Numbers 7 After Moses finished setting up and dedicating the tabernacle with all of its furnishings and utensils,  the leaders of Israel.. the heads of each tribe brought an offering. They brought altogether 6 covered carts and 12 oxen to pull the carts.  The Lord told Moses to accept the offerings and to give them to the Levites "that they may be used in the service of the tent of meeting.. "  Two carts  and 4 oxen were given to the Gershonites.. who were responsible for moving all of the tents etc.  4 carts and 8 oxen were given to the Merarites who carried all of the frames, pillars, etc.  The Gershonites did not get any carts or oxen for they carried the sacred objects that had to be carried on their shoulders.  ( Remember what happened when David tried to move the ark by cart?) 

Then the leaders offered dedication offerings.. each tribe offering the same thing:

A silver plate or platter weighing a little over 4 lbs. and a  silver bowl weighing about 2.18 lbs.  Both of these were filled with fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering. 

Each offered one gold pan about 5 oz. filled with incense. 

Each offered a burnt offering consisting of one bull, one ram, and one male lamb one year old.

Each one gave a male goat for a sin offering.

Each one made a peace offering of 2 oxen, five rams, five male goats,  and five male lambs-1 year old.

For 12 days one tribe at a time offered their sacrifices.  The first day was the tribe of Judah and the man who was the leader at that time was Amminadab.. the great, great, great grandfather  of David. 

Altogether the silver uses was about 75 pounds and about 60 ounces of gold. There were 12 bulls, 12 rams, 12 one-year old lambs with their grain offerings; 12 male goats for the sin offerings.  Also the peace offerings were 12 bulls, 60 male goats, and 60 male lambs one year old.

This was all for the dedication of the altar.. and after that Moses entered the tent of meeting and spoke with the Lord.. and "he heard the voice speaking to him from above the mercy seat that was on the ark of the testimony from between the two cherubim, so He spoke to him." 

Hebrews 9:18-22 tells us that Moses "took the blood of calves and the goats.. " and he sprinkled the book of the Law, the people and both "the tabernacle and all the vessels of ministry with blood." But verse 24 tells us " For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;"   He made a "new and living way" that we might enter through the veil into the holy place by His blood.  The writer tells us "let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for He who promised is faithful.. " ( Hebrews 10: 22-23) 

As perfectly planned and executed.. and incredible and amazing  the Holy tabernacle was for Israel.. it fell far short of the Perfect Lamb and High Priest.. Jesus Christ who came to lead us into the very Presence of the Holy One.  Praise the Lord, Oh my soul and all that is within me. Praise His Name.

 Father, help us to hold fast.. to cling to ... and to draw nearer and nearer to the Savior, we pray, in His Holy Name .  Amen. 

 Numbers 6  

Verses 1-21 give the instructions for taking a "Nazarite vow".   This is a vow of separation to the Lord.  When a man or a woman made this "special vow" they had to abstain from anything that came from grapes.. no wine..no raisins.. no grapes of any kind at all. They also abstained from using a razor.. so that their hair would grow long.  They were not able to go near anyone who died.. not even their parents or siblings.  There is a whole long list of sacrifices that would need to be offered if they were accidentally exposed to a dead person.. like if someone fell over beside them and died.  There is also a long list of offerings to be given at the end of the time when the vow ended. Including shaving their head and burning the hair. 

It sounds very complicated... and it doesn't talk about any benefit for the person making this vow.  Yet, look at the life of Sampson.. or the life of Samuel.. both brought up to be Nazarites.. not by their own choice but by the command of the Lord. They were both called to be separate.. and to have a special place in the history of Israel. 

As believers in Jesus Christ... Paul writes that we should be "separate" 2 Corinthians 6:17 "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."  This is a quote from Isaiah 52:11 which talks about the Lord bringing deliverance and redemption to His people.  He wants us to come out from what is unclean and impure. He wants to be able to be in His holy Presence which is impossible when we are living in the world.. contaminated with the sins of worldly living. 

Then the Lord commands Aaron and his sons to offer a prayer for the people of Israel.. to "bless them".. to set them apart for Himself... 

"The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you;  The Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace. "  This prayer would "invoke" His name on the people. It would put His name upon them.. to charge them; to preserve them; to regard them; to appoint them or set a sign on them.  This prayer would set a hedge around the people of Israel.. the Lord Himself would guard, protect and attend to them.. His gracious presence would grant them favor as He stooped down in kindness.. His "face"would "shine" upon them.. providing light in the darkness..  His presence would be in front of them, behind them, shining down with peace.. with health and safety and rest.. and joy would fill them as they dwelt with Him.  This is a prayer we need to pray for all of us.. 

