The Story of My Life as told by Jesus
Christ
(Seed Sowers Christian
Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)
Thursday, April 25, 2013 I Commissioned My Disciples &
Ascended to My Father
Page 331-335 Matthew
28:18-20; Mark 16:8c, 14a, 15-28, 20;
Luke 24:44-49; Mark 16:19; Luke 24:50-53
All four Gospels (and the Book of
Acts) include a final commissioning command from Jesus. Our reading for today
blends the accounts in Mark, Matthew and Luke.
The passages from Mark are known
as the extra endings. These additions to Mark first appeared in the late second
or third century when those assigned the task of copying scripture began
inserting the extra material. Even though these endings were not written by
Mark, they do provide insight into how the early Christian community sought to
live out the Gospel.
The emphasis on signs and wonders
is not consistent with the rest of Mark’s teaching in his Gospel. I believe
Mark would have expected the disciples to go into the world with faith in the
resurrection, because they shouldn’t need anything else. However, the addition
of this material does show how difficult it is to live by faith. The natural
inclination of the flesh is to want Jesus to continually reaffirm his presence
with miracles.
Our world certainly needs to hear
the Good News. Yet, still today the greatest problem in the Christian church is
the hesitancy of the followers of Christ to share with others the Good News.
The scriptures teach us that “Hope
deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12). While world events can
make a person feel hopeless, God has made it possible for us to be a people of
hope. “Our hope is in the living God, who
is the Savior of all people” (1 Timothy 4:10). I believe Jesus is the hope
of the nations. “But how can they call on
him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if
they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone
tells them?” (Romans 10:14).
God has given the followers of
Jesus hope, but too many of his followers choose to keep him to themselves. Too
many read today’s text and somehow reach the conclusion that Jesus is not speaking
to them. He must be speaking to others. Certainly, they think, he cannot expect
that ALL of those who call on him for salvation would obey his command to go
and tell others the Good News.
When we accept his command and
embrace his life as our life, and accept our responsibility within the church,
we become a part of God’s solution for the problems of the world. When we
ignore the command of Jesus, we become part of the problem.
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new
disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am
with you always, even to the end of the age” Matthew 28:19-20.
Sē’lah
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What word or phrase
in today’s reading attracts your attention?
Reflect on that word
or phrase.
What insights come to
you?
How does this passage
touch your life today?
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(Selah is a word that appears in the
Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my
correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about
these things.)
These
meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his
way of life. In addition to this BLOG
they are distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to
this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription
The second edition of my
book, First Think – Then Pray
has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BGQL5JC
The Story of My Life as told by Jesus
Christ
(Seed Sowers Christian
Book Publishing House. http://www.seedsowers.com/)
Friday, April 26, 2013 Concluding Thoughts
