Jesus, the revolutionary.
During Jesus’ life, the subject of revolution was never far away. When he is asked about paying taxes to Caesar, the question behind the question is this: ‘Are you a revolutionary?’ Jesus’ response amazes the crowd. He says both ‘yes’ and ‘no’. No, he is not a revolutionary like any revolutionary before or after. But yes, he is a revolutionary unlike the world has or will ever see. His revolution is not of political but of cosmic, supernatural power. His is the revolution of bringing heaven to earth. His is a revolution of the defeat of sin and greed and lust for power.
As such, it is the only revolution worthy of our time. And he beckons us not just to enjoy the fruits of it, but to extend it to a world in need. In a time of political turmoil and anguish in our own country, remembering that in the face of similar chaos, Jesus’ focus remained fixed on the Kingdom of God is timely. We’re made for the kingdom that is both eternal and material, now, and not yet. Let us embrace it as the only hope for a world in need.
By Ed Flint
Jesus, the storyteller.
Jesus' confrontation with Israel’s leaders continues to build in Mark, as we reach the parable of the tenants. In it, he likens them to tenant farmers who reject the authority of the vineyard owner (God) and His servants (the prophets), and foreshadows their ultimate rejection of Him, the son.
We know that Jesus came to fulfill Israel’s covenant with God - the law and everything that involved - but we should not ignore the deeper message behind the parable speaking to us today. Seeking control, putting ourselves in God’s place as owner and the worship of other idols, are still the crux of our fallen human state. A message that confronts as much today, as it ever did, but by the power of the spirit, because of His unwavering grace, surrendering control will be all of our life's work.
By Hannah Flint
Alpha day return.
Concluding the theme of the alpha day away, we look at the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Paul says as Christians we have an obligation to be people of God’s Holy Spirit. This means knowing who he is, what he does and how we can grow in our experience of him. We’re told the Spirit adopts us, frees us, makes us joyful and empowers us. An ongoing experience of all these things is vital to our growth as Christians.
By Ed Flint
Jesus, the clearer of the temple.
Jesus’ first significant acts in Jerusalem are to curse a fig tree and clear the Temple courts. The two are related. Jesus’ intention is not to call the temple sacrificial system to reform, but something more dramatic: to prophesy its destruction. It is no longer fit for purpose. God’s presence will no longer reside in a building, but in the temple of Jesus’ followers’ hearts. And the atoning temple sacrifice will be once and for all replaced by Jesus’ bodily sacrifice on the cross.
In light of this, all attempts to save ourselves or our world at the altar's culture offers are futile. But when we receive the gift of God's presence at the core of our very beings, achieved for us by Jesus at the cross, we are enabled and empowered to live out the lives that offer real salvation to us and our communities. This is how Jesus saves the world.
By Ed Flint
Jesus, the Humble King.
In Mark 11:1-11, Jesus finally arrives into Jerusalem, the place that he has laid out as where he will spend his final days. By riding into town on a donkey, he is not only fulfilling the prophecy laid out to us in Zechariah 9:9, but also is subverting expectations of what it means to be a king. This approach, while completely countercultural then and now, invites Jesus' followers to walk in similarly humble footsteps.
Jesus is building with us a KIN-dom relationship -- where we become partners alongside him and continue the work that Jesus started. Through this passage, he demonstrates to us what can happen when we allow God to move, when we involve others in our lives, and when we admit that maybe we don't know best. Jesus' humility is an invitation to us to embrace the gifts we have not for our own glory or satisfaction, but for the good of others.
By Rebekah Covington