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LESSON 1:
The things Jesus did on various "Sabbath
Days" are both numerous and amazing!
Mark 6:2 describes a typical Sabbath in our
Lord's earthly life.
He had been asked to teach that Day.
Indeed, Sabbaths were busy times for our
Lord! He healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath. He
cast a demon out of a man one Sabbath also. He once healed
Peter's Mother-In-Law on the Sabbath. He freed the woman with a
back infirmity on Sabbath too. She had been "bowed over" for
eighteen years! He healed a man with dropsy on the Sabbath as
well. He was swollen, retaining far too much fluid in his body.
That man at the Pool of Bethesda was healed on the Sabbath too.
He had been sick thirty eight years! And Jesus furthermore
healed a blind man on the Sabbath. He was born that way!
But most Sabbaths our dear Lord simply
faithfully attended Synagogue, hearing and applying God's Word.
We are told in Luke 4
that His "custom" was to attend services at God's House.
The Sabbath issue was certainly one center of
controversy in Jesus' Ministry. The Pharisees and Scribes could
not understand His behavior. While never disobeying the Law
of God concerning the Sabbath, Jesus did correct many wrong
understandings of that law!
For example, one could pull his ox from a pit
on the Sabbath. That would be no sin! Relieving the suffering of
a poor beast apparently had the approval of God ... any day of
the week. Then Jesus reminded His enemies that the Priests in
the Temple worked on Sabbath, with God's blessings in fact! Then
once He taught that you could lead your thirsty ox to get water
on the Sabbath. Jesus also told those hypocrites that if He
worked on the Sabbath, so did His Father! That certainly says
that the Lord Jesus, God's Son, is greater than the Sabbath,
doesn't it? One day when especially hungry, the Lord's Disciples
were allowed to pluck raw grain and eat it on the Sabbath,
without sinning. Jesus approved their action, mentioning that
David ate the shewbread once. Once Jesus reminded these
nit-pickers that circumcision was often performed on the Sabbath
and no one got upset ... not even the Scribes! Jesus even said
that He was greater than the Temple and was Lord of the Sabbath too!
And for these things, these helpful words and
miraculous deeds, the "Jews" sought to kill Him!
Yet with all these previous events duly
recorded in Scripture, the main emphasis of all Jesus' Sabbath
Experiences seems to have been His teaching and preaching God's
Word. With our Lord, as it should be with us, the Word of God
must have preeminence.
Hence Mark 6:2, our Text for today, tells us:
"And when the sabbath day was come, he
began to teach in the synagogue."
Oh, to have heard Him!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 2:
What would it have been like to hear Jesus
preach?
To have actually
been there?
Relatively few
have ever had that privilege!
Yet the
Scriptures record for us the reaction of those who did hear
Him! Read with me Mark's words: "And many
hearing Him were astonished." Mark 6:2
"Astonished!"
What
a word!
It is
spelled "ekplesso" and has a rather dramatic meaning!
The
root "plesso" has the idea of striking or hitting something!
The
prefix "ek" simply means "out" or "out of."
Therefore, to be "astonished" in Biblical terms means to have
been "knocked out" of one's senses!
Or
"struck" with amazement!
Or
maybe "stunned" with our Lord's Wisdom!
There
was just something about Jesus that impacted folks that way!
Perhaps that's why they often said: "Never
man spake like This Man." John 87:46
Often
it was reported of our Saviour: "For He
taught them as one having authority, and not as the
scribes." Matthew 7:29
I
have never heard Jesus speak in Person, not yet!
But I
have heard the voice of the Holy Spirit, that still small Voice,
speaking to my heart through some precious verse of Scripture!
And
even That, after all this time, is still "astonishing!"
Praise the Lord!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 3:
In
the same paragraph of Scripture that describes Jesus as the
"Carpenter," we are reminded of His faithful teaching of God's
Word!
Mark records:
"And when the sabbath day was come, He began to teach in the
synagogue: and many hearing Him were astonished, saying,
From whence hath this Man these things? and what wisdom
is this which is given unto Him, that even such mighty
works are wrought by his hands? Is not this the Carpenter, the
son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and
Simon? and are not His sisters here with us?" Mark 6:2-3
Upon hearing Him
preach, the local people were astonished!
Jesus, Who built
lovely wood items in Joseph's carpentry shop, also built lovely
word pictures and framed timely applications of Truth founded on
the Scriptures!
They then asked:
"From whence hath this Man these things?"
In other words,
where did He get such things?
Such love for
Scripture?
Such knowledge of
the Word?
Such power
presenting these great Doctrines?
Such grace even
when exposing sin?
He, Jesus, could
have easily answered their question!
From whence?
From His Father!
Part of John 8:28
quotes Jesus: "I do nothing of myself; but
as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things."
Now get this!
As the Holy
Spirit here couples Jesus' words in the synagogue with His work
as a Carpenter ... perhaps He is drawing for us a parallel.
In both cases the
Father figure is extremely creative! God the Father created or
built the world! Joseph the carpenter, considered by Jesus'
townspeople as His father, built plows and houses and towers and
other things too.
And in both cases
Jesus also created or built some beautiful things under the
auspices of either His Heavenly Father or his earthly father.
Now I know Jesus is Virgin born! I am simply using Joseph as a
metaphor here.
From Whence hath
Jesus these things?
From His Father!
Through His
Father!
Time spent with
the Father will equip one for service!
By the way, how
much time have you spent with Him lately?
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 4:
The
"Carpenter" Text, Mark 6:2-3, asks of our Lord:
"What wisdom is this which is given unto Him?"
People who
heard Him preach couldn't help but wonder!
Of course we
know from Paul's hand that Jesus not only was wise ... He IS
Wisdom personified! Wisdom in human form! Omniscience clothed in
flesh!
"Jesus ... In Whom are hid all the
treasures of wisdom." Colossians 2:3
Also ...
"Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us
wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."
1st Corinthians 1:30
Thinking of
the "Carpenter" comment Mark made, calling Jesus
"the Carpenter, the son of Mary,"
one notices that immediately in the same paragraph linkage is
established to Jesus' preaching ministry and His great wisdom
too!
