon His generation for their faithlessness, and then commands the boy to brought; when the boy saw Jesus, straightway a demonic fit began. Jesus inquires as to the duration of the affliction. The man answers that the boy has endured the violence of this demonic possession from childhood, and he pleads for compassion and help (vv19-22). Jesus tells the man that if he believes all things are possible, and straightway the man responds with a tearful confession and prayer, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” Jesus’ attention turns to the turmoil of the crowd due to the foul spirit. He rebukes the spirit, which violently convulses a final time, seemingly killing the boy. But Jesus is there to perform a shadow of the resurrection which everything in Jesus’ story is leading towards (vv23-27). Later, in private, the disciples are perplexed why they couldn’t drive out this particular demon, so Jesus teaches them that this kind of spirit must be driven out by prayer (vv28-29, Cf. Lk. 9:28).

TWO NATURES

This passage raises an important theological point. It is quite easy to slip into some form of heresy when dealing with the two episodes where God speaks from heaven (baptism & transfiguration). On one hand it might be tempting to think that up until this point the divine nature of Jesus was hidden, and suddenly here is where the mask comes off. But this is to fall into what we call docetism, that Jesus only appeared to be a man. On the other hand, these episodes are used to teach that Jesus was merely a man and that at one of these points the Father decided Jesus was a good enough man for Him to use, this is often called adoptionism.

In modern times, with particularly Mormonism becoming more mainline, these christological errors not only linger but are becoming common among the evangelical rank and file. The transfiguration isn’t an instance of “the Christ” coming upon Jesus. Rather, as we confessed in the Nicene Creed, Jesus is “of one substance with the Father.” He is not the Father, but He and the Father are one in Godhead. At His conception the eternal Christ, who was very God of very God, was united with a true human body. The transfiguration is the unveiled glory of human nature reunited with God. Sin had sundered and sullied human nature, Jesus Christ came to drag human nature out of the gutter and raise it into glory. His human nature became resplendent  with His divine nature. This is the hope of the resurrection, that our mortal bodies will be raised into glory because they are covenantally united to Christ’s body.

MOSES & ELIJAH

The presence of Moses and Elijah with Jesus is rich with meaning. The Law and the Prophets, as it were, add their amen to the Father’s declaration that Jesus is His Beloved Son. Moses had ascended Sinai to receive the Law; Elijah had ascended Sinai and received the prophetic call. Now both stand as witnesses to the fullness of the Law and Prophets reach their crescendo in the Gospel of Jesus. Peter’s instinct to built a tabernacle to contain the glory is off the mark, but not by much. A tabernacle was needed, but not one made with human hands. Rather, Jesus was the tabernacle––the true house of God––and the glory cloud was a proof that in Jesus man might dwell in God’s House. The dwelling place for the saints of every age––as represented by Elijah, Moses, and the three Apostles––is in the tabernacle of Christ’s body.

THE LAST DRAGON

Thus far, Jesus’ ministry has been booming. Crowds are gathering. Merely His touch heals. Five loaves feed five thousand. Scrupulous scribes are mocked. Herod is quaking in his boots. Suddenly, the success grinds to a halt. Danger and difficulty are growing. These ominous  notes begin precisely as the glory rises to a peak. Jesus is declared to be the Christ (Mk. 8) and then is transfigured, with a promise of even greater glory which awaits the Son of God upon the completion of His mission. The glory is real, it is promised, but it will be hard fought. A violent dragon must be subdued.

Glory and hardships aren’t opposites. As Solomon says, it’s the glory of kings to search out a matter. Glory is hidden in hardships. Glory is weighty. Glory is heavy. The raging dragon which Jesus meets at the foot of the mountain isn’t a diminishment of the glory which was revealed atop the mountain. Instead, the glory on the mountain was a glimmer of the glory which would come through all the danger which Jesus must grapple with and overcome.

At Christ’s baptism the Father spoke His love over His only begotten Son, sent the Spirit as a dove upon Him, and then immediately Jesus was confronted with a wilderness battle with Satan. Here we have a similar pattern. The glory cloud of the Spirit surrounds Jesus, the Father speaks once more that Jesus is His beloved Son, with a summons to hear him. Then Jesus is once more confronted with a battle with a powerful demon. Both of these foreshadow the last declaration of Christ being the Son of God which Mark will present at the crucifixion. There evil shall be decisively overthrown, and then the disciples will spread out to notify all the evil throughout the world: game over.

IF

This is a lifeline to us in our own trials. Our light and momentary trials reveal a weight of glory. Trials, hardships, and battles are not detours from the glory. They are where our faith is strengthened and the glory of Spirit-empowered obedience is revealed. Jesus faces this violent dragon which was afflicting this boy, and is able to drive this demon out because His faith in His Father’s calling upon Him was more resolute than a vice grip. The boy’s father asks Jesus, “If you can do anything, please help.” Jesus replies with another witty comeback, “If you can believe, all things are possible unto you.” If you believe, what are your trials compared with the glory? If you believe, what is the gruesome cross compared with the glory of the resurrection?

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