Christ's Credentials

Don’t Tell Me What to Do!

We do NOT like it when somebody tells us what to do. Not one bit.

Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, is gonna boss me around. I’ll do what I want, when I want, how I want, and where I want. 

Don’t Tread on Me

That’s pretty much the way most of us think, especially here in the good ol’ US of A, the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave. And if you don’t believe me, take a good long look at my “Don’t Tread on Me” bumper sticker.

Now let me get this on the table from Jump Street. I’m NOT opposed to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But when I think I’m the captain of my ship, I’m on a collision course with Almighty God. And it never ends well. Never. Ever.

Jewish Rulers

I invite you to sit back and let Mark tell us a little story about a group of guys who made this very same mistake (Mk 11:27-33). They’re “the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders” (v27). 

That’s one way of describing the folks who make up the Great Sanhedrin in Jesus’ day. That’s just a fancy word for the rulers of the Jewish people. These are 71 men who function kinda like a combo of our Supreme Court, Congress, and President, all rolled into one.

The Hebrew Home Office

They’re Hebrew home office in Jerusalem. They run it all for the Jews. Well at least they THINK they do. The crazy thing is they’re actually under the thumb of a local, two-bit Roman governor named Pontius Pilate at the time.

They’ve also conveniently forgotten that they’re also under God’s authority. That’s going to become glaringly apparent to us when they confront the Christ just days before His crucifixion.

A Crazy Few Days

The best estimate by biblical experts is that this all goes down on Tuesday of what we call Passion Week. Let’s just say it’s been a crazy few days. As they say on Netflix, previously on the Gospel of Mark…

There was Sunday’s parade and celebration (Mk 11:1-11). On Monday, Christ curses a figless fig tree (Mk 11:12-14) before kicking butt and taking names at the temple (Mk 11:15-19). 

Tuesday begins with the guys seeing what’s left of the shriveled fig tree and Jesus turning it into a lesson on the connection between forgiveness and prayer (Mk 11:20-25).

Priests, Teachers, and Elders

Later that same day, we pick up the action as the radical Rabbi/Carpenter and His disciples roll into the city. “Again they entered Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking through the Temple area, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to Him” (v27). Okay, boys and girls. It’s on.

So just who are these guys? Let’s take a closer look at the starting lineup of the Sanhedrin.

Repping God to the People

Batting leadoff are the “leading priests.” According the writer of Hebrew’s, this “is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins…he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as others” (Heb 5:1-2, 3).

Notice how they rep God to the people but they need His forgiveness just like everybody else. While priests have a special role, there’s nothing special about them.

The Ultimate Leading Priest

The “leading priests” would not just the current high priest but every man who had ever served in that role. Once the high priest, always a high priest.

If that’s the case, Annas and Caiaphas are here. Sound familiar? Yup, THAT Annas and Caiaphas who led the kangaroo court to kill Christ.

Well, little did these “leading priests” realize that they’re talking to the Ultimate Leading Priest (Heb 2:17; 3:1; 4:14-16; 5:5, 10; 6:20; 7:11-8:2; 10:12).

Scriptural Go-To Guys

“The scribes” (v27) are learned experts in Old Testament Law. Their very title in the original Greek (Gr. γραμματευς/grammateus) means one of the writings or letters. 

Scribes are the go-to guys for answers to those sticky questions about Scripture. They probably have huge chunks of the OT memorized. Yeah, one of THOSE folks! The modern equivalent would be theologians and seminary types. 

They probably don’t have a clue that they’re standing in the presence of the very One the OT is talking about (Lk 24:27; Jn 5:39, 46). These experts in the Word of God are face-to-face with God the Word (Jn 1:1)!

Powerful Lay Leaders

And we can’t forget “the elders” (v27). These aren’t so much religious professionals but wealthy and powerful lay leaders. These seasoned senior leaders have been around since the days of Moses (Ex 3:16, 18).

