The Son of Man
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15. ‘The Son of Man’
15."사람의 아들"
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June 2001
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Mark 15:39
And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”
마가 15장39절
예수를 향하여 섰던 백부장이 그렇게 운명하심을 보고 가로되 이 사람은 진실로 하나님의 아들이었도다 하더라
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At the sun rising in the east, when my mother gave birth to me, a cute baby’s life of mine began.
At the age of 12, when I counted stars with morning stars of my eyes, how happy I was full of dream.
In 20 something days, when I knew coffee and sought romance, love began to find me....
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This song lines is part of the popular song ‘My 20 Years’ sung by the singer Jang Gyehyeon in the middle of 1970s.
For most people, the memories of their child days tend to be remembered beautifully. They run and play innocently here and there, time just passing by. Before they are aware, to them come 20 something days where the words like coffee and romance are often on their tongues. On common occasions, the age of 20 in the eye of adults is seen as the ‘generation of rebellion’ with many suspicious parts yet, who are clumsy, unheeding, and dashing this way and rushing that.
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While the world which a 20-year-old looks at is complex with ‘contradiction and hypocrisy,’ it is in the 20 something days that they were so armed with ‘dream and passion’ that even if in their own fantasies they had all their bodies staggering out of the emotion that there might be suddenly a great deal of things to do for them if only they took the plunge into the world of contradiction and hypocrisy.
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While the world which a 20-year-old looks at is complex with ‘contradiction and hypocrisy,’ it is in the 20 something days that they were so armed with ‘dream and passion’ that even if in their own fantasies they had all their bodies staggering out of the emotion that there might be suddenly a great deal of things to do for them if only they took the plunge into the world of contradiction and hypocrisy.
By the time when this 20-year-old age turns into 40, while there are a lot who control the world, stand out in the world and keep step with the world, yet there are many people live day by day fixing their droopy shoulders in the middle of being trampled in the world, being detained by the world, and crying, irritated and turning away from the world...after being deceived by the world.
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By the time of 40 who as good as lived twice of 20-year-old age which was passionate and dreamy, he or she gets to realize that the world and life are rather not easy to deal with to live in 20-year-old dream passion romance and desire alone. The more suppressed by the world one is in their lives, the more repetitively they say on their tongues, how hard and exhausting their livings are!
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Like the lyrics, ‘You, my cold-hearted love, in this lamentable world...(Korean Folk Song, Some 500 Years),’ by the time when one reaches the twilight years of 70 or 80 even amidst the world life contained full of sadness and full of things to say as every individual under the circumstances where each person’s life is varicolored, he or she finds themselves being left alone as an entity who has to stand evenly and equally like anybody before the death door.
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Please listen to what the Bible writer said about how vain time and tide are!
It reminds us of how hopeless the man under time is!
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Psalm 90:9~10
9. All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan.
10. The length of our days is seventy years-- or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
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By the time of 40 who as good as lived twice of 20-year-old age which was passionate and dreamy, he or she gets to realize that the world and life are rather not easy to deal with to live in 20-year-old dream passion romance and desire alone. The more suppressed by the world one is in their lives, the more repetitively they say on their tongues, how hard and exhausting their livings are!
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Like the lyrics, ‘You, my cold-hearted love, in this lamentable world...(Korean Folk Song, Some 500 Years),’ by the time when one reaches the twilight years of 70 or 80 even amidst the world life contained full of sadness and full of things to say as every individual under the circumstances where each person’s life is varicolored, he or she finds themselves being left alone as an entity who has to stand evenly and equally like anybody before the death door.
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Please listen to what the Bible writer said about how vain time and tide are!
It reminds us of how hopeless the man under time is!
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Psalm 90:9~10
9. All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan.
10. The length of our days is seventy years-- or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
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Genesis 47:9
And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers." (Meaning, Although my years gone by are rather few as compared with the years in which my ancestors wandered around the world, yet I have spent my life that was rough and stormy.)
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Most people grow up at first in as warm-hearted care as anybody else in the world within the wombs of their mothers. After birth, they grow up in all kinds of care and concern lest they should get cold, heat, illness or things like those.
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Few and far between, there are appalling hard lucks who were deserted at the birth, but most people begin their first stage of earthly life in a ‘king-like reception,’ regardless of ignorant or intelligent from their well-educated parents, wealthy or poor, aristocratic or slave, or anybody.
