GOD'S OWN HEART

The nation of Israel had “church” down to a science. Things were humming along like a well-oiled machine! God Himself let them know that things looked good on the outside, stating “Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me” in Psalm 50:8.

But what about compassion and kindness? What about the altruistic love of the kind that only flows from hearts born-again and perfectly attuned to God Almighty? That kind of love and worship rarely ever existed in Israel’s midst.

One such case was between two men, Jonathan and David. Scripture tells us, “After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.” Jonathan, the heir apparent to Saul’s throne, gave up his rights and self-worship for his friend, David. More importantly, Jonathan gave up everything because of his relationship with God.

Some years ago there was a commercial about the ease and joy of paying with a credit card. Everyone in the store was beaming as they hauled their little trinkets and treasures to the register. It was a harmonious concert of mindless drones consuming and being consumed by their lust for earthly possessions.

The tension is inserted when one fumbling, bumbling, foolhardy nitwit wrecks the seamless flow by stopping to pay with… ca$h of all things!!! All the drones fired off looks of death and hatred as their fellow consumer fumbled with their cash and waited for change. Oh, the humanity of it all!

That’s church today. A seamless flow of mindless consumer drones flocking in perfect harmony to a rhythm and purpose completely unknown to God. “Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me.” Ever before Him, but never pleasing.

Like the priest and the Levite in the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), we opt to pass over on the “other side” of people who are hurting, broken, destitute, and unloveable. We’d rather spend our Sunday morning chatting it up with our fishing buddies, fantasy football league, or gossiping about you-know-who than actually serving or considering others as more important than ourselves (Phil 2:3).

In Psalm 50, God goes on to say, “Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?” God’s point is that the Almighty One doesn’t need our sacrifices, our tithe, or our religious activities. In fact, God doesn’t NEED anything from us at all. What He desires from us and for us is our everything.

Why get to church 15-20 minutes early and ask, “Hey, what can I do to help?” Why spend 15-20 minutes in prayer for the first timers who will be nervous and fearful - since they’ve never been to church before? Why get to know people’s names and faces so that you can introduce yourself to someone who might be new; someone who might have been devastated by a church experience 20 years ago?

Why do any of that when you have it down to a science? Get up at the last minute, grab one of those “Visitor” or “New Mom” slots up front, slip in late, and slip out early - on with your day. To which God says, “Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me.” Continually before Him, but never pleasing.

In 1 Samuel 15:22 Samuel said to the uber religious, but disconnected Saul, “What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.”

At one point Saul had been God’s anointed king over Israel. Disobedience and self-worship ruined that relationship, and the kingship was violently and irrevocably rent from Saul and his family. It was given to a humble and insignificant shepherd boy, David. David wasn’t perfect.

Infidelity and murder marred not only his kingship but his relationship with God - for a time. But David repented, turning his heart completely to God (Acts 13:22). Because of this surrender and obedience, David was considered perfect and spotless in God’s sight.

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” -Psalm 103:11-12.

David experienced that kind of grace, forgiveness, rejuvenation, and reconciliation with God when he stopped serving himself and stopped going through well oiled religious motions - as if God needs any of it.

“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end, it leads to death” (Prov 14:12). Saul experienced it but never turned his heart back to God. Judas experienced it but hung himself rather than asking forgiveness. David experienced it… repented and humbled himself through total abandon and surrender. So God made David an eternal covenant promise.

Did you know that God has done exactly the same thing for you? He’s calling you from a lifeless relationship of mindless religious action to NEW LIFE in Jesus Christ. God’s promise to you is signed by Christ’s blood at the cross of Calvary and sealed by Holy Spirit.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” -Jesus

When we lay down our rights to our own kingdom and become people after God’s own heart, heaven’s floodgates open to our heart and prayers. That’s the “whole tithe” Malachi wrote about in saying, “see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”

It’s not about whether or not you drop your insignificant 10% in the basket. God never needed your 10%. He wants 100% of you so that He can give you 100% of Him. Not prosperity gospel, but rather the gospel’s prosperity. That’s the point in Luke 21:1-4.

