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MMMerryChristmas

E-pistle

                                                          Dr. Dan Hite, President        FreeWay Foundation         December 25, 2009

The Lord Has Need

(Mark 11:1-33)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

I.  Concentration:  on the contents of this chapter

        1.   Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem riding on a colt of a donkey,

              to the praise of the crowds; He cleansed the temple, vv. 1-11; 15-19.

2.      Jesus cursed the fig tree; later He told the disciples the meaning of

this miracle, vv. 12-14; 20-24.

3.      Jesus taught the connection between having a forgiving spirit and

having one's prayers answered, vv. 25-26.

4.      Jesus answered the question about the source of His spiritual authority,

vv. 27-33.

II.  Observations:  on the accounts of Jesus riding a donkey's colt in the Gospels

1.      Matthew 21 – Two disciples sent to Bethphage for donkey and colt.
2.      Mark 11 – Same as Matthew, except no donkey is mentioned.
3.      Luke 19 – Adds:  "on which no one has ever sat," v. 30.
4.      John 12 – "Disciples . . . remembered these things that were written," v. 16.

III.  Meditation:  on Zechariah 9:9 (as quoted in Matthew 21:5)

1.      The Messiah is the king.
2.      The Messiah is just (sinless).
3.      The Messiah has salvation . . . He saves His believing followers.
4.      The Messiah is meek and humble, emphasizing His spiritual mission rather

than portraying Him as the victorious conqueror.

IV.  Revelation:  on the spiritual implications seen here

1.      Jesus deliberately identified with His prophesied destiny; He wants us to

discover and follow His divine destiny for our lives.

2.      Jesus gave His disciples very specific instructions; He also gives us definite

orders to obey.

3.      Jesus' plan calls for volunteers and givers; He wants us to serve other

persons with an open, charitable heart.

4.      Jesus was praised and glorified by the crowd; He deserves our worship

because He is worthy!

V.  Applications:  as a Christian, I need to . . .

        1.   Be like the Gospel writers, who connected their present situation with the

              Holy Scripture.

2.      Be like the two disciples sent out; hearing Jesus' specific instructions and

obeying immediately.

3.      Be like the owner, who responded to the appeal, "The Lord has need,"

and freely donated his colt.

4.      Be like the colt, lifting Jesus up to the crowd and presenting Him in glory

and majesty.

PRAYER:  Lord, You are My King.  Help me to respond by connecting today's events with

           Your word, by hearing and obeying Your voice, by giving whatever I have to

           meet Your needs, and by lifting You up as the Savior of the world.  Amen.

The Widow's Two Mites

(Mark 12:1-44)

Dr. Curt Scarborough

I.  Concentration:  on the contents of this chapter

        1.   Jesus told the parable of the wicked vinedressers, vv. 1-12.

        2.   Jesus taught about paying taxes to Caesar, vv. 13-17.

        3.   Jesus taught about the resurrection, vv. 18-27.

        4.   Jesus taught about the greatest commandment, vv. 28-34.

        5.   Jesus taught about the Messiah being David's descendant yet

              also being David's Lord, vv. 35-37.

        6.   Jesus taught the disciples to beware of the scribes, vv. 38-40.

        7.   Jesus observed and taught about the widow who gave two mites,

              vv. 41-44.

II.  Meditation:  on the account of the widow who gave two mites

        1.   Jesus sat near the treasury, watching how the people gave, v. 41.

        2.   He took account of how much each gave, vv. 41-42.

        3.   He judged their gifts on the basis of what percentage they gave of what   

              they possessed . . . and how much was left over after the gift, v. 43.

              (Does my "sacrificial" gift ever really alter my standard of living?)

        4.   The woman was commended, not for the amount she gave, but because

              she gave all she had, v. 44.

III.  Revelation:  on the spiritual truths seen here

        1.   Jesus is interested in our giving to His kingdom work . . . He watches and

              takes note of our contributions and our circumstances.  (His audit is

              far more accurate than the IRS!)

2.      In God's sight, the amount given is not as important as how much remains

for personal use.  (In fact, we're responsible for that portion too.)

3.      The Lord evaluates and judges our giving, taking into consideration our

resources and abilities.  (Did Jesus reveal Himself to the widow and

meet her needs?  I think so, because He's like that.)

4.      The woman's gift of everything she possessed reveals her priority . . . God

is first!  (See Matthew 6:33, and study II Corinthians 8 and 9.)

IV.  Applications:  as a Christian, I need to understand that  . . .

        1.   God is watching how much I give, as well as my motivation for giving . . .

               and everything else in my life.

2.      Whether tithe, talent, or time, God measures  how much I give Him in

comparison with how much I keep for myself.

3.      I am not going to be judged in comparison to others, but on my own

faithfulness as a percentage of my potential.

4.      Sacrificial giving (and service) is something I know very little about . . .

when did I last give "all" that I had?

Merry Christmas from the staff at

FreeWay Foundation and

Pillsbury College & Seminary

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