Brothers and Sisters

10It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, 12saying, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.” 13And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Here am I and the children whom God has given me.” 14Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. 16For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. 17Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. 18Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested. (Hebrews 2:10-18, NRSV)

Jesus came here to help us. To show us how to live.

Jesus calls us brothers and sisters so we are a part of His family.

Lean on Him and trust in Him.

He came here for you.

Temptation

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. 3The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” 5Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” 7Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; 9and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” 11Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him. (Matthew 4:1-11, NRSV)

I love this passage because of the difference of translation. The word translated as if in this passage for if you are the Son of God…

Is the devil asking Jesus who he is? Or does he know who he is? You see the word translated if can mean if but it can also be since. So is the devil questioning Jesus’ identity or saying you can do this because you are the son of God.

The devil knows who Jesus is. Do you?

Jesus Blesses Children

13People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. 14But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. 15Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” 16And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them. (Mark 10:13-16, NRSV)

Little children trust and believe in things they can not see or understand so much easier than adults do. That is why we must be like little children. We have to give up the need to know everything and just believe.

So believe and trust. Allow God to give you the best life ever.

A Teaching on Divorce

He left that place and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan. And crowds again gathered around him; and, as was his custom, he again taught them. 2Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” 5But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. 6But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” 10Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; 12and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” (Mark 10:1-12, NRSV)

This is always a hard teaching for us. In today’s world, many are divorced and remarried. As a pastor, I hope to help couples work through issues and stay married. Marriage is a commitment, and it isn’t always about love. But that being said there are reasons a couple should not be married. So now if you are divorced what does that mean?

Does God love you less? No God doesn’t love you any less. And in a world where sin is pervasive, you get to name your sin. You can tell the world one of your sins is divorce. And you are an adulterer. Own it as the thing it is. Part of our broken world in which we were made by God, perfectly as we are.

God makes no mistakes. Sometimes we do, but that doesn’t mean God loves us any less.

Share God’s love.

Helping Other Followers

38John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40Whoever is not against us is for us. 41For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward. 42“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. 43If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. 47And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, 48where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched. 49“For everyone will be salted with fire. 50Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” (Mark 9:38-50, NRSV)

Just because someone doesn’t follow Jesus the way you do doesn’t mean they aren’t following the Lord!

Treat others with the love that God has given to you.

Do not make others believe the way you believe, but give them the love God has given you and let God work in their life.

Who is the Greatest

30They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; 31for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” 32But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him. 33Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” 34But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. 35He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” 36Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, 37“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” (Mark 9:30-37, NRSV)

You can not be a leader if you are not willing to serve.

We have to welcome all people where they are and as they are. That is what God did for us.

No one is greater than any other person, and we all must serve each other.

The first shall be last and the last shall be first.

Healing a Possessed Child

14When they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and some scribes arguing with them. 15When the whole crowd saw him, they were immediately overcome with awe, and they ran forward to greet him. 16He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them?” 17Someone from the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought you my son; he has a spirit that makes him unable to speak; 18and whenever it seizes him, it dashes him down; and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid; and I asked your disciples to cast it out, but they could not do so.” 19He answered them, “You faithless generation, how much longer must I be among you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him to me.” 20And they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 21Jesus asked the father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 22It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.” 23Jesus said to him, “If you are able! —All things can be done for the one who believes.” 24Immediately the father of the child cried out, “I believe; help my unbelief!” 25When Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You spirit that keeps this boy from speaking and hearing, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!” 26After crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, “He is dead.” 27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he was able to stand. 28When he had entered the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 29He said to them, “This kind can come out only through prayer.” (Mark 9:14-29, NRSV)

All things can be done for the one who believes. So the question is do you believe?

I love this passage because it so describes me. I am the father, who would have said to Jesus, “if you are able!” And when Jesus replied, “All things can be done for the one who believes.”

And again I would say, “I believe, help my unbelief!” Because that is an everyday occurrence for me. I believe but I don’t. I wonder how it will happen and I question, and I have moments of unbelief even in the midst of my belief!

I struggled as I typed that above paragraph because I wanted to say I doubted, but doubt is not the opposite of belief, unbelief is and that is not doubt. doubt is questioning and wondering, it is not not having faith.

Live in the belief that Jesus is who He said He is and do not be unbelieving That is what Jesus said to Thomas in the upper room the week after he appeared to the 10. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe. (John 20:27) That last sentence is not translated correctly, the Greek is actually “do not be unbelieving but believing.”

Beleive!

Elijah has Come

9As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead could mean. 11Then they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 12He said to them, “Elijah is indeed coming first to restore all things. How then is it written about the Son of Man, that he is to go through many sufferings and be treated with contempt? 13But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written about him.” (Mark 9:9-13, NRSV)

Elijah is coming before the Messiah, and Elijah has already come. But didn’t we just see Elijah on the mountain with Moses and Jesus?

How has Elijah come?

God works in mysterious ways and we wonder how and why things work, but it really isn’t for us to know how or why but to trust in God’s plan.

We don’t have to understand it, we need to trust and follow.

Elijah has come and the Messiah must suffer and die…

Have faith!

Transfiguration

And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.” 2Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. 4And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” 8Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus. (Mark 9:1-8, NRSV)

Jesus went up the mountain with Peter, James, and John and as they were there Jesus became dazzling white, whiter than anything Peter, James, or John had ever seen. And they were amazed and scared.

So Peter started babbling and God cut him off and said Jesus is my son, listen to HIm.

Then everything was gone.

What would you have done if you were Peter, James, or John?

I have no idea, I would be babbling like Peter I am sure, but Jesus does this to us every day, and we get another chance every day.

A Misunderstood Messiah

27Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” 30And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him. 31Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” 34He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:27-38, NRSV)

Have you ever thought God’s plan was not the way it should go? Peter told Jesus that it wasn’t going to happen the way Jesus was telling them it was going to happen.

So Jesus told Peter to get behind him. Which is interesting, because Jesus actually told all of the disciples to get behind him. You see the words here in the Greek are the same words Jesus used when He called the disciples to come and follow Him. οπισο μου. Get behind me. You see Peter forgot his proper place. When Jesus calls us to follow it is about us following, not leading, or walking alongside, but letting Jesus show us the way.

So get behind Jesus and follow where He is leading.