Tag: gospel

Posted in General

MARY OF BETHANY

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INTRODUCTION

As we read through the New Testament it soon becomes obvious that ‘Mary’ was a common name in first century Palestine. The name Mary (which is the Greek form of the Hebrew Miriam) is mentioned by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and the apostle Paul. It can be quite easy to confuse the Marys since the name occurs fifty-four times, in about twenty-nine different passages/settings, so do not be too annoyed with yourself if at times you are not exactly sure which one you are reading about. Even biblical scholars disagree on exactly how many Marys are mentioned in the New Testament. Some think that there are six, some that there are seven and others that there are eight. I am satisfied that there are seven, but will not fall out with anyone who thinks otherwise. So, who are the seven New Testament Marys? Here they are, in no particular order of preference, although the one that would immediately spring to mind is Mary, the Lord’s mother.

1. MARY THE MOTHER OF JESUS

2. MARY MAGDALENE

3. MARY THE MOTHER OF JAMES AND JOSES – Mt 27:56 (also called THE OTHER MARY Mt 27:61)

4. MARY [WIFE] OF CLEOPHAS – Jn 19:25

5. MARY THE MOTHER OF JOHN MARK – Acts 12:12

6. MARY OF ROME – Rom 16:6

7. MARY OF BETHANY

Three New Testament passages mention Mary of Bethany and in each account we find her at Jesus’ feet. 

In Luke 10:38-42 we see Mary at his feet – worshipping.

In John 11:28-35 we see Mary at his feet – weeping.

In John 12:1-7 we see Mary at his feet – washing.

Luke 10:38-42 MARY AT HIS FEET – WORSHIPPING

There was great activity in one particular household in Bethany that day; Jesus was coming to visit. We gather from the above passages that Jesus was a close, personal friend of Martha, Mary and their brother Lazarus. Jn 11:5 tells us: ‘Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.’ Their home was always open to him, he was like one of the family. How wonderful it must have been for the Lord Jesus to be received into and entertained in a home where he was welcome! In that home he could unwind and feel at ease, for he was cherished and respected as an esteemed guest. At that home he could be sure of a good meal and a bed to lie on; which was not the norm during his public ministry. As a wandering rabbi and prophet he would have spent many nights sleeping under the stars in the open air. In Matthew 8:20 he spoke to one of the scribes saying:  ‘The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.’

Martha, anxiously checking that everything was in order and fussing over preparations for his comfort, complained irritably to Jesus that her sister Mary was not helping her. Sensing Martha’s frustration, Jesus gently admonished her: “Martha, Martha”, then added “Mary hath chosen that good part.” What was that good part? We have it in verse 39: ‘Mary sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.’ As Mary sat at his feet and listened to him speak she hung on his every word, not wanting to miss a thing he said. All her attention was focused on him. In contrast to Martha, it seems that Mary understood that what Jesus wanted was fellowship and not food, that as his death was imminent he wanted was someone to talk to, not a feast.

Perhaps you and I tend to be more like Martha, anxious to keep busy in our service for God. What Jesus said about Martha might be true of us too: ‘cumbered about much serving’ and ‘careful and troubled about many things.’ It is all too easy to be caught up in legitimate pursuits – such as church organisation, committee meetings, youth work, gospel outreach in various forms, mission support or even the social aspects of assembly life – so much so that we become too exhausted to pray or read and study the Bible. So often we deprive ourselves of just a few moments’ pause to listen to the Saviour’s voice? In spite of the fact that, due to family and other commitments, your life may be extremely busy, wouldn’t it be good if you could make a conscious effort to regularly set aside just a few minutes each day to meet with Jesus and sit at His feet – the place of discipleship – to learn from Him?

Mary realised that what Jesus would appreciate most was her worship and so she ‘chose’ to take her place as a devoted learner at his feet. That was an act of the will. Mary made that deliberate choice, to spend time with the Lord, and Jesus commended her for that: ‘Mary has chosen the good portion.’ That poses a challenge to you and to me. What shall our choice be? Like Mary, may we choose wisely and well!

John 11:28-35 MARY AT HIS FEET – WEEPING

We have already noticed that Mary of Bethany was a devoted disciple of Jesus. In this chapter we learn that this did not insulate or preserve her from the usual worries and sorrows of life. We began our reading in John 11 at the point where Jesus arrived in Bethany after Lazarus’ death and met Martha, who greeted him (v.21) with ‘Lord, if thou hadst been here my brother had not died’. Jesus spoke words of hope to Martha: ‘I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?’ She then went and found her sister Mary, telling her: ‘the Master is come and calleth for thee.’ Once Mary heard that she got up quickly and went automatically to the place where she had previously found blessing – the feet of Jesus. Verse 32 says: ‘she fell down at his feet saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been her my brother had not died’ (exactly what her sister Martha had already said). Mary prostrated herself at the feet of Jesus because she understood that the one who had taught her was also the one who could comfort her. When Jesus saw Mary weeping inconsolably, it stirred strong emotions within himself too.