Father, we pray for others this great prayer.. for we all need Your blessing.. Your Light.. Your Presence and Your peace. May it be so! Amen. 

 Numbers 5  Something happened... they were getting everyone settled in their places with the tent in the middle of the tribes.. and the discourse takes a turn.. "Command the sons of Israel that they send away from the camp every leper and everyone having a discharge and everyone unclean because of a dead person."  The Lord Himself would dwell in the midst of the camps.. and He would not allow anyone to defile it.  They would be sent outside of the camp.. obedient to the Law which ordered them to stay away for the amount of time required or the needed cleansing to be accomplished. 

Whenever sin was committed , whenever a man or woman acted "unfaithfully against the Lord".. they were commanded to confess their sin and pay any restitution required by the Law.  Atonement would be brought as the priest offered "the ram of atonement" before the Lord. 

Verses 11-31 deal with the sin of adultery.. it could be a married woman who was accused of unfaithfulness to her husband- or- a husband who is overwhelmed by a "spirit of jealousy".  The man would bring a grain offering. The priest would take water and contaminate it with dust from the floor of the tabernacle.  The woman would stand before the priest, hold the grain offering in her hand, and drink the "water of bitterness".  If she was innocent.. she would be fine.  If she was guilty she would be cursed and physically stricken so that her stomach would swell and her  thigh would waste away.. 

All of this sounds a bit like the witch trials of the 1600's...doesn't it? Perhaps this is where they took their ideas from..  but for them it led to hysteria.. not to truth.. 

 I would think this Law would be quite a deterrent to unfaithfulness in any way. Why this Law was added at this particular time had to be because of something that happened just then.. God saw it, even if no one else did.. and acted immediately to protect the people from any more defilement in the camp. 

How can we learn from this?   We see how much God desires us to live holy lives.. He desires us to confess our sins..to find forgiveness through the atonement that Jesus Christ provides us through His sacrifice. We see that our God sees us and knows us and nothing is hidden from His eyes.  We see that His will is for us to be faithful... to be faithful to Him.. and to be faithful in our marriages.  It is uncomfortable to see people sent outside of the camp.. outside of the church.. or even outside of our family.. but sometimes it is necessary so that they do not contaminate the rest of the house.. or the church..   It is uncomfortable to think that your spouse may be unfaithful.. but the truth will be exposed one way or another and the Lord has provided a way to forgiveness and reconciliation through Jesus Christ our Redeemer.  "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace." (Ephesians 1:7)

Thank You Father! Thank You Jesus!  Fill us Holy Spirit that we might walk faithfully, in Truth, in Righteousness, in Peace, in Faith.. in the Word... and in prayer. Let Your Grace be with us who love the Lord Jesus. Amen

 Numbers 4   It is so interesting to read how the Lord organized and assigned the duties of the Levites in regard to the tent of meeting and tabernacle. The three clans of the sons of Levi were numbered and assigned to very specific duties.. 

The Kohathites were assigned to carry the most holy things.. the ark, the table of bread, the lampstand and all the utensils used in the Holy of holies.. But, they could not touch anything until Aaron and his sons went in and covered each piece with cloth, porpoise skins and in the case of the ark - the veil . Everything had poles that were used for carrying. Eleazar, Aaron's son carried the sacred oil, incense, and offerings himself and he took responsibility for all that the Kohathites  were assigned to do.  He was responsible for assigning each man his load and for making sure they didn't touch the most holy objects so that they didn't die. 

The Gershonites were assigned to serve by carrying all of the curtains of the tabernacle and the tent of meeting... all the screens and hangings and the cords and equipment for the  entire place.  Ithamar, the son of Aaron was given the responsibly for these men and assigned each one to a certain job. 

Ithamar was also responsible for the Merarites who were given the duty of carrying  the boards, pillars, bars and sockets and equipment for the skeleton of the tent and tabernacle. 

The men assigned to these tasks were between the ages of 30-50. They "were numbered, everyone by his serving or carrying; thus these were his numbered men, just as the Lord commanded Moses." 

