In this passage, Paul returns to the idea of "gospel freedom," an idea that will dominate for the next several sections of the letter. This story, from the Old Testament book of Genesis, seems a little odd and mysterious at first. But it makes a profound point about the nature of gospel freedom, and the implications for our lives.
This passage deals with Paul's perplexity over the situation of his beloved Galatians. But the heart displayed here is not just the heart of a pastor for his flock, but the heart of a loving God for his dear children.
All people, regardless of how religious or spiritual they may or may not consider themselves, experience a longing for something beyond this world. We may use different language to express it, but we all yearn for the experience of God. Not just to know about God, but to actually have a personal, intimate, and transformational relationship with God. This passage helps us to understand why we need it, what it is, and how we can actually find it.
Inclusion and diversity are some of our culture's most highly prized values. But 2,000 years before this contemporary emphasis, the Bible was already addressing it. This passage helps us understand how the gospel addresses the many "lines of distinction" our world sets up: racial lines, class lines, gender lines, etc. As we explore it, we see how the gospel both affirms our yearning for diversity, and offers a solution that goes infinitely farther than any solution humanity has been able to produce.
If the gospel is that God gives us the status of perfect righteousness, not based on our performance but simply because of his loving mercy to us in Jesus Christ, then why did God give the Law? This question has sparked massive debate within the church for the last 2000 years. Some believed that because God gave the Law, there must be something they must do to contribute to their salvation. Others have mistakenly thought that if salvation is based on grace, then it really doesn't matter how we live. But Paul argues in this passage the the Law of God is not the means of salvation, nor opposed to salvation, but a light that guides us to salvation.
It's easy to think of our late-modern age as one of progress, freedom, liberation, and wellbeing. But anxiety, dread, self-condemnation, and fears of the "apocalypse" are just as prevalent, if not more so, than they were in ancient societies. Our secular society has gotten rid of God, but it has not gotten rid of the "curse." The Bible speaks just as powerfully to our age as it has to ages past. And this passage in particular helps us to makes sense of, and find healing for, one of the most persistent and debilitating problems of our time. What is the curse, and what is the cure? Tune in and find out.
Even though we live in a society that is increasingly secularized, and that sees God as playing no meaningful role in our public life together, we remain just as spiritually thirsty as ever. One of the biggest yearnings of humanity is for an experience of God's presence and power. In this passage, the apostle Paul shows us not just how you begin the spiritual life, but how you grow spiritually as well. And, perhaps counter-intuitively, he shows us that the same principle is operative in both. The way you get in is the way you grow up.
There is maybe no question more central to who we are, or more contested in our society, than the question of identity. What is it? Where do you get it? Why is it so important? This is something that affects us at the most intimate, and personal level. And it is also something that is having a dramatic affect on our society. In this passage, Paul introduces the concept of "justification." As we'll see, this is not some dry, lifeless theological concept. It is at the center of what it means to have an identity.
Racism is one of the biggest, and earliest, issues the church has had to deal with. From its earliest days, the gospel has been at the forefront of confronting and mending the world's thorniest and ugliest social issues. In this passage, the apostle Paul shows us how the gospel actually changes our lives to root out racial, cultural, and social division. But along the way, we see how the gospel is able to do that because of its unique power to address and heal the deepest underlying dynamics and motivations of the human heart.
"Freedom" is on of the most influential and cherished values in our society, whether in terms of social justice, politics, culture, or individual flourishing. Many people would say that Christianity (or any religion) actually erodes personal and social freedom. But in this passage, the apostle Paul shows us a freedom that goes beyond anything our society could ever offer, and makes the gospel the most unique and transformative power in the world.
Galatians is all about one big question: What is the gospel? The trouble is, that's a contested question in our culture. Getting the truth about something is a tricky endeavor in our society. Many feel that it's difficult, if not impossible to access objective reality. But that's why the Bible, and Galatians in particular, is so helpful and so unique. This week, the apostle Paul offers us both an historically objective basis for the truth of the gospel, as well as a personally subjective experience of the gospel.
In our late modern culture, truth claims about God are automatically suspect. We are much more comfortable saying that there are multiple truths, and therefore multiple ways to connect to God. But in this passage, not only does the apostle Paul show us the impossibility of that, he dramatizes for us the radical nature of the gospel that shows us not just how to connect to God, but how that connection can bring us the love, comfort, and security our hearts long for.
Paul's letter to the Galatians is one of the most important books in the Bible. At stake is the very definition of the gospel itself. What is the gospel? What does it mean to be a Christian? Do you need to believe in all that supernatural and doctrinal stuff? Or is it enough to simply follow the ethical teachings of Jesus? Throughout the letter, Paul answers these, and many more, questions. In these first 5 verses, he lays out the two main themes that will dominate the rest of the letter. And if we hear what he's saying here, we can lay hold of the explosive power of the gospel for ourselves.
It's common in our modern, scientific age to think of the resurrection as nothing more than a wonderful symbol of hope and renewal. The problem is, our deepest longings are for more than just a symbol of love, justice, goodness, beauty, and truth. We long for the real thing! We want more than just a metaphor or symbol. We want a truly healed world. Amazingly, if we learn to understand what the resurrection really means, we can actually find it. This passage shows us how.
For the first time in the gospel of Mark, Jesus is in this passage called "the King of the Jews." It's no coincidence that this title is used during his encounter with Pilate, the Roman governor. This story gives us a fascinating window into the relationship between Jesus and politics. If you want a better understanding of just how Christianity relates to the world at large and politics specifically, this is one of the best places to look.
What does it mean to live a life of integrity and internal coherence? How do you stand up for truth and justice, especially when it is costly? Even more than that, how do you stand in allegiance to Jesus when it is costly? In this passage, we see that both Jesus and Peter are on trial. Their different responses teach us valuable lessons about where we find the resources to become the people we know we should be.
What do you do when there’s a conflict between something you really want and something God commands you to do? Or, if you’re not a Christian, but you’re investigating it, what do you do when you’re exploring the claims of Christ and you encounter something that challenges the way you want to live or something you believe? This passage has a lot to show us about that, because that is exactly what Jesus wrestles with in this agony in the garden.
In the weeks leading up to Easter, we're looking at the events leading up to Jesus' death from the gospel of Mark. Each week we're seeing how each one of these events shows us something about how Jesus is not just our example, he's our substitute. This week we look at the institution of the Lord's Supper. It's easy to think of this as a mere ritual, a sentimental ceremony that Jesus gives us to remember him by, but with little deeper significance or impact on our lives. In reality, Jesus is giving us a profound and life-changing understanding of his death, and a practice that has lasting power to change us if we take it deeper into our lives.
The "cleansing of the temple" is one of the most famous episodes in the life of Jesus. Popularly, it gives us an image of Jesus the "radical." Indeed, he's being very radical here. But not in the way we might initially think. Especially when viewed side by side with the story of the fig tree, this passage shows us something incredibly important about the deepest needs of our heart, and how Jesus moves powerfully and sacrificially to provide that need.
If you ask people the question, "Why did Jesus die?" you'll get many different answers. Especially in our culture, it's common for people to think of Jesus' death on the cross as an example of sacrificial love. But to see it as a substitutionary sacrifice for sin on our behalf is increasingly rejected. But what did Jesus himself think about his death? Is it possible to find out? In this passage, and for the rest of the gospel of Mark, we will take a look at what Jesus said and taught about his death, and see how he was not just our example, but our substitute.