Gain the whole world

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? – Mark 8.35-36

Man’s greed and desire to get it all has been the source of our struggles from Adam and Eve, to their son Cain, and all through history. Mankind seems bent on getting all it can get for itself. From the days of infancy to the very end we are inclined to say ‘what about me?’

When it is all said and done all that we have gathered here on earth is not going to do us any good for eternity. There is nothing we can take away with us. We can spend our whole lives in pursuit of stuff, but where is the profit in that?

When we sing ‘I have decided to follow Jesus’ with a true heart we are telling Him that we are willing to give up all for Him. While we are here that seems like a tremendous sacrifice, but is it really? We only live on earth a tiny part of our eternity. We focus on a miniscule amount of time instead of focusing on eternity. Indeed, what is the use of that? Why would we sacrifice the needs of our eternal soul for our temporal bodies?

Let us not therefore, look on the seen which is passing away but the unseen which is eternal. Let’s not gain the whole world at the cost of our soul. It will be worth it all.

Deny himself

And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. – Mark 8.34-35

In a world that says we ought to give ourselves whatever we want it is strange to see a message that says ‘deny yourself.’ It does not seem like a good way to garner followers of a religion.

‘If you want to come with me,’ Jesus said, ‘you are going to have to deny yourself. You are going to have to take up your own cross, and you are going have to follow me. You need to be willing to lose your own life.’

When we decide to follow Christ it is a big decision. It is never something to be taken lightly. Too many people have adopted an ‘A-B-C and pray after me’ mind set of salvation. Following Christ is a life-long commitment that can’t be taken lightly. It means we commit to putting Jesus first. It means we commit to putting others first. It means we commit to forsaking sin and following righteousness.

But it means that whatever struggles we go through now cannot be compared to the glories that will be revealed to us in heaven. It will be worth it all.

Why can't you understand?

And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand? – Mark 8.21

Jesus was doing miracle after miracle after miracle to prove to the world who He was. He kept healing the sick and even raising the dead. He controlled to weather. He fed multitudes. Sill though the people kept asking for a sign to prove who He was.

Signs are not the answer. Jesus said ‘why can’t you get it? Why can’t you understand what is going on here?’

It is easy for me to be critical of these people for not ‘getting it.’ I can easily say ‘why can’t you folks cop on? It is so obvious!’

But then the Holy Spirit asks me the same question. ‘Why can you get it Roger? Why can’t you cop on son? It is all so clear.’

When that happens I have to stop and consider the truth. Despite the word of God, despite God’s promises, and despite forty plus years of watching God work I still have times when I act like I don’t get it. I can doubt His promise. He tells me to cast all my cares on Him because He cares for me, but I keep my cares to myself. He tells me not to worry. He tells me to be ‘care-ful’ for nothing but I and fret and deal with anxiety.

The answer is simple. We don’t get it when we don’t really believe.

I do believe Lord, help my unbelief.

Tradition

Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition… Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. – Mark 7.7-9, 13

Every time I read this word the first though that comes to mind is the song ‘Tradition’ from Fiddler on the Roof. We are all familiar with traditions and we all have traditions that we honour and seek to preserve. Traditions can be good. They give a sense of security and continuity and comfort and familiarity.

But, traditions used the wrong way can be destructive. Sometimes man’s traditions can not only supplement the word of God but they can begin to supplant it. These Jewish leaders had developed a whole set of traditions They had taken things that had a basis in the Law, but which corrupted it and added man’s regulations to it. Jesus said that they had ‘made the word of God of none effect’ by adding man’s rules to it.

The same thing happens today. Churches can start out by faithfully applying Bible principles to modern situations, but then those things can become set in concrete rules that have nothing to do with the Bible. Those traditions can become so entrenched that they take the place of the word of God. Conforming to the traditions can become more important than obeying the word of God. Just like in Jesus’ day these traditions supplant the Bible as our authority and guide.

Adding to God’s word is just as wrong whether it is purposeful false teaching or well-intended traditions. ‘What does God say?’ ought to be our cry.

Hearts and words

He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.  

– Mark 7.6

Jesus repeated here the words of the prophet Isaiah when He said of the religious leaders, who He called hypocrites, ‘the people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.’

What we say and what we do do not always match up. The hypocrites Jesus spoke about did a good job of talking about God and amening and praising the Lord and saying hallelujah. They knew all the right things to say and when to say them. They had all the religious words perfect.

Sounds like a lot of people today. A lot of church people do the amens and the praise the Lords and the hallelujahs with gusto. We can talk the religious talk with the best of them.

But sometimes all those words are meaningless because the heart behind them is far from the Lord. To say one thing and have a different heart is the epitome of hypocrisy. It is a tragedy when God’s people say all the right stuff but their wicked hearts show through because of what they actually do. Our choices reflect our heart and often the things we choose to do. We can’t afford to live lives of hypocrisy because they destroy anything we might say about our Lord.