What can we learn from this?  The Lord told Moses what to do.. Moses told Aaron and his sons.. and they told all the sons of Levi their specific duties.  The Lord gave them responsibilities and provided clear leadership.. from the top down... It is so practical and so specific that there would be no need for arguments or chaos.   The Lord leads us in the same manner.. Jesus Christ is the Head.. as I Corinthians 11 tells us.. " But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman ( wife), and God is the Head of Christ." Paul continues in chapter 12 teaching that we are "one body" but that the Holy Spirit distributes "to each one individually just as He wills."  Verse 18 "But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired."  and Verse 24 " But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to the member which lacked, that there should be no division in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. " 

As a church we have different "duties".. different "responsibilities".. we are meant to serve.. and for some that means we are called to "carry" whatever load the Lord gives to us.  The Kohathites were assigned to carry but were not permitted "to go in to see". I wonder if they were tempted to peek?  Are we sometimes wanting a different job than the one the Lord has given us to do?  Have we neglected our responsibilities to lead or to obey?  Have we forgotten to honor others or resent the honor that has been given to another? Perhaps, this chapter in the book of Numbers can give us encouragement to think about theses things.. to remember that God knows best..  

Father in heaven, thank You for being the Head.. for Christ who is the Head of all men.. for the privilege of serving You in the job You chosen for each of us as a member of one body.. one family.. to the glory of our God.  May we be faithful to the calling You have for each of us.  You have called us by name.. You have a plan that is perfect, practical, and beneficial to the whole body. May Your will be done we pray. amen. 

 Numbers 3  In this chapter we are told that the Lord numbered and organized the family of Levi.  

Aaron and his sons were "the anointed priests".  They were "ordained" or consecrated - filled, confirmed, wholly given to the Lord's service. Verse 32 tells us that Eleazar,  Aaron's son was the "chief of the leaders of Levi, and had oversight of those who perform the duties of the sanctuary" . 

All of the rest of the Levites were brought before Aaron "that they may serve him."  They were divided into 3 specific groups according to their families.  Levi had 3 sons.. Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.   Each group was charged with specific responsibilities in the care of the tabernacle.  But, altogether they were "wholly given to [Aaron] from among the sons of Israel."  Not only were they given to Aaron and the priests.. but they were wholly claimed by God..  " So the Levites shall be Mine"!   Thirdly, they were considered a substitute for every first-born son from all the other tribes.  When the Lord struck down all the first born sons of Egypt and spared the sons of Israel, the Lord "sanctified" to Himself all the first born men and animals, saying "They shall be Mine; I am the Lord".  

The sons of Gershon were numbered.. "from a month old and upward".  There were 7,500 men. They were given the westward camp around the tabernacle. The tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin would be next to them. Their duties "involved the tabernacle and the tent, its covering, and the screen for the doorway".. all the hangings, screens, and cords would all be in their charge. 

The sons of Kohath would camp to the south of the tabernacle next to the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad.  There were 8,600 males from the age of one month and upward in the Kohathites.  Their service included the ark, the table and lamp stand, the altars, the utensils and the screen for the sanctuary.. the holy place.

The sons of Merari numbered 6,200.  They camped to the northward side of the tabernacle next to Naphtali, Asher, and Dan.  Their service was to care for the frames, the bars, the pillars, the sockets and all the other equipment.. pegs and cords and pillars ect. .. the "bones" of the tabernacle. 

To the east of the tabernacle Moses, Aaron and all of his sons..those who were "performing the duties of the sanctuary.. " camped.  They would be next to Judah, Issachar and Zebulun..

Altogether there were 22, 000 Levite males from a month old and upward.  The next thing that the Lord commanded Moses to do was to number every 1st born son in all the other tribes. There were 22,273. Each Levite male "redeemed" a first born male from another tribe - head for head.  There were still 273 first - born males beyond the number of Levites.. so the Lord commanded that each of these would pay a "ransom" of 5 shekels a person.  "The ransom" was given to Aaron and his sons for the sanctuary. 

So, what can we learn from this?  Again, we see the wisdom of our God. So specific, so organized and practical.. and yet revealing a hint of what was His future plan for His people.. and for us.  Jesus is the firstborn Son.. He is the ransom for all those who have no other way to be redeemed. He is the High Priest who serves..and also the Lamb that was sacrificed.  He directs each of us to His side.. and gives us "good works" that He has prepared for us to do.. (Ephesians 2:10).

