Mixing it with some Alice ...

Just downloaded Alice Cooper's 2000 album 'Brutal Planet'.   Fun stuff.   Sometimes I find Alice's albums to be more gospel orientated than some mainstream Christian albums.   If you have a chance check out his 1994 Album  'The Last Temptation' for example which, by the way was made into a graphic novel by famed writer Neil Gaiman.    Alice is still controversial in his own right, but his faith comes out in his work.   Anyway, here's a taste of what I'm downloading.

This song just speaks to me so much when I look at the betrayal of Jesus, and the persecution that awaited Him.   The pain Christ went through, not only physically, but emotionally.   The price of our sin, and it's hard to go through this without contemplating how cruel this world had been to the Son of God.  

Mark 14:43-52 The Betrayal

In this passage we have the priests, teachers, and elders coming out to capture Jesus, and Judas signals the arrest by giving him a kiss.  Judas calls Jesus 'Rabbi' which is not untrue, but for me it reminds me that Judas didn't get who Jesus was, that he was more than a teacher.   That he was the Son of God.   We read in Matt. 27 that he had come to grips with what he had done.  
Notice in verse 50 "Then all his disciples deserted him and ran away"  as Jesus had stated in verse 27.   For some reason, I forgot about verse 51-52 which is probably a strange thing to read after the serious verses of Jesus' capture in the previous verses.    It's about a young man that followed behind, and the mob tried to grab him, but "he slipped out of his shirt and ran away naked".   I have nothing profound to say about this, but it does show the hostility in the mob, and the anger that was shown toward Jesus.  

Jesus' message was a profound one for the people, and anytime the truth is spoken out there will be some sort of hostility in one way or another, because Jesus message cut down to the heart of the matter.    Christians throughout the world undergo some sort of persecution, because of the life changing message of the gospel.    What I take away from this horrible event, is that we need to pray for the persecuted church, for those Christians who take a stand against the evil of this world.

Mark 14:32-41 More Sleep please ...

Jesus goes to an olive grove called Gethsemane and Jesus goes there to pray.   vs. 34 says that Jesus' heart was crushed with grief to the point of death, and so he decides to go an pray.   The disciples were told to keep watch.   But the disciples (James, John and Peter) ... but when Jesus went off to pray and he came back, 3 times he caught his disciples sleeping ... despite given instruction not to.

Here is Jesus, praying that his cup of suffering would be taken away from him, he was in the midst of grief, but his disciples couldn't stay awake and keep watch.   It may of been a long day for the disciples, and as Jesus said "the spirit is willing, but the body is weak" (vs. 38)   Here is their master going through the toughest time yet, and they couldn't resist sleep.

We know the disciples messed up, and you know, I don't know if I could do any better.  I mean these guys didn't have any Jolt cola, or Red Bull, or coffee for that matter.   But I think what added to the situation is that Jesus was suffering from grief, and despite all the warning in the world, the disciples didn't get it, and didn't realize how soon Jesus would leave them, because that night Jesus was taken away from them.

If there is a lesson in what the disciples didn't do, it's that we shouldn't take for granted the time we have to perform the task that God wants us to do while we're here.   The disciples could of been loyal followers, friends of Jesus, but they let him down.    That's the kind of guilt that I think must of worked on the heart of them afterwards.   Giving in to temptation when a Master and friend needed them the most.

In this passage there is another lesson that I take with me, is that we have a reminder that Jesus was not only fully God, but fully human... that he was going through a tough time, that he was crying out to God in his hour of need is not only a sad thing to read, but strangely comforting.   Comforting to know that God knows what we go through, and that if Jesus could follow through on doing what needed to be done, despite his wanting to give back the "cup of suffering" ... his prayer was for God's will to be done.  

• Christ suffered grief, we are allowed to feel sorrow and sadness when life throws us a curve-ball
• Christ prayed in confidence that his father was listening, and we too can have confidence that our heavenly father listens to our pleas
• God's will in our lives needs to take precedence over our will.  Christ took strength from that, and so should we.
• Even though Christ's disciples didn't stay awake, I like how he invited his friends to be with him at this time.   I think there's a lesson of not taking our grief alone, but to have our friends close by in times of trouble.

Mark 14:27-31 The heart of man

Usually the heading in your bible in regards to these few verses reads something like Jesus Predicting Peter's Denial.    ... Which is a false hood because all of the disciples vowed to not deny Jesus, yet Peter's always pointed out, because he's the most emphatic that he would never leave the Saviour's side.

Peter usually had a foot-mouth disease whenever he speaks up, because yes he does deny Jesus in later verses 66-72 ... put you gotta admire his enthusiasm.  