We need to talk the walk but we also need to walk the talk – it takes both.

Just believe

As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.  – Mark 5.36

Jesus has a way of proving that He was here for everyone. Here a woman came out of nowhere and told Jesus that her daughter was dead and asked Him to do something about it.

A ‘ruler of the synagogue,’ one of those religious fellows, came and told her not to bother Jesus.

Jesus jumped in on her behalf, ‘listen, don’t be afraid. Just have the faith to believe me.’

These are words of great comfort to anyone who encounters Jesus. Fears and emotions may say ‘stay away.’ Friends and family might say ‘don’t go overboard.’ Taking that step of faith to trust Jesus can be a fearful thing to do.

But Jesus wants us to have the faith to just simply believe Him and not to worry about all the rest. Just believe, don’t be full of cares. Just believe, cast all your concerns of Jesus because He cares for you.

Just believe.

What great thing He has done

Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. – Mark 5.19

Pretty early on in His ministry Jesus set up a way of getting His message out to the world. Here a man who had just had a demon exorcised asked Jesus if he could be a disciple of Jesus. Jesus said ‘no, but I want you to go and tell your friends what great things Jesus had done and how much love He had shown.

There could not be a more simple way to get the word out. It is a personal message one person shares with others. Personal contact between family and friends is the most simple and natural way for news to be shared.

What better way for us to share Christ with others than to tell them the great things He has done for us? It is a scary thing because we fear the response of others, but when I miss that chance I miss a great opportunity to be an effective witness for Him. It is not only ‘for God so loved the world’ but it is ‘for God so loved me’ that makes the difference in our witness.

As we ‘go into all the world and preach the gospel’ lets me sure that we tell the word about ‘the great things He has done for us.’

Spending time with 'them'

And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. – Mark 2.16-17

‘Those people! How could Jesus spend time with them? He is a rabbi and a noted teacher and a prophet, but He is eating with those wretched publicans and sinner. How can He do that?’ He ought to be spending His time with the other religious people.’

I realise that I just wrote about this a few weeks ago, but I think it is something we need to be reminded of over and over again because sometimes we just don’t seem to get it.

I have known a lot of believers who have thought and taught that Christians should exclusively or mostly spend time with other believers. I myself have been questioned and cautioned about spending too much time with lost friends and doing things with them.

It is almost like they think that if we hang around lost people too much we might catch their sin.

But as Jesus points out here, the question is ‘how are we going to reach those who need salvation if we don’t spend time with them?’

Sure, we obviously don’t partake in the sinful lifestyle we encounter, but if we love people we recognise that we have a message they need to hear and we can’t expect them to come to us. We need to go where they are. That means we spend time with them where they are.

A friend once told me that sometimes we need to ‘get our hands dirty’ when we preach the gospel. We’ll be in good company – that’s just what Jesus did,

The problem of sin

Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. – Mark 2.9-11

The presence and the reality of sin has always been an issue for man. There seems to be an inborn knowledge of some sort of right and wrong. From the very start of recorded history, and probably before, man has sensed the presence of God and sensed his own inability to satisfy God. So, early on, man tried to find a way to placate God through rituals and religion.

Man has tried all kind of things to satisfy their gods. Sacrifices were done and sometimes when they were more brutal and vicious than we can imagine. Man has tried difficult trip and pilgrimages. Mankind has tried self-abuse to try and make their gods happy.

So man has always seen a need to deal with God and be right with Him. The other option is just to shunt God into the background and ignore thoughts of Him. Ecclesiastes 3.11 tells us that God has put a sense of eternity in man’s heart and it is something everyone has to deal with.

Fortunately there is an answer to all this. Man can have his eternity settled. Man can be sure that he has a right relationship with God. Jesus could say, with all authority, ‘your sins be forgiven you’ because He is the same God man has always been trying  to find. And He knew that He was going to pay the penalty for sin man had been trying to pay. No one can forgive sin and Jesus was God Himself.

The answer to the age old problem of sin is found only in faith in Christ, he alone can grant absolution for sin. 

And there prayed

And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. – Mark 1.35

Prayer is one of those areas where I have to admit I can struggle. I have never been satisfied with my prayer life. I really don’t understand why there is such a battle. It seems like something I should be able to just decide to do and then do it.

I know it is important. It is one of the most common themes in the word of God. Jesu clearly command us to pray and not give up.

It’s not that I never pray. It’s just that it is easy for it to slip away and the whole day disappear before I take the time to pray.

Maybe Jesus set a pattern for us here. He got up early, went out and found a quiet place, and prayed. Now remember, this was Jesus, the Son of God, indeed God Himself and still He knew the importance of prayer.

If Jesus considered it important enough to get up early and pray should prayer have the same sort of priority in our lives?

