Leaving The Nest

When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  Mark 1:19-20

With a prosperous and cheerfully-named father, the sons of Zebedee probably saw their future lined out before them until that day. Mending nets may not have been their favorite part of the job, but equipment maintenance must be done or the equipment fails when it's needed most. However, their mending net days were about to go on a long pause. Did they look down the coast and see Jesus call Andrew and Simon? Maybe, but the calling of James and John came next, and they dropped the nets to follow this new rabbi. 

We can see from the gospels - and the Revelation (heh, look out below, John!) - the amount that the brothers did not know that day was huge. They left the nest to follow not just any rabbi, but the messiah foretold in a host of prophecies. The brothers would come to believe in Him, while most of their nation would remain hardened of heart and unbelieving. Oh, but the signs they would see on this journey and the words they would hear from the Christ!

Love and joy to you in Christ Jesus our Lord!

Bucky

That's What You Want?

And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. Mark 1:16-18

Baptized by John, acknowledged by God, tempted by Satan, and now Jesus begins the ministry of a rabbi by selecting some disciples. Fishermen...that's what you want? Smelly, sweaty, swearing, fishermen for your students of the word? We know from the scripture that Jesus took two pairs of brothers from the fishing trade, no word on sending them to the showers first, and began His ministry. Before His selection one might have expected scribes from Jerusalem, young Pharisees just out of Pharisee U, and maybe even a Sadducee or two to resurrect once or twice just for fun. Jesus made His own selections in obedience of the Father, and they were pretty much like you and me. Working folks and people in need of His salvation.

Praise God for that!

Bucky

They Had Expectations; He Began A Kingdom

Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” John 1:35-36

John gave Jesus an introduction. Immediately faith is tested by Jesus. Lamb of God?

"Sir, we were rather hoping for a lion to drive the tax collectors away," the Jerusalem dwellers indicated to the newly heralded Lamb of God by way of their expectations.

Two of John's disciples were listening though, and they followed Jesus. The kingdom of God had arrived and now had its first two subjects, plus John. It may seem to be a small start for something that will in time have a multitude which no one can number coming out of the great tribulation. Even John would soon decrease to the point of being gone when Herod had him executed. The number Jesus was looking for at the start was small though, and His presence guaranteed a certain quality. One of these disciples would come to betray the Lord Jesus just a short time later. The newly born kingdom had its setbacks, all of which fulfilled prophecy.

He began a small but growing kingdom that day!

Bucky

Good News Time

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”  Mark 1:14-15

Mark tells us that Jesus took up where John the Baptizer left off, preaching the kingdom of God and repentance. But the big question across the states this morning is: Did Jesus have winter? Circumstances can intrude and lead us away from the message of our Lord. In Galilee as Jesus took up the good news, some likely looked around at their circumstance and wondered what good news there was to believe in. Occupying Roman soldiers still around, greedy tax collectors still in place, and maybe it was the season of not-summer too. Good news, did you say? Of course a little study in the word reminds us that His good news wasn't worldly good news but a forgiveness of sin and a propitiation arriving to save us. 

Blessed by the Son of God!

Bucky

From Temptation To Celebration?

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” John 2:1-3

A problem for a celebration, and Jesus had just refused to turn rocks into bread at the temptation of the devil. The temptation was to use power to serve himself. The celebration had a problem that needed solving, and the mother of Jesus turned it over to him. Jesus had a choice, and doing nothing was an option. Or was it? In many instances during His ministry our Lord could have done nothing, but didn't. Compassion seemed to be a primary characteristic of our Lord's journey through the lands of Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. People needed help and the Lord Jesus gave it. But not just the minimum. Jesus might have sent the disciples out to purchase enough wine to get by, but He didn't. Instead we get to read of a miracle. Water became wine, and it was good wine too according to the experienced master of the feast.

Sometimes we accept the raising of Lazarus, the healing of blind Bartimaeus, but then struggle to believe this wine miracle. According to John, this was the beginning of the signs. We dare not let the devil take away the beginning, lest we find ourselves unbelieving at the ending.

Bucky

Enduring Temptation

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. Mark 1:12-13

Forty days seems a rather long time to endure temptation to me, but let's see how long some others endured. Eve and then Adam made it less than a minute; it appears, when the Serpent cunningly came along to tempt them in Genesis 3. In 2 Samuel 11, David holds out against temptation for even less time before having Bathsheba brought to his bed. And the story of his fall did not even require the Serpent's direct hand. The Adversary entered into Judas Iscariot when Jesus gave the word, and he took off immediately; a sort of record no one should strive to achieve. So, forty days in the wilderness enduring the temptation of this same deceiver would be about 57,600 times longer than any of us if we held out for even as long as 1 minute? Our resistance to temptation is rather paltry compared to our Lord's. Which is why we all need to place our faith in Jesus, right now!

Rejoice in Jesus and live in Him!

Bucky

Hearts Of Darkness

But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.  John 2:24-25

As a fellow human, I'm going to guess that this was not our finest moments shining through to Jesus our Lord. In another scripture Jesus tells what comes out of the heart of us humans, and that is not a complimentary list either. This is the sort of thing Jesus faces as He begins His ministry in Galilee and Judea. A bunch of lost and sin-fouled humans looking at Him to be king and save them from the Romans. That He didn't, shows to us that He knew where the real salvation needed to be placed. Born with hearts of sinful darkness, we have no basis for pride but wear it proudly. How did Jesus even manage to start saving us? He sent a fellow from the wilderness in a camel hair suit with a few bug legs in his beard to tell us to repent and get washed. And that was only to prepare the way for His salvation. 

Love to you in Christ our Lord,

Bucky