HE IS RISEN DO YOU BELIEVE IT

Proclamation:

“As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.  ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he 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.’”  Mark 16:5-6 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Mark as he received it from the apostle Peter.  Mark begins this sixteenth and final chapter describing the events which occurred after the resurrection of Jesus, The Christ.  The women who went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus were afraid and alarmed at what the saw. (Mark 16:1-8)  After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene who did not recognize Him at first, (Mark 16:9-11 and John 20:11-18) but when she did, she went and told the disciples who did not believe her.  Jesus later appeared the disciples while they were eating and He rebuked them for their lack of faith and disbelief. (Mark 16:14)  Jesus told Thomas, who said that he would not believe it unless he saw for himself and touched the nail prints in His hands, (John 20:25) because you have seen you have believed, “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)

Application:

The basis of our Christian faith is the belief in the birth, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, The Christ.  He predicted His death and resurrection and told His disciples several times beforehand. (Matthew 17:22-23, Mark 9:31, Mark 10:33, and Luke 24:7)  They did not believe until He appeared to them after His resurrection and they saw Him for themselves.  Jesus said blessed are those of us who believe in Him and His resurrection without having seen Him. (John 20:29)  He rose from the dead on the third day just as He said that He would do. (Matthew 12:40)  The question is: “Do you believe?”

WHO IS JESUS TO YOU

Proclamation:

“Jesus and His disciples went on to the villages around Cesarea Philippi.  On the way He asked them, ‘Who do people say I am?’  They replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’  ‘But what about you?’ He asked.  ‘Who do you say I am?’  Peter answered, ‘You are The Messiah.’”  Mark 8:27-29 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Mark.  This is part of the gospel as he received it from the apostle Peter.  Mark begins this chapter by recounting the events related to Jesus, The Christ, and His feeding of the four thousand people. (Mark 8:1-13)  Afterwards, Jesus questioned His disciples regarding what they had just witnessed, and what they had previously witnessed. (Mark 8:14-21)  After He healed the blind man in Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26) Jesus asked His disciples who do the people say that He is, and who do they say that He is.  Peter said, “Thou art The Christ, The Son of the living God.”  Jesus responded to Peter by saying that flesh and blood did not reveal that to him.  His answer was revealed to him from heaven by God, The Father. (Matthew 16:16-17) 

Application:

People have said all kinds of things about Jesus, The Christ, and who He is, and how He does the things that He did.  There are those people who deny His very existence.  Even today, some people have said that He was just a man; others have said that He was a good man; and still others have said that He was a prophet.  However, who the people say that He is does not change who He really is.  The most important question is: “Who is Jesus to you?”  Your answer to that question will speak volumes regarding your relationship with Him, and will identify where you will spend eternity.

BEWARE OF FALSE TEACHERS AND FALSE DOCTRINE

Proclamation:

“For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached … or a different gospel from the one you accepted … such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.  And no wonder, Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.  It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness.  Their end will be what their actions deserve.”  2 Corinthians 11:4-15 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to the believers in the church at Corinth.  In this chapter, Paul continues his discourse on the false teachers.  He says that he will continue his attack on them and no one can stop him. (2 Corinthians 11:10-12)   Those false prophets deceive the people just as the serpent deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden. (2 Corinthians 11:3)  He ends the chapter by recounting the trials and suffering that he has gone through. (2 Corinthians 11:16-33)

Application:

An important reason for reading and studying The Word of God is to be able to recognize when someone is presenting something which is different and wrong.  Eloquent speech can be full of lies which are presented artfully.  Doctrines, philosophies, religions, and teachings should be compared to God’s Holy Word before they are accepted as true.  Satan is continuously roaming the earth, back and forth, seeking those whom he may destroy. (Job 1:6-7 and 1 Peter 5:8)  He is cunning and crafty, and he is full of lies. (John 8:44)  Do not be deceived by those who come presenting lies. (Deuteronomy 11:16 and Luke 21:8)  As the saying goes, “all that glitters is not gold.”  Also beware of those who come glorifying themselves and not glorifying The Lord God.

