Focus:
kjv@Revelation:14:12 @ Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
(
FaithOfJesus thread begun by r
RandyP )
Today's Verse:
kjv@Mark:16
kjv@Mark:16:1 @ And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
kjv@Mark:16:2 @ And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.
kjv@Mark:16:3 @ And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
kjv@Mark:16:4 @ And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
kjv@Mark:16:5 @ And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
kjv@Mark:16:6 @ And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
kjv@Mark:16:7 @ But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.
kjv@Mark:16:8 @ And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.
kjv@Mark:16:9 @ Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
kjv@Mark:16:10 @ And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
kjv@Mark:16:11 @ And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
kjv@Mark:16:12 @ After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.
kjv@Mark:16:13 @ And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.
kjv@Mark:16:14 @ Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
kjv@Mark:16:15 @ And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
kjv@Mark:16:16 @ He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
kjv@Mark:16:17 @ And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
kjv@Mark:16:18 @ They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
kjv@Mark:16:19 @ So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
kjv@Mark:16:20 @ And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Today's notes:
Context:
- Before - The body of Jesus
- After -
Key Concepts:
What is God's righteousness observed doing?:
- Revealing to mankind the Resurrection of HIS Son our Savior.
What does this tell us about God's righteousness?:
- It is being revealed slowly and methodically primarily in one to one encounters individually else three or four person groups. It is aware of all suspicion and has taken certain steps to reduce further suspicion without eliminating the need still for trust and faith and the search for the connective tissue between testimonies. It relies heavily on the collection of testimonies of men and women from different vantage points and time frames, testimony that like other testimony comes in bits and pieces, no one person having grasp of all the details. The collection of testimonies are from people that didn't at first want to believe, many of which are criticized by the Risen Lord for being hardened.
- It is being revealed first to people engaged enough to approach it, those committed for the longest to finding it. All are initially engaged to the person of Jesus before having received the revelation. Some approach it by caring familiarity and practical necessity such as these women. Some approach it along their journey while engaged in deep familiar discussion about it. Some approach it by direct appointment fatigued by guilt and personal disappointment then the mounting preponderance of other's familiar testimony; one even approaches it as a must physically see and handle before belief proposition. It is revealed first through angelic appearances, then by Him, then the mention of Him in another form.
- Note to whom it is not being revealed and how many not at one time. Those who will not to approach will not have revealed unto them. Those who take offense at the person or His mission, those who will not turn from present course, who will for the present course to continue will not approach. Without approach they are without it's revelation.
How is man reacting?:
- It is interesting the contrast between Mary Magdalene and the male disciples. Mary had been touched by Jesus in a way that the men had not, she was delivered by Him from a tremendous malady. Her experience of Jesus on earth was different then than those that had simply been called to follow and did. Of all the multitudes that were delivered of some type, she is the one there when they laid Him in and there at the tomb at the crack of dawn and there on the road heading to tell the disciples. Few if any persons male or female can we observe to have been touch so deeply and be connected in such human terms to the key people and events as they transpired. No doubt hers is a faith based on immense gratitude for what He had done by delivering her.
- Salome is presented in the gospels in all her lovely humanness as well. She once had sought the promotion of her two sons to the discomfort and disgruntling of the rest of the group, yet here she is faithful and engaged in sisterly ways to the very end (or shall we say beginning?). What ever embarrassment she may have placed herself in formerly did not keep her from being there when few others were on site and serving as best she could.
- Mary, now identified as mother of James has lived the fulfillment of a heart wrenching prophecy given to her on the steps of the temple thirty some years ago at her infant's dedication; the thoughts and intents of mankind have been revealed by her Jesus and the knife of her pain has cut most deep. Nothing might come as a surprise to her at this stage after all that she has witnessed, yet how could her son's resurrection not come as an utter shock just the same? Sometimes the heart is left too raw for even the best of news not to hurt terribly hard. Fright and joy are a dangerous combination to self contain; it is the shared experience with these other women that perhaps helps her through it most.
Notes:
Whether the men had been forbidden/advised not to be the first to approach the tomb or whether they held off for the own doubt and fear or such, it all worked out to the same righteous end. The women went down there not knowing what they were going to find or how they were going get into the tomb to do anything. They were not strong enough to move the stone themselves and would have been found out even if they did. The men could not be accused of any funny business on site.
At the time the Gospel of Mark was written and dispensed, or any of the other gospels as well, there would be still be many alive that could have disputed facts such as the sudden darkness and earthquakes at the time of death, the tearing twain of the temple banner, the quaking of the stone being rolled. Not only were these things written of, prior to that they were publicly testified of by the evangelists outdoors and in the synagogues which much evangelical success. Argument was not made in repudiation of these facts but typically on the interpretative critique of the prophecies quoted in support of these and other "inconvenient" facts.
It is of great interest that the women of that age saw and connected to Jesus on such a massive and powerful scale. Women today still greatly outnumber men in modern congregations. It is the modern feminist viewpoint that detaches itself from a respectful image of Jesus, this for reasons mostly unknown seeing that He championed human "souls" over the many definitions of sex/class/tradition/dogma. Granted, these women were not feminists by today's standards (and perhaps shouldn't be), but they saw/see something in Jesus Christ that they themselves most convincingly could attach themselves rightfully to.
Key Messages:
What does this say about our present condition?
- This is the last of our focused devotional inquiries into the righteousness of God, what it is observed doing and what it means to us. And perhaps we have only scratched the surface. There may be points where we got off topic, times when we missed the more substantial message, but we did at least in some manner we made our initial approach. With approach we've determined comes much greater revelation; the kind of revelation that we can not manufacture ourselves. It is the kind of revelation that comes from from having made some approach and merely being in the vicinity, being vaguely familiar, awkward as our precise location may be though in ear shot or having it in visually in the periphery when revelation is given down. Jesus said to ask and receive, to search and find. He never said to figure it out on our own. We have begun that process and will continue to do so still.
- The effect of God's Righteousness begins upon us at the very right of presumption offered/deserved HIM of so being. We cannot always be able to explaining it satisfactorily to others at the moment, but we know that it is there and that He lovingly wants us to search it out and find it; to find it as it was given. A man does not write his son or daughter to reveal himself to his child, he writes to invite the young person to the challenge and life long experience of finding him and thus a good measure of themselves out.
Further Resources:
Comment Board:Mark:16
index:FAITHOFJESUSDEVOTION - Devotional Index
strkjv@Mark:16 rwp@Mark:16 mhcc@Mark:16
FaithOfJesus2 - Devotion Index
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