Prayer ought to be as much of our day and eating and drinking and getting out of bed. It must be a priority for us to get through day after day. I fall far short of the kind of prayer life I should have. By the grace of God may I learn to focus more time and give greater priority to my prayers.

May prayer have first place in my life.

Straightway

Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him. – Mark 1.16-18

As another gospel account, this one by Mark, begins we see a repeat of the calling of the disciples. The first two men He calls are fishermen named Simon and Andrew. Jesus walks up to these two men, says ‘come after Me and I will make you fishers of men.’ Chances are that they didn’t even know what He meant by that. But look what they did.

Straightway, immediately, without hesitation they laid down their nets and followed Jesus.

This immediacy of obedience challenges me. I can be a procrastinator in so many ways. I’ll be doing my devotions or reading my people or preparing or hearing a message and the Holy Spirit will deal with my heart. I’ll say ‘I did to deal with that.’ But then, when I get home or whatever I forget about it and go on my way. I have friends and neighbours I know I need to share the gospel with but I can always find a reason to put it off for now. Perhaps I have offended someone and I need to sort it, but I am looking for a more opportune time. Whatever the situation this ‘straightway attitude’ needs to be more a part of my life. I need to be more willing to act now when God deals with my heart. 

Go

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. – Matthew 28.18-20

Farewell addresses are well known in history. They are the paring words that everyone is going to remember. They are usually some of the most important words the person will ever say.

Jesus words were no less important. His final instructions, His last words were to all His followers.

‘Go,’ Jesus said, ‘into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.’

There is no other way the world is going to hear the gospel if someone doesn’t go and tell them. There are not going to be signs in the sky or flashed of light or some kind of implanted knowledge. It is up to you and me to share the good news of salvation in Christ alone. I was saved because I heard the gospel over and over again as a child and so when the Holy Spirit worked in my heart I was ready to accept Christ as my Saviour. That is the way it has happened since day one.

I don’t always understand all the ins and outs of Calvinism, but I do know that Jesus told us to go because ‘how will they hear without a preacher?’

We must go and we must tell others about our Saviour.  

Rejoice and don't be afraid

So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "Rejoice!" So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me." – Matthew 28.8-10

I love these scenes, but far too often I just read over them and don’t put myself there on the spot and try to visualise all that is going on.

The Bible says that they ‘went out quickly’ from the tomb with mixed emotions – fear and great joy. They headed back to town to tell the disciples what they had seen. As a side not, it is kind of a shame that the men had to hear the initial news second hand.

Then, what happens next?

‘Behold, Jesus met them!’

How awesome, truly awesome, is that? They thought they were going to treat Jesus’ body, they experience an earthquake and see a bright shining light, the angels tell them that Jesus is not there, the rush off to town and they meet the risen Christ.

‘Rejoice…don’t be afraid…go tell the brethren to meet me in Galilee.’

Rejoice and don’t be afraid are words we all could use today. No matter what is going on in our lives we can rejoice that Jesus is risen from the dead and we need not fear what is coming next.

Meeting Jesus ought to be as life changing for us as it was for those women that Easter morning.

Rejoice and don’t be afraid.

He is risen

Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. – Matthew 28.1-6

‘He is not here.’ This is yet another one of those amazing and almost incomprehensible sayings from the account of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.

Early on Sunday morning the women came to the grave to properly care for Jesus’ body in death. On the way there was another earthquake, and, unseen to the women, and angel came and rolled the stone sealing the tomb away. The breve guards panicked and ‘became like dead men.’

I can’t imagine being in the place of those women. What could they think? They heard the earthquake and saw the glowing angel just like to soldiers did. They saw the stone rolled way. I guess that they were probably just as afraid as the soldiers.

‘Don’t be afraid!’ a voice cried out. ‘I know you are looking for Jesus. He is not here, for He is risen just like He said.’

‘HE IS NOT HERE!!’

What wonderful words. But not only was He not there, but the angel explained why Jesus was not there – ‘He is risen!’

Death is beaten. Life is ours in Christ all because of those words ‘He is not here for He is risen.’

He is risen. He is risen indeed.

Many women

And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's sons. – Matthew 27.55-56

Many women who followed Jesus, ministering to Him…

I find is amazing at times how often we read about the women who were followers of Christ early on. Just because the twelve disciples is no reason to think that only men were His disciples. We read of many women in the gospel accounts and even more in the epistles.

Here the twelve were nowhere to be seen. They all left Him and went and hid.

But Sunday morning the women were watching. Sure, they had missed the reality of the resurrection but here there were looking on from afar waiting their chance to go and take care of His body.

There was still the danger of identifying with Jesus but they still were compelled to serve Him.

The ‘followers of Christ’ was not a ‘men only’ club. A great many followed and served Jesus and they were the only ones there during the dangerous time.

