Mark (Program #44) – The Resurrection and Ascension of the Slave-Savior and His Universal Spreading of the Gospel Through His Disciples

Chapter 16, the final chapter of Mark’s gospel presents three tremendous events in the ministry of Jesus Christ.  First it reveals His resurrection then His ascension for His exaltation and finally the spreading of His gospel to all the creation. All of these matters are important to genuine believers as they relate to the truth of the divine revelation. But they also should be very real aspects of our experience of the marvelous salvation that we have received. But that leads us to a very important question, How can we experience Christ in the reality of His resurrection and how can we experience the exalted and ascended Christ?  Well, this chapter gives us some very helpful signs from some of the Lord’s followers who were living in the reality of Christ in His crucifixion and therefore we are also able to experience Him in His resurrection.

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Exodus (Program #92) – The Lampstand (1)

To be sure the Old Testament book of Exodus is full of clear pictures that represent aspects of our own experience of Christ.  Among the most striking of these pictures are the furnishings in the tabernacle.  The most mysterious of these, without question is the golden lampstand in the Holy Place because this item typifies the expression of the very Triune God Himself.

Today we take our first look at the third piece of furniture in the tabernacle, the lampstand.  The lampstand appears in other passages of the Scriptures.  Many are familiar with some of the New Testament verses referring to Christ and the believers as the light of the world.  But the lampstand in  Scripture is even more meaningful and mysterious than simply Christ being the light of the world.

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Exodus (Program #91) – The Table of the Bread of the Presence (2)

The record given in Exodus concerning the tabernacle and its furnishing is very interesting.  The details regarding their construction can seem tedious maybe even worrisome to read through.  But with just a little spiritual insight, how marvelous and full of meaning they become, even in our own daily experience and enjoyment of Christ.   Stay with us for today’s life study of the Bible with Witness Lee, as we get more life from God’s word from the book of Exodus.

We began to look at the second piece of furniture in the tabernacle, which was a table, a very special table.  The first piece of furniture was also a table, the Ark of the Testimony.  Today we are talking about the second table.  This table is the Showbread Table.  It was one of the two things in the Holy Place…

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Mark (Program #43) – The Death and Resurrection of the Slave-Savior for the Accomplishment of God’s Redemption (5)

The account of the resurrection is unique in each of the four gospels. Each one brings its’ own prospective and emphasis to this greatest of all event.  The account in Mark is typically uncomplicated but deeply and profoundly touching.

Here are the first 11 verses from Mark chapter 16:

“And when the Sabbath was past, Mary the Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might come and anoint Him.
And very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb as the sun rose.
And they said to one another, Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?
And when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, for it was extremely large.
And when they entered into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right, clothed in a white robe, and they were alarmed.
And he said to them, Do not be alarmed. You are seeking Jesus the Nazarene, who has been crucified. He has been raised; He is not here. Behold the place where they laid Him.
But go, tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you into Galilee. There you will see Him, even as He told you.
And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Now after He had risen early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary the Magdalene, from whom He had cast out seven demons.
She went and reported to those who had been with Him, who were mourning and weeping.
And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.“

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Exodus (Program #90) – The Table of the Bread of the Presence (1)

If we were set out to build a house, it’s logical that we would begin with the plan for the actual structure itself.  After the building was up, we then set about to furnish it.  But in Exodus as God revealed the plan for His house to His people.  Surprisingly He begins with the furnishings first.  Is it just a meaningless detail?   is anything in the divine revelation meaningless?

Yesterday we had a very good conclusion to our series of programs dealing with the Ark of the Testimony.  Today we come back to look at the second article or item of furniture in the tabernacle that is the Table of the Bread of the Presence.  I think in the King James it is referred to as the Showbread Table and some of our listeners may know it by that name.

Mark (Program #42) – The Death and Resurrection of the Slave-Savior for the Accomplishment of God’s Redemption (4)

As Jesus was hanging there on the cross for six agonizing hours bearing the reproach of man and the judgment of God, He did so as a genuine man. Yes, He was unique among all mankind in that He was without sin even of Himself, but His humanity was the same as ours in every other way.

Yet at the same time He was also God and despite the fact that for the final three hours of His suffering, God as the economical Spirit had to forsake Him, while He took upon Himself the sins and transgressions of every man.