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However, the longer and longer years are added to one’s life, the more and more he gets to know the meanings between ‘difference’ and ‘discrimination’ and the more and more serious the discrimination according to the difference also gets, which fact he gets to experience in the body numerously. It means, the more one feels that ‘discrimination’ gets more serious in his life, the more afflicted his life in the world gets.
And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty. My years have been few and difficult, and they do not equal the years of the pilgrimage of my fathers." (Meaning, Although my years gone by are rather few as compared with the years in which my ancestors wandered around the world, yet I have spent my life that was rough and stormy.)
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Most people grow up at first in as warm-hearted care as anybody else in the world within the wombs of their mothers. After birth, they grow up in all kinds of care and concern lest they should get cold, heat, illness or things like those.
.
Few and far between, there are appalling hard lucks who were deserted at the birth, but most people begin their first stage of earthly life in a ‘king-like reception,’ regardless of ignorant or intelligent from their well-educated parents, wealthy or poor, aristocratic or slave, or anybody.
.
However, the longer and longer years are added to one’s life, the more and more he gets to know the meanings between ‘difference’ and ‘discrimination’ and the more and more serious the discrimination according to the difference also gets, which fact he gets to experience in the body numerously. It means, the more one feels that ‘discrimination’ gets more serious in his life, the more afflicted his life in the world gets.
That is, the life becomes the one in which the following plaintive lyrics spontaneously come up in his throat, the lyrics of the song Some 500 Years ‘...in this lamentable world....’ This way, the beginning may start easily, but there are many things around us in which, the more time goes by, the harder and tougher it gets.
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Such way is our faith in God whom we confess ‘his being our Lord’ to and whom we believe in, and such is our religious life in church. Even in the case of the people who at first started their faith by realizing God’s grace in the words of Matthew 11: 29~30, “...for my yoke is easy and my burden is light,” they may get dismayed or have self-rationalization by thinking “Doing this much might be still enough,” as time goes by, if they reach the words of Mark 8:34 “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
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Often, the people who set foot in the churches for the first time in their misunderstanding ‘faith-confessing act’ in which they receive Jesus as a way of enhancing the effect of evangelism in church as if through it they’ve gotten handily a ‘shortcut to prosperity in everything’ or a ‘universal remedy of cure-all,’ they keep engagement to their churches in the attractions of the sermons full of fortune-oriented promises and achievements and the sermons of consolation like Isaiah 53:4, ‘Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows.’
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However, they get to be hesitant by the time reaching Mark 8:34, “You must deny yourself and take up his cross and follow me.” This part of text requires their own concrete resolutions as a task of faith life, of course instead of blessing or consolation which are easily accessible in their churches or sermons. It is the line that requires each person’s own resolution, in subsequence to repentance and thanksgiving,
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The word ‘follow’ is one of the most suitable for explaining discipleship of Jesus, and occurs about 90 times in the New Testament. Jesus called his disciples ‘fishers of men (Mark 1:17).’ A various characters gathered together for a certain cause. They gathered for participating in ‘God’s Kingdom movement.’
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Such way is our faith in God whom we confess ‘his being our Lord’ to and whom we believe in, and such is our religious life in church. Even in the case of the people who at first started their faith by realizing God’s grace in the words of Matthew 11: 29~30, “...for my yoke is easy and my burden is light,” they may get dismayed or have self-rationalization by thinking “Doing this much might be still enough,” as time goes by, if they reach the words of Mark 8:34 “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
.
Often, the people who set foot in the churches for the first time in their misunderstanding ‘faith-confessing act’ in which they receive Jesus as a way of enhancing the effect of evangelism in church as if through it they’ve gotten handily a ‘shortcut to prosperity in everything’ or a ‘universal remedy of cure-all,’ they keep engagement to their churches in the attractions of the sermons full of fortune-oriented promises and achievements and the sermons of consolation like Isaiah 53:4, ‘Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows.’
.
However, they get to be hesitant by the time reaching Mark 8:34, “You must deny yourself and take up his cross and follow me.” This part of text requires their own concrete resolutions as a task of faith life, of course instead of blessing or consolation which are easily accessible in their churches or sermons. It is the line that requires each person’s own resolution, in subsequence to repentance and thanksgiving,
.