‘When Jesus saw her weeping…he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled…Jesus wept’ (John 11:33,35)

There is a difference between crying and weeping. Many people cry when peeling an onion, but weeping is something much deeper. Jesus was not weeping because he was unable to help, for he was about to display his power.  He was weeping because his friends were hurting. Are you hurting this evening? I am sure that all of us, at one time or another, have missed a loved one, been heartbroken, had our plans dashed, been in great distress. No-one really seemed to care or understand. Maybe from the depth of a sorrowful heart we have cried out in despair ‘Where is Jesus? If only he were here!’ To those who feel that way tonight, the summons still rings out: “The Master is come and calleth for thee!” Jesus comprehends our sorrows and disappointments; and is ready to offer sympathy and comfort.

Jesus saw Mary at his feet weeping and he understood. He knew that her heart was broken so he wept with her. At his feet she was in a place of shelter and comfort, the place to flee to in time of sorrow.

John 12:1-7 MARY AT HIS FEET – WASHING

Once again we are at a scene in Bethany. Only six days to the Passover, and to the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. Lazarus had recently been raised from the dead and so there was a dinner, probably to celebrate. Lazarus was reclining at the table with Jesus and, true to form, Martha was serving. The chitter-chatter stopped as into the room came Mary, carrying her most valuable possession –  a one pound vial of very expensive spikenard ointment – with which she anointed the feet of Jesus and, as the fragrance filled the house, she dried his feet with her hair.

Once again Mary was misunderstood. Those around her thought that this display of devotion was huge waste of money, and their objections were articulated by Judas Iscariot. Once more Jesus defended her and expressed his appreciation of her service, explaining that her actions constituted a symbolic anointing of his body in preparation for burial.

Mary’s sacrifice was not a waste. It was significant because it was offered out of true devotion to him. Let us ask ourselves: ‘Is there anything that we consider too extravagant or too costly to give to to the one who loved us, to the extent that he was willing to die of the cross to save us?’ If we love him, doesn’t he deserve our all? Mary washed his feet with her ointment and dried them with her hair. At his feet was for her a place of devotion, of consecration and sacrificial giving.

SUMMATION

Mary worshipped and listened to the words of Jesus at His feet. Mary wept at the feet of Jesus and received comfort. At his feet Mary seized an opportunity to do something for Jesus. That was her thanksgiving to the Lord, and it was a timely offering for he was crucified within a week. What about you? What about me?

Have we been at his feet worshipping? Do we take time to listen to what he says?

Have we been at his feet weeping?  

Have we washed his feet with a precious offering that honours him? 

These Gospel passages are wonderful testimonies to a woman who really loved the Lord. If we love him, let us be found at his feet too.

Posted in General

Avoiding a Fool’s Death: Lessons from Abner’s Demise – 2 Samuel 3:20-34

Posted on by writtenexposition

For the historical background to this blog post please read 2 Samuel 3:20-34

Introduction: Death, an inevitable reality of life, often strikes unexpectedly, leaving behind sorrow and pain. Reflecting on the tragic demise of Abner, we draw lessons from 2 Samuel 3:20-34, and contemplate how we ourselves can avoid a fool’s death.

Facing the Inevitable:

As Hebrews 9:27 reminds us, death is an appointment each of us must keep: ‘it is appointed unto men once to die.’ For believers, however, the focus shifts from mourning the death of the departed to contemplating their eternal destination. We wonder where they are now. Yes, we miss them here – but – what about them?

Finding Hope in the Gospel:

The Gospel offers hope beyond the grave because, as articulated by the Apostle Paul in Romans 1:16, it holds the power to save all who believe. Even in the face of uncertainty regarding the salvation of our departed loved ones, we trust in God’s sovereignty and leave the matter with him.

Contemplating Abner’s Fate:

Abner, a prominent figure in the early chapters of 2 Samuel, met a tragic end which was marked by deception, a poor decision, delay, and ultimately, destruction. His story serves as a cautionary tale for us today.

King David gave the eulogy at Abner’s funeral and in his remarks he asked the mourners the sad but weighty question: ‘Died Abner as a fool dieth?’ This question is rhetorical, the expected answer to it would be: ‘Yes! Indeed he did.’

