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Bullet Trains

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Mark 1:34 And He cured many who were afflicted with various diseases; and He drove out many demons, but would not allow the demons to talk because they knew Him [intuitively]. Reading chapter one of the Gospel of Mark feels like you are riding along the bullet train A bullet train is a high speed train in Japan that reaches speeds of over 200 mph. Yet, in this one chapter Mark records that Jesus was baptized, He was led in the wilderness to fast and pray for forty days and nights, called and chose His 12 disciples, visited the synagogue, cast out demons in the synagogue, healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, healed the sick and cast out demons. I’m exhausted just reading it. But how? How did Jesus do all of these things? Mark one offers two clues: Mark 1:10 And when He came up out of the water, at once he [John] saw the heavens torn open and the [Holy] Spirit like a dove coming down [to enter] into Him. Mark 1:35 And in the morning, long before daylight, He got up and went out to a deserted place, and there He prayed. Did you catch it? He was filled with the Spirit and He took time to pray – first thing, early in the morning.

Bullet Trains achieve their fast speeds primarily through dedicated tracks, electric motors, and electro-magnetic levitation. Everything, but the dedicated tracks are invisible. What really makes them accelerate is what is unseen. It’s unfortunate that when it comes to looking at the things Jesus accomplished that we dismiss the impact of it all by saying, He was God. When our focus dismisses His humanity we fail to see the miracle achieved and modeled. Yes, He was, and is still – God. BUT, He was also human. If you dismiss His humanity you’ve missed the fact that He modeled His life as an example for us all. When we dismiss His humanity we dismiss the fact that He needed to be filled with the Spirit. He needed to pray. He needed to go to synagogue. He needed to read, study, and memorize the Word. He needed thanksgiving and worship. He needed to gather with like-minded believers to share Who God was to them and what He was doing in their lives. When we dismiss His humanity we dismiss His suffering through to the Fathers’ will in the Garden of Gethsemane – a struggle that was so intense He sweat drops of blood. We dismiss His suffering on the cross. We dismiss His being tempted in every way we are tempted. This was what the Apostle Paul was conveying to us: 1 Cor. 2:2 For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified. If we focus on Jesus simply being God we miss the fact that He lived a crucified life. The crucified life prepared Him for the crucifixion. Everyday of His life was a crucifixion. Everyday he hauled His soul – mind, will, emotions, and personality – onto His Fathers’ will bringing it into submission. But this only happened as a result of His surrender to the “dedicated tracks” the Lord placed before Him.

A few of us are preparing to travel to Kenya for ten days of dedicated service to the people of Mlolongo. Part of our preparation involves reading the Book of Acts. Today our reading was in Acts 24 and one verse stood out to me: Therefore I always exercise and discipline myself [mortifying my body, deadening my carnal affections, bodily appetites, and worldly desires, endeavoring in all respects] to have a clear (unshaken, blameless) conscience, void of offense toward God and toward men. (Acts 24:16) Why did he live this life of dedication? He believed in the Resurrection of Jesus and because of this hope he believed Jesus would raise his body to new life. Now Acts 24:15 states that Jesus is going to raise the righteous and unrighteous to life. Righteous means, rightly related to God and to man. When that day happens do you want to be known as one who traveled the same dedicated tracks as Jesus or one who ran off the tracks? Do you want to rise up to, Well done? Or do you want to rise up to everlasting shame? I don’t know about you but I want to be a bullet train like Jesus.

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A bell buoy rings only during storms. The beating of the waves and wind bring out the music that is within it, so too do trials reveal what is inside a person. –  J. C. Ferdinand Pittman

How true this was for the trials and beatings of Jesus that preceded His crucifixion. It’s easy to minimize the exhortation of Hebrews 13:13-14 Let us then go forth [from all that would prevent us] to Him outside the camp [at Calvary], bearing the contempt and abuse and shame with Him. For here we have no permanent city, but we are looking for the one which is to come. That is until we begin to realize to “meet Jesus outside the camp” requires that we persevere through our own trials. As we prepare to celebrate Resurrection Day let us not forget: it is a day of celebration, but also a reminder to return to our First Love. He Who loved us with a furious passion, impossible to comprehend from human perspective, had no limitations or boundaries set other than what His body, and Spirit could endure.

From 12 – 6 AM, Jesus endured 6 trials: 3 Jewish, 3 Roman. The Jewish trials were meant to determine if Jesus was guilty of blasphemy, and the Roman Trials to determine if Jesus was guilty of treason. And it’s interesting to note that during this time Passover lambs were being examined to see if they had spot or blemish. Yet, our Passover Lamb, Jesus, passed the test when He was examined and was found to be without spot, or blemish.

Not only was Jesus examined but He was mocked, beaten, and ridiculed in ways that are difficult to imagine. Three Greek words were used to describe the beatings He underwent: Buffet, Smote, and Strike. Each word has a different meaning in the original Greek. To buffet someone means that you rap them with your fists. To smote someone implied that the way you struck them was similar to being flayed, scourged, or thrashed; often used when referring to the skinning of an animal. Scripture does not specify in what manner this was administered but it could have been accomplished through the use of the fists, rods, or both. The final word, to strike, involves slapping, or beating repeatedly with hands or fists. Again Scripture does not give us the details but we can imagine that this involved striking Jesus in the face, mouth, nose, eyes and body. Add to this the suffering Jesus was already experiencing through sweating drops of blood in the Garden of Gethsemane. A condition known as hematidrosis, or hemohidrosis. This documented medical condition is caused by the tiny capillaries in the sweat glands rupturing, mixing their blood, with perspiration. In this condition the skin becomes extremely tender, fragile, and painful to touch. Just the slightest touch would cause bruising. This ordeal in the Garden alone would have left Jesus feeling dehydrated, along with shock, and physical exhaustion. This is why the writer of Hebrews reminds us: Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary or exhausted, losing heart and relaxing and fainting in your minds. You have not yet struggled and fought agonizingly against sin, nor have you yet resisted and withstood to the point of pouring out your [own] blood. (Heb. 12:3-4)

As we draw near to the celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection let us not forget to walk with Him through the trials that purchased our salvation, and the purpose of them. C.H. Spurgeon in a sermon entitled Feathers for Arrows reminds us: In the ancient times, a box on the ear given by a master to a slave meant liberty, little would the freedman care how hard was the blow. By a stroke from the sword the warrior was knighted by his monarch, small matter was it to the new-made knight if the royal hand was heavy. When the Lord intends to lift his servants into a higher stage of spiritual life, he frequently sends them a severe trial; he makes his Jacobs to be prevailing princes, but he confers the honour after a night of wrestling, and accompanies it with a shrunken sinew. Be it so, who among us would wish to be deprived of the trials if they are the necessary attendants of spiritual advancement?

Throughout Scripture we are exhorted to ascend the Hill of the Lord. But never forget that Hill led our Savior to Calvary, or Golgotha. Let us join Him in order that we too may have a glorious resurrection – hearing Him say to us, Well done My good and faithful servant! And never forget that the beating of the waves, and wind bring out the music that is within, as do the trials that reveal what is inside each of us.