The word ‘follow’ is one of the most suitable for explaining discipleship of Jesus, and occurs about 90 times in the New Testament. Jesus called his disciples ‘fishers of men (Mark 1:17).’ A various characters gathered together for a certain cause. They gathered for participating in ‘God’s Kingdom movement.’
But they had to put everything behind in order to follow Jesus. The disciples who had left everything behind lived for 3 years with Jesus in hearing what Jesus said, yet still there were often times where they didn’t even understand Jesus. It is that they didn’t understand ‘the Kingdom of God’ and ‘the Son of God,’ which Jesus proclaimed.
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Today with the text of the Gospel Scripture the Book of Mark, I should like us to be informed of ‘the Son of God,’ whom his disciples mistook.
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First, the disciples mistook Jesus for just a christ, or a messiah.
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The disciples didn’t understand their mentors rightly. Despite a great confession of his faith he confessed(Mark 8:29), Peter stood in his mentor’s way when he was referred to Jesus’ sufferings in Jerusalem. The words of Mark 8:32 ‘Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.’ has the meaning, ‘Peter gives a scolding to his mentor Jesus.’ It is that Peter misunderstood Jesus to the extent of a student reproaching his teacher.
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Other disciples too were similar to Peter. Even in the solemn and serious condition of Jesus stepping toward Jerusalem that awaits Jesus’ sufferings, James and John brings out how greedy they are for power, wishing for one on the right seat of the Lord and the other on the left seat when Jesus receives glory (Mark 10:35~37). Still other disciples indignant with James and John who had totally misunderstood the mentor’s way were not very different from James and John, either.
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Jesus was the person who preached ‘God’s Kingdom’ on the earth, taught, healed and derived away demons. Not only that, Jesus bestowed divine abilities upon them. In other words, Jesus’ disciples also were given the abilities to do the same jobs as Jesus himself did. In the same ways as Jesus did, they preached (Mark 6:12), taught (6:30), healed (6:13) and derived out demons (6:7).
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Today with the text of the Gospel Scripture the Book of Mark, I should like us to be informed of ‘the Son of God,’ whom his disciples mistook.
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First, the disciples mistook Jesus for just a christ, or a messiah.
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The disciples didn’t understand their mentors rightly. Despite a great confession of his faith he confessed(Mark 8:29), Peter stood in his mentor’s way when he was referred to Jesus’ sufferings in Jerusalem. The words of Mark 8:32 ‘Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.’ has the meaning, ‘Peter gives a scolding to his mentor Jesus.’ It is that Peter misunderstood Jesus to the extent of a student reproaching his teacher.
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Other disciples too were similar to Peter. Even in the solemn and serious condition of Jesus stepping toward Jerusalem that awaits Jesus’ sufferings, James and John brings out how greedy they are for power, wishing for one on the right seat of the Lord and the other on the left seat when Jesus receives glory (Mark 10:35~37). Still other disciples indignant with James and John who had totally misunderstood the mentor’s way were not very different from James and John, either.
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Jesus was the person who preached ‘God’s Kingdom’ on the earth, taught, healed and derived away demons. Not only that, Jesus bestowed divine abilities upon them. In other words, Jesus’ disciples also were given the abilities to do the same jobs as Jesus himself did. In the same ways as Jesus did, they preached (Mark 6:12), taught (6:30), healed (6:13) and derived out demons (6:7).
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In view of such activities of disciples, the confession by Peter in Mark 8:29, ‘My Lord is the Christ(Messiah)’ is the confession in which Peter confessed Jesus whom God acknowledged, Jesus the God’s divine power-bestowed God-man, and Jesus who preaches the Kingdom of God, teaches, heals, and derives out demons.
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That is, for them who had thought of only the Christ, it was too hard to understand that it is ‘God’s will’ for the Son of Man himself to suffer, be killed and come to life again as in Mark 8:31, and that Jesus enters Jerusalem so as to put them into action.
In view of such activities of disciples, the confession by Peter in Mark 8:29, ‘My Lord is the Christ(Messiah)’ is the confession in which Peter confessed Jesus whom God acknowledged, Jesus the God’s divine power-bestowed God-man, and Jesus who preaches the Kingdom of God, teaches, heals, and derives out demons.
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That is, for them who had thought of only the Christ, it was too hard to understand that it is ‘God’s will’ for the Son of Man himself to suffer, be killed and come to life again as in Mark 8:31, and that Jesus enters Jerusalem so as to put them into action.