Father, we thank You for calling each of us to serve as You have ordained.  You have given us gifts to serve in Your church.. to encourage, to teach, to pray, or to give.  Some have been charged to lead and others to follow.  We all must surrender to Your leading, and so we pray that Your will be done and Your Name exalted. Thank You for Jesus our Lord and Savior.. the ransom for many.. draw us closer and closer to You we pray, in His mighty Name. Amen. 

 Numbers 2 The Lord told Moses and Aaron to arrange the camps of the tribes of Israel in a very specific order.  They were to camp around and facing the "tent of meeting" that would be the center... with the Levites "keeping charge",  3 tribes on each side.

To the east and going out first when they traveled were the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun.  These three tribes descend from  Jacob's wife, Leah. Altogether this army had 186,400 men. 

To the south were the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad.. Reuben and Simeon were Leah's sons, the first and second born of Jacob. Gad's mother was Zilpah, the maid of Leah, the 7th born son. They would set out 2nd when they traveled. Their army had 151,450 men. 

The Levites with the tent and all of the furniture would be in the middle of all the other tribes. 

Next , would be the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin. They would camp to the west of the tent of meeting and would set off after the Levites. All of these were descended through Jacob and Rachel, Ephraim and Manasseh, being the sons of Joseph. This army numbered 108,100 men. 

Finally, camped to the north and setting out last were the tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naphtali.  Dan and Asher were children from Rachel's maid Bilhah, and Naphtali was the other son born by Zilpah, Leah's maid. This final army was altogether 157,600 men. 

Every tribe had their own army and their own standard or banner.  Each tribe had a leader appointed by name as the Lord determined.  "Thus the sons of Israel did according to all the Lord commanded Moses, so they camped by their standards, and so they set out, everyone by his family, according to his father's household." ( v 34)

So.. what is the Lord showing us through all these numbers?  I see that this arrangement put the largest armies in the front and the back as they traveled, with the Levites and the tent protected.  The tent of the meeting was protected on all sides when camped.. and as the tribes faced it they would be continually reminded of the Lord's presence among them.  This is how it is meant to be.. the Lord in the midst.. our eyes turned toward Him.. His presence extending north, south, east and west.. He is the anchor and the light for our families.. our churches.... our nation.  

Father.. abide in our hearts.. abide in our fellowships.. our homes.. and in every part of our lives.  Surround us with Your mighty army and move in our lives that we might walk in Your ways and bring glory to Your Holy Name.  We ask to be filled by Your Spirit so that we might walk in all truth and righteousness.  Strengthen our faith and lead us every day to know You more and to grow in grace and love. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and King. Amen .

 

Numbers 1   Back in time..to the wilderness.. out of Egypt... heading to the promised land.. I find this alternating between the New and the Old Testament a way to keep it all fresh.. to learn new lessons in the old books; to remember the mighty works of the Lord God among these ordinary and often stubborn people that He chose to be His own. And I marvel at how it all leads to the One who gave His all for us. 

"Then the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, "Take a census.. " 

The people were registered according to their clans.. the 12 tribes of Israel.  The Lord chose "by name"  a man who would be the head of each tribe: 

Elizur of the tribe of Rueben;
Shelumiel of the tribe of Simeon;
Nahshon of the tribe of Judah;
Nethanel of the tribe of Issachar;
Eliab of the tribe of Zebulun;
Elishama of the tribe of Ephraim and Gamaliel of the tribe of Manasseh - the two sons of Joseph 
Abidan of the tribe of Benjamin;
Ahiezer of the tribe of Dan;
Pagiel of the tribe of Asher;
Eliasaph of the tribe of Gad; 
Ahira of the tribe of Naptali.

The Lord knew each man and called him by name.. what a wonderful thought!  He knows us.. by name.. and He calls us to do what He has made us to be.. 

The tribe of Levi was set apart from this count. They would not be included in the armies of Israel for they were appointed to care for the tabernacle.. they were called to "keep charge" over the holy things of God. 

This census counted the men only.. those 20 years old  and upward.  They were counted "head by head". These men had to be "able to go out to war."  When all were counted there were 603,550 men who would fight for Israel. 

Today there are approximately 1.3 million  US  active military personnel with about 452, 823 being  army personnel. China has over 2 million soldiers  and India ranks 2nd with 1, 475,750 active personnel. Iran has over 900,000...   Israel, on the other hand has about 169, 500 active personnel with another 465,000 in the reserve.. bringing the total to 634,500.  Interesting, that the number of soldiers.. all men over the age of 20 were chosen to fight for the land of Israel in that Numbers account.. and the army today is not much larger.

