January 27, 2016 (Wednesday)
We will study Mark 8:22-38 at Bethel Baptist Church, Ingleside, this evening. These verses tell us that Jesus healed a blind man, then revealed to his disciples that He is the Messiah, telling them that He would suffer and die and warning that His followers must be willing to do the same.
It was not yet time to reveal Himself to the Jews as their Messiah, so Jesus, after healing a blind man, instructed him to tell no one. He then revealed Himself to His disciples so that they would follow Him wherever he led them. Contrary to the ideas that some of them had about the Messiah being a king who would lead a rebellion against Rome, Jesus told them that His saving work would involve His suffering and death. When they reacted with horror at that idea, He went on to say that His followers must be willing also to suffer and to die for the gospel. “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:34-35 NIV).
Today Jesus has ascended to His Father in Heaven, and makes intercession for His own here on the earth. We have learned that serving Christ sometimes brings suffering, and for some, even death, but we would like to think that we are willing and able to pay that price. Are we able to sing the hymn, “Are Ye Able Said the Master,” with all our hearts?
“Are ye able, said the Master, to be crucified with me?”
“Yea,” the sturdy dreamers answered, “To the death we follow Thee!”
Lord, we are able, our spirits are thine.
Remold them, make us, like Thee, divine.
Thy guiding radiance above us shall be
A beacon to God, to love and loyalty.