The Jesus whom they have so far looked at is a very messianic one, a person of spiritual power (Mark 1:10), a person full of abilities, a person demons are amazed at, a person healing and delivering the people ill, suffering and weak, a person putting stormy waves to sleep, a person giving hungry people bread of miracle and so forth. Only such a person was what the disciples thought of, but they didn’t understand the Jesus who must proceed into sufferings and death.
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Distant from Peter and other disciples understanding Jesus as a ‘political king’ or a ‘divine human being,’ Jesus declared himself serving as ‘the Son of Man the Sufferer’ (8:31). The confession of Peter was not completely wrong. Just, it was a confession ‘not wrong’ but ‘insufficient.’ To put it in an easier way, he was right to about one half or one third.
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As a modern man too, it is easy to confess in their faith in the Lord that Jesus is a powerful person like Peter, James and John, a deliverer of the sick and the distressed and a bestower of all kinds of abilities and authority, but in front of Jesus Christ’s commandment that led to sufferings and death, or in front of the passage “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34), it is most cases that they hold their hands up in advance, or do so after trying some efforts to a degree.
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Glory without self-sacrifice had no place to be in Jesus’ teaching.
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Second, the disciples mistook Jesus for just a descendant of David.
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On the way of Jesus to Jerusalem together with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus a beggar sitting by the roadside continued to call Jesus ‘Son of David.’ As Bartimaeus very actively asked for mercy on him, Jesus accepted the request by making him receive his sight (see Mark 10:46~52).
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Distant from Peter and other disciples understanding Jesus as a ‘political king’ or a ‘divine human being,’ Jesus declared himself serving as ‘the Son of Man the Sufferer’ (8:31). The confession of Peter was not completely wrong. Just, it was a confession ‘not wrong’ but ‘insufficient.’ To put it in an easier way, he was right to about one half or one third.
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As a modern man too, it is easy to confess in their faith in the Lord that Jesus is a powerful person like Peter, James and John, a deliverer of the sick and the distressed and a bestower of all kinds of abilities and authority, but in front of Jesus Christ’s commandment that led to sufferings and death, or in front of the passage “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34), it is most cases that they hold their hands up in advance, or do so after trying some efforts to a degree.
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Glory without self-sacrifice had no place to be in Jesus’ teaching.
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Second, the disciples mistook Jesus for just a descendant of David.
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On the way of Jesus to Jerusalem together with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus a beggar sitting by the roadside continued to call Jesus ‘Son of David.’ As Bartimaeus very actively asked for mercy on him, Jesus accepted the request by making him receive his sight (see Mark 10:46~52).
In spite of many people interfering with him (like Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet ), Bartimaeus stopped Jesus and attained Jesus calling him, was let to say what he wanted and was rescued.
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Different from Peter’s confession, Bartimaeus asked for help shouting ‘Son of David.’ The phrase ‘Son of David’ Bartimaeus shouted asking for help is possible to understand when associating it with Zechariah 9:9, “See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
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The Jewish nation has lived in all kinds of troubles and hardships with its sovereignty deprived of. They have lived with eager anticipation for their Messiah. Even though now they are in being trampled on and suffering in other countries, yet in the end a certain Israel’s King from King David’s family line would certainly be born again and that king would put the nation of Israel back to restoration. This is the ideology of Messianism.
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David’s descendants thought of him as a certain king who brings victory to Israel by destroying the enemy of hostile foreign countries for the sake of setting up an Israel. In the mind of Israelite people, he had been left as somebody who had a royal authority politically and militarily. Entrance into the castle Jerusalem prior to his sufferings and death, which they call the entrance of victory, ensues right after the event of Bartimaeus’ healing (Mark 11:1-10).
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The Jesus who was publically called ‘Son of David’ by Bartimaeus proceeded toward Jerusalem with power of this very title. Although Jesus entered as the King of Israel, Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels is introduced not so much a king who is of power as a person who has mercy on sufferers, heals and rescues.
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Jesus sends his disciples to get the ‘foal of donkey’ as the king as in Zechariah Chapter 9 who is righteous, gentle and having salvation.
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Old times, kings in Israel had a ‘royal right of order’ through which they could conscript their own need of animals.
