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The Messiah: Eleven Meditations from the Book of Mark (Free)

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Messiah Cross

You can start reading a PDF version of  right now.

In a two month period back in August and September of 2009 I published several articles on specific events in Jesus’ life found in the book of Mark.

Events that demonstrate his unlimited power over nature, sickness, and demons. Events that strike terror. That create awe. That even hardens hearts.

But hardened hearts indicate one thing: They knew Jesus to be dangerous.

Jesus is dangerous. And glorious. And worthy to be worshipped. He’s not tame nor tranquil, but terrifying to the wicked and triumphant to the humble.

It’s these events that provoked Peter to declare, “You are the Christ.” And it’s these events that provoke the righteous to fall to the ground and declare, “You are our Savior.”

And that is the appropriate response to the one who came to earth to bear the punishment for our sinsMessiah_Meditations so that we might live. Jesus is God as man. In the end, that is who these events declare Jesus truly is.

And so I’ve pulled these articles together in one post. And I even had them transformed into a PDF version: .

Read the individual articles here.

Son of Man: Something You Will and Won’t See
Several things happened the day Jesus healed a crippled man. Several things nobody saw but believe in fact did happen. [Mark 2:1-12]

How the Conquered Storm Points to Christ
The story of Jesus stilling the tempest demonstrates Jesus’ unlimited power and the two ways we can respond to this power. [Mark 4:35-41]

The Demoniac Proclamation of Christ
There’s something quite potent to the story of the demon-possessed man that drives the heart of a Christian to it. [Mark 5:1-20]

The Scandal of Jesus in Nazareth
In the small, isolated village of Nazareth Jesus taught one Sabbath day. Everything as it should be. Except for one thing. [Mark 6:1-6]

The Messiah: Peter’s Confession of Christ
Peter confessed Jesus was Christ. Who do you say Jesus is? The answer will determine your eternal destiny. [Mark 8:27-30]

Discipleship: The Law of the Cross Prevails
What does it mean to follow Christ? In just 100 words Jesus taught his disciples the price they must pay to follow him. [Mark 8:34-38]

Transfiguration: An Otherworldly Peek at the Messiah
Jesus’ transfiguration had two very specific purposes. Here’s what you need to know. [Mark 9:2-13]

Anointed: A Reckless but Beautiful Act of Worship
Jesus said Mary’s one act of reckless worship was beautiful. What are you willing to risk for Jesus that he might describe as beautiful? [Mark 14:3-9]

Failure: Peter’s Denial of Jesus Christ
All four gospels record Peter’s betrayal. The purpose? To draw a vivid distinction between man and God. [Mark 14:66-77]

Crucifixion: The Messiah Mocked on the Cross
Obedient to the end, Jesus dies on the cross, rejected and mocked. But his death ushers in another world. [Mark 15:31-32]

Death: The Messiah Commits His Soul to God
Even in the depths of humiliation, Jesus was declared the Messiah. Declared by a person you’d never expect. [Mark 15:33-39]

Four Ways to Use The Messiah Book

Want some ideas on how to use The Messiah? Here are four.

1. Book.

Read it and move on. Pretty straightforward. You could take it a bit further and brag [or rag] on it–whether here, Scribd or your social media site of choice.

2. Devotional.

Print the book out and hunker down each morning with a chapter. Meditate on the messages like you might a page from Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest.

3. Tract. 

The book is 30 pages of very short chapters, so it’s easy to read. And the content [the identity of Jesus] is perfect for introducing non-believers to the gospel.

4. Study Guide.

Print this book out and walk your study group or Sunday school class through it. Could stretch into an eleven week course.

Did I miss one? Let me know.

One More Thing

Some of you might want to know why I’m giving this book away for free. It basically comes down to this: Your attention is precious to me. I should be paying you.

In a way, with The Messiah, I am. So go .

I hope you enjoy it. And please, let me know what you think. I love hearing from you.

“The Messiah” Not Intended for Children Under 10

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So…shortly after I published my little book The Messiah last Saturday…I had a brilliant idea.

Or at least I thought it was brilliant.

I printed out a copy and handed it to my eight-year old daughter and said, “Hey you! Wanna read daddy’s book and tell me what you think about it?”

I winked. She blinked.