Over and over again it is the women in come through in serving the Lord. Let us guys never take them lightly in God’s service.

This was the Son of God

So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!" – Matthew 27.54

I like this different perspective we get here. We get to see all the events of the crucifixion from the perspective of a Roman solider.

Imagine we are there. There has been all the drama of a crucifixion. The sky has turned dark in the middle of the day. There has been an earthquake. He has heard the cries of Jesus including ‘Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.’

When all that happened and Jesus said ‘it is finished’ a Roman soldier overseeing the crucifixion called out ‘truly this was the Son of God.’

I don’t know what really happened in this soldier’s heart, but he saw what many today fail to see – Jesus of Nazareth was not just a teacher. He was not just a social reformer. He was and is truly the Son of God.

The soldier had a message that the world still needs to hear today. There is no hope in apart from the living Son of God and He is still alive today.

Forsaken

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"  - Matthew 27.46

It hardly seems possible that God the Son could say to God the Father ‘My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?’ I don’t think I will understand the Tri-unity of the Trinity until I get to heaven. To be honest I don’t think anyone ever really has.

But, we’ll leave that aside for now. As Jesus neared His death on the cross He cried out ‘My God, My God, what have you forsaken Me?’ That means that God had turned His face away. We know from Habakkuk that God is ‘of purer eyes than to behold evil.’ That makes the story even more amazing – Jesus bore the shame of our sin even though sin was as abhorrent to Him as it was to God the Father.

How deep the Father’s love for us,

How vast beyond all measure,

That He should give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure.

How great the pain of searing loss -

The Father turns His face away,

As wounds which mar the Chosen One

Bring many sons to glory.

How could He bear having the Father turn His face away?

He could bear it only because of His great love for us in order ‘to bring many sons to glory.’

Thank you for such wondrous love.

Service

And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.  – Matthew 27.28-31

Stripped.

Mocked over and over.

A crown of thorns.

Beaten.

Crucified.

All for a man who had never hurt anyone.

Why would Jesus, the Son of God, God in flesh, the Sinless One submit to such abuse when He could have called 10,000 angels to stop it at any time?

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

All that abuse, all that shame, all that suffering happened because Jesus took the form of a servant and became obedient even to the point of His death on the cross. He did all of that – for me. It beggars belief, doesn’t it? I know me. I know I don’t deserve it.

But He went through it all for me.

So I have a hard time grasping why I have such a hard time when things go badly for me or people mistreat me or times get tough. I will never go through anything like what He went through.

And went I complain and I bemoan my misery and fall into pity party pit. I think that is why we read ‘do all things without murmuring or disputing.’

We have no room to complain about our service when we remember His service for us.

I don't know Him

Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the Man!" Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." So he went out and wept bitterly. – Matthew 26.74-75

I was going to include Peter in yesterday’s thought, but I decided he was a special case and needed a look at on his own.

When told that they were going to betray Jesus, Peter alone stood up and said, ‘not me Lord! I will never deny You!’

Jesus knew though, as He does. ‘Before the rooster crows Peter, you will deny me three times.’

So what happens during the arrest process? Peter denies Jesus, not once, not twice, but, as Jesus said three times. Right after the third denial the rooster crows.

I can’t even imagine how Peter must have felt. The Bible says He wept bitterly because he realised what He had done. For all his talk he had failed Jesus. How could he do that?

We need to be careful with our words and bragging and thinking that we are better than anyone else. We never know what we are going to do until we are but to the test.

Let’s all pray for strength to endure when our faith is put to the test.

They fled

But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled. – Matthew 26.56

Eleven faithful disciples. One traitor.

But when push came to shove or the rubber hit the road or whatever phrase you want to use happened ‘all the disciples forsook Him and fled.’

Can you imagine that? After 3 ½ years of living and walking and sleeping and sweating and eating and working and joys and successes and disappointments and good times and bad the all forsook Him. Maybe it was the first time they really realised that Jesus was not coming to deliver them from the clutches of Rome. Maybe it was the first that they realised He really meant what He said.

So they ALL forsook Him and fled. All of them – they left Jesus alone to face to shame and indignity that would be His kangaroo court trial.

That sounds almost like it couldn’t really happen. Were they so fearful that they would not stand with Him?

It is easy to sit in criticism at this time and distance from the situation. I wonder though what you and I would have done had we been right there and right then and did not know what we know now. Would we have trusted Him and stayed by His side?

I wonder because recently I was at work and we were chatting at lunch. A couple of co-workers, friends of mine, were talking about religion and all its flaws. The conversation turned to Christianity and couple of comments were made that were not mean, but made light of Christ. Sadly, like the disciples, I let their words go unchallenged. The worst part is that these people know I am a Christian and I have witnessed to both of them. Any yet, for some reason, I sat there silently.

What would I have done if I had been there when Jesus was taken away? I don’t really know and that breaks my heart.