There are the mindless religious consumers dancing in the ignorant bliss of death’s intoxicating serenade; then there are those who have surrendered all and truly found the abundant life in Christ by laying it all down.

Who do you want to be? David or Saul? Peter or Judas? A religious drone or person after God’s own heart?

Blessings!

-Kevin M. Kelley

aMostUnlikelyDisciple.com

MOTIVATION MATTERS

MOTIVATION MATTERS:

A friend of ours is currently going through a very painful, ugly and mean divorce. The story isn’t anything unique or new. One day, her spouse woke up and decided that he didn’t want to be married any longer. Maybe it was the younger, slimmer, more athletic, sexier co-worker’s flirtatious remarks or advances. Maybe it was the gradual drift of shutting down and emotionally disconnecting after countless times of being dismissed, mocked, ridiculed, or taunted. Maybe it was a combination of months, or years, of selfishness. Regardless of what the motivation was, it always boils down to selfishness and deceit by at least one, if not both, parties. I recently read the line, “You don’t really know someone until you know what they want.” That may be true, but a deeper and more probing question is “Why do they want it?”

If you don’t believe me, consider the concept of motivation, i.e., the why behind the things we do. Jump on a site like Amazon or Barnes & Noble and look at the countless volumes of self-help books. Emotional, physical, spiritual, intellectual. Advancing, excelling, exceeding, dominating, winning, climbing, pushing. Consider why it is that you’re reading How to Win Friends and Influence People or some other book on leadership. Truly consider why it is that you’re eating bark and tofu. Consider why you’re spending countless hours training. Why? So that you can say, “I’m the best?” To get the trophy, award, ribbon or record? To achieve, accomplish, gain and conquer all obstacles in your way? The truth is that our motivations reveal futile efforts to fill the infinite void and eternal question of inherent value. We want to answer the question “What am I worth?” but “Why?” sheds light on things unlike any other question.

Why did that couple get married in the first place? Why did you get married? Why do you want to get married?

Counselors tell us the reason divorce is so common is because people get married for the wrong reasons: pleasure, convenience, finances, fear, security, insecurity, social or cultural norms, attention, pressure. What about when the pleasure ceases due to accident or age? What about when convenience becomes inconvenient? What about when the layoff happens, and that affluent lifestyle can’t be maintained or advanced? What about when those fears or insecurities are conquered? What about when the norms change, the attention ceases, or the pressure abates? As it turns out, it’s not really what we want that matters most, but why we want it.

Ephesians 2 begins with a universal truism on the human condition:

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

— Ephesians 2:1

Paul backs up that idea in Romans 5:

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

— Romans 5:12

When we read on in Ephesians, we find out the universal human sin/death condition can be altered:

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

— Ephesians 2:4-5

That’s what God did, and how he did it, but it still doesn’t answer the deeper question of why. That’s the unfathomable power behind Ephesians 2:7.

Why did God bring us from death to life?

so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

— Ephesians 2:7

God didn’t swindle us into temptation, sin, and an eternal death sentence simply to rush in at the last moment and play the role of twisted cosmic hero. Last week, a friend of mine asked, “Why doesn’t God just make us love him?” I smiled and told him, “If we are made to do it, then it certainly cannot be called love.” At one point, we had a choice to esteem, adore, trust and love him. We all decided universally, collectively and individually that independence, autonomy, rebellion and rejection were the ways to go.

I read an article on motivation recently. An accurate summary might be that our motivation for doing anything falls into one of the six following categories: incentive, fear, achievement, growth, power or social. What a horrible, yet accurate, portrayal of the human sin/death condition. Thankfully, God doesn’t operate under the limitation of human constraints.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

— Isaiah 55:9

God wasn’t incentivized to create the heavens and the earth. “One more universe there, buddy, and you’ll get a salary bump of 2.5%!” God wasn’t motivated by fear. “Oh, me! If I don’t create humanity, what am I going to do for all eternity?” Not by achievement. “The award for most-improved god goes to…” Not by growth, by power, nor social void. Rather, God did what he did so that “he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

But Why? Why did God create the heavens and the earth, establish Eden, create humanity in his image and likeness, breathe his breath of life into us, expel us from the garden, promise a serpent-crushing champion, bless Abram, call Moses, appoint Israel as a kingdom of priests, deliver us from slavery, provide us with a King, reveal himself through Scripture, foretell of his personal advent, allow himself to be born in a feeding trough, turn his face resolutely toward Jerusalem, endure ridicule, mocking, nails, thorns and excruciating pain at Calvary, and die? Why?