Despite their position of privilege and power on earth, we read how the elders in the heavenly kingdom fall humbly before the Lamb of God is worship (Rev 5:6-14). Not exactly what’s gonna happen here on this Tuesday at the temple.

Never Good for the Son of God

Anytime Mark mentions when these three teams join forces, it’s never good for the Son of God. They’re behind His arrest in Gethsemane (Mk 14:43). 

They railroad the innocent Jesus and sentence Him to death (Mk 14:27). They beg the Roman governor to crucify Him as a traitor to the empire (Mk 15:1-2).

And get this. Christ went so far as to predict to His crew that these three groups will team up to kill Him. But He also predicted that He wouldn’t stay dead (Mk 8:31)!

Religious Undies in a Bundle

So it should come as no shock that they get right in the Son of God’s grill from the get-go. “They demanded, ‘By what authority are You doing all these things? Who gave You the right to do them?’” (v28).

Can’t you just see them hustling His way, robes flying, faces scowling, with their religious undies in a bundle? How dare You step on our turf without our permission?!? Somehow, someway, they think they’re in charge. Please.

They want to know whether He’s gone rogue and is doing all this on His own or because someone gave Him the idea. They demand to see His credentials.

The Power to Rule and Act

The key word in this passage is “authority.” This is the Greek word εξοθσια/exousia. It actually shows up four times in just seven verses in the original language.

The term describes a right, jurisdiction, license, the decision-making ability, and the power to rule and act.

Out of the Original Stuff

In his book “Jesus the King,” Tim Keller explains the literal meaning of authority as “out of the original stuff.” The term comes from the very same root as author. Keller says Christ has original rather than derived authority.

Think of it this way, Jesus has authority because He came up with the idea in the first place. Anyone else who has any authority at all gets it from Him (Rom 13:1-2; 1Pet 2:13-4; 1Tim 2:2).

If you’ve got any authority, you got it from God. So let’s not get too big for our britches. That’s the problem with these goobers. They want to know where Jesus gets off doing and saying what He wants without them signing off on it.

Asking God Hard Questions

Does this mean that we shouldn’t be willing to ask God hard questions? Absolutely not. Ever hear the story about the time Jacob wrestled with God (Gen 32:24-32)? I’m thinking that his Opponent was actually the preincarnate Christ

So was Jake some superstar wrestler who could hold his own against the Almighty? Not a chance. The Lord graciously ALLOWED him to do so. Kinda like when a dad plays on the floor with his preschool son.

In order to wrestle with the Lord, we must get close to Him. But in the end, we need to remember who we’re messing around with. And that means NEVER questioning or challenging His authority. To be clear, NOT like these guys are doing.

Demanding an Explanation

The leading priests, religious experts, and elders demand and answer. How in the world does an untrained, apparently self-appointed Rabbi from the boondocks claim He has the cred to come onto their turf and throw His weight around?

Twenty four hours after Christ cleans His Dad’s house, the folks who think they’re in charge of the joint aggressively demand an explanation for what He’s done. They’re calling into question everything He’s done, not just clearing the temple courts.

Eliminating the Threat

They’ve have the mistaken idea that they hold the exclusive heavenly franchise for everything that goes down at the temple. They see this upstart Outsider as a threat. It’s time to power up and crush Him once and for all.

And don’t think they learn their lesson after they kill Jesus and He comes strolling out of the cemetery three days later. This same bunch of religious bullies will try to do the same to Peter and John. (Acts 4:5-22). Yeah, they don’t have any luck that time either.

Answering a Question with a Question

Our Savior has a proposal for these religious big wigs. “I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question. Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? Answer Me!” (v29-30).

The Lord answers their question with a question of His own. This is one of Christ’s classic moves. In doing so, He puts these windbags on their heels.

David Garland points out that anybody with the guts challenge Jesus with hostility in Mark’s Gospel never get a straight answer. He puts them in a pickle. 