“You wrote a book?”

“Well…yeah…kind of. It’s short! Short sentences. Short paragraphs. Short chapters. Short book. You could read it in a half hour.”

“I can read one of my chapter books in a half hour.”

“Well then,” I said, “you could read this in fifteen.” I shoved the stack of papers into her hands.

She eyed the book then the computer where the American Girl website beckoned, back at the book then up to me.

“Okay.”

“Do you think you could do it soon. Like before the end of the week?”

Looking at the computer she said, “Sure.” She smiled. “Thanks, daddy.” She squeezed my hand, placed the book on our couch and skipped to the computer to finish her conversation with a doll named Felicity.

I really didn’t want to be too pushy, but the following day I asked my daughter, “So, get a chance to read the book.”

“Nope.”

This went on until today, five days later. I was home early after a routine doctor’s appointment, grabbed The Messiah off the counter and sat down on the couch. My daughter was on the computer.

“Hey, you want to read this together.”

“No thanks, daddy.”

“Okay,” I said.

I flipped to the first page and was surprised to see  eight question marks. The second page, which was a very short page, I found four more question marks.

“Hey sweetie, do these question marks mean you don’t understand these words?”

She looked over her shoulder. “Yep.”

“Hm.”

My wife walked in. “Yeah, that was a tough book.”

“Oh. Oh.” I stuck out my bottom lip. “So it’s not really a good book for children to read?”

“Eh, no,” my wife said.

I sighed. My hopes that I could suggest The Messiah as a children’s devotional dashed. I really thought I keyed the thing down.

Guess not.

One thing my wife is REALLY good at is translating adult stuff into child-sized language. Me, I just screw up my eyes and say, “Confront means…you know…get in some one’s face and tell them they’re wrong.”

“Proverbial? Well, it’s like metaphorical…figurative language…not really happen–you’re not getting this are you?”

That’s usually how I do it.

Anyway, this is not to stop you from using The Messiah as a children’s devotional if you so wish. It’s just not recommended if they’re under 10.

By the way, are you any good at translating adult stuff so children can understand? How do you do it? How do you explain words like “proverbial,” “liberal,” “systematic,” redemption” and “scandalous” to a child under ten?

And am I to believe children don’t know what “scandalous means? Am I demanding too much? Share your thoughts. Brutal and all.

Download a copy now. But don’t give it to a child for goodness’ sake.

The Messiah: Download and Share This Free Book

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I’ve published a book called The Messiah: Eleven Meditations from the Book of Mark.

You can . It’s free.

Some of you might recognize the title. It comes from a series I did last year of the same name.

Bottom line: I decided to pull all those posts together and wrap them up in a PDF–and give it to you for free.

Here’s a small part from the Introduction:

“Something happens when you systematically read through a gospel narrative like the book of Mark: You are confronted with the real Jesus.

“Gone are the pretty pictures of a gentle man lugging a lamb around on his shoulders.

“Instead, you meet a man who is vast in wisdom, terrifying in strength and exceptional in humility. So vast, terrifying and exceptional you begin to wonder if he is God.”

The Man Behind the Design

My long-distance but great friend  designed The Messiah for me. He did the cover, the formatting and icons that run throughout the book.

I think it looks amazing.

[For those who are paying attention, he did the logo work for  over at . That’s how we met.]

The PDF is actually parked at Scribd, which is a social publishing website, so saying I published it is a bit of a stretch.

But you’ll forgive me, right?

Anyway, you can  at Scribd. You can also share it on Twitter or Facebook.

Four Ways to Use The Messiah Book

Want some ideas on how to use The Messiah? Here are four.

1. Book.

Read it and move on. Pretty straightforward. You could take it a bit further and brag [or rag] on it–whether here, Scribd or your social media site of choice.

2. Devotional.

Print the book out and hunker down each morning with a chapter. Meditate on the messages like you might a page from Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest.

3. Tract. 

The book is 30 pages of very short chapters, so it’s easy to read. And the content [the identity of Jesus] is perfect for introducing non-believers to the gospel.

4. Study Guide.

Print this book out and walk your study group or Sunday school class through it. Could stretch into an eleven week course.

Did I miss one? Let me know.

