Mark 11:18 - October 9, 2010

Mark 11:18 “The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.”

There is one simple and powerful message contained in Mark 11:18 there are many who people who will be unsettled and resistant when a voice for real and lasting change is raised within the culture of the community of God’s people. In its day the temple represented the purpose of God in the earth and this story of the cleansing of the temple was not isolated to Jesus’ day.

Throughout the history of God’s people there were numerous occasions when the house of God had fallen into a place of neglect and disrepair. As a result there were a number of seasons in the life of God’s corporate purpose where a new generation of priests and/or kings arose who called the people back to their foundations. With each of these waves of renewal two distinct focuses accompanied the restoration of a contagious zeal for God. In every case the love and respect for the house of God was renewed and it began with cleansing work. Of equal importance in each case a renewed commitment to embrace the standards of God’s word was awakened amongst the leaders first and then the people of God.

In Jesus’ generation we see his passion for this same work as He raises His voice with a call to repentance and change. He clearly declares the contrast between what God has intended and what the people have settled into as acceptable practice. His words provoke both the moral conscience of the people and remind them of the standard of God’s word. Throughout His entire ministry it is this call to return to God’s true intentions in the things that His words declare that is the true purpose of Christ as He represents the Father.

Many people would look upon this concept and think that it would be the obvious desire of people for positive and lasting change to take place but throughout the pages of history we can see that in reality this is seldom the case. When Jesus dramatically enters the temple with such intensity as He turns over carts and drives people out of the temple courts He is demonstrating the reality of a call for true change… It can be disruptive and confrontational at times. The common place becomes the outcast and at the same time this call for change reveals the lack in the current leadership. It is these things that provoke resistance in many cases.

In these last days of God’s purpose for this age it is clear that there is great need for change once again. The church of today is far from the church of the New Testament. There is much luke-warmness and once again the money changers and those that buy and sell have set up business within the courts of God. It is clear from the prophetic declaration of Christ and elsewhere in scripture that it is only a matter of time before once again the fires of God’s holy zeal burn through the church once again to restore God’s true purpose for His “house of prayer.” With this fire will come upheaval. With this fire will come seasons of confrontation. With this fire will come resistance from that which has settled into a comfortable religious experience. Get ready for the fire!

Mark 11:15-17 - October 8, 2010

Mark 11:15-17 “On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written: "'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers." 

This portion of Mark 11 is interesting in that it is a series of overlapping stories that are interwoven together and intersect with each other in their telling and fulfillment. In Mark 11:11 as Jesus arrived in Jerusalem the evening before He had stopped into the temple area to assess the situation there. He then made His journey to the place where He would stay but in the midst of all of this He had the brief encounter with the fig tree.

The story now rejoins His mission of confrontation with the environment that He has seen at the temple. Jesus’ heart is grieved by the conditions within the courts of God. Instead of Holy ground the house of God has become a marketplace. It is in this passage more than most others that the true passion of Christ for His Father and for the purpose of God can be seen. John chapter two relates this passion through the eyes of Jesus’ disciples as it says John 2:17 “His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me." The burning heart within Christ has gripped Him as He enters the Temple courts and begins to drive out those who are buying and selling and overturns the tables of the money changers.

Each of the Gospels presents a perspective of this dramatic act and many people believe that the account in John is actually a second time when He performed the same work. The Gospel of Mark is clear in its emphasis upon the House of Prayer! Jesus rebukes the people strongly for their abuse of this Holy setting. His words "'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers” are full of prophetic implication as Jesus communicates the global intent of God and the reality that it is not just one nation but all nations that are the burning concern of the Father. With these same words Jesus also clearly emphasizes the purpose of the house of God. It is to be a place of prayer, a meeting place for God!

I believe that once again the zeal of God is coming to His house through the Spirit of burning. Isa 4:4-6 prophecies this intention in the heart of the Lord; “The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire. 5 Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy. 6 It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.” This prophetic glimpse of the destiny of the Body of Christ is clear. In the days that are ahead the Spirit of burning will bring forth within the church a glorious manifestation of the presence of Christ within a holy people. The result of this presence filled people who walk in the purity of God will be that the church becomes a shelter and a shade within every community and a place of refuge and a hiding place from the storms of life. Let the church come forth!

Mark 11:12-14 - October 6, 2010

Mark 11:12-14 “The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.”

Mark 11:12 has many different principles contained within it that could be explored but one of the more powerfully apparent insights that is there to see is the power of the spoken word! The motives of Jesus’ heart in this passage could be explored from the perspective of why he cursed this tree but that is not my goal as I consider this passage. In considering the power and nature of the prophetic word and its power to communicate both life and death the story of the fig tree provides a glimpse of one of the unique dimensions of the believer’s authority.

Proverbs 18 contains a verse that seems to be the foundation of what is taking place in this story. Prov 18:21 “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Jesus’ demonstration of His authority in this passage is a demonstration of the power of life and death. Throughout His ministry Jesus has consistently demonstrated the power of life in the words that He has spoken as He has multiplied the bread, healed the sick, turned water into wine and raised the dead. However, Pr.18:21 contains within it the reality of the power of death as well as the power of life. In the context of His public ministry it seems that there were very few settings where Jesus could demonstrate this context of His authority and the fig tree provided a perfect opportunity for Him to demonstrate His authority to judge as well as His authority to bless. I find it fascinating that this demonstration of Jesus’ power comes forth in the context of a fruit bearing tree that is bearing no fruit. It would seem that even as He speaks to this tree and curses it because it is fruitless that there is a subtle purpose on Christ’s behalf to direct people to this passage in in Pr. 18.