Now, the first
time in our Lord's earthly life that I can find His wisdom
discussed is Luke 2:52. "And Jesus
increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and
man."
Now this is
describing Jesus as a twelve year old Boy.
This, among
other things, must mean that His Wisdom was evident as He
learned carpentry at Joseph's side.
Wisdom ... in
a carpenter's shed!
Sawing wood,
gluing or nailing corners, carving yokes, even sweeping shavings
... and doing all so wisely!
What?
Sweeping?
Yes, part of
an apprentice carpenter's job was keeping the floors clean!
Think of this
with me.
Jesus
sweeping?
God sweeping?
Yes!
Listen to
Isaiah. He is quoting God. The subject is the coming judgment
upon the King of Babylon, a type of the devil.
"I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of
water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith
the LORD of hosts." Isaiah 14:23
See God
sweeping!
A "besom" is
just a broom.
And twice in
Jesus preaching He referred to sweepers!
In Matthew
12:43-45 a man is sweeping his once demon infested house! But
this man did not complete the job! He left his home swept but
empty and the devils returned in force!
Then in Luke
15:8-10 a lady is sweeping her house! Looking for a lost coin! A
picture of a lost soul I believe. She did complete the job! With
resulting joy!
Jesus knew
about sweeping all right!
I am so glad
that one day he swept my life clean ... and yours too dear
Believing friend!
And He did not
quit too soon either!
He saved our
lost souls!
And having
swept away the dirt and filth of our sin, He replaced it with
His Holy Spirit!
And yes, Jesus
will some day sweep this whole wide world!
In judgment!
Proverbs 28:3
mentions a sweeping rain and Isaiah 28:17 mentions the sweeping
hail, both elements of the weather! Yet both are manifestations
of God's powerful sweeping!
Amazing!
I just noticed
one more fact too!
Of the
scarcity of "sweeping" metaphors in the Bible, two refer to the
devil. Isaiah chapters 14 and 28 both discuss the enemy!
And both times
he is swept away ... into everlasting fire!
Wisdom from a
Carpenter ... with a broom!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 5:
The
congregations who heard Jesus preach and teach often asked
questions such as this: "What wisdom is
this which is given unto Him, that even such mighty works
are wrought by His hands?" Mark 6:2
The noun "wisdom"
is spelled "sophia" in Greek and here speaks both of Jesus'
godly intelligence and spiritual discernment. It has also been
defined as skill in living a pure and holy life.
Jesus' wisdom was
clearly visible in His passion for God's Word!
But do notice
here that this wisdom breaks forth into practical unselfish
deeds of kindness!
"Mighty works,"
two words in English, are represented by one Greek term, "dunameis,"
a nominative plural noun. It means an act of great power or
strength! It is usually associated with a miracle, especially in
the life of Christ.
Then the verb
"wrought" translates "ginomai" and means "to bring into
existence, to give birth to, or to be performed by" someone. It
is framed here as an indicative present middle verb.
But certain
miracles are in Mark's scope! Particularly things done by Jesus'
hands! The preposition "by" is "dia" and means "through" or "by
means of" when used with the genitive case, as here.
And the noun
"hand" is "cheiros" and can mean one's fingers as well as his
hands. Jesus is a "hands-on" Saviour!
Among other
feats; He touched lepers, applied remedies, unstopped ears and
raised the dead ... with the simple touch of That great Hand!
But, do remember,
this word about Jesus' hands here occurs in the Carpenter Text
of Scripture. Next Mark has the people immediately ask about our
Lord: "Is not this the carpenter?"
Mark 6:3
What, if
anything, about His hands correlates with His carpentry?
Plenty, I
believe!
He daily, at
least in those first years of earthly life, worked in the
carpenter trade with Joseph. And He, being the oldest son in the
family, would have done the heavy labor too!
Think of the
doors He framed!
The yokes He
carved!
The rooms He
built!
All with no
electrical tools, purely by hand!
Of course those
Same hands and fingers created the world also!
"When I consider thy heavens, the work of
thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained"
writes the Psalmist!
Jesus is a
Builder!
I close this
article today with a couple of purposeful word pictures.
Once a man was
buying a swing. He needed to know its weight limit. The salesman
was not able to help. This was at a roadside market and no other
information was available. That is, until a man walked up and
said: "It will hold 225 pounds." Naturally the reply was "How do
you know, sir?" He quipped, "Because I built it!"
Listen to me!
Jesus, our great Creator Redeemer Who built us knows exactly how
much of a load we can carry!
How?
He built us!
And, at least
when it comes to temptation, He will put no more on us that we
can bear! See 1st Corinthians 10:13.
Secondly, a
skilled carpenter once revealed his successful philosophy for
home building. He simply declared that he never built a house
that he himself was not willing to indwell! "I build it like I
am going to live in it," he promised!
What comfort that
brings!
Christian
friends, our Lord Jesus, Who ultimately created us, is ...
through His shed Blood and the presence of His Holy Spirit ...
building us and indwelling us at the same time!
That makes each
Believer the temple of the Holy Spirit!
That's quality
building!
Praise His good
Name!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 6:
The
people of Nazareth and surrounding areas knew Jesus as a
carpenter! They for the most part did not realize Who He really
was, the very Son of God.
That noun,
carpenter, is spelled "tekton" in Greek. It means anything from
a worker in wood to a builder even to a stonemason. Our word
technician is derived from "teknon." The word is used only twice
in the whole New Testament, both times of Jesus.
The singular
English word carpenter occurs four times in the Bible; Isaiah
41:7 and 44:13 plus Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3. However when the
plural form is searched, carpenters, nine more references
are located. All of these are in the Old Testament, mostly
associated with the building projects of King Solomon.
That Hebrew word
for carpenters, "charash," is also translated several other ways
in the King James Bible: "workman, craftsman, engraver,
artificer, smith or maker" being examples.
Jesus was a
skilled laborer!
Isn't it
wonderful that God's Son took the trade of a carpenter? Not a
farmer or tanner or hunter or even a fisherman, but a carpenter!
Carpenters build
things!
Or repair them!
Praise the Lord!
Therefore, when
Jesus says that He is going to prepare a place for us, a
mansion, we can take great pleasure in His words!
He knows what He
is doing!