…who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross…

— Hebrews 12:2

This devotional began with a statement: “You don’t really know someone until you know what they want.” We took it a step further and posed a deeper and more pressing question: “Why do they want it?” That’s how you really know someone.

The old saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.” God might have created us and merely boasted about his extravagant, boundless, incalculable love for us for all eternity. But our God isn’t one of cheap, idle, hollow words.

It would have been one thing for God merely to send us a magical book filled with history, poems, wisdom and songs, only to stop there, never actually coming, never dwelling with us, never enduring, never experiencing shame, regret, fear, depression, isolation, loss and utter rejection. Instead, the light of the world stepped down into darkness, went to and endured the cross for the joy set before him, “so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

It’s one thing to admire or merely bask in that amazing grace.

That’s not who followers of Christ are called to be. Grace transports us from death to life. It also transforms us from selfish, autonomous consumers into what Paul wrote about in 2 Corinthians:

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

— 2 Corinthians 5:20

Have you repented from sin and been brought to life in Jesus? If so, you are now an ambassador of Christ. Live out that grace as Jesus did: for the joy set before you. The joy of seeing his grace transport our brothers and sisters from death to life.

So, now what? Dive into the divine narrative of God’s mission with reckless abandon, bringing the immeasurable riches of the gospel of his gracious kindness with you wherever you go.

Blessings!

-Kevin M. Kelley

aMostUnlikelyDisciple.com

SHIELDS of GOD!

SHIELDS of GOD!

“For the shields* of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted!”

-Psalm 47:9b

The HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible) translates the Hebrew word מָגֵן (maw-gen), which literally means “shield,” as “leaders.” Several other translations use words like kings, dominions, rulers, and even “strong gods” (Douay-Rheims Bible).

If you begin with the literal word, shields, you can then see how various translations arrived at their nuanced interpretation. When I read “shields of the earth,” it immediately caused me to recall Psalm 3:3, “But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, My glory, and the lifter of my head.” Thank you Jesus!

As a superhero fanatic, when I think of the word “shield,” the image that comes to my mind is Captain America. “Cap” is a man of selfless integrity, grit, and honor. Steve Rogers was transformed into a protector, defender, and strong leader. As much as I love “Cap,” the truth is that none of us begin there. Cap is a fictional ideal, a fantastic and novel creation, which doesn’t exist.

The Bible confirms that assessment. Psalm 51:5 states, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.”

None of us begin as spotless, altruistic, benevolent, honorable people. My little boy is my joy and treasure, but he’s hopelessly trapped in sin, and was before he breathed his first breath. That’s why we “train him up in the way he should go” (Pr 22:6). There is no “super-soldier serum” that exists in the natural realm to transform scrawny, pathetic, impotent, -dead- humans into superheroes. But God...

In Ephesians 2:1, God fills us in regarding our natural condition in saying, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins…” Sins aren’t merely the bad things we do in life. Sin is the nature of our character, our home, our hardwired DNA from before conception. Sins (pl.) are merely the default and exclusive expression of that undeniable, unavoidable, unquenchable nature. No amount of self-help, meditation, reflection, “good” works, or prayer can alter that harsh reality. But God...

The tail end of Romans 14:23 states, “...and everything that is not from faith is sin.” Apart from faith in Christ, which is an external gift -NOT an internal achievement of intellectual or spiritual ascent (whatever that means)- the origins and destination of every thought, every action, everything... is sin. But God…

“As for you, you were dead…” Then Ephesians 2:4-5 swoops in! “But God… made us alive together with Christ-”

Jesus Christ is the ideal that Jack Kirby and Joe Simon were unwittingly striving for, and heralding, when they created Captain America. There is no super-soldier serum, and even if there was... the formula was lost. Even if it existed outside the realm of comics, it doesn’t do anything to actually change the nature of the candidate.

