Does Jesus Reward A Witty Comeback?

     While most parents do not like it when their children “talk back” with some sort of witty comeback, Jesus does not seem to feel the same. I know that as I was growing up there were several comebacks that I thought of but wouldn't dare respond out loud to my parents.  However, Jesus seems to appreciate someone thinking about and challenging the norm.

 

     Jesus found himself in many battle of the wits with the religious leaders of his day. There is a time to keep silent but there is also a time to speak up. We see plenty of examples of each throughout the gospels. There is one unique occasion in which a Greek woman engaged in such a battle with Jesus. The account is recorded in Mark 7:24-30. Look closely at this conversation and examine how each of them responds.

- “But Jesus said to her, 'Let the children be filled first, for it is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.'
- But she answered him, 'Yes, Lord. Yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.'
- He said to her, 'For this saying, go your way. The demon has gone out of your daughter.'” - Mark 27-29 (WEB – emphasis added)

     Jesus knew exactly what his mission on earth was and he had every intention of fulfilling it. His mission was first to the Jewish people, then to the 'others'. But when one of these 'others' asks him for his help he rewarded her for her faith in God. See John 8:31-40 to find out what Jesus said about who is a Jew (descendant of Abraham). How should Jesus' attitude change the way we speak with the 'others' in our lives?

What Did Jesus Look Like? And why does it matter to you?

From Wikimedia Commons

Revelation 1:9-20 (WEB)
⁹ I John, your brother and partner with you in oppression, Kingdom, and perseverance in Christ Jesus, was on the isle that is called Patmos because of God’s Word and the testimony of Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet ¹¹ saying, “ What you see, write in a book and send to the seven assemblies : to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”


¹² I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. Having turned, I saw seven golden lamp stands. ¹³ And among the lamp stands was one like a son of man, clothed with a robe reaching down to his feet, and with a golden sash around his chest. ¹⁴ His head and his hair were white as white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace. His voice was like the voice of many waters. ¹⁶ He had seven stars in his right hand. Out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest. ¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man.
He laid his right hand on me, saying, “Don’t be afraid. I am the first and the last, ¹⁸ and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever more. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades. ¹⁹ Write therefore the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will happen hereafter; ²⁰ the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lamp stands. The seven stars are the angels of the seven assemblies. The seven lamp stands are seven assemblies.



     This is the most complete physical description we are privileged to in all of Scripture. Each one of the symbolic phrases is connected with the announcement to one of the seven churches of Asia.

1) "And among the lamp stands was one like a son of man... He had seven stars in his right hand."
     This description is stated to the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7. The meaning of these symbols are given in 1:20 and represent the angels of the seven churches and the seven churches. The application is stated clearly by Jesus, "...repent and do the first works; or else I am coming to you swiftly, and will move your lamp stand out of its place, unless you repent." -Revelation 2:5 

2) "I am the first and the last, and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever more."
     This description is stated to the church at Smyrna in Revelation 2:8-11. Jesus has overcome death and this should give hope during times of persecution (especially persecution to the point of death). The application is, "...you will have oppression for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life." - Revelation 2:10 

3) "Out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword."
    This description is stated to the church at Pergamum in Revelation 2:12-17. The meaning and application of this symbol are wrapped up into one, "Repent therefore, or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth." - Revelation 2:16

4) "His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace."
    This description is stated to the church at Thyatira in Revelation 2:18-29. The meaning and application of these symbols is that Jesus can see all the works we do and he encourages them to stand their ground against the evil among them (the woman 'Jezebel').

5) "He had seven stars in his right hand."
     This description is stated to the church at Sardis in Revelation 3:1-6. The meaning of the seven stars is that they represent the angels of the seven churches (Revelation 1:20). The application is for them to remember what their angel (messenger) had told them. "Remember therefore how you have received and heard. Keep it, and repent..." - Revelation 3:3a

6) "I have the keys of Death and of Hades."
     This description (called the "key of David") is given to the church at Philadelphia in Revelation 3:7-13. The meaning is that Jesus has total control of opening and closing doors of opportunities and events. The application is, "Because you kept my command to endure, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, which is to come on the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth." - Revelation 3:10

7) "The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Head of God’s creation"
     This description is given to the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22. Jesus uses the very things this city is famous for (gold, garments, and salve) and tells them they are in need of those very things from him (in a spiritual form). The application is that Jesus can be trusted... they just need to trust in him. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me." - Revelation 3:20



"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.”
    This phrase is repeated to each of the seven churches and is just as applicable for us today! 