When we get to
heaven, it will not be like moving to some strange city. We will
not have to seek a place of residence! One has already been
established for us! We will not be refugees, but citizens!
I suspect that
our home will be custom made.
I have known
folks who spent years planning their next house! How many
bedrooms? Where should the bathrooms be located?
One level, split
level or two story?
City or rural?
Brick or wood?
Some people even
after such careful planning still sell within a year or two
because they really just didn't know what they wanted!
I have a feeling
Jesus knows what we want ... even if we don't!
And Heaven will
be just perfect!
Designed by a
Technician, an Engineer, a Builder ... better yet, by THE
SAVIOUR!
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 7:
The
Carpenter, our Lord Jesus Christ is identified in Mark 6:3 as
"the son of Mary!"
Read it here:
"Is not this the carpenter, the son of
Mary?" That's exactly what the Jewish people were asking.
Now here's one
thing that's certain. Jesus, the Carpenter, is employed in a
man's job! There simply were no lady woodworkers or stonemasons
in that day!
And Jesus
practiced His craftsman's skills under the auspices of Joseph,
Mary's Husband. We know that because Matthew 13:55 tells us.
Asking of Jesus, the crowds say: "Is not
this the carpenter's son?" They are here referring to the
carpenter Joseph of course.
Certainly!
Jesus entered
into a man's occupation!
And had a man for
a tutor!
In fact, He was
born into a man's world!
Yet ... when it
comes to His genealogy, Jesus is "the son
of Mary!"
The man is
omitted completely in this Holy Spirit inspired account!
Of course the
Virgin Birth is in view here.
No man fathered
Jesus, no human!
He is the Son of
God!
He is God the
Son!
He was conceived
miraculously of the Holy Spirit Who "overshadowed" the Virgin
Mary. The angel promised Mary: "The Holy
Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall
overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be
born of thee shall be called the Son of God." Luke 1:35
In this, the
greatest of all miracles ... at least up to that time in
history, the woman is more important than any man!
The women took
precedent!
Jeremiah mentions
this fact, I believe, in his 31st chapter:
"For the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman
shall compass a man." A woman was used of God ... without
a man being involved ... to bring the humanity of Jesus into the
world!
It has become
popular today, even for feminists, to downplay the role of
womanhood.
Mothering,
homemaking, nurturing, cooking, help-meeting ... all are archaic
and despised terms now! They even write books belittling
feminine roles!
Yet the fact
remains, Jesus is NOT the son of Joseph!
He IS the son of
Mary!
Mary is more
important in the Virgin Birth miracle than any other human!
When you tell a
bunch of feminists that the woman is that significant in her
motherly role and wifely duties, they go berserk!
Here's why.
They have spent
their lives and their careers trying to be everything but women!
They hate
femininity!
They refuse to
dress like or talk like or act like women!
No sir!
They will morph
into men!
Masculine is the
word!
Some go even to
the point of having certain surgeries ... to be more man-like!
Others to the
point of taking male hormones!
Others just adopt
male haircuts!
Or male clothes!
Or, certainly,
men's jobs!
Why?
They believe the
role of the man is more dominant!
They want to be
men!
They are
dissatisfied that they're women!
To them ... that
must change!
And then,
literally after decades now, to be told that they were wrong all
the time!
To be told that
the woman was more important after all?
That without her
the whole world would have died and gone to Hell?
Without her
giving birth to the Saviour I mean!
Feminists, listen
to me!
You all have
missed it!
You have trashed
the more important to embrace the less important!
For all eternity
we will thank God that one day He chose a human to give Birth to
His Son. So Jesus could come to earth, live a sinless life, die
a vicarious death on the Cross, be buried, rise again, ascend to
Heaven and save lost souls!
And guess what?
That human is not
a man!
She was a woman!
Yes;
"Jesus, the son of Mary!"
This is not
Mother's Day.
If it were, I
would preach this text!
I guarantee you
this. Today's thought will thrill some folks ... and make others
so angry they can't see straight!
So be it!
Thank God for
Jesus our Saviour, son of Mary!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 8:
Jesus the Carpenter is also ...
"the brother of James."
So says Mark in
what is most assuredly the inspired Word of God!
"Is not this the Carpenter, the son of
Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon?
and are not His sisters here with us?" So asked the
people in attendance at synagogue one Sabbath day. Mark 6:3
This James is
really the half-brother of Jesus! Now listen to me before you
quit reading!
Jesus and James
have the same Mother, Mary. But they do NOT have the same
Father! Jesus' Father is God Almighty. Our Lord is Virgin Born!
James' Daddy is Joseph the carpenter!
Yet I am going to
suggest to you today that Jesus not only built literal objects
in that Nazareth carpenter shed, things like ox yokes or plow
stocks or tables for some home! No, He also "built" lives!
And we can see
His handiwork in James His brother!
At first James
was lost, unsaved! He apparently rejected Jesus' claims as God
the Son. John tells us: "For neither did
his brethren believe in him." John 7:5
But with time,
years of godly living, sincere purity on display, never an
unkind word ... James gradually began to see that Jesus was
indeed more than a man!
Jesus was
constructing or building some faith ... deep down in the heart
of his brother! Saving faith it would seem!
After our Lord's
death, burial and resurrection, He specifically made a decision
to find and reveal Himself to James! In 1st Corinthians 15:7,
where Paul is enumerating Jesus' post-resurrection appearances,
we read: "After that, he was seen of
James."
Jesus is still
building!
Then ... once
this fact is recorded, we next see James preaching God's Word
and leading the Church in Jerusalem!
He's been saved!
No doubt!
He even moderated
the council assembly in Acts 15, the men of God meeting in
Jerusalem to decide that critical law/grace issue!
James also led
the huge Jerusalem Church for years it seems.
He wrote an
Epistle in the New Testament, the one bearing his name!
And, history
says, he died for his faith!
Faith and trust
in His Brother Jesus, God the Son!
Again, what
accounts for this drastic change in James' life?
He saw the
resurrected Saviour, believed, and got saved by God's Grace!
Surely you now
see Jesus' spiritual carpentry in the life of James!