Repentance in the Boondocks

He wants them to evaluate John the Dunker’s authority as a test case for their opinion of His credentials. Garland writes that John’s baptism of repentance in the boondocks makes an end run around what goes on at the temple in the big city (Mk 1:4).

It was free. It didn’t cost a dime. Christ identifies what He’s doing with what John did. No temple required. This would NOT sit well with boys who are running it.

Was Jesus’ Baptism Legit?

This is also Jesus’ way of not-so-subtly asking if His own baptism by John is legit. If it carries no real weight and does not “come from heaven” (v30), then how do you discount heaven showing up in a big 

way when it happened (Mk 1:9-11)?

In other words, the Lord wants to know if they think John really was on a mission from God or simply some crazy, leather-wearing, bug-eating weirdo? Go ahead, boys. He’d love to hear your thoughts.

On Divine Assignment

The Son of God is poking His finger in their chest and demanding them to make the very same call on His authority as well. Is He on divine assignment from God or the simply the people’s choice? They’re in trouble whatever their answer.

Jesus’ question makes it clear that His credentials, just like John and his baptism, come straight from God.

John Mark’s Source

“Answer Me!” (v30). In the original language, He actually demands a response not once, but twice in verses 29 and 30. John Mark is the only one of Jesus’ biographers to include this confrontational detail (Mt 21:23-27; Lk 20:1-7).

Where does the author get this? From none other than Peter. The earliest believers understood the apostle nicknamed Rocky is Mark’s source.

Calling a Timeout

Like a basketball coach that realizes the momentum has turned and his team is trouble, these call a quick timeout. “They talked it over among themselves” (v31).

Quick! Huddle up! What in the wide world of sports do we do now?!? Let’s just say they never saw this coming. 

Going inside the Huddle

Mark takes us inside the huddle to hear what they have to say. “If we say it was from heaven, He will ask why we didn’t believe John. But do we dare say it was merely human?” (v31-32).

Don’t you wonder how long this took? Cue the Jeopardy “think” music.

Worried about Their Image

But their real issue isn’t coming up with the right answer. They’re freaking out because of what folks will think about what they say. “For they were afraid of what the people would do, because everyone believe that John was a prophet” (v32).

Chew on that for just a moment. They folks who think they’re in charge arrogantly question Christ’s authority while worried about their own image if they say the wrong thing. 

Fear of Man

Because public opinion is their primary concern, they’ve given away any shred of authority they may have had. It’s a little something experts like to call the fear of man. 

I suffer from a fear of man when I allow others to define who I am, what I’m worth, what I should do, and even how I should do it. In other words, I’ve put them in a position of authority in my life reserved only for God.

A Dangerous Trap

Jon Bloom says that fearing the disapproval of others “can immobilize us when we should take action, and gag us into silence when we should be speak.” Sound like the boys from the Sanhedrin as they try to figure out an answer?

That’s why the wisest man to ever live says, “Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety” (Prov 29:25). 

People Pleasing or Serving Christ?

Prefer something from the New Testament instead? Sure. Paul tells Jesus’ followers in Galatia, “If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant” (Gal 1:10).

Bloom cuts to the chase. “We obey the one we fear.” God commands us to fear Him. That’s kinda scary until we realize that He’s the only One in the universe who will NEVER use our fear against us.

Their Final Answer

With the clock ticking and the Lord waiting, the priestly leaders, theologians, and elders finally come to a decision. Their final answer, “We don’t know” (v33). They don’t know?!? What a total crock. 

They actually have the guts to lie because of their fear of losing face among the people and their position of power. And you thought politicians came up with this tactic.

Evil Farmers

Since these knuckleheads won’t give the Son of God a straight answer, neither will He. “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things” (v33). 

The interesting thing is that Christ does tell them but He wraps His response in a story how some tenant farmers murder the son of the landowner. Folks call it the Parable of the Evil Farmers (Mk 12:1-9). 