Peter's told by Jesus that he will deny knowing the Saviour 3 times before the rooster crows THAT night.   That is how soon it was before the prophesy came true.  Why did Peter say to Jesus that he wouldn't deny Him in the first place?   I think it was because he didn't believe that Jesus would be taken away so soon, I mean they just had a great meal together, celebrating the Passover Feast ... everything seems to be going alright, they were like rock celebrities in Jerusalem, crowds following them everywhere.  What could go wrong?   He didn't let his heart speak to his mind, he didn't let the truth of the upcoming events, which Jesus talked about again and again sink into his head.  

Our hearts can be easily deceived, which is why our faith can't just rely on the heart saying we love Jesus, but also let our mind accept that too.   It isn't enough for our faith to be led by the heart, but we need to intellectually also accept the truth of the Gospel.   Only then will we be strong for the trials that we face day in and day out.

Mark 14:12-26 The last Supper (NLT)

This is the account of the last supper, and funny enough I had communion yesterday at my Church, so this seems like a recap for me.   What I noticed this time going through the story, is that there was someone who had the upper room waiting and ready for Jesus and his disciples to celebrate.   Jesus send 2 of his disciples to go into Jerusalem and find this room that is prepared for this feast.   This is one of those things that gets easily overlooked by the feast itself, but I find it a neat account of how the preparations are ready, the room is all set up for them to celebrate.

The feast, the symbol of what is yet to come has been celebrated for centuries and continues to be a beautiful reminder of Christ's sacrifice on the cross.   The bread representing his body, and the wine his blood that was spilled.   Depending on your church background, many traditions celebrate the communion weekly, monthly or even just yearly.... but the important part of it is the reminder of what Christ has done.

Jesus tells the disciples what the feast will represent ... a change from the story of Moses leading the people out of Egypt, and instead of animal blood saving the people from the coming plague, this time it's the ultimate covenant of Christ's blood shed to save us from the plague of sin.

This must of been so hard for Jesus to endure, and knowing what the next few days will entail.   But then the promise is there "I tell you the truth, I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new in the kingdom of God." (vs. 21)

We celebrate communion knowing that Christ would pay the price for our sin.  But he rose again, triumphing over death ... what a great hope we have in Jesus.   Our hope doesn't lay in the death of Christ, but the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour.  

Mark 14:10-11 A Betrayer in the Midst

In these verses we have the set up to Judas eventually betraying Jesus.   It's sad that this man had once stood by and followed Christ and sometime or another he decided that Jesus had gone too far, or that he felt betrayed for some reason.   These verses come right after a woman pouring expensive perfume on the head of Jesus, and maybe it was this that Judas couldn't understand, or maybe he thought that Jesus' teachings were just a little to radical.

I think that we are all just a few steps from doing what Judas did, and as the saying goes, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.    This is in no way trying to make light of anything that he did, but this is a warning to check our attitudes when it comes to our sin.   I do think that it was the teaching that drove Judas to what he did, he did not come to grips that Jesus as the Son of God. .. he was the Messiah.

It's not the only time that someone chose to do something so bad so wrong for their beliefs, think about the crusades, think about the tension between Protestant and Catholic churches and how easily Satan comes and tempts people to harm each other over belief systems.

And if Judas decided to betray Jesus primarily for money, it's another warning that Satan will use our weaknesses to try and thwart the work that God wants to do.

In the end, I believe we need to protect and guard our hearts against temptations that can so easily entangle us.   To think that Judas walked with Jesus, talked with him, learned from him and still fell so far, how much more easily is it for anyone of us to fall as well.    A sad and urgent warning for all of us.

Mark 14:1-9 Smelling good.

Here we have the story a woman that is pouring expensive perfume on Jesus, and the people around the table criticize her for doing so, because she should of spent the money for the perfume on feeding the poor.   Jesus says in effect, you will always have the poor, you can't help them every time you want to, but you will not always have me (Jesus).    It's interesting that the passage sets up a plot to kill Jesus  ... so you know that the betrayal will come soon.

How many of us would be the same type of person around the table, saying the same thing, "why are you wasting this expensive perfume??"    But I like how Jesus puts a spin on it, saying that she has anointed his body for burial.   This woman recognized who Jesus was, and I don't know if she was just giving him a gift for the who he was, but this was another reminder to those around him that his time was short.

Funny enough, he prophesied that this woman's work would be shared around the world.  How true was that!!!

For us, I think we can take out of the story the fact that good works doesn't replace Jesus in our lives.   Think about it, we always have the poor, the world always has needs.   The world continues to have one natural disaster after the next.   We can help people, and we should help them get through whatever trajedy they're going through ... spreading the compassion of Christ as it were.   But without the good news, without Christ in people's lives, all our helping will only go so far.   

We need to look for opportunities in the midst of doing 'good deeds', to share the gospel.  Because in the end, all the good deeds we do, won't save anyone from hell.   But Jesus saves, he IS the good news.   Not just for today or tomorrow, but forever!!