I somewhere read
that the carpenters of old did not waste anything! No lumber
went unused! Archaeology has found specimens of their work from
time to time, and in most cases all kinds of timber were used in
the structures under observation! One boat, a Galilean vessel,
contained willow, oak, cedar and some pine!
My point today is
just this.
Jesus the
spiritual builder, like God the heavenly Potter, just does not
throw material away, not readily!
What a saint
Jesus built ... in James the man of God!
If you have any
doubt about the quality of Jesus' workmanship, read the Epistle
of James sometime today! It is solid, just like hardwood!
By the way, dear
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, you are His workmanship too!
"For we are his workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them." That's Paul talking in
Ephesians 2:10.
Yes, Jesus is
still building!
And YOU and one
of His projects.
So am I.
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 9:
Yes, He was a carpenter. He also is
the Son of God!
Mark tells us
that the Lord's neighbors described Him as:
"The carpenter, the son of Mary, the
brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon."
Mark 6:3
Notice that one
of Jesus' "brothers" was named Joses.
The word
"brother" is spelled "adelphos" in Greek and means "from the
same womb."
Each of these had
the same Mother, but certainly not the same father! Jesus had no
earthly father! He is God the Son!
It is almost
certain that Joses is an abbreviated form of the name Joseph.
This boy is named for his father, the carpenter Joseph who was
also the husband of Mary.
The names have
nearly identical meanings of course. They suggest the idea of
that which is "added" or "accumulated" or "exalted."
We really know
nothing of Joses. He was younger than Jesus! No one will dispute
that fact! Jesus HAD to be the firstborn, since He was conceived
miraculously of the Holy Spirit when Mary was yet a virgin.
At some point in
life Joses did get saved!
We know that
because Jesus' brothers were with the other saved folks of the
early church in that upper room in Acts 1, just prior to
Pentecost. Luke records: "These all
continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the
women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren."
Acts 1:14
Yet it can be
deduced that Joses had some difficult and trying times in his
life. The sudden disappearance of Joseph his father leads us to
conclude he likely died at an early age. Joseph is not mentioned
at all in the Bible after the "Jesus at age 12" incident in the
Jerusalem Temple.
And often when
young Joses traversed the city of Nazareth, he no doubt
overheard folks talking disrespectfully about his mother Mary
and his Brother Jesus! Things like: Jesus is
"a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a
friend of publicans and sinners." Matthew 11:19
Or
"Then said they to him, We be not born of
fornication." John 8:41
At times his
oldest Brother was even being accused of being demon possessed!
"He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of
the devils casteth he out devils" said the scribes and
Pharisees!
We do not know
how the Lord used Joses as a Believer. His brothers James and
Jude wrote epistles of Scripture! And James of course pastored
that great Jerusalem Church!
But Joses, or
really "Joseph Junior" as his name implies, remains a relatively
unknown family member!
But I can assure
you of this fact. Our Saviour and Lord and Christ and God
Himself molded and formed Joses spiritually ... just as
carefully as He had earlier formed those superb ox-yokes or
plow-stocks in the carpenter shop!
Jesus went from
building wood and stone structures to building men's and women's
lives!
And little Joses
was no exception!
Christian friend,
you may consider yourself a "nobody" too!
An "unknown!"
You may be having
a particularly hard time now also!
But Jesus, the
Carpenter Saviour, can take your life in His Hands and do
wondrous things!
In fact I
recently learned something about certain kinds of wood and the
carpenters who build with them.
Have you ever
seen a tree whose growth was abnormal?
It had a knot or
a huge growth or tumor-like protrusion?
That's a sign of
a diseased tree, or one hit by lightning, or insect infestation
or sudden trauma of some kind!
In fact these
blobs can be quite large! Maybe even a foot or two across!
Let me tell you
this.
A good carpenter,
one who is an artist as well as a nail driver, tells us that
such abnormal areas of a tree produce the most beautiful wood!
Furniture makers
take such tree sections and carefully craft them into their most
lovely products!
Look at this!
The suffering parts of the tree
produce its best quality wood!
That's what our
Heavenly Carpenter can do!
Is someone
reading here today who is under pressure?
Sick?
Hurting?
Bombarded by
life's pressures?
Do not despair!
Trust your Lord
and Saviour ... and Carpenter!
He can make your
tough experiences into beautiful trophies of His marvelous
Grace!
Yes!
Praise His Name!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 10:
Our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,
was a carpenter while on earth, at least in His earlier years.
Only one New
Testament Text calls Him such however.
"And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the
synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying,
From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom
is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty
works are wrought by his hands? Is not this
the carpenter,
the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of JUDA,
and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were
offended at him." Mark 6:2-3
It is captivating
how the Holy Spirit here has linked Jesus' trade, carpentry, to
both His preaching and His family!
Even his brother
"Juda" is mentioned.
Fundamental
preachers and accurate historians both believe this "Juda" is
the same man as wrote the New Testament's general epistle of
"Jude." The two names are identical in Greek. In fact the
spelling is "ioudas." When the name assimilates into English,
the "i" becomes a "j." So we have "Joudas" or "Judas" or just
"Jude." By the way "Jude" means "praise!"
If "Juda" and
"Jude" are identical, as it seems, then we know some specific
things about this brother of our Lord.
Jude was a saved
man, having realized that his own brother Jesus was indeed the
Son of God Who came to die on the Cross to wash away sin!
Exactly when he
was saved we do not know. But he was born again at least by the
Day of Pentecost. "These all continued
with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and
Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren." Acts
1:14
But Jude
really grew in the Lord, no doubt being impacted again and
again by Jesus the Saviour ... and Carpenter!
Somehow Jude
became an extremely tough and stable Believer in Christ!
Listen to some of
the things he has written to us.
He wanted to
exhort us to "earnestly contend for the
faith which was once delivered unto the saints." (Jude 1)
That verb "contend" is built upon the Greek stem "agonize!"
Sounds pretty rigorous, doesn't it? Wrestling and fighting for
the Faith! Some of the enemies want to steal and destroy our
Faith! We must defend It!
And never content
with the status quo, never satisfied without further spiritual
growth, Jude writes: "But ye, beloved,
building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the
Holy Ghost." (Jude 20) The time sense of our verb
(present participle) here insists upon continual growth! Again,
see the discipline involved! Keep on maturing! Keep on
advancing! Forward!