THE WORD WAS WITH GOD AND WAS GOD AND BECAME FLESH

Proclamation:

“In the beginning was The Word, and The Word was with God, and The Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”  John 1:1-4 (NIV)  “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us…”  John 1:14 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle John.  Here, “The Word” refers to The Lord Jesus, The Christ, and not some written word on a page.  John clearly states that The Word, Jesus, was with God when everything began, and that The Word, meaning Jesus, was God.  To further clarify this he also said that The Word “became flesh” and dwelt among us, referring to the birth of Christ and His life on earth.  John states that “The Word” is Jesus, The Christ, and He is God. (John 1:1)  Jesus said that I and my Father are one. (John 10:30 and 1 John 5:7)  The Lord Jesus Christ is The Creator and everything that was made was made by Him. (Genesis 1:1 and John 1:3)  The Lord Jesus, The Christ, is the life and the light of all mankind. (John 1:4)  He gave life to mankind (Genesis 2:7) and He is the light of the world. (John 8:12 and 9:5)  He then goes on to say that The Word, The Lord Jesus Christ, put on human flesh and lived among us as a human being. (John 1:14)  The Bible documents the glorious and miraculous things that He did as The Son of God while He was here on earth in human flesh.

Application:

The gospel according to the Apostle John is an asynoptic gospel.  It  does not record the life of Christ in order as  sequential events but it focuses on several miracles which Jesus, The Christ, performed.  His purpose for writing this Book this way was so that all would believe. (John 1:7)  We know that Jesus, The Christ, is The Son of God and that we were created in His image. (Genesis 1:26)  We are alive because He breathed into us the breath of life and we became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7)  Our bodies were formed from the dust of the earth and one day to the dust they shall return. (Ecclesiastes 3:20)  Just as Christ put on flesh and dwelt among us in human form, our bodies are just the house where we, our souls, live while we are on earth.  One day, we will leave our house of flesh and return to our Creator. (2 Corinthian 5:1)  Our souls are eternal and believers will spend eternity with Christ.  Where will you spend eternity?

ONE MAN'S SIN CONDEMNED US AND ONE MAN'S DEATH AND RESURRECTION JUSTIFIED US

Proclamation:

“Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.”  Romans 5:18 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the believers in Rome.  After stating that we are justified by faith (Romans 5:1) and that we glory in our sufferings because suffering produces perseverance, and perseverance produces character, which produces hope, (Romans 5:3-5) Paul said that sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin. (Romans 5:12)  Then he said that God’s abundant provision of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through one man, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17)  Then he summed it up by saying that one man’s sin condemned all people and one man’s righteous act justified all people. (Romans 5:18)

Application:

Through the disobedience of one man all of us were made sinners, and through the obedience of one man all of us were given the opportunity to be made righteous. (Romans 5:19)  Sin leads to death, but through the grace of God, righteousness leads to eternal life through belief in Jesus, The Christ. (Romans 5:21)  Jesus came so that all might be saved, but only those who believe in Him will be saved.  Adam’s sin led to all of us being born into sin. (Psalm 51:5)  However, belief in Jesus, The Christ, will lead to salvation and eternal life. (John 3:16 and Romans 10:9)

SAVE US SO THOSE OF US YOU LOVE MAY BE DELIVERED

Proclamation:

“But for those who fear You, You have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow.  Save us and help us with Your right hand, that those You love may be delivered.”  Psalm 60:4-5 (NIV)

Explanation:

The words of this psalm were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by King David.  This psalm is thought to be a literal reference to the dismay of the people over a military battle lost (Psalm 60:1-3) and a subsequent victory over them. (Psalm 60:8)  It is also thought to be a prophetic reference to the coming of Christ. (Psalm 60:4)  The banner here is thought to be a reference to The Messiah, who will be the standard or ensign of Israel in the last days. (Isaiah 11:10-16)  Jesus, The Christ, came into the world so that the people of God, those who believe and fear Him, and whom He loves, could be saved and delivered.