Bill Cosby once said to a guy, "Tell me, what is it about cocaine that makes it so wonderful?" The guy replied, "Because it intensifies your personality." Bill said, "Yes, but what if you're an *explicative*?"

Faith in Christ is the ideal, the divine superlative - of which there can be nothing greater. That is who and what God created us to be. "Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule...'"

Through faith in Christ, we are brought from death to life. We are transformed into something supernatural - into that which God intended for us before Eden’s rebellion. Yet many of us have settled for superficial religion and cultural Christianity rather than God’s supernatural super-soldier formula; a formula of faith that literally rewrites our DNA and makes us NEW CREATIONS in Christ!

As those new creations (2 Cor 5:17), we truly and actually become that which Psalm 47:9 speaks of… “For the shields (kings, rulers, leaders) of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted!”

Therefore, as God’s shield here on earth, what are you going to do with that privilege and power? Will today merely be “You know... same ol’ same ol’” or will today be the beginning of your adventure in Christ?

Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these…”

That’s why Captain America probably walks around wearing a t-shirt with you on it! :)

If you don’t have faith in Jesus, ask. In Matthew 7:7 Jesus says it’s that simple. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened unto you.”

Thanks for reading, liking, and sharing!

Blessings!

-Kevin M. Kelley

aMostUnlikelyDisciple.com

Transformed Lions

TRANSFORMED LIONS!

Mark’s gospel is one of the four gospel (i.e. good news) accounts of the New Testament. The word “gospel” in biblical Greek is εὐαγγέλιον (yoo-ang-ghel'-ee-on). If you’re a research person you can look up “Strong’s Greek 2098” and find out more about that word. εὐαγγέλιον is where we get the term “evangelize,” the verb meaning: to share/spread the gospel or “good news” of Jesus Christ.

Mark, the gospel writer, is historically recognized as John Mark. He is Paul’s traveling partner from Acts 12:25: “When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, taking John Mark with them.”

Something happened along the way causing John Mark to abandon the group. We don’t know the specifics, but from Acts 13:13 we know he left abruptly: “From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.”

John Mark’s departure was not received well by Paul. We know this because later, when Barnabas wanted John Mark to rejoin their team, Paul refused. John Mark’s departure created a rift between Paul and Barnabas, which actually led to a split. Paul and Silas went one way, while Barnabas and John Mark went another. In Acts 15:37-40 we read:

Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark. But Paul thought it best not to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work. Their disagreement was so sharp that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left...

What happened to John Mark between the time that he “deserted” his friends and became one of only four men whose gospel accounts were chosen by God to be included in the New Testament?

I don’t know the specifics, but it was clearly something incredibly profound. Maybe something on the level of Saul/Paul’s Damascus Road experience (Acts 9)?

As one of only four legit gospel writers, John Mark, was used by God to paint a unique portrait of Jesus, His ministry, and the Passion.

With Easter Sunday fast approaching, let's peer into some cool elements of Mark’s gospel.

The first of those elements is Mark’s use of the Greek word εὐθέως (yoo-thoos), which is commonly translated as “immediately,” “straightaway,” “at once,” or “first thing.”

Here are just a few examples of some of the 40+ occurrences of εὐθέως in Mark’s gospel:

• 1:10 “And immediately going up from the water, he saw the heavens tearing open…”

• 1:18 “And immediately, having left the nets, they followed Him.”

• 5:30 “Immediately Jesus was aware that power had gone out from Him.”

• 9:24 “Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe…”

• 9:15 “And immediately the whole crowd, having seen Him, were greatly amazed…”

Mark uses the word εὐθέως, or “immediately” approximately 42 times (if I counted correctly?). That word is only used about 80 total times in the New Testament, which means that Mark (shortest of the four gospels) uses εὐθέως more than the rest of the all the New Testament writers and books combined. The idea of immediacy is clearly critical to Mark’s story.