By the way, that
verbal expression "building up" yourselves uses a carpentry
term! "Oikodomeo" literally means "to build a house!" Isn't this
an example of Jesus still influencing Jude's vocabulary? Or did
this younger brother work as a carpenter too?
And again, if
history is right, Jude died a martyr's death! He was clubbed to
death with an axe while preaching the Gospel many believe. Still
... faith under fire! Faith that fails not! Faith that grows in
the face of opposition!
My point today is
this. The same Jesus Who built long-lasting and durable ox goads
and animal yokes and plow-stocks also built men!
Tough men!
Faithful men!
Men with courage
and stamina!
Fortitude!
Men who would
fight for the faith!
Men like ...
Jude!
A couple of weeks
ago I read about a man who needed an especially durable batch of
lumber. He was building a boat to sail around the world!
A craftsman who
really knew timber encouraged him to find and buy wood from ash
trees. But not just any ash trees. The carpenter said to select
ash trees that had grown high on the mountain slopes! That had
to fight the winds and gales and snows and ice for their very
existence! That's where the "tough" wood is found! And the
hardest and most reliable of all the ash, said the expert, would
be found in the northernmost trees of the peak! That's where the
fiercest winds blew! And the coldest air hit! And it was further
suggested that even the boards cut from the northern side of
those tree would be best of all!
See!
Storms produce
strength!
Battles can
produce beauty!
That exactly what
the Carpenter Jesus did with Jude His brother!
He exposed His
younger sibling to the storms of the northern slopes of life ...
and reaped a young man, a preacher, who could fight for the
faith! And grow incessantly! And even die for what he believed!
Tough ... but so
useful in difficult days!
Our Lord knows
what He's doing!
After all our God
is a Carpenter too!
And, saved
friend, He is building something lovely out of your life too!
Those hard and
trying times you're been enduring ... just might be evidence of
your dear Lord, the Heavenly Carpenter, building and shaping you
into something useful and beautiful, as well as strong!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 11:
The
Bible mentions a number of men who are named Simon. In addition
to the most famous, Simon Peter the Apostle, there are Simon the
Canaanite (Matthew 10:4), Simon the leper (Matthew 26:6), Simon
the Pharisee (Luke 7:36,40), Simon of Cyrene who helped carry
Jesus' Cross (Matthew 27:32), Simon the father of Judas Iscariot
(John 6:71), Simon Magus the former sorcerer of Acts 8:9, Simon
the tanner in whose house Peter was resting for a few days (Acts
9:43), and the Simon who interests us today ... the brother of
Jesus and daughter of Mary!
Mark 6:3 records
all we know about him by name: "Is not
this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and
Joses, and of Juda, and
Simon? "
It is interesting
that the only appearance of this little known Simon is in the
context that portrays Jesus as a carpenter.
You might say
that the text "joins" or "connects" these 4 brothers, then adds
His "sisters" anonymously to the family unit.
The only
"missing" member here is Joseph. And in reality Joseph is NOT
the father of Jesus anyway. He was the father of all the other
children!
I believe, based
on Acts 1:14, that Jesus' earthly brothers and perhaps even His
sisters all were eventually saved, probably after the
resurrection of Christ.
We know that when
those 120 Believers met in the "upper room" after Jesus ascended
to Heaven, among them were Jesus' brethren ... and Mary too!
Folks, that was a
gathering of the redeemed! They were awaiting the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost! They were
in one mind and accord and had prayed for ten straight days!
These are born again people!
In this
"Carpenter Text" I would like to preach some on that brother
named Simon, but what could be said?
He is just one
among many, the one about whom we know the least! Nearly nothing
in fact!
But this can be
said. He, being by man's standards insignificant, was certainly
"joined" to a great family!
Think of it!
Growing up beside
the Lord Jesus Christ!
Sitting with Him
at table!
Hearing Him read
the Scriptures!
Working beside
Him day by day as he hammered and sawed and built beautiful
things!
As far we we
know, thirty years of close association with the Saviour!
Then, after
Jesus' death and burial and resurrection, when Simon was
apparently saved ... he was really
"joined" to a family, the Family of God!
Here a nobody
became a somebody ... because of Jesus! Jesus our Lord and
Saviour and Carpenter!
Maybe it's better
said this way: An unknown man became a well known man, again,
because of Jesus! I'd say that if you are mentioned in the Bible
by name, you're thereafter pretty well known!
What spiritual
carpentry this is!
Jesus, long after
He had left the literal carpenter's shed, still worked as the
spiritual Carpenter each day He walked this earth!
Simon was
"joined" to His Brother Jesus by
Grace through Faith!
All good
carpenters must know how to join various pieces of wood to make
a strong table or chair or picture frame.
Such skill is so
important that carpenters even have a name for it ... joinery!
They occasionally
speak of learning "joinery!"
Jesus The
Carpenter is good at that!
He joined Himself
to us!
But more
importantly, He joined us to Himself!
Paul in Romans
8:35 asked "Who shall separate us from the
love of God?"
Of course for any
joint to be strong, it must be shaped like its counterpoint!
Otherwise there can be no "fit!" We are even now being more and
more day by day shaped like Christ Jesus, being "conformed into
His image!"
And much like a
grafted grape branch is "sealed" into its new vine stock ... so
is a piece of wood "glued" into its new setting!
Glue?
Yes, we are
"sealed" or "glued" into the Body of Christ, into the building
of God, by the adhesive power of the Holy Spirit of God!
Amen!
Oh, one more
thing today.
Good carpenters
learn early in their careers that one of the best joints that
can be used in any building is the "stress" joint. That's when
two boards are fused, having been properly matched and cut and
glued, and the weight of one piece of timber holds the other
place!
Let me quickly
apply this "stress" joint principle in two ways.
The weight one
gives to Jesus, the "capstone" of our Christian lives, just
might fundamentally impact how stable and steady we will be day
after day! The "heavier" He is in respect and reverence and
worship and adoration, the more firmly we are held in place!
Then, secondly,
each of us faces various pressures of life. These weights and
trials will do one of two things in our Christian experience.