The other thing to remember is that none of these men in the first census, except Joshua and Caleb, would still be living in the day they entered Canaan.. they all died in the wilderness because of their sin of rebellion when they refused to fight the battles they were called to fight.  It is their sons and grandsons that were counted 40 years later.. 601,730 who would fight for the land that God would give them. ( Numbers 26)

Then and now.. it is the Lord's army that really counts.. those willing to serve, willing to go, willing to fight.. willing to trust and obey.  It is the Lord who fights the battles and brings the victory.. and He will use us as He chooses.. whether it is to go to war or to stay and care for His House.  

Father, thank You for leading us in Your ways.. help us to be willing to seek Your will and to obey Your Word so that Your Kingdom will come and You will bring that final victory to the glory and honor of our Captain.. our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

 Mark 16  The final chapter of Mark condenses the 40 days following the resurrection into quick snapshots-

Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome going to the tomb.. finding the angel.. running to tell the disciples with "trembling and astonishment".. 

Jesus appearing to Mary.. then to the two walking along into the country.. 

Jesus appearing to the 11 and "reproaching" them for their unbelief.. 

Jesus giving His final instructions before being "received up into heaven". 

The disciples.. preaching "everywhere". 

The message that Mark records "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned."

Mark has given to us the whole story.. from the beginning to the end of Jesus' life on earth.  We have seen Him through the pictures that Mark and the other gospel writers have shared with us.  We have the opportunity to believe or to disbelieve.. We have the promise of Jesus that if we believe and are baptized we will be saved. 

Father, we are so thankful for the Word of Truth that reveals the life and ministry of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  We choose to believe, to follow Him, and to be saved. Thank You Lord! Fill our lives with Your Spirit that we might be like the disciples.. going into all the world and sharing this good news! Amen

 Mark 15  Mark seems to rush through the details here.. from the early morning delivery of Jesus into Pilates hands.. to the release of Barabbas, the insurrectionist and murderer.. to the shouting crowd..  to the mocking and abuse of the Roman soldiers.. to the cross. 

I want to stop the movement.. and see.. really see Jesus in these moments.. 

They bind His hands.. the Hands that fed the hungry, healed the sick, raised the dead.. embraced the children...  and  they lead Him to Pilate. 

Pilate asks Jesus, "Are You king of the Jews?"  Yes.. "It is as you say."  Jesus answers.  In other gospel accounts He says more.. but Mark keeps it simple and to the point.  Jesus will not answer the accusations of the chief priests. He has no more to say to them. They have rejected the Son of God.. they have rejected the One and only True God who sent His only begotten Son. But Pilate needed to know this Truth. 

Barabbas, the "son of a father".. was set free.. while Jesus.. the Son of the Father was sent to His death.  The man who killed and stole and rebelled walked away.. while Jesus the Man who healed and helped and restored what was lost.. was beaten and mocked.  Even Barabbas needed to know this Truth. 

Jesus was so weak and bruised and bleeding that He had to have help carrying the cross up the hill to Golgotha.  Simon the Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus.. was pressed into service.. "to bear the cross".   We do not know this man's story.. but he must have become known to Mark to be identified so clearly.  We do not know his interaction with Jesus.. but in my imagination I think there was a deep connection made as he came in contact with the bruised body and the blood of the Savior. Simon also needed to know Jesus.. the Way, the Truth and the Life. 

Jesus endured the nails. He refused the wine and myrrh. He heard the taunts. He saw the wagging heads and fingers. He would not come down.. knowing that the Father was pouring out the cup on Him.. so that sin would be conquered.. so that death would be overcome.. so that we might be rescued from the dominion of darkness. 

For three hours the sky turned black. He remained bound to a wooden cross with nails piercing His hands and feet.. and then.. at the 9th hour He cried out to His Father... "and Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed His last." (v37) 

The veil tore in two from top to bottom. The centurions proclaimed "Truly this man was the Son of God!"

The women watched Him die. They followed Him in life and they followed Him in death. 

Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate asking to take the body of Jesus to bury Him. He took His body down from the cross, wrapped it in linen, and laid Him in a tomb. 

