Author: Rick Henderson

Re:Verse passage – Mark 3:20-30 (day seven)

^“but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” vs 29

I often get asked by young Christians, “What is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? And how do I know I haven’t committed it?” It is a tricky question to answer, especially when you are trying to explain to a new believer that there is no sin too big for God to forgive… except that one…

I usually end up explaining that the blasphemy of the Spirit is the rejection of the Holy Spirit’s calling on your life.  In my study this week I was enlightened to a new way of presenting this idea. David Guzik described the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit as “an attitude of the heart that cares nothing for God’s forgiveness. It never has forgiveness because it never wants forgiveness God’s way.” The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is not a one time event that leads to eternal condemnation, but rather a perpetual rejection of the forgiveness and grace of God. The attitude of a heart that is filled with the Spirit leads the individual into frequent repentance.

Re:Verse passage – Mark 3:13-19 (day six)

“And He went up on the mountain” vs 13a

When you hear the words “mountain top experience” as it pertains to a physical mountain, what comes to your mind? Do you think of a great view? Do you think of the feeling of accomplishment of reaching the top? Do you think of the hard work that it took to get there?

Jesus often went up the mountain with His disciples. Why? Was it just to get away or was it more? Being on top of a mountain gives you a new found perspective. It causes you to look up and see where you are going. It causes you to look back and see where you came from. It causes you to look out and see a beauty that is not visible from the ground, only from above.

Jesus shows us that when we encounter Him, we have a mountain top experience. We are given new perspective from above!

Colossians 3:2 “Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth.”

Re:Verse passage – Mark 3:1-12 (day seven)

“Stretch out your hand.” (5) vs “He told His disciples that a boat should stand ready.” (9) Two commands from Jesus, two very different situations.

Situation number one: we see a man whose life was put on hold. His livelihood was likely taken away with the paralysis of his hand, and yet, he was at the synagogue on the Sabbath faithfully worshipping God, not expecting his life to be changed. Jesus asked the man to be obedient to Him. The miracle was a result of obedience.

Situation number two: people have heard that Jesus can heal, so they rush Him to the point that He must have an escape plan in place. Jesus knew these people. He knew their hurt was real, but they were not coming to worship Him, they were coming to demand that He perform a miracle. They were asking Jesus to be obedient to them.

Today we gather in worship similarly to those listed above. Why have we come to worship? Have we come to ask Jesus to be obedient to us or are we coming to ask Jesus how we can be obedient to Him?

Re:Verse passage – Mark 2:23-28 (day seven)

“The Sabbath was made for man.” vs 27a

Rest. A precious gift from the Lord. I write this as I am up late at night with a newborn child. Over the last few weeks I have learned that rest is essential to our livelihood and a true gift. You take it when you can get it. If you have been a parent you know what I am saying (don’t worry I have been warned that two weeks is only the beginning).

If we are honest with ourselves, this is how we approach the Sabbath. We take it when we can get it. Sabbath has become a luxury instead of a necessity. God created the Sabbath for us! It was a gift! God didn’t need to go take a nap after creating the universe. He wanted us to see that we needed to take a scheduled step back and re-charge our batteries. This doesn’t mean do nothing like the pharisees were implying, but we are to spend concentrated time replenishing our physical and spiritual tank so that we can go full speed with the work that He created us to do. Receive His gift this week and spend concentrated time with Him.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Re:Verse passage – Mark 2:18-22 (day seven) 

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results.” vs 21

These other disciples were stuck trying the same routines and rhythms that had been in place for centuries. To put this verse in to modern context, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.” What they were doing was not working (not because of the fasting but because of the mindset behind it). In fact what this verse tells us is that if they continue in these ways, they would make the tear even bigger. Why? Because if we attempt to solve our problems with anything that is of our own doing as opposed to God, we are simply covering up the problem, not fixing it. In order to fix the problem, we must become of the same material in order that we might be sewn together seamlessly. We must become like Jesus!