One More Thing

Some of you might want to know why I’m giving this book away for free. It basically comes down to this: Your attention is precious to me. I should be paying you.

In a way, with The Messiah, I am. So go .

I hope you enjoy it. And please, let me know what you think. I love hearing from you.

It’s Christmas Morning. Why Am I So Angry Again?

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The world so often sees my anger.

It so often sees my chronic frustration with contemporary Christian culture and it’s treatment of God’s holiness.

It so often sees my tyrannical, self-absorbed bent to highlight the faults of heathens, punks, posers and misfits.

Misfits, mind you, like me.

But do they ever sense my grief?

That quiet but habitual sorrow over sin’s devastating effects?

Do they ever hear about that low-grade, sad restlessness over the wreckage in another person’s life because they’re barreling down the road AWAY from God?

No. Not much.

What they usually hear is judgment. Mostly because I only wear one emotion on my sleeve: Anger.

Here’s the deal.

Yes. I have peace with God. I have a future hope based in the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I nurse an unshakable joy for his second coming…

An unconquerable glee in my redemption and sanctification…

An awe at God’s mind-blowing fashion of stooping so low to redeem a rebellious people…

And an utter fascination at the majesty of his creation that extends billions of miles in all directions…

That allows me to say this: “I love you.”

Not in some flimsy, self-esteem enhancing way, but in a concrete, Christ-affirming manner that suggests this: ”You were made for much more.”

That is my motive.

And before you wring your hands over my emotional state during this celebration of Christ’s birth, know this: It’s Christmas morning and, yes, I’m a little angry. A little sad. A little pensive…

But those emotions are overpowered by a colossal sense of the bliss created by the cross that inevitably follows the birth of Christ…

And the fact that Christ was born for you so that he could die for you so that you could live a fruitful life in beautiful submission to our reigning king.

God bless you and Merry Christmas.

Slaves to Sin (Our Condition Apart from New Birth)

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Part of the 10 Hard Truths about Being Born Againseries.

To be a slave to sin is a terrible thing.

For instance,  said:

Sin is a debt, a burden, a thief, a sickness, a leprosy, a plague, a poison, a serpent, a sting.

Everything that man hates, sin is.

A load of curses and calamities beneath his crushing intolerable pressure, the whole creation groans.

However, enslavement to sin doesn’t mean one struggles against it.

Rather, one has an innate and compelling desire to reject God and his law. In fact, he has a .

For immorality.

For deception.

The Doctrine of Degradation

He yearns to break his parent’s hearts. Lie to his wife. Feed the minds of his children filth. Steal from his corporation. Dominate his secretary. Outsmart weak men.

He longs to entertain his friends with foul language. Lure honest neighbors into wickedness. Support the legislation of wicked men.

He neglects the emotional pain of relatives. Ignores the needs of the diseased. Refuses to help the displaced.

In the end, it’s the opposite of sanctification. It’s degradation. All for the sake of self.

The Debt of Degradation

And neither can a slave to sin see biblical truth. Hear spiritual wisdom. Feel godly sorrow.

These are his . Sin is a master over his heart, mind and body.

Unfortunately, spiritual death is the paycheck for slavery to sin. It’s the wage for a degrading sense of morality.

The worst part of this slavery is that we are helpless. We cannot repay it. We have nothing to repay it.

Whether we wish to repay it or not, we are helpless. ”Forgiveness ought not to be granted except when the debt is paid which is due for our sin,” Anselm said.

Fortunately, that debt has been paid. By the Messiah.

The Death of Degradation

As , “He takes the totality and the system of sin in a man, as a body which is nullified by death; its will is judged and no longer masters us. For he who is dead is justified from sin.”

And so, through the special mercy of God we become . And slaves to righteousness.

In Christ, degradation dies. But it doesn’t end there.

Our spiritual resurrection in Christ awakens in us a thanksgiving that grows as we learn how great God’s kindness is. And as we learn how great God’s kindness is, we are constantly stimulated to hate sin more and love obedience to Christ more.

This is yet another reason why new birth is so important.

Crucifixion: The Messiah Mocked on the Cross

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Near the end of the story of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we see Jesus nailed to a cross…

A cross standing between two crucified robbers–a subtle insult by Pilate suggesting the king of the Jews was nothing more than a criminal.

