You are the Christ

May 27, 2025 | Read and think about Matthew 16:13-20

By this time, the stories of Jesus’ miracles were reverberating from town to town.  Some had seen the miracles. Others had heard about them and were intrigued. 

So naturally, all the talk turned to the fact that "something that's never happened before is happening" and "who could this be"?

Like coming up with answer choices for a multiple choice exam, Jesus had the disciples scroll through the various possibilities the people were saying.  For example, one possibility (in the people’s minds) was John the Baptist, whom we studied earlier, had returned to life. 

Then Jesus asked the pointed question:

“But who do you say that I am?”

Peter’s answer:

“Jesus, you are the Christ (“Messiah” in Hebrew)."

"Jesus, you are the Son of the Living God.”

It was a very important question and answer in that moment. And it still is. 

We are like the disciples, in that “But who do you say I am” is a question He invites each of us to answer. It is a foundational question for any who call upon Jesus’ name and put our faith in Him.

Another interesting puzzle piece is the last verse in our passage, where Jesus strictly instructed His disciples to tell no one that He is the Christ.  Why He charged them this way is an interesting question.  In our readings in general, I am noticing various ways that Jesus placed as much importance on the timing of events related to His earthly ministry, as He did on the events themselves. 

At some point, I would like to do a post on the various times we see Jesus, in these readings, saying now is not the right time, but the right time will be later. 

The Thirsty Messiah

May 24, 2025  | Read and think about John 4:1-14

Verse 10 of the passage gives an outline for the whole chapter, when Jesus says:  “if you knew the gift of God, and who is speaking with you …”

So the two main parts of the chapter are "what is the gift of God" Jesus spoke about here? And who is Jesus? This post looks at the first one.

What is the gift of God Jesus spoke of here?

Talking to a complete stranger in an unfriendly land, Jesus uses his own human thirst to compare and contrast physical thirst from spiritual thirst:

“Everyone who drinks of this water [from the earthly well] will be thirsty again.  But whoever drinks of the water I will give will never be thirsty again.  The water I give becomes a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Later, in John 7:37-38, speaking to His own people at the festival in Jerusalem, He repeats it again:

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, Out of their heart will flow rivers of living water.”

What a promise!  As the next verse in John's gospel tells us, He was referring here to the Holy Spirit as the gift of God.

As I finished this post, I kept the original title of “The Thirsty Messiah.”  Because in his human nature, Jesus was very thirsty that day, in the noon heat after a long trek.  But here at the end of writing the post, another good title is - -

“Messiah for a Thirsty People” - which was them, and it is us. 

Authority over Demons

May 23, 2025 | Read and Think About Mark 5:1-20

This passage tells the story of Jesus healing an unfortunate man possessed by many demons, and the aftermath of this healing.

In the previous post, we read from Matthew's Gospel about the calming of the severe storm on the lake. Today's reading takes place as soon as they landed on the other side of lake. Between the storm and this occurrence, the apostles had to have been saying, what a crazy night!

The story from the man's perspective can be sectioned into his past, his present (at the time of the occurrence), and his future.

The man's past (verses 3-5): whatever the evil spirt was, the verbs here paint a terrible picture: bind, chained, tore, broke, subdue (none could subdue him, though they tried), crying out, cutting himself with stones. He lived in the cemetery among the tombs, up in the hills over the lake. When Jesus asked for a name, it was the demons who spoke up, saying "Legion" (many). They had taken over.

The man's present (verses 6-13): Jesus was going to heal the man. He knew it. The demons knew it. The note in my Bible for verse 7 says the shriek coming out of the man was utter rebellion against God. But the passage makes it clear Jesus was in control, and He cast out the demons.

The man's future (verses 18-20): after the healing, the man begged to follow Jesus. Counting the passage before ("Nature Obeys"), this is now 3 different men in less than 12 hours asking to follow Jesus and being told, essentially, "not yet." But following Jesus' instruction to him, the man went into the region and began to tell others "how much Jesus had done for him."

What a powerful testimony, and those who heard his testimony were amazed. And Jesus gives the same instruction to all who have received his mercy and forgiveness.