Re:Verse passage – Mark 2:1-12 (day seven)

“[…] there came one like a son of man […]
 And to him was given dominion
    and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
    should serve him;” Daniel 7:13-14

Rick, you got the Re:Verse wrong! Daniel was the passage in Spring of 2020. Okay, okay some of y’all are still recovering from the apocalyptic literature overload, but that study laid a great foundation for our Mark passage. Look at what happens here: The pharisees ask “who can forgive sins but God alone?” (vs 7b) and Jesus responds “the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” (vs 10) Jesus is pointing the scribes back to the prophets. Specifically, Jesus is referencing where Ezekiel and Daniel called this coming Messiah, the Son of Man. Jesus is saying that He is that Messiah! He is God! What caught the scribes so off guard was in their perception of what this Messiah would do. They thought He would have come and make the world bow down and serve Him (them). Instead this Son of Man has come to forgive, heal, and teach. He came to serve!

Re:Verse passage – Mark 1:36-45 (day seven) 

Jesus could have (and according to the law, should have) turned away from the leper and went about his plan to preach and teach, but Jesus was about to teach a lesson the disciples would never forget through his actions. Watch what He does,

“Jesus reached out with His hand and touched him.”

Jesus didn’t have to touch him. We see other miracles of Jesus where His words were enough. The touch was as important as the words in this instance. Touching this man would make any normal person ritually “unclean,” but Jesus is not only still clean, He has made the “unclean” clean. Jesus’ touch is physically life giving. This was also the first touch this man has presumably had in years. It was love. It was compassion. It was raw emotion. The touch of Jesus was spiritually life giving! No wonder the man couldn’t contain his joy…

“He touched me
And oh, the joy that floods my soul
Something happened and now I know
He touched me and made me whole” – Gaither

Re:Verse passage – Mark 1:21-35 (day seven)

An interesting thing happens after our students return from camp every summer. Community is heightened, activities have increased engagement, and our students desire to serve. Similar events transpire after Freedom Weekend and other major events in the Youth Ministry. What was different from before these events? What was the catalyst to create this zeal? It was that our students had a personal encounter with the Lord. The byproduct of encountering the Lord is zeal. This is evident in our passage this week,

“And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she waited on them.” Mark 1:31.

Simon’s mother-in-law immediately began to serve Jesus after she was healed. This was not a misogynistic depiction of the woman. This was the byproduct of her healing, of her encounter with Jesus. Not only did God heal her physically, but she became filled with the Spirit and exuded zeal.

Romans 12:11, “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.”

Re:Verse passage – Mark 1:16-20 (day seven)

I love to fish. I specifically love fly fishing. I do not do it enough to be good at it, but being out in the water, surrounded by nature, away from the hustle and bustle of life, fishing provides an escape. It also provides a challenge. There is an art to understanding how the fly will hit the water, how much the current will impact it, and how to hook the fish. Fishing can be challenging, and yet, it can also be rewarding. For me, fishing is just a hobby. For these men, fishing was a livelihood. It was more than a sport. It was their food, salary, and currency. However, I reckon they felt similarly about the challenge and escape that fishing provides, which is why this was so appealing to hear,

“Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

There is an art to being a fisher of men. It takes practice and time, but it is also tremendously rewarding. Instead of being an escape for you, you show others how to escape the brokenness of this world. That is greater than any catch that will come out on the water.

Re:Verse passage – Mark 1:9-15 (day seven)

“Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down,
That the mountains might quake at Your presence.” Isaiah 64:1

“Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him.” Mark 1:10

This is war. A battle plan that has been in works since before time began. Sin and death have no chance for God has become man. He’s here to fight. Advent allows us to celebrate this coming King because we know the how the story ends (spoiler alert: God wins!), but this is the beginning of that end. This is the Commander-In-Chief joining the front lines, inspiring hope, leading by example. “This is how you fight your battles: Repent. Believe. Be Baptized. Fight temptation. Make war! You are not in this alone. I Am with you.”

Are you following this example? Are you making war? Or are you sitting back and letting the enemy come to your doorstep? Make War!