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Different from Peter’s confession, Bartimaeus asked for help shouting ‘Son of David.’ The phrase ‘Son of David’ Bartimaeus shouted asking for help is possible to understand when associating it with Zechariah 9:9, “See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
.
The Jewish nation has lived in all kinds of troubles and hardships with its sovereignty deprived of. They have lived with eager anticipation for their Messiah. Even though now they are in being trampled on and suffering in other countries, yet in the end a certain Israel’s King from King David’s family line would certainly be born again and that king would put the nation of Israel back to restoration. This is the ideology of Messianism.
.
David’s descendants thought of him as a certain king who brings victory to Israel by destroying the enemy of hostile foreign countries for the sake of setting up an Israel. In the mind of Israelite people, he had been left as somebody who had a royal authority politically and militarily. Entrance into the castle Jerusalem prior to his sufferings and death, which they call the entrance of victory, ensues right after the event of Bartimaeus’ healing (Mark 11:1-10).
.
The Jesus who was publically called ‘Son of David’ by Bartimaeus proceeded toward Jerusalem with power of this very title. Although Jesus entered as the King of Israel, Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels is introduced not so much a king who is of power as a person who has mercy on sufferers, heals and rescues.
.
Jesus sends his disciples to get the ‘foal of donkey’ as the king as in Zechariah Chapter 9 who is righteous, gentle and having salvation.
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Old times, kings in Israel had a ‘royal right of order’ through which they could conscript their own need of animals.
If you readers look carefully at verses 2 and 3 of Mark, they have recording of the imperative sentences by Jesus Christ to his disciples, “Bring it here” and “Tell him that the Lord needs it.” These commanding styles were the language commanded only by kings from old. Just, ‘Jesus the Son of David’ recorded in the Gospels, in his exercising his royal right, uses not so much an imperial parade of magnificence as a royal representation of a king who has mercy on sufferers like the case of Bartimaeus, in other words, a king who is compassionate.
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Like Peter’s confession in 8:29 “You are the Christ,” the title ‘Son of David’ as well is well-suited to Jesus Christ. It is because Jesus is both David’s blood descendent and the ‘accomplisher’ of eschatological anticipation of the Son of David.
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For, in the process of such anticipation being achieved, Thy Kingdom will proceed to be done in healing and grace of redemption, different from Jewish race’s hope in their mind, that is, Messianism idea that the Son of David overwhelms the foreign countries in political and military collisions and restores the nation.
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The title the Son of David is also an ‘insufficient confession even though right’ like the title ‘Christ (or Messiah).’ For, the title the Son of David doesn’t contain the sufferings of Jesus.
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Third, the Son of God - the suffering on the cross
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Speaking of ‘the Son of God,’ its meaning is implied in the loud-speaking confession of the centurion who witnessed the event of Jesus on the cross, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39).
.
Like Peter’s confession in 8:29 “You are the Christ,” the title ‘Son of David’ as well is well-suited to Jesus Christ. It is because Jesus is both David’s blood descendent and the ‘accomplisher’ of eschatological anticipation of the Son of David.
.
For, in the process of such anticipation being achieved, Thy Kingdom will proceed to be done in healing and grace of redemption, different from Jewish race’s hope in their mind, that is, Messianism idea that the Son of David overwhelms the foreign countries in political and military collisions and restores the nation.
.
The title the Son of David is also an ‘insufficient confession even though right’ like the title ‘Christ (or Messiah).’ For, the title the Son of David doesn’t contain the sufferings of Jesus.
.
Third, the Son of God - the suffering on the cross
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Speaking of ‘the Son of God,’ its meaning is implied in the loud-speaking confession of the centurion who witnessed the event of Jesus on the cross, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39).
This loud speaking let us finally know of what the ‘role of Jesus’ is in the whole process of the ‘redemptive history’ God planned. It has the implication that ‘although he is rejected and killed on the cross, he will be raised from the dead by God and be given glory and honor.’
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Academic circles guess that the ‘execution on the cross’ started at the Persian Empire. Afterwards, it continued in the Greek and Roman Empires. This penalty was applied to mostly slaves and temple plunderers and runaway soldiers. It is said that especially the slave who rose in revolt was inflicted a cruel execution on the cross.
The persons who were executed on the cross died slowly away in great agony. The man-made custom which has humans die the most painfully is the very execution on the cross (see Mark 15:44).
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In Palestine, the execution on the cross was a penalty afflicted upon rioters.