Lessons from Abner’s Demise:

1. Deception: Abner fell victim to Joab’s deceit, highlighting the danger of succumbing to the enemy’s lies. Similarly, we must remain vigilant against the deceptions of Satan, who seeks to lead us astray.

2. Decision: Abner’s fatal mistake was the choice he made to return to Hebron, demonstrating his lack of discernment. King David said:  ‘Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters: as a man falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou.’ (v.34). Today, by God’s grace, we have a choice. Satan wants to keep us bound hand and foot in the shackles of sin, but Jesus Christ came into the world to free us from the domination of sin and from its eternal consequences. He went to the cross and died as a substitute, bearing the punishment of an offended God on our behalf. He died to provide salvation. We have a decision, a right choice, to make. The wise choice is to trust him for salvation.

3. Delay:

In Old Testament times there was an obligation to avenge the injury or murder of a family member, just as there still is in some cultures today. This activity was governed by what we call the Law of Talion. This comes from the Latin word talis meaning ‘the same as’ or ‘identical’. The idea is that the punishment is meant to equal the crime.

Perhaps this idea is best summed up in the familiar words of Exodus 21:23-25: ‘Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.’

However, not all murder is intentional, such as manslaughter or self-defence, so God in his mercy commanded that 6 of the 48 Levitical towns in the Promised Land be designated Cities of Refuge. Anyone who had committed manslaughter could flee to one of these towns for asylum and be safe from the avenger. Hebron was one of those cities of refuge (Joshua 20:1-9).

Joab met Abner just outside the gate of a city of refuge, took him aside and stabbed him to death. Abner died at the gate of Hebron, just outside the place of refuge. So close! So near and yet so far! Had he gone on through that gate he would have been safe but Abner hesitated at the gate of refuge, a decision that proved very costly. Likewise, we must not delay in seeking shelter in Jesus Christ, the ultimate refuge for our souls.

4. Destruction: Joab’s aim all along was Abner’s destruction, this is mirrored by Satan’s sinister intentions towards humanity. Only through Christ can we find deliverance from such peril.

Conclusion: Death is inevitable, but it need not be a fool’s demise. By embracing the Gospel; avoiding deception, making the wise decision, not delaying in seeking Christ, and thus averting destruction, we can ensure that our legacy is one of faith, not folly. Let us heed the lessons from Abner’s tragic end and choose the path of life in Christ, the only true refuge from the perils of sin and death.

‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.‘ John 3:16

Posted in General

COME, SEE, GO, TELL

Posted on by writtenexposition

Matthew 28:5-7

5 ‘And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead;’

In these verses from Matthew’s gospel there are four verbs which, for me, sum up the message of Easter. The four words are imperatives, i.e. they give an order or instruction. They are commands.  COME, SEE, GO, TELL.

The Lord Jesus had been betrayed by Judas Iscariot, forsaken by his disciples, denied by Peter, tried by the Jewish and Roman authorities, sentenced by Pontius Pilate, crucified at Calvary, and buried in a new tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea. Afterwards, on the morning of the first day of the week, some women came to the garden tomb to anoint the body of Jesus with spices. Would they be able to gain access?

When they arrived they were surprised to find that there had been a great earthquake and a large stone that sealed the entrance to the tomb had been rolled back by an angel. He said that they were not to fear and that he knew that they were seeking Jesus. So he told them to ‘come.’

COME!

The Bible contains many invitations! The word “come” occurs often in the Bible. The first mention is in Gen. 7:1 when God called Noah and his family to come into the ark so that they might be saved from the flood. For Noah and his family to be saved they had accept the Lord’s invitation. This is still true today.

Jesus issued that same invitation in Matthew 11:28. ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ That invitation still goes out to all who labour under the heavy burden of sin and guilt. Come, by faith, to the one who is no longer in the tomb! He has risen from the dead and is now in heaven! Come to Jesus who offers forgiveness, support and relief!


SEE!

The words ‘look’ and ‘see’ are similar but not exactly the same in meaning. When we casually look at something, we may not fully grasp what we are looking at. We may not comprehend the significance. By contrast, when we truly ‘see’ something we understand it. The angel wanted the women to ‘see’ (grasp and understand) that the tomb was empty; that Christ had risen from the dead and is alive forever.

GO!

The women were told to go. There was no suggestion or intention that from then on they should just stare into the empty tomb. As soon as we reach the point of seeing the empty tomb and trusting the living Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, we must ‘go’. We ought to go and learn more about him. We should go to him in prayer. We need to go and fellowship with like-minded believers (Acts 2:42).

TELL!