They will either tear us apart spiritually ... or, if famed
properly, press us closer and closer to the One to Whom we am
joined, to Jesus!
Yes, Simon was
joined to Jesus!
So are we!
Hallelujah!
Here's an example
of pressure making a Believer stronger in his unity to Christ,
Job said it. "Though he slay me, yet will
I trust in Him." (Job 13:15) The more pressure ... the
more trust!
"Joined,"
Preacher Bagwell?
Let Jesus say it
now: "At that day ye shall know that I
am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you." John
14:20
Amazing!
To all the
"nobodies" and "unknowns" reading here today who, like me, have
lived rather obscure lives ... take heart!
We as Believers
in Jesus have been "joined" to Something and Someone mighty big!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 12:
The
Mother of Jesus was a Virgin. That is, she was a Virgin when
Jesus was miraculously born. The Bible is specific on this
matter.
However, it
appears that after Jesus was born Mary and her husband Joseph
lived together as any normal husband and wife, bearing and
rearing other children as well.
Several boys and
some girls too were born into the family.
This is
problematic for the masses who believe in something called the
"perpetual virginity" of Mary. She, after Jesus' Birth, did bear
other children according to Mark 6:3. Only Jesus in all of human
history was Virgin born!
"Is not this the carpenter, the son of
Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon?
and are not his sisters here with us?" Mark 6:3
The word
"brother" here is "adelphos" and means another "from the same
womb!" Likewise the plural noun "sisters" conveys the same
thought: "adelphe."
While Mark names
Jesus' brethren, he is less specific with the girls. "His
sisters" are grouped and left anonymous.
While these
ladies are not mentioned elsewhere in Scripture, one can safely
deduct some things concerning them.
They, as did the
brothers, must have faced the ridicule and sarcasm of their
townspeople. Questions about their Older Brother Jesus! Listen
to the wicked lost people of Nazareth and Jerusalem:
"Then said they to him, We be not born of
fornication." John 8:41
Also they said
that Jesus was demon possessed! "The
people answered and said, Thou hast a devil." John 7:20.
And the
belittling "nicknames" they gave Jesus?
"Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of
publicans and sinners." Matthew 11:19
What would it
have been like to hear the multitudes clamor for your Brother's
death on the Cross? "But they cried,
saying, Crucify him, crucify him." Luke 23:21
And the sorrow of
watching Jesus die?
While we do not
exactly know where these ladies were as Jesus suffered and died,
we do know that Mary was present on Golgotha's Hill that day.
The girls may have been somewhere near their Mother.
Oh, the cost
of being in that family!
Jesus, being a
carpenter, well knew about the cost of things! He even taught a
parable about counting the cost before one begins to build!
"For which of you, intending to build a
tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he
have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he
hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it,
all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, This man
began to build, and was not able to finish." Luke
14:28-30
If these sisters
were saved, as we all trust they were, in Heaven some day they
will tell us that being in Jesus' family was not a drudgery ...
but a delight!
More blessings
than burdens!
More joys than
sorrows!
More victory than
defeat!
These thoughts
today lead me to say that I am so glad Jesus, our Heavenly
Carpenter, counted the cost of our salvation!
He knew such a
lofty Goal would require His death!
He was willing
"to endure the cross, and despise the shame" it involved!
He was ready to
pay the price for our Redemption!
In fact, now ...
it has been paid in full!
Yes, Jesus
built our Ark of Safety!
Built ... that's
carpenter language, isn't it?
He built our
spiritual City of Refuge too!
Our Ship of Zion!
Our Heavenly
Home!
Our mansions in
Glory!
And He counted
the cost beforehand!
Jesus never quit
any Project He started!
In fact, He is
still not a quitter! "Being confident of
this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you
will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." So
says Paul in Philippians 1:6.
Praise the Name
of the Lord!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 13:
The crowds were occasionally
"offended" at Jesus!
That's what the
New Testament says several times.
Particularly are
we told this about Jesus in the Gospel Texts that mention His
being a carpenter!
In Mark 6:3 the
people ask: "Is not this the carpenter,
the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda,
and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were
offended at him."
Again Matthew 13
asks: "Is not this the carpenter's son? is
not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses,
and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us?
Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were
offended in him."
Yet Jesus did not
purposely offend anyone. He rather went out of His way not to do
so. In the incident with Peter and the temple tax, Jesus sent
the Apostle fishing. "Notwithstanding,
lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an
hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou
hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that
take, and give unto them for me and thee." Matthew 17:27
What is it about
Jesus being a carpenter that could offend anyone?
The verb "offend"
is "skandalizo" and means "to put a stumbling block or
impediment in someone's way, upon which they may trip or fall."
Jesus knew that
His preaching would offend some! That day when the Saviour
called Himself The Bread Of Life some got upset! John records:
"When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it,
he said unto them, Doth this offend you?" John 6:61
He in fact tried
to keep His Own followers from being offended in Him!
"These things have I spoken unto you, that
ye should not be offended." John 16:1
Jesus once
identified a key area of life that causes offense!
"For when tribulation or persecution
ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended."
Matthew 13:21
The problem was
so great that Jesus promised: "And blessed
is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me." Matthew
11:6
Now ... back to
the "Carpenter Text" for a minute. We already learned that the
noun for carpenter is "tekton" and can mean a stonemason as well
as a builder with wood.
Jesus the
Carpenter, the Stonemason, is also described by Peter as being
the Stone! The Psalmists call Him the Rock!
Here we see the
connection between His being a builder and His being the Stone
too! "Unto you therefore which believe
he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the
stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head
of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence,
even to them which stumble at the word, being
disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed." 1st
Peter 2:7-8
Here Jesus, the
Rock of Ages, becomes a disallowed or disapproved or failed
stone, one that cannot be used in the building! The contractors
have decided He is unworthy! That's exactly what the Pharisees
and Scribes and Sadducees did too!
This rejected
stone would have been pushed aside at those ancient building
sites. Many would have mocked it and laughed at it and spit upon
it.
But, when the
building was nearly completed, something interesting happened.
As time
approached to place the last stone in place, the head stone, the
topmost stone in the opening arch of the structure, only one
stone would fit!
Guess which one
it was!
It was the once
rejected stone!
