Jesus Loves to Work in Your Life and World
Cornwall
September 18, 2005
Do you live expecting Jesus to work in your life and in the world in which you live? Or do you believe that Jesus has stopped that kind of work, and leaves things pretty much to you to figure out, with just a promise for future union with Him at the end of your life?
It is important to know, in order to be open to experiencing its reality, that Jesus is alive and well and living and active today, even as in the past.
Today, let’s look at ‘a day in the life of Jesus’. In reality, this may have been a little longer than a day, but the focus, at least, will be on one short season of life and ministry, during his 3 ½ year ministry. Please turn to Mark 1. As you may know, the gospel of Mark is very much focused on action. More than words, you see action in this shortest of the four gospel accounts of Jesus’ life. This gospel seems to have had a wider audience, than just Jewish people, in mind and, in the action, it focuses on the superhuman Jesus. His deity is being shown in his action, including his miracles.
Mk.1.14-15- Jesus began his ministry in Galilee- near where he had grown up. Other accounts confirm this. In some ways, this seems counter-intuitive. Often, we feel, when entering into something new and radical, that it would be easier to begin where people don’t know us. For instance, when it comes to ‘doing missions’, it’s easier, often, to think in terms of going to Africa or Asia than to begin in our own back yard. On the other hand, there is certain wisdom in beginning close to home, in order to have a body of support or familiarity, at least, and this seems to be what Jesus was doing.
Jesus’ message is important here. As I said, Mark is more about action than message, but what is said is vital and gives certain form to the actions.
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.” This is a powerful message. ‘The time is fulfilled’ had great meaning to those who listened. They were part of a nation looking for the arrival of Messiah, and he said it had happened. People wanted God’s kingdom, as opposed to the Roman kingdom which oppressed them, so this was good news, on the physical level, which was about as far as many got with it. For Jesus, of course, it meant more, but he was one to allow the people to come to that ‘in their time’. Let’s focus on ‘repent and believe the gospel’ for a few moments. What does ‘repent’ mean? Any ideas, please?
- stop not believing
- stop not accepting Jesus’ grace given to you. What did repentance mean to Zacchaeus? Was it about the restoring of money to people and the like? Or was it about his accepting acceptance, and then acting out of that? I believe it’s very easy to simplify and trivialize repentance and to think only in terms of ‘sin’. That’s easy to do- if we steal a chocolate bar and are sorry for that and think of that as repentance- which it is- but it keeps our spiritual life at a very low level- it’s only about rules and following them. However, repentance, and following Jesus has more to do with response to love and acceptance, and living from that. This expands our concept of repentance and puts it at a higher level.
- Stop and go with God- this is NOT the same as stop, turn around, go the other way. You can’t do that, really. What we aren’t on about it simply retracing steps. What we ARE on about is going with God.
So, beyond all other ideas, when Jesus calls one to repent, he is calling someone to be willing to go with Him. Someone has to give up going with himself and be willing to go with Jesus.
We see this immediately.
v.16-20- these men stopped what they were doing and went with Jesus. He wanted them to go with Him and they did just that. This action showed more than words, alone, can show. They were willing to drop what they were doing and go with Jesus. Do you think Jesus ever does this today? Is there any chance that he might come to you and ask something like this of you? Could he ask this of you? Whatever your thoughts on this, he did it with these, who became the early leaders of his movement- the church- after his ascension to heaven. You have to guess that they knew Jesus already- maybe they had grown up together- at least some of them- and maybe Jesus had already talked with some of them about what he had coming up in his life. Maybe it seemed like a dream or impossible to these boys, then as men. Or maybe, as teens, they talked, then it all faded away as they all go into work, and here it was, as he said. We really don’t know the human dynamic here. However, something monumental happened and they were in on the ground floor of it.
So, Jesus moved to another area of Galilee. The disciples were on the Sea of Galilee, somewhere- perhaps they had their boats in a small village, or away from a village, then they all went into the big town of the area, Capernaum. Indications are that this was a different day, because mention is made of the sabbath, in verse 21, where he went to teach.
v.21-24- Jesus taught and there was response to his teaching- there always is response of some sort. Jesus, though, has the upper hand. The spirit had to respond to him. Over 30 years of ministry, I’ve only been where I perceived a demon on two occasions, and in neither was I in a position where I needed to cast it out. I was aware, but it wasn’t part of the work I was doing, directly. However, it’s important to know that when we confront such, as we may do from time-to-time, they have to respond to the name of Jesus and they will. They are under authority.
In this case, the casting out had an impressing result- v.27-28- which raised the impact of the work to a higher level. People knew about this and wondered. They were impressed by what had occurred, and they should have been. Casting out demons is no small thing. Of course, in their lives, they hadn’t witnessed this before because no one had the authority to do it- their religious leaders didn’t have a name of power to use, as Jesus had, and is, and as we have access to freely, today.
v.29-31- as Jesus moved through the day, he came to where Peter’s mother-in-law was sick. So, he healed her. Does Jesus still walk among his people today and heal them? Of course he does. Jesus works his purpose, whatever it might be, and this is something to speak further of another time. Sometimes, more is achieved by not visibly healing someone. Sometimes, as in Paul’s case, suffering is part of ‘the deal’. In fact, we are ignorant if we don’t read Hebrews 11 with some care and see how many faithful people died in the faith, and did so in very violent manners.
v.32-34- healing drew people. In the course of this, we know that he proclaimed the message of repentance and we know that some responded, although that is not the focus here. Jesus, in the course of living a day among his people, healed in the evening.
v.35-39- Sunday morning, he spent some time with God, then moved on from there, knowing that he had more places to go.
However, what we have is, likely, one day in Jesus’ life, and we see that he moved among his people and taught and touched them and called to service and ministry and healed. It was a full day.
Now, does Jesus still move among his people in the same way? Well, we know it’s a bit different because he’s not here physically walking among us. However, does he still work in our lives and in the world in which we live?
John 5.17- Jesus took up the work and continued what had been going on previously. He didn’t come to relax, but to work, and he worked very diligently during his time of ministry. There’s a lot we can learn from him in how he did it- a lot less ‘protestant work ethic’ than some might like to believe. The point is that he worked.
John 14.12- promise of greater works because he went to the Father. What are these greater works? Does this mean that we’ll all be casting out demons and healing people everywhere we go? No, although this is part of it, if and when needed. His work has continued for 2000 years already and the amount of works done in that time have been greater in number than he could do in a short time. There have been tremendous conversions- even Paul’s turning around happened in this time, and there have been more like him than we might know of. This is a promise to you- as you enter into Jesus’ work. It’s a promise of success.
Heb.13.8- tells us that Jesus is the same at all time. So, as he worked, he works today, and this can be very encouraging to us.
Does Jesus still walk among his people and work in our world? Absolutely. He does it through those he works with, so as you walk through your world, having Jesus in you, know that the same life-giving touch is available to those in your world. Know that the same concern for people and even the same miracles are available. I don’t believe that miracles have ceased- some Christians do believe that they ceased at some particular time in the past. However, I do know that the way God does his work- the way that Jesus does God’s work- has changed from time-to-time. He works within the society we have and works in a way that accomplishes what is necessary.
I read a very encouraging passage a few days ago, that can urge us forward:
Ps.126.6- this is what Jesus looked for, and knew, to some degree when the disciples said ‘yes’ to him. This is what we all look for as we go about the work before us that needs to be done. We have tremendous encouragement here, to go forward in hope and expectation that the work of Jesus will proceed and progress, as Jesus does continue to work in the world around us.