Along with Mark’s ominous undercurrent of immediacy driving, propelling, pushing, compelling, and urging Jesus ever forward to the Cross - there is also a strong emphasis on geography and geographic markers.

Mark uses geography to graphically depict Jesus’ steady and continual push closer and closer toward Jerusalem and Calvary, i.e. the place where Christ was crucified.

Why did John Mark use the word εὐθέως, “immediately” so much in his short gospel account?

John Mark, or just Mark, uses the Greek word εὐθέως, frequently translated “immediately” throughout his gospel account, in order to convey, impart, transmit, and depict a sense of absolute URGENCY for the audience - that’s us.

In addition to using εὐθέως frequently throughout his gospel, Mark also uses verbs in what is referred to the “historical present.” This usage of εὐθέως along with strong geographical markers and the “historical present” gives Mark’s gospel an incredibly authentic and strikingly sober aura of REALITY - as if the audience were actually present for the events being described!

Mark Strauss’ book, Four Portraits - One Jesus, does a fantastic job of describing the differences between each of the four different gospel accounts. I agree with Strauss’ analysis of the central theme of Mark’s gospel: “Jesus, the mighty Messiah and Son of God, obediently suffers as the Servant of the Lord to pay the ransom price for sin, and as a model of suffering and sacrifice for his disciples to follow” (p. 172).

In addition to the relentless, dauntless, and unyielding forward-driving Jesus in Mark’s gospel, we also find another interesting theme, which is frequently referred to as the “Messianic Secret.”

People frequently think of the term “Messiah” as synonymous with “Savior,” but that’s not really an accurate description or definition. “Messiah” throughout the Old Testament is more accurately articulated as “King.” One of the first places we see this idea of who the Messiah will be - comes in Genesis 49:10. “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes to whom all tribute belongs and the obedience of the nations shall be his.”

From that point on the reader recognizes the need to track/follow the tribe of Judah for the arrival of the Messiah/King to whom all tribute and obedience belongs. Clearly, the only one who could possibly fulfill that criteria (i.e. “to whom all tribute and obedience belong”) is God Himself. Therefore, from Genesis 49:10 on we see: 1) the fulfillment of God’s promise (Gen 3:15) to personally crush the head of the serpent and thus redeem humanity from our sin; and 2) personally fulfill His promise (Gen 22:8) to provide “the lamb” as the offering for humanity’s sin.

Following the fall of the Northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC to the Assyrians, and the fall of the Southern kingdom of Judah in 586 BC to the Babylonians, it looked as though God’s plan had… (wamp-wamp-waaaaah) fizzled and failed. In that 400 year period of time (from the close of the Old Testament and the opening of the New Testament) things were indeed beyond grim.

Then Yeshua, Joshua, Jesus (name means “The Lord Saves!) was born in a feeding trough of a woman who could trace their heritage back to the line of King David (to fulfill another of God’s promises from 2 Samuel 7:16), which perfectly fulfilled God’s blessings and promises dating back to Eden, Noah, Abram, Judah, David, and countless others.

For the most part, the Jewish people were anticipating a King who would come as primarily a military king to wipe out the Romans and restore the nation of Israel to its former glory. The Jewish people never fully understood that the Messiah would not come to simply deliver Israel from foreign occupation and provide earthly prosperity, but that God Himself would come to deliver ALL OF HUMANITY from Satan’s occupation and to provide eternal prosperity. Heralding, adorning, and ushering in the Messiah was their role dating back to Exodus 19:6, “And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.”

Throughout Mark’s gospel we read passages like:

1:44 ““See that you don’t tell this to anyone.”

7:36 “Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone.”

8:30 “Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.”

Consider the major characteristics of Mark’s gospel we’ve discussed thus far:

• John Mark deserted his friends in the middle of a mission journey.
• John Mark uses the Greek term εὐθέως more than all the other N.T. writers combined.
• John Mark places a HUGE emphasis on Jesus as the suffering Messiah.
• John Mark incorporates the “Messianic Secret” into his gospel

As you reflect on these historical and literary facts it is important to recognize that God had/has a reason to choose and inspire John Mark to write this particular gospel account.