It had to be
selected and uplifted into the highest place of honor and
visibility!
So this great
stone was either a stone of offense ... or a stone of honor!
To those who
despised it ... destruction awaited! "The stone will
"grind them to powder!" See Matthew
21:24.
Those who adore
and worship Jesus the living Stone will be at first
"broken" and at last
"saved!" Again, see Matthew 21:24
Yes, thousands of
years ago the Heavenly Carpenter offended folks!
He still does so
today!
But those who
look beyond the offense of the Cross of Christ and instead see
His amazing saving Grace displayed there ... salvation awaits!
Eternal Life!
Some were
offended!
"And some
believed!"
Luke in Acts
28:24 makes it plain: "And some believed
the things which were spoken, and some believed not."
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
P. S. --- In
Peter's Text printed above Jesus is both the Cornerstone and the
Capstone! In both cases He is the One Who holds the building of
God together! By Him all things consist or adhere! Furthermore,
the Cornerstone is laid at the beginning of the building project
... the Capstone at the end! That makes Jesus both the Beginning
and the End of God's Building Program, the Alpha and the Omega!
The First and the Last!
LESSON 14:
The New
Testament's famous "Carpenter Text" links Jesus' building skills
with His people skills! Then it closes with these words:
"And they were offended at him."
Mark 6:3
One of the
things that offends people most often is, according to Jesus,
the trials and persecutions and hard times of life.
As He taught
the great "Parable of the Sower," Jesus explained what He meant
by those stony ground hearers.
Remember:
"Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and
forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they
had no root, they withered away." Matthew 13:5-6
Now listen to
our Lord's explanation for the seed that landed on stony ground:
"Yet hath he not root in himself, but
dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth
because of the word, by and by he is offended." Matthew
13:21
Difficult
times of life are indeed sources of offense!
More people
probably get "mad" and "hurt" at the Lord over these trying
situations than any other thing! So "hurt" or "discouraged" they
they quit their faith!
They get
"offended!"
They "stumble"
and "fall" at the impediments they meet, the tests of life.
Now ... why
was this "offense" lesson incorporated by the Holy Spirit into
the account of Jesus being a carpenter?
Perhaps it is
because carpenters hammer and nail and saw and rip and cut and
shorten and pull and plane ... all day long!
Such treatment
of the timber is often going to cause offense ... especially
living timber!
I mean when
Jesus the earthly carpenter serves as Jesus the Heavenly
Carpenter and begins to build us into spiritually mature
structures for His Glory. "living temples" as Peter called us!
"Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an
holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to
God by Jesus Christ." 1st Peter 2:5
I learned this
about those old-time carpenters. Obviously they did not have
electric saws or air powered tools.
They in fact
often used a dagger-like or sword-like saw called a "pull saw."
Archaeologists have even found some of these!
The unique
thing about these tools is that they could saw in only one
direction!
Therefore the
carpenter had to place the saw on the wood at the mark he needed
to cut. Then he briskly pulled it toward him at a rapid pace.
Then it had be lifted out of the deepening grove and put back
where it started ... so it could again be pulled toward the
carpenter. This process is repeated hundreds of times until the
plank is sawn as desired!
Again, it is
called a "pull saw!"
It always must be
pulled toward the carpenter!
I am convinced
that's the kind of "saw" Jesus still uses when He has to cut or
trim or mold us a bit further!
Even in the
hard biting times of pain and distress and molding ... the saw
our loving Saviour utilizes PULLS US TOWARD HIM in love! Every
"cut" is designed to produce a closer walk with our Lord!
This is to
keep us from being alienated or offended or driven away from our
Creator and Saviour!
Even in
chastening and training and testing times ... our Lord is kind
and inviting!
Even His
"yoke" is "easy!" That adjective is spelled "chrestos" and means
"kind or loving or good or mellow!"
His "sawing"
is tempered by His love! "In all their
affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved
them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare
them, and carried them all the days of old." Isaiah 63:9
Jesus knows
all about offense ... and has made every conceivable effort to
alleviate its possibility!
Praise His
Name!
Paul even got
to the place where he could say:
"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in
necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake:
for when I am weak, then am I strong." 2nd Corinthians
12:10
And Job
determined: "Though he slay me, yet will I
trust in him." Job 13:15
And Peter,
seeing no satisfactory alternative, asked:
"Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the
words of eternal life." John 6:68
Even the
Patriarch Joseph adds: "But as for you, ye
thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to
bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people
alive." Genesis 50:20
And even God
Himself promises: "For I know the thoughts
that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and
not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jeremiah 29:11
No wonder
Jesus preached: "And blessed is he,
whosoever shall not be offended in me." Luke 7:23
Even His
sawing and pounding and nailing are acts of love!
After all, He
is building us into the image of Himself!
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that
love God, to them who are the called according to his
purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate
to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be
the firstborn among many brethren." Romans 8:28-29
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 15:
The Carpenter!
That's what
the folks of Nazareth called our Lord, at least at first!
Mark 6:3 says
so.
An ancient
author, Justin Martyr, who was born in Samaria around 103 AD
writes about our Lord: "And when Jesus came to the Jordan, He
was considered to be the son of Joseph the carpenter; and He
appeared without comeliness, as the Scriptures declared; and He
was deemed a carpenter. He was in the habit of working as a
carpenter when among men, making ploughs and yokes; by which He
taught the symbols of righteousness and an active life."
Jesus,
according to this source, specialized in making yokes and
ploughs!
He preached
about both objects, you know!
"And Jesus said unto him, No man, having
put his hand to the
plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
Luke 9:62
Then,
"Come unto me, all ye that labour
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my
yoke upon you,
and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall
find rest unto your souls. For my
yoke is
easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
Both "object
lessons" here emphasize faithfulness.
Elisha, who
was farming when God called him into the ministry, can teach us
some things about plowing! "So Elijah
departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was
plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him,
and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his
mantle upon him. And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and
said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and
then I will follow thee." (1st Kings 19:19-20) I see
here an obedient Elisha! And a humble man too! And the work
ethic is presented in a favorable manner also!
And Moses the
man of God taught us something about those yokes. He wrote:
"Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass
together." (Deuteronomy 22:10) Here's a "separation"
text! And it teaches kindness to animals as well! Plus it shows
us how the Lord invades every area of life, including work!
