Faith Bible Fellowship

This Sunday is traditionally Palm Sunday, but we will move from the Garden of Gethsemane to the actual description of the trial, crucifixion and burial of Jesus in, Mark 15:21-47. Along with Mark’s description read Psalm 22, especially verses 1-18 which contain words and scenes exactly as they happened at the crucifixion. Note these carefully for exact prophecies written about a thousand years before the birth of Jesus. There is no way this could have happened by chance. The only plausible explanation is that the Holy Spirit moved on David to write these things so we would be able to recognize when the true Messiah appeared.
It is helpful to think through Philippians 2:1-11 so we can see why the incarnate Second Person of the Trinity willingly gave Himself to His Father’s will. What attitude did Jesus have as He submitted Himself to death, even death on the Cross?
Read the Mark passage as if you are there in the real historical event. Put yourself in the shoes of some of the participants, what were they experiencing and feeling? We have a choice as we enter this time of remembering the final 24 hours of the Life of Jesus. I pray all of us will approach these passages with a desire to understand as much as possible what our Lord experienced in these final hours.

See you Sunday,

Lee

 

 Let Us Consider Him [34:45m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Dear folks,

How do we handle sorrow? This Sunday we will celebrate the Lord’s Supper in obedience to Christ’s command to “Do this in  remembrance of Me.” We are walking with Jesus and His disciples as they have now left Jerusalem and have entered a private garden known as the “Wine Press” on the Mount of Olives.  Jesus needs time to pray alone to His Father to see if there is any other way to save sinful people apart from the Cross. Such was the terrible foreboding He had of the coming agony. We are on holy ground here in Matthew 26:36-46.
I want us to read Isaiah 53:1-12 to understand better “the Man of Sorrows” who was acquainted with grief. Also consider the insight provided by Hebrews 5:6-10 of what was happening as Jesus made this petition to His Father. Psalm 42 is a perfect background for a person in extreme distress.
Jesus told His disciples to “watch and pray that you enter not into temptation”, in other words by being vigilant and praying we can stop the temptation before it starts. We all struggle with temptation, but how do we resist this powerful pull toward evil? Temptation comes from our own sin nature, the circumstances of living in a fallen world and the subtle malicious plans of the devil, the enemy of our soul. We must be diligent in our pilgrimage time on the earth, thinking within the Biblical reality, and not the deceptions and lies of the world which would dismiss the Satanic person as a mythological figure of the Dark Ages. . Our coming death should focus our minds on the issues of our life. Our fight is not against people, but the spiritual forces of darkness that draw us toward greed, lust, gluttony, pride, wrath, envy, and sloth – the seven deadly sins.
So you see the suffering and sorrow our Lord experienced in the garden came partly from His drawing back from having to endure the punishment our sins deserve. Truly He was the sin bearer, the Lamb taking away the sins of the world. He bore our misery and healed our diseases.

See you Sunday,

Lee

 

 A Man of Sorrows [33:56m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

These notes are to help us prepare to better understand the truth and grow in holiness through the Lord’s Word to us. I hope this is not just an intellectual exercise, but a heartfelt reading of these Scriptures. Let’s ask the Lord to help change us into the image of His Son in the way we actually live. Scripture will harden our hearts if we read it as merely opinion rather than God’s word to us today.

Dear friends,

Religion does not save, only the grace of Christ brings salvation. Matthew 26 records the last day  of the life of Jesus, especially His conversations with His disciples, Peter in particular. Jesus tells them what will happen,but Peter disputes His words and earns his identification as a proud man who is a coward and hypocrite. Yet despite it all, he comes back through the grace of Christ to be the leader of the Apostles after the Resurrection.
Read carefully Matthew 26:30-35 and note the quiet majesty of Jesus as He forecasts their betrayal and restoration. This is especially poignant as you read the Hallel which pretty much includes Psalms 115-118. Look at Psalm 118 carefully and imagine Jesus and the disciples singing this as they walk together toward the Garden of Gethesame. Only Jesus knew exactly what was coming. How could He walk into His horrendous death with such calmness and trust?
Read the parallel passages of Peter’s denial in Mark 14:26-31, Luke 22:31-34, and John 13:36-38. Study Zechariah 13 which Jesus quotes as directly applying to Him. Note who strikes the Shepherd and who could be the companion of the Lord of Hosts, but the LORD Himself?
Look for the grace of God in the story of Peter as you see him restored in John 21:15-19 and Acts 5:17-42. Satan tempts us to give up and slide back into a certain tolerance of sin and spiritual laziness, but let’s remember the Apostle Peter and the Lord’s mercy. Don’t give up, instead trust the Lord’s grace and rest in His strength, remembering His strength is perfected in our weakness.

See you Sunday,

Lee

 

 Peter's Denial [47:21m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download