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The Jewish race in Jesus’ times was full of the idea that ‘the Messiah the Son of David would make his advent and set the oppressed Israelites free.’ Yet it was the situation where, no matter how they had awaited, the Messiah didn’t show up. They has been in the belief that ‘the Messiah’ or ‘the Son of David’ in their anticipation of coming would solve the problems that were political, economic and religious.
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The disciples also were a part of such Jewish people. Due to this, Jesus’ best disciple Peter turned his back on Jesus 3 times saying he didn’t know him, right before Jesus was hung on the cross, and ‘everyone of disciples deserted him and fled’ according to the recording of Mark 14:50. We can see that the persons who betrayed Jesus were not only Jude and Peter but also all the disciples. Frightened, the disciples turned their backs on and betrayed Jesus at the most critical moment of crisis.
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The day of being executed on the cross has on-and-off audible moaning and screaming of Jesus who is in only anguish in the middle of complete darkness where nothing is seen. ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? (Mark 15:34)’ meaning the passage outcried in anguish by Psalm writer, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Psalm 22:1~)” was flowing out of also the mouth of Jesus.
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If all people betray and disregard, and if there have been God’s consolation and recognition, then he could have been comforted for those pains and anguish. However, even the consolation wasn’t present in the suffering on the cross. Letting out even the blood-spurting screams “Why are you so far from helping me, so far from the words of my groaning? (see Psalm 22:1)” was the last scene of Jesus on the cross.
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Still in silence, God was realizing God’s will just as it was, or God’s plan to save the whole human race by letting his only-begotten son die. Jesus himself became a human being, participated in humans’ pain and sufferings (Philippians 2:5~11), and was hung on the cross to replace the burdens of sins. In return for the screams in extreme anguish, Jesus saved human beings and initiated them into eternal life.
.
.
Academic circles guess that the ‘execution on the cross’ started at the Persian Empire. Afterwards, it continued in the Greek and Roman Empires. This penalty was applied to mostly slaves and temple plunderers and runaway soldiers. It is said that especially the slave who rose in revolt was inflicted a cruel execution on the cross.
The persons who were executed on the cross died slowly away in great agony. The man-made custom which has humans die the most painfully is the very execution on the cross (see Mark 15:44).
.
In Palestine, the execution on the cross was a penalty afflicted upon rioters.
.
The Jewish race in Jesus’ times was full of the idea that ‘the Messiah the Son of David would make his advent and set the oppressed Israelites free.’ Yet it was the situation where, no matter how they had awaited, the Messiah didn’t show up. They has been in the belief that ‘the Messiah’ or ‘the Son of David’ in their anticipation of coming would solve the problems that were political, economic and religious.
.
The disciples also were a part of such Jewish people. Due to this, Jesus’ best disciple Peter turned his back on Jesus 3 times saying he didn’t know him, right before Jesus was hung on the cross, and ‘everyone of disciples deserted him and fled’ according to the recording of Mark 14:50. We can see that the persons who betrayed Jesus were not only Jude and Peter but also all the disciples. Frightened, the disciples turned their backs on and betrayed Jesus at the most critical moment of crisis.
.
The day of being executed on the cross has on-and-off audible moaning and screaming of Jesus who is in only anguish in the middle of complete darkness where nothing is seen. ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? (Mark 15:34)’ meaning the passage outcried in anguish by Psalm writer, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Psalm 22:1~)” was flowing out of also the mouth of Jesus.
.
If all people betray and disregard, and if there have been God’s consolation and recognition, then he could have been comforted for those pains and anguish. However, even the consolation wasn’t present in the suffering on the cross. Letting out even the blood-spurting screams “Why are you so far from helping me, so far from the words of my groaning? (see Psalm 22:1)” was the last scene of Jesus on the cross.
.
Still in silence, God was realizing God’s will just as it was, or God’s plan to save the whole human race by letting his only-begotten son die. Jesus himself became a human being, participated in humans’ pain and sufferings (Philippians 2:5~11), and was hung on the cross to replace the burdens of sins. In return for the screams in extreme anguish, Jesus saved human beings and initiated them into eternal life.
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Out from endurance of cruel abuse and his own death came the power to save the world. Understanding Jesus’ numerous sufferings and anguish like sweats turning into blood, the disciples and the early church finally came to comprehend that Jesus’ death execution on the cross is an inevitability. At length, Jesus Christ was confessed by believers to his being a righteous person who suffered (see Isaiah 53) and the Messiah (see Mark 15:39 and Luke 23:47).
