Ablaze Church Sermon Podcast (Audio‪)‬ Ablaze Church

We begin a post-Easter new series, based on the Old Testament book of Jonah. This is one of the most compelling and well-known stories in the Bible. It is full of drama, action, human interest, and practical lessons for Christians and for the Church today as it teaches us to remain true to our calling and mission. When we drift away from it, God may intervene dramatically to get us back on track.

Easter is not merely a one-day celebration, it is a fifty-day season from the Day of the Resurrection of our Lord to the Day of Pentecost. During the Easter Season, we have a tradition to greet one another with a special Easter greeting and response, “Alleluia Christ is Risen!” “He is risen indeed! Alleluia!”

Beginning with Chapter 14 of Mark we learn about how desperate the Jewish leaders were to find a way to execute Jesus quickly and quietly before He gained full support for His mission. Yet, God is at work even in these events using the opposition of His enemies for the fulfillment of His plan of salvation for mankind. The Lord is likewise at work in the events of our lives today bringing about good even amid suffering. We must trust that He has a plan for all that happens in our lives.

Rather than being an external regimented, dry list of rules, Jesus describes the commandments as being centered on loving God and our neighbor. We are told that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our being; that is, with all our heart, soul, and mind. This Jesus calls the most important commandment. Then Jesus shares what is the second most important commandment, which is to love our neighbors as ourselves. These two commandments Jesus sees and explains as the heart of the Old Testament, revealed by the law and the prophets.

Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem is the place He openly accepted messianic titles and at the same time fulfilled many Old Testament messianic prophecies. The disciples and the crowds expected Jesus to establish an earthly kingdom. The express purpose of Jesus’ arrival into Jerusalem was to usher in God’s plan of salvation for mankind. Jesus entered Jerusalem in humility to fulfill the plan of salvation by laying down His life for sinners.

The transfiguration was an event where Jesus showed the light of His heavenly divinity. Jesus was metamorphosized before three of the disciples to display His divine glory and to prepareHis disciples for His death and resurrection. At this historical event, two Old Testament figuresappeared, Moses and Elijah, to verify who Jesus was and what was to happen to Him.The glory of Jesus reminds us that He freely chose death and resurrection for our sakes. Thisshould make us all the more want to listen to Him.