Skip to main content

My Apocalyptic Epiphany

But Jesus rebuked him, saying, 
“Be silent, and come out of him!” 
And the unclean spirit, 
convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, 
came out of him." 
I understand “Apocalypse” to mean:

A. God destroying the powers of evil and raising the righteous to life in God’s kingdom.

B. an event involving destruction or damage on an awesome or catastrophic scale, such as 911

My struggle begins with a mini-apocalypse as Jesus’ identity is revealed with the heavens torn open, the Spirit driving Jesus into a desert, being tempted by Satan, accompanied by servant angels, and wild beasts.

This is a scene of gigantic spiritual threats.

From his desert experience, Jesus preaches the apocalyptic idea of God’s Kingdom which is the core of Mark’s gospel 1:15: “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”.

After preaching Jesus calls four fishermen who immediately leave their nets and follow him.

My apocalyptic struggle continues with Jesus’ exorcism in a synagogue where he commands and casts out a demon from a man.

This exorcism identifies Jesus’ purpose and power of destroying evil as the Holy one of God”.

My apocalyptic epiphany begins by asking what does this have to do with us as we face broken or demonic systems today?

A beginning epiphany, suggested by a biblical scholar, is to focus on steadfast resistance as we confront the demons around us in the light of Jesus divine authority.

A second epiphany is that by focusing on the cross and our discipleship, an apocalypse means naming the world’s pain and suffering along with its promise of correction.

A final epiphany is that Jesus is on his own steadfast way to the cross and that the exorcism in the Synagogue is for real people, spoken by Jesus.

Think about it: How does Jesus’ divine authority help us reflect on the nature of today’s broken or demonic systems (Mark 1:22, 27)
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Every Christian's Journey

"When he was at the table with them,  he took bread, blessed and broke it,  and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened,  and they recognized him." Luke 24:31,32a To me there there all kinds of road trips. They all have similarities such as destinations and travel experiences. Years ago Elaine and I took a camping trip out West. We drove Utah's Route 12 between Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon National Parks. This part of the road trip meant enjoying God's beautiful creation. One of the experiences we still laugh about was the constant daily lunch menu of PB&J sandwiches. Luke's major theme is traveling the Way. In the gospel, Jesus travel TO Jerusalem. In Luke's Acts, the disciples travel FROM Jerusalem proclaiming the Word Empowered by the Spirit. On the Emmaus road trip from Jerusalem, two disciples, probably Cleopas and his wife, experience a stranger's presence. The stranger reveals himself as Jesus by explaining what was said about him in the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hope in Unexpected Twists and Turns

Hawk's Nest Overview "  Now on that same day  two of disciples were going to a  village called Emmaus,  about seven miles [  from Jerusalem,  and talking with each other  about all these things that had h9appened."  (from   Luke 24:13-35 ) The Hawk’s Nest is a scenic, cliff-hanging stretch of NY State Route 97 offering dramatic views of the Delaware River.   Originally a one-lane dirt road built in 1859, it is known for bald eagle sighting, scenic overlook, and its twists and turns.   "Just as the Hawk’s Nest Road winds unpredictably, so too do our days.   For example, one day started off unpredictably, with the electrician arriving at 7:30, followed by the plumber at 8:30, and then a sincere thank you note delivered in person at 9.   "Our current polarized society creates complex, unexpected twists and turns that are difficult to navigate." The Emmaus Road story is one of hope in times of twists and tu...
Post a Comment
Read more

Traveling by Faith

 Now faith is the assurance  of things hoped for,  the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 No, I'm not still stuck on I-81 hoping to be on my way as soon as possible. A tow truck big enough to haul a tractor-trailer rushed past on the shoulder followed by a VDot pick-up. I had faith that somehow the road would be cleared or traffic detoured around the crash. Slowly, we came to an off ramp, were directed up it, across a main street and down a ramp onto I-81. We we on the road again. This, of course, is a shallow understanding of Hebrews 11:1.  For me, hope is in found in God's Word as I look at what is, could be, and should be as I head toward the "Highway of Holiness" to be among the righteous who walk on it. The author of Hebrews describes faith as assurance and conviction. Faith is trusting God. For example: By faith Abraham, was called to go somewhere to receive his inheritance. He obeyed and went, not knowing the destination. Faith is walking with ...
Post a Comment
Read more