The women were instructed to tell the disciples about the resurrection. We too ought to tell the good news to those who are lost and dying. It is neither necessary nor practical for everyone to be involved in missionary activity abroad. You can do it wherever you are. In Mark 5 a demon-possessed man who was healed by Jesus wanted to journey with the Lord but was told instead to go home to his friends and tell the great things the Lord had done for him (Mk 5:19).

Have you COME? Do you SEE? If so, GO and live for him and TELL others about what he has done for you.

‘He is not here: for he is risen!’

The message of Easter is COME, SEE, GO, TELL

Posted in Exposition

(4) THEMES IN THE PROLOGUE TO THE FOURTH GOSPEL.

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REJECTION 

Verse five hints at rejection: ‘The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood  it’ but verses nine to eleven again take up the idea of Jesus as light and forecast his rejection, a major theme of the gospel. The world is generally indifferent to him (1:10) but ‘He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him’ (1:11) emphasizes the hostile response of Israel.  The term ‘The Jews’, although not in the Prologue, is used sixty-nine times in the Gospel and, in the opinion of Lincoln (p.71), ‘frequently serves a representative function’. Their response ‘indicates different types of belief and unbelief’. The irony in the Gospel is that although Jesus was brought up in a Jewish home his own people wanted nothing to do with him. As the Gospel progresses ‘His own’ describes a new group consisting of those who accept him and heed his message (10:34; 13:1).

BELIEVE AND RECEIVE

In contrast to his rejection by the world (1:10) and Israel (1:11) there were those who ‘received’ him. These were given authority to belong to God as children (1:12). This birth into the family of God was totally an act of God and not dependent upon race or any human act. That it has nothing to do with ordinary human birth is stressed three times in 1:13: ‘not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will.’ The theme of the ‘new birth’  is taken up in chapter 3.  This description of believers as God’s children occurs again in 11:52, with the diminutive ‘little children’ occurring also in 13:33. While all men may become sons (tekna) of God the Prologue emphasises that Jesus was in a unique sense the son (huios) of God.


INCARNATION

In verses 14-18 the author explicitly identifies the Logos as Jesus. He is said (1:14) to have ‘become flesh, and made his dwelling among us’. The Greek ‘skenoo’ for ‘made his dwelling’ literally means “to pitch one’s tent”, a term which, according to Kostenberger (2004, p.41),

‘suggests that in Jesus, God has come to take up residence among his people once again, in a way even more intimate than when he dwelt in the midst of wilderness Israel in the tabernacle (Exod. 40:34-35).’ 

This statement that the Word became human is the highest point of the Prologue. God himself entered humanity and made it possible for human beings to enter the family of God. In Jesus as the Logos incarnate there was no more need for a tabernacle or temple. God’s shekinah glory was in the world and thus the author adds (1:14): ‘We have seen his glory’.


GLORY

Lincoln (2005, p.105) interprets this ‘seeing’ not in a physical sense but as ‘the perception of faith’ that ‘finds in Jesus the glory of the divine presence’. This mention of ‘glory’ in verse fourteen introduces a significant theme in the Fourth Gospel. ‘Glory’ occurs nineteen times and ‘to glorify’ twenty-three times. ‘We have seen his glory’ would have been encouraging for early Christians facing hostility from Judaism. The Jews would have seen no glory in the life and death of the crucified Jesus but the John’s Gospel insists that for those with faith to see it, there was glory throughout his life, even at what would seem to be the time of his greatest humiliation, the crucifixion.

Kostenberger (2004, p.42) draws attention to the fact that:


‘As the obedient, dependent Son, Jesus brings glory to God the Father throughout his entire ministry, but he does so supremely by submitting to the cross, which for John is the place of God’s – and Jesus’- ultimate glorification (cf. 12:23-33; 13:31-32; 14:13; 17:1, 4-5). In the Fourth Gospel the glory of Jesus is linked with the end of his life on earth rather than the beginning. At the time of triumphal entry he has not yet been glorified (12:16) and at the last supper his hour has come but he has not yet been glorified (12:23; 17:1). In 17:1-5 he asks the Father to glorify him and that the disciples may see his glory (17:24). He assures his disciples that it will happen soon (13:32). His request for glory was based on the work that he had accomplished on earth (17:4) and, as in the Prologue; it involved his revelation of God his Father (17:6).’

(1) THEMES IN THE PROLOGUE TO THE FOURTH GOSPEL.

(2) THEMES IN THE PROLOGUE TO THE FOURTH GOSPEL.

(3) THEMES IN THE PROLOGUE TO THE FOURTH GOSPEL.

(5) THEMES IN THE PROLOGUE TO THE FOURTH GOSPEL.

(6) THEMES IN THE PROLOGUE TO THE FOURTH GOSPEL.