Father in heaven,  blessed be the Name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.. the Beloved Son who gave His life for us. His Body was broken.. His blood was poured out.. His pain was greater than we can imagine.. His compassion for us.. so strong that He stayed on that cross until it was finished. Thank You Jesus! Thank You Father. Keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.. on the Truth who was "with God.. who was God.. who became flesh and dwelt among us".. who gave His life that we might be saved. We will cling to You with hearts of love and overflowing gratitude. Hallelujah! What a Savior!. Amen 

 Mark 14:54; 66-72  "And Peter had followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest... " 

Mark turns, for just a minute, to give us a picture of Peter.  He is sitting outside the house where they had taken Jesus.  He is warming himself by the fire.. while Jesus is being accused.. tried.. beaten. "And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, 'You, too, were with Jesus the Nazarene' " 

Peter was no longer the bold one who promised "Even though all may fall away, yet I will not."  Instead, he denied even knowing what the girl was talking about. A second time.. and a third time, Peter denied knowing Jesus.. heading out the door.

But.. when he heard the rooster crow.. he remembered the words of Jesus.  He knew that Jesus heard it too and that Jesus knew what he had just done.  "And he began to weep." 

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  Peter mourned his failure, his loss, and his sin.  He wept for himself.. for he recognized his weaknesses and inability to do what he wanted to do.. he couldn't face the enemy and he could not face himself. 

We all come to that place in our lives..if we are honest.  The place...where we finally realize that we cannot make ourselves do what we want to do and find ourselves doing what we don't want to do.  Paul confessed his own experience with this in Romans 7:15 "For that which I am doing I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate..."   He found only one answer to this.. "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! "  

Jesus restored Peter and Paul.. He restores us when we come to Him in repentance and humility.  As Paul reminds us in the wonderful words of Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."  Jesus sets us free from sin and death.. He gives us Life.. He gives us His Spirit.. He gives us Hope. 

Father in heaven, thank You for the restoration and hope we have in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Thank You that You are compassionate and gracious to forgive us our sins and to restore us to fellowship even when we fail.. You know our weaknesses.. but are willing to give us strength.  You know our failures and fears.. but are willing to give us peace and victory. Let the Power of Your Spirit be at work in us today we pray, that we might walk as Jesus walked, trusting You and obeying Your voice. In His name we ask this, Amen. 

 Mark 14:53-65  "And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes gathered together." 

This picture.. this scene that Mark brings us to in this great story.. is more than we can handle in some ways.  The words on the page are not able to convey the tension, the hatred, the anger, or the sorrow in that room. The men who called themselves the authority.. the righteous.. the worthy ones.. convened an unlawful trial.. trying to use the Law to condemn the Law-giver to death. 

They tried to "obtain testimony against Jesus.. "  The Law required 2-3 witnesses ( Deuteronomy 17:6) in order to put someone to death.  It also required the "hand of the witnesses" to be the first to put him to death.  The problem that the priests had was.. "they were not finding any."   There were false witnesses.. but even those were" not consistent." Finally, the high priest stood up and questioned Jesus himself. 

"Are You the Christ , the Son of the Blessed One?"  This question, Jesus answered.. this is His confession, "I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."  

Jesus was telling the religious leaders that He was the fulfillment of Daniel's vision.

 

"I kept looking in the night visions, 

And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, 

and He came up the the Ancient of Days

 And was presented before Him.

And to Him was given dominion, 

Glory and a kingdom.

That all the peoples, nations, and men of every language

Might serve Him.

His dominion is and everlasting dominion

Which will not pass away;

And His kingdom is one

Which will not be destroyed."

(Daniel 7:13-14)

The high priest  tore his clothes.. called Jesus a blasphemer.. and they condemned Him to death.  "And some began to spit at Him and to blindfold Him and to beat Him with their fists, and to say to Him, 'Prophesy!'  And the officers received Him with slaps in the face." 

Father,  Jesus chose to drink the cup meant for us.. He spoke Truth.. He received punishment.. We cannot comprehend how anyone could do what these men did to Jesus.  How could they falsely accuse Him, lie about Him, reject Him.. reject You?   Help us to look upon our Savior and know the depth of His love for us.. His perfect love for You. My heart if full of love for this Beautiful Savior.. thank You for opening my eyes to see Him more clearly... to love Him more dearly.. Keep me near to Your heart, o God. amen. 

 Mark 14:32-51  This scene opens in a garden called Gethsemane... the "oil press".   8 disciples are given a place to sit.. as Jesus goes to pray.  Peter, James and John are invited to go further with Him.. to watch and to pray. 