The Mocked Messiah

Onlookers cursed Jesus. Spit his way. Even challenged him to crawl down from the cross. The two robbers hurled abuses at him.

Some Jews cried, “He saved others, but he can’t even save himself!”

This is a gruesome antithesis of Mary’s reckless act of worship. A far cry from an otherworldly transfiguration.

Jesus on the cross is not a potent display of power. It doesn’t move anyone to declare, “You are the Christ.”

In fact, in the minds of Mary, John and Peter–in the minds of all his followers–it looks like nothing more than a scandal. A fraud. A huge, out-of-nowhere upset late in the quarter.

This can’t be happening. Not to our Messiah. But it is.

Cursing Christ

The mockery doesn’t stop. , “Let Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!”

A final demand for a miracle by the unbelieving Jewish authorities. A miracle they claim would convince them once and for all that Jesus is indeed who he says he is: The Messiah.

Their claim is false. They would not believe. They refused to believe any miracle up to that point. And they would refuse to believe in the resurrection.

In the end, they satisfied the desires of their heart. At the expense of the suffering Christ. But, without knowing it, they established the glory and perfection of Jesus: He saved others but not himself.

What the Work of the Crucifixion Means

This is what we don’t see: The work occurring out of every one’s sight between Jesus and God. The work that darkened Jesus’ soul, broke his body but displayed his absolute perfection.

All the work between himself and God.

And morally rejected by the world there was no longer any room in it for his mercy towards it. He drank in his soul the cup of death and the judgment of sin. His work was complete.

Obedient to the end, he dies. But his death ushers in another world. A life where evil could never enter…and the new man will be perfectly at peace in the presence of God.

How Do You See the Suffering Messiah?

The man who sees the danger in mocking the suffering Messiah will with relentless intensity seek salvation.

The man who sees the forgiveness for sin and the gift of eternal life purchased for him by the suffering and death of the Son of God will rejoice endlessly.

And the man who sees  the sins which crucified Christ will mourn with godly sorrow.

How do you see the suffering Christ?

**Part of The Messiah: Eleven Meditations from the Book of Mark series.** You can start reading a PDF version of  right now.

Transfiguration: An Otherworldy Peek at the Messiah

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Long ago, on the slopes of the highest mountain in Israel, Jesus led a small group of followers to an isolated grove and then, in front of their eyes,  from a flesh and blood man into a being shining white as the sun.

Then Moses appears…spokesperson for the redeemed who entered the kingdom through death.

Spokesperson for the Law.

Then Elijah appears…spokesperson for the redeemed who entered the kingdom through translation.

Spokesperson for the Prophets.

Moses and Elijah talk with Jesus. The subject: his coming death. An event that would conquer–not political oppression or military occupation–but sin and death.

An event that would secure the redemption of mankind. An event that would anchor the gospel entrusted to you and I.

The Climax to Messianic Revelations

The Transfiguration is the final, climactic earthly revelation of Jesus as Messiah before his crucifixion.

Remember, the tension on his messianic revelation was building as he cast out demons, conquered storms and cured the paralytic.

As his family rejected him. And rough, impetuous followers embraced him.

The Transfiguration and Our Wicked Hearts

Of course it’s an event our corrupt natures crave. In this scene, God overshadows these sinful, unglorified men and they naturally want to stay there. Forever.

And so would we.

The disciples response to this unusual appearance of God was typical of man since he sinned in the garden: They did a face plant in fear.

I’m confident I would, too.

But here’s what you need to know: For a moment Jesus is no longer the suffering servant. He is the king arrayed in his splendor. He’s given the disciples–and us–a peek at the otherworldly nature of his glorified state.

Where You Could Go Wrong

Yet we would be wrong to look for a heaven here upon a corrupt earth. To demand a repeat of this extraordinary event every month, week or day.

Just like Peter and the disciples, we have important work to do: Bring Christ to the suffering and the sinful. Preach the gospel. In the very ordinary, very dirty business of life.

Home. Church. Work. Subdivision. Mall.

The people in these very ordinary, very dirty places all need the message we carry. That means WE’VE been redeemed for a point. Saved so we can .

We weren’t meant to hunker down in our redemption, hoard our salvation or map out our rapture in private.