Spoiler alert! The leading priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders are the evil farmers!! You can probably guess how how that goes over. But that’s a story for another day. 

The Lord’s in Charge

Scripture makes it clear that the Sanhedrin are slow learners. These very same men try to do the very same thing by bullying the apostles so they will stop telling people about Jesus after His resurrection (Acts 5:27-28). 

That won’t work with Pete and the boys either. They know that when the Lord’s in charge, it’s all good no matter what. They stand strong and say, “We must obey God rather than any human authority” (Acts 5:29). 

Somebody Else’s Seat

So what do we do with all this? I’m glad you asked. First of all, we need to be very careful when it comes to ambition. Fighting for a spot in the C suite and the corner office just for the position of power so that others serve us will not end well. 

If and when we’ve arrived, Jesus may tap us on the shoulder to let us know that we’re sitting in His seat. His throne of authority is for Him and Him alone. 

Leveraging for Love

The Lord wants us to leverage positions of authority in order to love and serve others. We’re to follow His lead and do what He did.

“Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10:43-45).

An Act of Worship

Second, we all submit to authority. You. Me. Us. Them. Paul tells his Ephesian friends that we do it as an act of worship. Or as The Message put it, “Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent toward one another” (Eph 5:21 The Message).

Third, there’s divine protection and blessing when we do what God tells us. He’s the greatest Dad the universe has ever known. He wants nothing but His best for us. Jesus’ kid brother says everything good we have is from our heavenly Dad (James 1:17).

Every Ounce of Authority

Nobody likes to be told what to do. This includes a lot of Jesus’ followers. That’s just what’s left of our sin nature that still wants us to rebel. 

Stop shaking your fist at heaven and questioning God’s authority. When we do, we’re really no different than the religious bullies who poked their fingers in our Savior’s face that Tuesday at the temple. And don’t want that, do you?

Let’s honor Christ’s credentials. In case you’re wondering what they are, He told His team that He has every ounce of authority in both heaven and earth (Mt 28:18). I’m pretty sure that beats anything you or I have.

©2020

Jay Jennings

Figs, Faith, and Forgiveness

Dropped Calls

Phone problems are a pain. You’ve been there. “No service” just when you need it the most. Your call goes through but drops at the most critical time. It’s those times when the answer to “Can you hear me now?” is nothing but crickets.

Ever feel the same way about your prayers? You feel like there’s no service. Maybe you thought you had a connection with God but He suddenly seems like He’s not there. 

If it makes you feel better (and it probably won’t), I’m feeling you. Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt. Eventually took the t-shirt to Goodwill.

Has God Blocked My Number?

So what’s the dealio? Preachers always tell us to pray. Talk to God. Tell Him what’s going on. Pour your heart out to Him. Let Him know what you need. 

Yet too many times it sure seems nobody is on the other end of the line. Or maybe you feel like you get through but there’s no response. Does God have your number blocked? What’s going on?

Keys to Answered Prayer

Well, Jesus gives us the answer in a crazy little story from Mark’s Gospel (Mk 11:20-25). While He and His team are standing around a dead fig tree near the temple in Jerusalem, He tells them that faith and forgiveness are the keys to the Father hearing and answering our prayers.

Let’s zoom out for a little better perspective on where this incident fits into the story of the Lord’s life recorded in Mark’s Gospel. It’s Tuesday of what we call Passion Week. We’re just four days away from the His betrayal and murder.

Could He REALLY Be the Christ?

John Mark’s bio of Christ begins with a big and bold statement. “This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God” (Mk 1:1). The author makes our Hero’s identity crystal clear right from the get go.

But right after that, who He is becomes the hot topic. Other than His weird cousin John the Dunker (Mk 1:4-9), everybody and their brother tries to figure out just who Jesus really is (Mk 1:16-8:26). Could He REALLY be the Christ, the long awaited Hero from heaven?