Jesus is overcome with distress and anguish.. He is troubled.. He is full of heaviness.  He is sorrowful.  He went a little further and "fell to the ground and began to pray."   

He cries out "Abba! Father! All things are possible for Thee; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt."  Three times, we are told, Jesus asks His Father to remove the cup and each time He submits to the Father's will.  He will drink the cup.. the cup that we cannot drink.. 

Jesus finds Peter, James and John asleep.. unable to keep watching.. unable to keep praying.. unable to keep their eyes open.. unable to answer Him. 

"It is enough; the hour has come; behold the Son of Man is being delivered in the hands of sinners." It is too late for anything else to be done. The cobwebs of sleep are still lingering.. until Judas arrives.. "accompanied by a multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders."

Judas signals his betrayal with a kiss. 

The soldiers "laid hands on Him and seized Him." 

Peter wakes up enough to take his sword and strike a slave, cutting off his ear. 

Jesus submits to the false arrest, done in darkness... testifying that even this happens "that the Scripture might be fulfilled." 

And, just like that, all the disciples run away. 

Let us feel the heaviness that brought Jesus to fall on His face before the Father.  His sorrow was real. His prayers were honest. But.. I wonder.. was that sorrow for Himself?  Was it because of the suffering He would experience in just a few hours?   The "cup" would not be removed from Him.. and He knew all about that cup. He had known all along that this was His destiny and He would not refuse it. 

Psalm 75:8 speaks of a cup.. "For a cup is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams; It is well mixed and he pours out of this; surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs;"

Isaiah spoke of a cup.. "Rouse yourself! Rouse yourself! Arise Jerusalem, You who have drunk from the Lord's hand the cup of His anger; The chalice of reeling you have drained to the dregs.. " (51:17)

Jeremiah spoke of  a cup too: "For thus the Lord, the God of Israel says to me, 'Take this cup of the wine of wrath from My hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send you, to drink it. " (25:15) 

Father in heaven,  You sent Your Son to drink the cup.. the cup that was meant for the wicked..  and He drank it for us.  All praise and thanksgiving we give to You and to the Son,  the Savior who died for our sins.. who makes us righteous through His obedience and surrender.  We are amazed at the  glory of Your grace! Thank You Father! amen. 

 Mark 14:22-31  Mark gives us a glimpse of this Passover meal.. in this upper room.. Jesus with His disciples ( except for Judas who seems to have gone already)  and the presentation of a new covenant. 

"Take it; this is My body" Jesus tells them as He hands them the broken bread. Then.. he took the cup and gave thanks.. and after they had each drank from it, He said, "This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many." 

The terms of this covenant are a broken body and poured out blood.  There would be no more covenants.. no more sharing of the "fruit of the vine" with Jesus until the kingdom of God has come. 

Mark tells us no more. John fills in the story with the final words, prayers, and warnings that Jesus spoke to them in that upper room.  But, Mark moves us on to the next picture, "And after singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives." 

Here, Jesus tells them that He would be struck down and that they would scatter. Once again He tells them that He will rise again and that He would see them in Galilee.  

Peter can't imagine being apart from Jesus.. proclaiming his desire to go with Jesus even unto death... but Jesus knows that he cannot.  Peter would deny Jesus before the morning dawned. They all promised not to abandon Him.. but.. Jesus knew that He would face His crucifixion alone. 

Father, may we take the bread and the cup..  remembering this covenant.. and know, even more..  the depth of Your love for us in the precious Lamb who was slain.. whose blood was shed, whose body was broken.. so that we might truly be Your people.. Your children.. Yours forevermore..  We are washed by the blood.. we are made whole by His sacrifice. We rest in Him.  When that hour comes, when we face our final breaths... may the words on our lips be praise and thanksgiving to the One who will bring us home.  Thank You for the cross.. for the covenant.. for the love that poured out from that broken body and precious blood that cleanses us from all unrighteousness..  thank You that we are not alone.. but that our Savior is with us always..  in His name.. in the Name of Jesus we come.  Amen

 Mark 14:12-21  It is the evening when the Passover lamb would be sacrificed.. the 7 days of the celebration of 'Unleavened Bread" began.. and the disciples come to ask Jesus where to prepare the meal.  Jesus sends them to a man that He knows well.. but they do not seem to know at all..  He tells them, "Go into the city and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him;"  

There is a prepared place..an upper room.. "furnished and ready;"  That evening, Jesus and the twelve came to the table together. They did not know it would be their last meal.. the last Passover with Jesus. They did not know the significance of this moment.. the things that would happen in the next few moments.. the next few hours.. or the next few days. It was an ordinary meal.. that was anything but ordinary. 