This display of power for cursing as well as blessing is filled with the potential for tremendous misapplication but one thing is clear, there is a place within the context of apostolic leadership for the power to judge as well as the power to bless. Jesus’ demonstration here seems to be the theological underpin that provides context for some of the later corrective judgments of the apostles. The book of Acts demonstrates some of these moments throughout its pages. Both Peter and Paul manifest this authoritative command in their ministries.

In Acts chapter 5 Peter demonstrates this authority in his corrective confrontation with Ananias and Sapphira. He first provides an opportunity for open confession and repentance to each of them separately but the lack of remorse within each of them causes first the husband to drop over dead and then Peter speaks forth the word that assigns to the wife the same judgment that came upon her husband. Later in Acts 13:11-12 Paul demonstrates this same authority with an even more direct proclamation to Elymas the sorcerer by saying “Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun." “Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.”

It is worth noting that in this case there is no discussion, no opportunity for repentance. There seems to be a dramatic difference in context that should be noted as we consider these two events. In the case of Ananias and Sapphira Peter was dealing with two believers who had fallen into a temptation towards the area of contempt for the Holy Spirit and so they were given an opportunity for repentance before the judgment of God was released upon them. In the case of Elymas there is a completely different set of circumstances. Paul is in the midst of a gospel presentation to a leading political figure and Elymas is intentionally hindering this man from receiving the message of the kingdom of God. As a result this sorcerer is dealt with firmly and directly. Paul provides a clear insight into his perception of the situation by declaring over Elymas in “Acts 13:10 "You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right!” In the case of this judgment it is not a fallen believer but an evil man with evil motives who is being publicly judged for the sake of the kingdom of God. In both cases their chastisements from the Lord released a powerful measure of the fear of God into the settings where they took place.

Within each of these illustrations there is much to consider and the nature of a proper application of these concepts would require much more time than we could provide in this setting. But what is clear is that there is power in the mouth of the believer for both life and death. There is an apostolic authority unlike that which the world has commonly embraced and understood. I believe that it is the intention of God to restore a true apostolic authority to the church and that in the age that is coming upon both the earth and the church we will see a demonstration of the kingdom of God that causes the righteous to rejoice and the wicked to fear!

Mark 11:11 - October 5, 2010

Mark 11:11 “Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.”

Know the timing of when to start new things and when to change old ones. In this passage Jesus demonstrates the principle that confrontation should not be started within a context that cannot be brought to a healthy point of closure or that by addressing it at an inappropriate time the impact of that confrontation is lost. It is fairly certain that Jesus knew what He was intending to do when He stopped by the temple towards the end of that day after his entry into Jerusalem.  He had the attention of the multitudes and He knew that His time upon the earth was drawing near to a close. It was in this context that Jesus felt compelled by the Spirit to communicate the Father’s heart towards His temple and to fulfill the messianic prophesies regarding zeal for His Father’s house.

What is truly noteworthy in this situation is that in the midst of His zeal and sense of fulfillment He was still restrained enough to not act out of the passion of the moment. Jesus saw the setting, saw the need and yet was able to still recognize the need for proper time and setting. In Mt. 7:6 Jesus references the principle of stewarding our energies and efforts within a uniquely different context, but the message is clear to us; “do not waste the things that you do by a wrong choice of time, place or audience.”

Jesus recognizes the unhealthy condition of the temple courts but does not allow His offense to move Him to actions that will be wasted. Even in His great zeal for change the Lord is able to recognize that the audience available to Him and the remaining time in that day for the impact of His intended actions to have their full effect is not sufficient to accomplish His purpose. As a result we see the Lord come and take a visual review of the circumstances that He is intending to speak to. A portion of His intent is certainly so that as He prays into this situation overnight and considers that actions that He will take in the morning, He is praying and meditating based upon an accurate and current assessment of the situation. 

This principle needs to speak to every servant of God. Paul said something vital in Rom 12:11 “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” Passion is important but so is wisdom.  Paul’s words identify the reality that there are times when we can be compelled by a zeal that does not result in accomplishing the Lord’s purpose. It only vents the passion inside of us but it is not fruitful in its outcome! We want passion but we want fruit! Learn the wisdom of the Lord and let His restraint be a model to us for passion under control.

Mark 11:7-10 - October 4, 2010

Mark 11:7-10 “When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"   10 "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" "Hosanna in the highest!"

This passage has within it one of the more symbolic events in the gospels. As I consider this passage and the glory of Christ’s coming as He enters Jerusalem the multitudes have gathered. The Lord is here! The Lord is here! “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” It is such a compelling sight and a powerful picture of the impact that the presence of God has on any given setting. Whenever Jesus comes to the church today there is a similar reaction. People are moved, hearts are touched and people are compelled to offer magnificent sacrifices of praise.

As I read this passage however my thoughts are drawn to one of the less noticed characters in the story; the donkey! Can you imagine this beast of burden? He is only a lowly donkey. He has nothing to offer but a willingness to bear the presence of the Lord. What moves my heart is his similarity to every person who has been given the privilege of being a carrier of God’s presence. When God moves people’s hearts move with Him. When God comes, the attention of man is turned in praise and adoration. But can you imagine the mind of that donkey? Do you think he ever realized it was not him that the people were cheering for? They were laying their garments at his feet and lifting up loud cries and cheers of joy as he walked by. Surely he was the one they were praising!

This condition is so like unto the hearts of many who carry the presence of the Lord. Has the realization of our own insignificance ever penetrated through the haze created by the praise of men? When we prosper is it us or is it Him? When we are used by God’s power who is it that deserves the glory! Each person who bears the stigma of the anointing is in reality only a beast of burden in the context of who deserves the praise. Paul said it this way in 1 Cor 4:7 “For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” When the Son of God chooses you from the side of the road and climbs upon your back to make His grand entrance into a situation, remember who it is that the people are really praising!