Not the Kind of Messiah You’re Expecting

Eventually, the radical Rabbi/Carpenter tells the Twelve that He is indeed Messiah, just not the kind of Messiah they’re expecting. He won’t achieve His victory through military might or political power but by His own death and resurrection. 

Jesus tells them not once, not twice, but three times (Mk 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34). And each time, the disciples scratch their heads and can’t figure out what the heck He’s talking about. 

One time, Peter even tries to correct Christ and tell Him that’s not what Messiahs do (Mk 8:32). It doesn’t end well for Pete. You probably don’t want the Son of God calling you Satan (Mk 8:33).

An Appointment with a Roman Cross

Once He reveals that He’s the One God promised to send to the rescue, He heads straight to Jerusalem for His appointment with a Roman cross and an empty tomb. 

The Lord receives a hero’s welcome on Sunday when He hits town riding on a borrowed burro (Mk 11:1-10). There’s cheering, chanting, palm branches in the air, and coats on the ground. Post parade, 

He peeks into the temple and then heads back to spend the night in Bethany (Mk 11:11).

Lots of Leaves but Zero Figs

Monday morning, the Son of God and the Twelve are heading back to the big city when He sees a fig tree with lots of leaves but zero figs (Mk 11:12-14). When Christ curses the tree for having no fruit, you might think He’s just hangry. 

We soon see His curse has nothing to do with the tree and everything to do with the temple. It’s His way of pointing out how we camouflage our lives with phony religious activity to hide the fact we have no real fruit. 

Put a bookmark here at the fig tree. We’ll be back there in a moment after a stop at the temple.

Flipping Tables and Throwing Chairs

When He hits the temple courts, Jesus wastes no time cleaning house (Mk 11:15-19). He flips tables and throws chairs. He makes it clear that we should NEVER put obstacles in the way of people’s relationship with God. 

He wants everyone to know the temple’s days are numbered. There’s something WAY better right around the corner. After His death and resurrection, we won’t need it anymore (Jn 1:29; Heb 9:26-28; 10:10-12).

Supernatural Roundup

Which brings us back to the figless fig tree. Or at least what’s left of it. We pick up the action on early Tuesday. “The next morning as they passed by the fig tree He had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up” (v20).

Just 24 hours after Christ curses the tree, it’s as if He’s dumped a barrel of supernatural Roundup on it! It’s completely dead. Above the ground. Below the ground.

The fig tree isn’t just having a bad day and in need of a little TLC. It’s dead and not coming back. The tree is like Monty Python’s famous deceased parrot. It has ceased to be, rests in peace, has kicked the bucket, hopped the twig, and bit the dust. 

Dropping Peter’s Name

This Gospel writer lets us know that “Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day” (v21). Mark is the only one to mention how Pete brings up what happened the day before. 

Why is dropping Pete’s name such a big deal? It’s because Mark is telling Pete’s version of the life of Christ. Take it from Papias, one of the earliest leaders in the church until 130 AD. He said Mark’s source was none other than Simon Peter. 

And if you’re doubting Papias’ credentials, you should know he was close friends with John. Yeah, THAT John. The Apostle John. 

Pete’s Eyewitness Account

In his book “Jesus Is King,” Tim Keller points out that Mark mentions Peter more than any other Gospel writer. On top of that, he says everything happens when the former fisherman turned apostle is front and center.

My point? Mark knows “Peter remembered” because Peter told him. Consider the second Gospel to be Pete’s eyewitness account.

Class in Session

The disciple Jesus nicknames Rocky yells, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!” (v21). Why does He call Jesus “Rabbi” here? Maybe he’s asking Him to teach them what just happened?

“Then Jesus said to the disciples…” (v22). Sit back, boys. Pay attention. Class is in session. The Lord is about to drop some knowledge.