Mark begins setting the scene and then leaps straight into the dramatic events.  Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you that one of you will betray Me - one who is eating with Me."  This came as a shock to all but one of the disciples.  They were so shook up that they each wondered if they were that one.. "Surely, not I?" 

Jesus looked at His disciples.. the ones that  He called friends.. the ones He had chosen and spent the last three years with, teaching them.. loving them.. . He said, "It is one of the twelve, one who dips with Me in the bowl." A close friend, sharing a special meal together..was the ultimate betrayer..

 Jesus knew.. Judas knew..  but the others seem to be  looking at this from outside this scene.. perhaps focused on their own doubts and fears.

Imagine what was going on inside Judas' mind. He could have repented.. but he did not. He could have humbly wept at the feet of the Savior, but he did not. The next words spoken to him should have shaken out of his hardened heart.. but they did not.. "For the Son of Man is to go, just as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born."

In my mind and heart I feel that Jesus was heart-broken for Judas.  He knew that Scripture would be fulfilled.. He knew that Satan would enter Judas.. but still.. He knew and loved Judas. 

" Man of Sorrows.. what a name, for the Son of God who came, ruined sinners to reclaim! Hallelujah, what a Savior!"  This is our Savior, our Lord, our King.. Jesus Christ, the Son of God who faced sorrow... who faced  betrayal.. who faced death.. to reclaim us sinners!  Hallelujah! 

Oh Father, how we love You.. for You sent us Your One and only Son to save us from ruin and shame and darkness.. and death.  Thank You!  We our forever Yours for You have granted us repentance.. You have redeemed us.. You have adopted us.  We call You" Good".. Your lovingkindness and grace has poured down upon us through Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! What a Savior! Amen. 

 Mark 14:1-11  Mark is giving us another snapshot of Jesus... it is 2 days before Passover.. the last few days of His life before the crucifixion and He is in Bethany.  The plot to kill Him has been put into motion.. and Jesus knows it well. 

As Jesus joins "Simon the leper"  for dinner that day, a woman comes in with "an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard."   Now, John records a similar account in John chapter 12.. but he said it was 6 days before Passover and that the woman was Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus.  Mark writes that this woman anointed Jesus' head and John says it was His feet.  Both record that the nard was very valuable. saying it was worth 300 denarii.. almost a year's wages.  John records the fact that the perfume filled the room with its fragrance.  Mark writes that this happened after the triumphal entry while John has it right before that event. 

In both accounts the disciples criticized the woman for wasting the perfume for it could have been sold and the money used to help the poor.  And in both accounts Jesus tells them to "let her alone".  "She has done a good deed to Me." (v6)   Jesus received her gift.. her sacrifice.. as an anointing, for the burial that would come in just a few days. 

In Mark's account we see the contrast between the woman  who gave sacrificially from her heart.. and Judas... who was so angry.. and as John shares.. so greedy.. that he "went off to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them." 

It has been my goal through this reading of Mark's gospel to see Jesus.. to know Him more through the portraits that Mark drew for us... so instead of worrying about the differences between Mark's story and John's.. I just want to look at Jesus a little closer... 

Jesus accepted this anointing.... He accepted it as a preparation for His own death and burial.  As the precious perfume filled the air with its sweet fragrance, as He felt the oil run down His head or His feet and the touch of Mary's hair as she washed His feet ( according to John).. the reality of His crucifixion would perhaps become sharper. He would remember the smell, the touch, the sight of this woman who humbled herself before Him and displayed her great love and thankfulness so openly.  And.. there in this sacred moment.. his friends grumbled about wasting money!  One of His own disciples went out to betray Him.. and they all missed the significance of her actions.   Jesus didn't miss it.. and He doesn't want us to miss it either.. "And truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, that also which this woman has done shall be spoken of in memory of her." 

Do we remember? Do we speak of her.. of her gift.. of her love?  Can we put ourselves in her place?  Coming to the feet of Jesus.. or to His head.. offering everything that we have.. worshiping the One who was about to give His life for us?  

Father, help us to understand.. to grasp the significance of this event and to see Jesus as this woman did. 

amen.