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Notes: August 30, 2009

Family Ties

Stories of parents and children or siblings reunited  after years of separation tug at our heart strings. But not everyone knows or wants to be so reunited. For Jesus there was an even more important relationship than mere blood.

Matthew 12:46-50; Luke 8:19-21; Mark 3:31-35

  • Jesus was often busy.
  • Sometimes he was so busy that even his mother and brothers couldn’t speak with him.
  • When told that they were outside desiring to see him, Jesus asked “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?”
  • Jesus pointed to his attentive apostolic listeners and declared them to be his family!
  • “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven, whoever hears the word of God and does it—that’s my family.”

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Notes: August 29, 2009

“Master, show us a sign.”

Many people consider it admirable that they have “agreed” to accept a sign from God. Jesus says that evil men seek signs from the God who has repeatedly proven himself already.

Matthew 12:38-45

  • Clearly Jesus was familiar with the history of the prophet Jonah.
  • Jonah’s three days in the whale’s belly are similar to the three days that Jesus will be buried (before his resurrection).
  • Judgment day will be a day of resurrection.
  • People who lived long ago will mingle with people of later generations.
  • Comparisons and contrasts will be made.
  • We are expected to repent. More light, more responsibility to repent.
  • Jesus is greater than Jonah.  Jesus is greater than Solomon.
  • Ridding oneself of evil is good. But if the evil is not replaced with good, the evil may return 7 times worse than before.
  • Too many people shed bad habits only to see them replaced with worse habits.

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Notes: August 28, 2009

Spirituality

Jesus, who came from heaven, teaches some basic principles of the spirit life. If he had not revealed these things, we would not have known.

Matthew 12:22-37; Mark 3:19-30

  • A divided kingdom, city or house cannot stand (v. 25). Seventeen centuries later American colonists acknowledged this with their motto “United We Stand.”
  • Satan will not empower one to cast out demons (v. 26).
  • Casting out demons is evidence of the kingdom of God at work (v. 28).
  • One is either with Jesus or against him. There is no neutrality (v. 30).
  • Blasphemy against the Spirit of God is unforgiveable (v. 31-32).
  • Speech is an indicator of character (v. 35).
  • We are accountable for EVERY word we speak (v. 36).
  • Our words shall be entered in evidence on judgment day (v. 37).

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Notes: August 27, 2009

Women Who Ministered

Those who beat the feminist drum and protest the male chauvinism of Jesus and his disciples would do well to read the opening verses of Luke 8 to see that women who knew Jesus best had no such thoughts.

Luke 8:1-3

  • Jesus did have 12 men who followed him throughout the land (v. 1).
  • Many women willingly followed him, too (v. 2-3).
  • Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna were among those who followed and helped.

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