Revolting

When the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, “This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.” Matthew 21:15 ESV1

Read Matthew 21:33-46, Mark 12:1-12 & Luke 20:9-19

Revolutions are as old as history itself but no two such revolts are exactly the same. Some rebellions throughout human existence have brought about small changes; others have caused a complete overhaul of the previous administration. There is no set length of time it takes to complete a social revolution, nor is there a determiner of any one’s lasting influence. Though revolts often occur due to a perceived inadequacy or abuse of power, they actually happen for a variety of reasons. Many uprisings are violent, while other spirited protests are largely peaceful. But what all revolutions have in common is that they create some kind of change. A story, told by Jesus, illustrates the significant change which occurred as a result of the most fundamental revolt of all time.

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If My People …

“And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.” Matthew 21:32b ESV1

Read Matthew 21:28-32

You have undoubtedly heard it quoted and seen it in print as much as I have—2 Chronicles 7:14—“If My people … pray … I will hear from Heaven … and heal their land.” Believing in the power of this promise, many sincere Christians gather and call out to God pleading for His intervention in a variety of situations that affect them, those around them, and the countries in which they live. But when those prayers are seemingly unanswered, most of those who came together to pray, go back to their normal lives disillusioned with the power of prayer and doubting the goodness of Almighty God. The trouble is, whether by intention or merely through emphasis, we have reduced the promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14 to the words above. There is a whole lot more to that verse than we usually stress or remember. The following parable which Jesus told to the sincerely religious who questioned Him reveals that which they, and we, so often overlook.

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Ultimate Healing

“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here but has risen. Remember how He told you, while He was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” Luke 24:5b-7 ESV1

Read Matthew 27:1-28:10, Mark 15:20b-16:7; Luke 23:1-24:12 & John 19:1-20:18

“Ultimate” is defined as “1. last; furthest or farthest; ending a process or series … 2. maximum; decisive; conclusive … [and] 3. highest; not subsidiary.”2 The next healing we will consider is the ultimate healing Jesus ever consummated. It is chronologically the last healing He completed during His earthly ministry, but it is also the supreme healing. It is the panacea, the catholicon, the cure-all. Let’s dig in and discover why this healing is so matchless and so far above any of the other amazing healings Jesus ever brought about.

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