Mark’s gospel opens with, “as written in Isaiah the prophet.” I’d never really considered the book of Isaiah as one of the “gospels” before I began an intense study of Mark’s gospel. But from the opening line of Mark’s gospel, we see that Isaiah is, in fact, a “gospel” (announcement of the good news) of the coming Messiah, Christ, King. Isaiah is also very clear about what kind of Messiah this would be:

From Isaiah 42: “Here is my servant… I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.”

From Isaiah 49: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

From Isaiah 53: “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain… he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our sickness and bore our suffering, yet we dismissed him as punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.But in reality he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the sin of all humanity.”

Consider the fact that Isaiah was written approximately 700 years before Jesus’ birth. Consider that this prophet wrote about Jesus, God, the Bible’s anticipated Messiah, Christ, King, and what kind of life He would live as an unassuming, humble, altruistic servant of the LORD.

So when Mark opens his gospel with “This is the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, which began as the prophet Isaiah had written…” what Mark is doing is vividly demonstrating the undeniable connection and fulfillment of Isaiah’s “gospel,” which eagerly anticipated the promised King of Heaven. The King who would come to serve - serve - serve ALL of humanity (not just the Jewish people).

Our Messiah, Christ, King would do this by opening our sin-blinded eyes, sin-riddled lives, and sin-petrified hearts in order to free us from our hopeless captivity to sin’s prison and to release us from that dungeon of perpetual darkness of eternal separation from our Creator.

Our SERVANT KING came and would ultimately serve by suffering - unto a death - being PIERCED, CRUSHED, PUNISHED, and eventually DIE at the Cross in our place. Just as Isaiah foretold.

The Cross is profoundly significant, but apart from the empty tomb… the Cross would mean nothing. As Mark’s gospel closes we read about two women named Mary who went to Jesus’ tomb to pay their respects. When they arrived something incredible and supernatural happens:

As they approached the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were terrified. “Don’t be alarmed,” the “young man” said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him..."

What did happen to John Mark in the midst of his mission journey? What caused him to abandon and desert his friends? We don’t know. But we do know that it was something profound. Something turn (or “turnt”!) this chicken-hearted “Sir Robin” deserter into what Judges 6:12 would call a “mighty man of valor!”

God blessed John Mark with the gift of faith - not something of or from himself, but a transcendent gift from God Almighty. Mark realized - not just in his head, but in his very being - that Jesus was, in fact, the one whom Isaiah had written about. Mark came to the realization that Jesus was, in fact, the seed of Eve who came and crushed the Serpent’s head and gained eternal victory for humanity. Mark finally understood that Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God was the LAMB whom Abraham had said God would offer up instead of Isaac... and “He has RISEN!”

Jesus didn’t “just” bear our sin at the Cross of Calvary. No, as Psalm 103:12 tells us, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

Easter is a joyous celebration of Christ’s victory and eternal significance of that empty tomb. “He has RISEN!”

Our King came to serve us, and He did so perfectly. He didn’t stay in that tomb as a martyr or example of righteous living. The angel told those two women - as the gospel of Mark informs us, “He has RISEN!”

Easter is about egg hunts, happy kids or a “feel good” day in an ocean of others that suck. Our God, our Savior, our glorious and wonderful Servant King has RISEN, and He invites His followers to get immediately, intimately, and personally involved as His personal ambassadors of the the Good News.

Does your life truly herald that profound reality that our King has RISEN? Is Easter an authentic celebration of that reality - or just an excuse to wear pastels, eat cream filled eggs, or make your semi-annual trip to a religious ceremony?

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” -John 4:23

God doesn’t want pew potatoes or marshmallow-hearted chickens. He wants people of valor, i.e. transformed lions - and He wants them immediately!

Blessings!

-Kevin M. Kelley

aMostUnlikelyDisciple.com