Are you listening?

 

Bible Study: Outline of Revelation - the "sevens"

     Not everyone can agree what all the symbols of Revelation mean. But all can see there is a great deal of structure to the entire book. Below is an outline of chapters 6-16. This is not the only way to view the structure of these chapters, but I hope it is a helpful way. If you want to better understand this wonderful book, then you must have some way of putting together the pieces in your own mind.

Each seventh opens the next set of seven

 

seal 1 – white horse

seal 2 – red horse

seal 3 – black horse

seal 4 – pale horse

seal 5 – souls under the altar

seal 6 – great earthquake

  * interlude – 144,000 & great multitude (7:1-17)

seal 7 – silence, then trumpets

       trumpet 1 – hail & fire mixed with blood

       trumpet 2 – mountain thrown into sea

       trumpet 3 – star Wormwood

       trumpet 4 – third of the sun, moon, stars struck

       trumpet 5 – plague of locusts

       trumpet 6 – release of four angels

         * interlude – angel with little scroll & two witnesses (10:1-11:14)

       trumpet 7 – judgements & rewards

             bowl 1 – ugly & painful sores

             bowl 2 – sea turns to blood

             bowl 3 – rivers & springs become blood

             bowl 4 – sun scorches people

             bowl 5 – darkness

             bowl 6 – Euphrates river dries up

             bowl 7 – earthquake

* A special thank you is in order to one of my teachers at Crowley's Ridge College for teaching me more about Revelation and helping me piece it together. Thank you Dr. Larry Owen!

Scripture Comes To Life: How big was Noah's ark?

     It is sometimes hard to imagine things that the Bible speaks of. One of those things is how big the ark that Noah built truly was. You could take some helium filled balloons out to a field and allow them to float at the right height and space them out to the dimensions given in the Genesis 6:14-22. You could also check out this article from Answers in Genesis. Or... there are a couple of links below that can help you understand just how big of a task this ark truly was!

Noah Movie - Ark Featurette

     Many of you might have seen the new Noah movie. I knew ahead of time that the ark in the film was built to scale. The only problem is that I found it difficult to truly grasp how big the ark from the movie was. The above video from YouTube does a better job displaying the ark's size and they talk about why the ark in this film looks so different from what we normally think of.

     If a video is still too difficult for you to see the immense size, then perhaps you would like to encounter the ark for yourself. Well, just wait a little bit longer and you can visit the Ark Encounter that is being built in Kentucky!

Helpful Resources: Bible Gateway

https://www.biblegateway.com/

     This website is amazing! Almost every translation of the Bible you can think of is here online for free! One of the greatest things about using this site is that as long as you have an internet connection, then you have a wonderful tool at your fingertips. You no longer have to worry about learning everything on a certain program only to find that when you are away from your computer you have no way to use it. This site can be used with any device that can get on the internet. There is also a Bible Gateway app if you prefer that route.

     When you look up a Scripture, there are many options for further study. There is a "study this" section that brings up Bible notes and/or commentaries. Another extremely helpful resource is the button that looks like a volume button. When you click this icon a list of audio Bibles will appear so you can listen to that passage. If you don't like the audio Bible that first comes up, then simply choose another. There are so many to choose from that I am certain you can find one that works for you.

     They have been expanding their study section and now include several commentaries. One commentary I particularly like looking at is the "Reformation Study Bible" notes. I really like learning about the history of the church and also how people understood Scripture throughout the ages. 

     If you are new to Bible Gateway, then perhaps you should check out their tutorial. I'm sure there are many features that I have yet to discover. Let's find them out together!