Not Figs but Faith

He tells them, “Have faith in God” (v22). Wait, what? The Lord doesn’t say a fig-picking thing about the deal with the dead fig tree. Instead He makes a hairpin turn and teaches about trusting in God. 

It’s just further proof that Christ’s curse on the fig tree back on Monday has nothing to do with the fig tree. Could He be talking about you and me instead? Apparently so. Specifically, our faith.

Fumbling Our Faith

I have a sneaking suspicion that a little closer look at the original language might help us out here. The word the NLT translates “have” is εχω/echo. It means not just to possess and hold onto something but to grab it tightly, seize and don’t let go.

It’s also in the form of a command. Jesus is like a football coach telling a player to hang onto the ball with both hands. Defenders will do everything possible to tear it loose. In case you don’t realize it, life continually tries to get us to fumble our faith. 

Grab Trust Tightly

So what exactly is faith? The Greek word here is πιστις/pistis. You can translate it as complete confidence, total reliance, or absolute assurance. I personally like to define it as trust.

Jesus’ bottom line to His boys? Grab trust in God’s goodness tightly with both hands and don’t let go! Double down on the fact that He loves you and wants His best for you no matter what.

Breaking the Universe

If we flip back to the opening pages of Scripture, we see our first parents failing to believe in His best. The satanic snake convinced Adam and Eve that God was holding out on them (Gen 3:1-5). 

It’s no understatement to say their failure to trust God broke the universe. As a result, our awesome heavenly Dad has been coming to our rescue ever since.

A Major Thread

This is why faith is a major thread running throughout the story of God. We see it everywhere. Before Jesus comes to our rescue, God blesses Abraham as a result of his total trust in Him (Gen 15:6; Rom 4:3). 

After the cross, we have a clearer understanding of what faith means. Pete tells us that whoever shoves all their chips in on Jesus will never be disappointed (1Pet 2:6).

Doing What We Could NEVER Do

We now know that trusting in God is going all in with what Jesus has done. He’s done for us what we could NEVER do for ourselves. 

He lived the perfect life that we’ve failed to live. He died the death for our sin that we should have died. He rose to the new life we don’t deserve. Trust in who He is and what He’s done and what He WILL do!

Grab trust in God’s goodness tightly with both hands and don’t let go!

God NEVER Fumbles

But let’s be honest. There are gonna be times when lose our grip and fumble our faith. What happens then? Here’s the best news about the Good News. God NEVER loses His grip on you (Jn 10:28-29; 2Tim 2:13)!

Mountain Moving Prayers

Back at the figless fig tree, or at least what’s left of it, Jesus continues, “I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea, and it will happen’” (v23).

Several times Scripture teaches us that our prayers can be mountain movers (Mt 17:20; Jn 4:12-14; 1Cor 13:2). At first glance, that appears to be what Christ is saying here.

The Temple’s Clock Is Ticking

But not so fast, my friend. Jesus is not just talking about just any random mountain. He’s talking about “THIS MOUNTAIN” (v23 emphasis added). Folks much more skilled in the NT believe He’s talking about Jerusalem generally and the temple mount specifically.

Remember, the clock is ticking on the temple’s days when Jesus says these words. The Romans will demolish it in less than 50 years from the moment the Lord makes this statement. Spoiler alert! Something God has something WAY better in mind.

Where You Pray

First century Jews believe WHERE they pray is critically important when they pray. And in their mind, there’s no better place to do it than the temple in Jerusalem. Like a realtor, they think location is key.

That’s still the case today. Two thousand years later, people gather to pray at the Western Wall. Why? It’s the only part of the temple that remains from the destruction by the Romans.

ALWAYS a Local Call

Jews consider these ancient stones to be one of the holiest sites in their faith. It’s interesting to note that it was not part of the actual temple itself but a retaining wall on the very western edge of the larger complex.

But our Savior’s death and resurrection has erected an all new place to pray, and it’s NOT constructed by any human builders (Acts 7:48; 17:24). Location has nothing to do with prayer. 