We were meant to crawl out of the trenches and engage–in mercy and grace–the enemies of our king.

**Part of The Messiah: Eleven Meditations from the Book of Mark series.** You can start reading a PDF version of  right now.

The Demoniac Proclamation of the Messiah

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Demon possession fascinates me. Perhaps that’s the reason I’m drawn to the story of the .

It’s not a healthy fascination. More likely it’s a weakness.

A bad sift in the broken human mind. Forever drawn to the smoking wreckage alongside the road.

Yet there’s something more potent in this story. That drives the heart of a Christian to it.

The Demon-Possessed Man

You have a man. In broken chains. Who lives among the tombs. Who roams about the mountains.

He shrieks, barks, growls. And gashes himself with stones. Strips saplings of bark. Sleeps under sycamores in pouring rain.

Women toting water jars steer clear. Children heading for the sea taunt and run. And young men tease, fists clenched tightly around driftwood.

All fear him. But Christ.

The Confrontation with Christ

When Jesus and his disciples climbed onto the shore, the demon-possessed man rushes them. He falls to the ground and rivets his eyes on Jesus and asks:

“What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore you by God, do not torment me!”

The man confesses he’s possessed by a legion of demons: “We are many.” Perhaps 4,000. Maybe even 6,000. A legion of Roman soldiers were known to be that large.

But maybe as low as 2,000, since that’s the number of pigs they eventually possess.

What can’t be missed, however, is the immeasurable power of the man–the demons.

Perhaps it rivals the cyclone Jesus just conquered. But in a supernatural sense.

The Real Fascination

Which brings us to the point of the narrative: Who is this that natural storms obey? That vast, supernatural armies cower beneath?

An unregenerate mind fixates on the demon. The suffering. The horror.

The regenerate mind, on the other hand, sees through to the real fascination: Jesus, the Son of God.

The one to whom all thrones, dominions, authorities and powers–whether natural or supernatural–bow down to.

.

And a Savior with teeth. One worthy of worship. Veneration. And adoration.

So, the question for you is…who do you obey: Your mind? The market? Or the Messiah?

**Part of The Messiah: Eleven Meditations from the Book of Mark series.** You can start reading a PDF version of  right now.

The Messiah: Peter’s Confession of Christ

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Shortly after Jesus heals a blind man, he walks toward the villages of Caesarea Philippi with his disciples.

Along the way  about who people think he is.

They tell him John the Baptist. Or Elijah. Or one of the prophets.

He asks them, “Who do you think I am?” Peter confesses: “You are the Christ.”

An Objection to This Confession

Some scholars see this episode as a post-Easter confession of the church read back onto Peter’s lips.

Yet this theory can’t plausibly account for the rebuke in , since that is not a detail the church is likely to invent.

And so it’s best to conclude that Peter’s confession was historical and that Jesus accepted it, although on his own terms, as you’ll see in a minute.

The Suffering, Crucified Liberator?

Peter replied to Jesus’ question on behalf of the twelve. And he clearly and unequivocally affirmed that he–along with the twelve–believed Jesus to be the Messiah.

However, the disciples expected the Messiah to come as a conquering general, a political liberator.

Not a sacrificial lamb.

Jesus knew this. That’s why his follow up statement to Peter’s confession was a prediction of his own suffering and death.

Yet Peter rejected such a notion. He could handle Jesus being Messiah. But he could not handle Jesus being crucified. Regardless, Jesus’ messianic mission cannot be understood apart from the cross.

The Messiah and the Cross

First century Palestinian Jews understood that the Messiah would be . That’s why parallels between Moses and Jesus were abundant.

But, like Luther said, “Jesus was no Moses.” In the end, Moses is but a household servant. Christ, the maker and master of all things.

For an ex-Pharisee and former church persecutor named Paul, this message penetrated every inch of his preaching: Nothing was worthy compared to the glory of the crucified Christ.

All paled in comparison.

And it was Paul’s all-consuming passion for others to  in the person of Jesus. That’s my passion, too.

So I have to ask, “Who do you say Jesus is?” The answer to this question will determine your eternal destiny.

**Part of The Messiah: Eleven Meditations from the Book of Mark series.** You can start reading a PDF version of  right now.