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I will conclude:
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It seems that the disciples and the early church have been in great agony before confessing to Jesus hung on the cross being the Messiah whom they had so eagerly anticipated.
I will conclude:
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It seems that the disciples and the early church have been in great agony before confessing to Jesus hung on the cross being the Messiah whom they had so eagerly anticipated.
It is because, in the context of the Old Testament having been always read, they had remembered him to be the Messiah strong and bringing victory, not the Messiah suffering.
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As the disciples in the early church misunderstood, so we in modern times look at Jesus with misunderstanding eyes. Our seeing eyes and receiving breast as well accept only the half part of Jesus, just as Peter and other disciples turned their faces away from ‘the Son of God who was suffering’ but understood him only as ‘a political king,’ or ‘a divine man.’
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As the disciples in the early church misunderstood, so we in modern times look at Jesus with misunderstanding eyes. Our seeing eyes and receiving breast as well accept only the half part of Jesus, just as Peter and other disciples turned their faces away from ‘the Son of God who was suffering’ but understood him only as ‘a political king,’ or ‘a divine man.’
People fill their minds with only the ‘theology of glory’ in which they concentrate mostly upon proclaiming God’s Kingdom, healing, exorcising demons and having all kinds of abilities. It is hard that the ‘theology of the cross and sufferings’ in which Jesus must suffer and die on the cross as in Mark 8:31 gets a foot in.
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We are members of the church community who confess to Jesus’ being our ‘Lord.’
To look at Luke 9:57~62, there is the saying of Jesus to the disciples, “... but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Although the saying is given to us “Deny yourself, and take up your cross daily and follow me,” this commandment is so much so hard for us to accept. Nonetheless, this commandment is none other than our Lord’s command so that we must fight endless fights with us ourselves.
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Life is wearisome.
Especially, the life as a disciple of our Lord has a stronger possibility of a continuity of weariness. Please let us remember that, only after we get accustomed to such weariness, there comes the birth of a disciple who can make the ‘rightful and sufficient confession’ “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mark 8:29, Matthew 16:16 and Luke 9:20).
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We are members of the church community who confess to Jesus’ being our ‘Lord.’
To look at Luke 9:57~62, there is the saying of Jesus to the disciples, “... but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Although the saying is given to us “Deny yourself, and take up your cross daily and follow me,” this commandment is so much so hard for us to accept. Nonetheless, this commandment is none other than our Lord’s command so that we must fight endless fights with us ourselves.
.
Life is wearisome.
Especially, the life as a disciple of our Lord has a stronger possibility of a continuity of weariness. Please let us remember that, only after we get accustomed to such weariness, there comes the birth of a disciple who can make the ‘rightful and sufficient confession’ “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mark 8:29, Matthew 16:16 and Luke 9:20).
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Be you yourself who can reach such confession!
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Later on, I add.
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For the persons here, you yourself and numerous other Christians else as well, the commandment “Deny yourself and follow me” is one so much to accept in the living. Regardless of the positions in the churches, only the person who has the ears that can attend to this saying and the heart that can contain it can conform themselves to this holy message.
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The moment stepping out of the pulpit, a minister too is no more than a member of the Kingdom of God. The person who wants a deep relationship with God regardless of layman or deacon or presbyter or minister or any position in the church may or may not have a deep relationship with God, according to ‘their own choice’
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May you be a person who has a deep relationship with God.
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Later on, I add.
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For the persons here, you yourself and numerous other Christians else as well, the commandment “Deny yourself and follow me” is one so much to accept in the living. Regardless of the positions in the churches, only the person who has the ears that can attend to this saying and the heart that can contain it can conform themselves to this holy message.
.
The moment stepping out of the pulpit, a minister too is no more than a member of the Kingdom of God. The person who wants a deep relationship with God regardless of layman or deacon or presbyter or minister or any position in the church may or may not have a deep relationship with God, according to ‘their own choice’
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May you be a person who has a deep relationship with God.
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Welcome visitors to My personal homepage,
http://www.mryoum.com/skin_youm_html/ .....
http://www.mryoum.com/skin_youm_html/ .....
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posted by Minister Youm @ 7:20 PM
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