Let’s just put it this way. For a follower of Jesus, it’s ALWAYS a local call. You’re never out of range. And there are no roaming charges!

Complete Confidence

With location out of the way, the Lord lets the boys what IS important when it comes to prayer. “But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart” (v23).

The word “believe” (Gr. πιστευω/pisteuo) is actually the verb form of “faith” we see back in verse 22. It should come as no surprise that it means to place complete confidence, total reliance, or absolute assurance in someone or something. Just to be clear, that Someone is God.

No Doubt

But this time, the Son of God wants us to know what faithful prayer does NOT include. We must “have no doubt in your heart” (v23). And He’s not dissing Gwen Stefani’s band either.

The Greek word “doubt” (Gr. διακρινω/diakrino) means to hesitate, waver, debate, take issue, or have a divided opinion. The phrase “doubt in your heart” (v23) describes an internal argument you’re having about God.

The Unbelieving Parts of Ourselves

On this side of eternity, there’s always going to be part of us that fails to fully trust in Jesus. Just as we must preach the Gospel to the unbelieving parts of the world, we must also preach it to the unbelieving parts of ourselves!

Christ is reassuring us that while I may not know the specifics of what He will do but I can be sure it will be whatever is for the good of people and His glory! Don’t pump your brakes when it comes to prayer. Punch the accelerator! Go all in!!

Name-It-and-Claim-It?

The Son of God sure seems to do just that. “I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours” (v24). Anything?!? Is the Lord endorsing a name-it-and-claim-it prayer life?

The folks at bibleref.com have a GREAT point about this passage. This is not a promise without context. The Lord does place conditions and expectations on prayer.

Whatever we ask must be in God’s will to give us (1Jn 5:14-15). We must remain attached to Jesus in order to know His will (Jn 15:7). That makes it super easy for Him to deliver on our requests.

If You Knew Everything He Knew

Jesus’ kid brother James reminds us that we need to make the ask with the right motive (James 4:1-3). Greedy and selfish prayers are guaranteed a great big “NO” from God.

It should come as no surprise that Tim Keller sheds some light here. He says, “God always gives you what you would have asked for if you knew everything He knew.”

A.T. Robertson writes that this kind of faithful prayer sees the fulfillment before it happens. That’s why Rick Warren encourages us to see faith as thanking God in advance. Praying in faith means praying with an expectant heart.

The Horizontal Impacts the Vertical

There’s just one little box to check before hitting our knees. Jesus tells the Twelve, “But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too” (v25).

Nothing blocks our prayers like unforgiveness. In other words, the horizontal (our relationship with people) has a direct impact on the vertical (our relationship with God). 

When We Forgive Others

This is one of the big ideas in Jesus’ most famous sermon. He says before we attempt to worship God, we must do everything to make things right with those who hold a grudge against us (Mt 5:23-24).

A little later He says, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will will not forgive your sins” (Mt 6:14-15).

Twice the Apostle Paul tells the followers of Jesus that we must forgive anyone since Christ has forgiven us (Eph 4:32; Col 3:13).

Our Biggest Need and Hardest Task

I love how Darrin Patrick makes the connection.  He points out that forgiveness is our biggest need in our relationship with God and our hardest task in our relationship with people.

We can’t have one without the other. Placing our faith in Jesus is a plea to forgive our sin against Him. Once He does that, how can we fail to forgive what someone else has done to us? 

Guaranteed No Dropped Calls

The problem is that we want one WITHOUT the other. It just doesn’t work that way. Forgiveness is like pedals on a bicycle. It’s the bottom line to the story Jesus tells about the unforgiving servant (Mt 

18:21-35).

Want a strong and clear connection to the heavenly throne room? Nothing unleashes God’s power in prayer like faith and forgiveness. Guaranteed no dropped calls.

©2020

Jay Jennings