Yet intrinsically and essentially He was and still is God.  This is Christ Jesus, the Lord our Savior. The immortal Who put on mortality.  And this mysterious and marvelous God Man died a death that accomplish what no other death could ever accomplished.

His death accomplish far more than just the forgiveness of sins as we will see today. And in addition to dealing with all the negative things, His death also release the divine life to create the New Man, the New Creation and ultimately to bring in the kingdom of God.

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Mark (Program #41) – The Death and Resurrection of the Slave-Savior for the Accomplishment of God’s Redemption (3)

On the day of His crucifixion, the Lord Jesus Christ hung on the cross for six hours, from nine in the morning until three in the afternoon.  During the first three hours, He suffered mocking, slander and humiliation at the hands of all manner of men even though He was dying to redeem.

But beginning at twelve noon something remarkable happen and is recorded in Mark chapter 15 verses 33-34, “And when the sixth hour came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is interpreted, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

During the final three hours of His time on the cross, the Lord Jesus was no longer been judged by evil mankind. He had taken upon Himself the sins of mankind to such an extend that God the Father even had to turn away from His beloved Son in righteous judgment, as Christ offered up Himself, an eternal sacrifice for all.

As believers we cherish this story and never tired of hearing it. But beyond this message of redemption and hope, this story also bears consideration for what it says about the inner relationship of the three divine persons in the Godhead.

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Exodus (Program #89) – The Ark of the Testimony (6)

Christ, through His blood solves our problem with God.  The Bible calls this propitiation, a big word.  It may sound daunting, but it’s a most wonderful word when we get into all that it means for us.  Another related word speaks of the place of propitiation.  This is the place where God meets and speaks with man.  This place in the Old Testament was the Ark of the Testimony.  But to find this place today where we can meet with God and hear God’s speaking is the most blessed discovery for His people.   Don’t miss our final program on the Ark of the Testimony on today’s life study of the Bible.

Today’s word is somewhat of an overview or summary.  The Ark was, as we’ve discussed,  a piece of furniture.  Actually, the most important or preeminent item in the tabernacle.  As we’ve seen, basically it was a box.  A box made of a particular kind of wood, acacia wood and this box was overlaid within and without with gold.  We’ve much impressed that these materials hold a great deal of significance as we see the Ark is a type of Christ.  For just as Christ has two natures, human and divine, these materials represents these two natures.

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Mark (Program #40) – The Death and Resurrection of the Slave-Savior for the Accomplishment of God’s Redemption (2)

Each of the four gospels in the New Testament gives us a detail account of the crucifixion of Christ.

The account in Mark chapter 15 gives us a vivid picture of the persecution that He suffered at the hands of the religious leaders as well as the judgment that He endured on our behalf by the righteous hand of God the Father.

Begin reading in Mark chapter 15 : 16-28

“And the soldiers led Him away within the courtyard, that is, the praetorium, and called together the whole ccohort.
And they clothed Him in purple and wove a thorny crown and put it around His head.
And they began to salute Him: Rejoice, King of the Jews!
And they beat His head with a reed and spat at Him. And kneeling down, they bowed before Him.
And when they had mocked Him, they stripped Him of the purple and put His garments on Him. And they bled Him out to crucify Him.
And they compelled a certain passerby coming from the country, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to take up His cross.
And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is interpreted, the Place of a Skull.
And they tried to give Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He did not take it.
And they crucified Him and divided His garments, casting lots for them to see what each should take.
Now it was the third hour and they crucified Him.
And there was an inscription of the charge against Him inscribed: The King Of The JEWS.
And with Him they crucified two robbers, one on His right and one on His left.
And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, a”And He was counted with the lawless.‘”

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Exodus (Program #88) – The Ark of the Testimony (5)

God has a longing.  This might sound quite strange to our ears, but nonetheless, it’s the case.  His longing is to interact even to fellowship with man.  But how can man, saturated with sins enter into a sweet fellowship with the righteous and holy God?  For this man needs a way and man needs a place.   The way and the place for man to contact God are the focus of today’s life study of the Bible.

In the center of the tabernacle, the Ark of the Testimony resided with the 3 very significant items inside that we’ve covered.  These items are good material for bible school and Sunday school lessons and we’ve seen much rich details related to these 3 items.  To see the cover, the propitiation cover is so tremendous in terms of helping us entering into a deeper and more consistent regular experience of Christ.  Why is this cover such a meaningful item for us to focus on?

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