Application:

Jesus, The Christ, came into this world to save us because we were all lost in sin. (Matthew 18:11, John 1:29, and 1 John 2:2)  Only those of us who believe in Him will be saved and delivered. (John 3:16)  Once we are saved our job is to praise Him and to tell others about Him.  We are to go forth into the world and spread the gospel to the lost. (Matthew 28:19)  We are to invite them and compel them to come to The Lord. (Luke 14:21-23)  We are to hold Christ up for the world to see, by our words and our behavior, and He will draw them to Himself. (John 12:32)  Those who were invited and chose not to come will remain lost for eternity. (Luke 14:24)  However, in order for us to do God’s work, we will need God’s help. (Psalm 60:12)  We are in a battle with Satan for the lost in this world. (Ephesians 6:12)  We need to put on the whole armor of God in order to stand tall in this battle. (Ephesians 6:11-18)  By doing so, in the end we will be victorious. (Romans 8:37-39)

JESUS IS COMING BACK

Proclamation:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You believe in God; believe also in Me … I am going … to prepare a place for you … and … I will come back and take you to be with Me …” John 14:1-3 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, as recorded by the Apostle John.  Here Jesus was comforting His disciples after He had told them that He would be leaving them and that they could not follow Him at that moment but they would follow Him later. (John 13:36)  He had to go first in order to prepare a place for them.  After He had completed that He would return for them and take them with Him.

Application:

These are truly words of encouragement.  Jesus is coming back for His followers, believers then and now, and He does not want us to worry in the meantime.  He has a place for us so that we can be with Him throughout eternity.  Earth is not our final destination, we are just passing through and heaven is where we are headed.  When He comes back for us, we shall be rewarded for following Him and doing His work.  "For The Son of Man shall come ... and then He shall reward every man according to his works." (Matthew 16:27)  Our works do not save us, our salvation is a gift from God. (Ephesians 2:8-9)  Our works just determine our rewards in heaven.  Everybody in heaven will not be equal.  No works down here on earth, no rewards up there in heaven.  Since we do not know the day or the hour when He will return, (Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:32, and Luke 12:40) we should live each day as if it were our last day on earth.

JESUS IS GOD

Proclamation:

"In the beginning was The Word, and The Word was with God, and The Word was God." John 1:1

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle John, the youngest of the twelve disciples and the one who refers to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. (John 13:23)  The Book of The Bible entitled “John”, or “The Gospel According to John”, was written to believers so that they would know that Jesus is God. (John 20:31)  Here John states that in the beginning of everything was The Word.  The Word was there at the beginning with God, and in fact he states that The Word was God.  To make sure that the people understood that he was referring to Jesus, he later said that The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:14)  This verse refers to The Son of God and His human birth via the virgin Mary.  Some Bible scholars believe that The Son of God is called “The Word” because we use our words explain our minds to others and He was sent to us to reveal the mind of God, The Father, to the world.

Application:

God is.  He exists, He is real, and He is alive.  God was, God is, and God always will be.  He existed before time began and He will exist after time ends.  He created time. (Genesis 1:14)  Everything that was made He created by speaking it into existence. (Genesis 1:3 and John 1:3)  Jesus was there with God at the very beginning.  “The Word” refers to Jesus, The Christ, The Son of God.  Jesus is God.  "For there are three that bear witness in heaven, The Father, The Word, and The Holy Ghost; and these three are one." (1 John 5:7)  Jesus said, “I and My Father are one.” (Matthew 10:30)  There exists God, The Father, The Word of God, and The Spirit of God, three attributes of one God.  As human beings we have only a limited capacity for understanding and some things about God we just don’t understand.  However, we are blessed for believing without seeing for ourselves. (John 20:29)  Jesus is God.  The Bible says it, I believe it, and that settles it!