Some textual
scholars even believe that Jesus' words
"My yoke is easy" may have been one of His descriptions
for the quality carpentry work He performed! I'll promise you
this: He was the Best!
Folks, when He
saves us we are yoked together with Him!
He will walk
with us and fellowship with us and help us in every area of
life!
In fact, He
forbids our yoking together with ungodly associates.
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with
unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with
unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"
2nd Corinthians 6:14
Samson even
uses the metaphor of plowing as an emblem of fellowship!
"If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye
had not found out my riddle." Judges 14:18
Jesus the
Carpenter, what lessons He yet teaches us!
Thank God for
our Lord and Saviour and great High Priest!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 16:
Jesus the Son of
God was a Carpenter too!
His carpentry skills enter into
almost every area of His life and ministry it seems!
Even His Resurrection!
One day He made this promise:
"Jesus answered and said unto them,
Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
John 2:19
The Lord had just
"cleansed" the Temple, fervently driving away the money
changers!
His enemies among
the Jews then asked Him: "What sign
shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?"
John 2:18
That's when He
told them!
"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
The verb
"destroy" is spelled "luo" and actually means "to loosen or
untie" something. But it is twice translated "destroy" and
"dissolve" and five times rendered as "break" in our King James
Bibles. "To break down" is another possibility.
The noun "temple"
is spelled "naos" and means not just the whole building or
merely the outer court, but the Holy Place and Most Holy Place
themselves! The sanctuary is in view here!
The Place where
God dwelt in Old Testament days!
The adverbial
element in this verse, "three days,"
tells how long the Temple will be dissolved! There is nothing
here to indicate that Jesus meant anything other than a literal
three day and night period either.
To "raise up"
this demolished Temple, Jesus Himself here claims credit!
Watch: "I WILL raise It up!"
The verb
translates "egeiro" and means "to arouse, to awake from sleep or
even to recall to life from the dead!"
It is obviously a
promise about His coming Death, Burial and Resurrection!
Jesus IS The
Temple!
He is the
Dwelling Place of God!
He is God the
Son!
The Jews would
soon kill the Lord, thus dissolving the Temple!
Yet, three days
later HE would raise It up again!
Amen!
He did that too!
Now too ... it is
clear that Jesus is still using terms from the carpenter's shop!
He never ceased incorporating building terms into His preaching
and teaching!
A fallen building
... a need to rebuild ... work for The Carpenter!
He rebuilt the
destroyed system of Judaism ... replacing it with the New Birth
and subsequent Christian life. Such miracles are possible
because of the power of Jesus' life and death!
The Old Temple
was frail and temporary! The new Temple, Jesus as the
Resurrected One, is strong and eternal!
The Old Temple
housed much hypocrisy! The New Temple Jesus allowed none! He is
sinless!
The Old Temple
ultimately attracted a bunch of thieves. Jesus said so! The New
Temple attracts ex-sinners washed in the Blood of our Lord and
made into saints!
The Old Temple
was primarily for Jews! Jesus the New Temple is for "whosoever
will!"
Any way one
evaluates the situation, Jesus is Better!
Even a Better
Carpenter!
And certainly the
Only Saviour!
Praise His Name!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
LESSON 17:
During the past sixteen days we have
looked at Jesus The Carpenter.
That is the trade
God the Father chose for Jesus to learn.
Joseph, while
certainly not the real father of Jesus, was Mary's husband and
is said to have been a carpenter. In Matthew 13:55 the
townspeople asked of Jesus: "Is not this
the carpenter's son?"
Thereafter Jesus
is Himself known as a carpenter. Then folks asked:
"Is not this the carpenter, the son of
Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon?
and are not his sisters here with us?" Mark 6:3
Through His whole
earthly ministry Jesus either directly used or made reference to
carpentry again and again!
I have not yet
mentioned His parable about the man who built his house on the
sand! And the man who built his house on the rock! Foundations
interest carpenters!
And our Lord
certainly used a square, ruler and plumb line! Carpenters know
that a house has to be built true to specifications! That
became one of Jesus' favorite words! Truly truly I say unto you!
The Greek word for "truly" is spelled "amen" and in the King
James Bible is translated "verily." Dozens of times Jesus used
that builder's term: "Verily verily I say
unto you!"
But today one
expression is in view. We find it in John 14:2-3.
"In my Father's house are many mansions:
if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a
place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there
ye may be also."
Like Grooms did
in those days, Jesus goes to build a home for His Bride! The
home will really be an addition to the father's house, the
father of the groom! The wealthier and more affluent the groom
happened to be, the more lavishly the house would be
constructed!
So with Jesus and
His Bride, the Blood-washed born-again Church!
The Text suggests
that Jesus is building "many mansions." All are for His
followers, His children! Furthermore He plans to return and get
us some day! That we may live in the Place He so lovingly
prepared! Live with Him eternally!
The verb
"prepare" is "hetoimazo" and means "to get everything ready!"
Jesus, still The
Great Builder!
A few weeks ago I
read of a church somewhere in Europe. It was old and ornate, yet
beautifully preserved. As one approached the door to enter the
sanctuary, he was impressed by the detail and beauty of the
entranceway alone! Into the gigantic door frame were carved
hardwood emblems of the Patriarchs and Prophets and Apostles, as
if they were awaiting one's arrival! At the top of the frame, in
the position of preeminence, was Jesus! Most every visitor to
the site stopped and gazed upon both the beauty and the message
of such artwork! "Welcome to God's House," they all seemed to
say in beautiful harmony!
One day, when a
lady had spent hours at the entrance, a caretaker said to her,
"Come on inside. You have not seen anything yet! If the Door so
enthralls you, you will never get over the interior!"
That's a good way
to picture Heaven!
Perhaps many
faithful witnesses will welcome us to the Father's House! Saints
of the ages and departed loved ones too! And certainly Jesus
will be foremost of all!
He IS The Door!
We no doubt will
gaze at Him for all eternity!
But the inside!
The inside of
that prepared Place; the mansions of Glory, the street of gold,
the Throne of God, the worshipping multitudes, its foundation
and size and likely millions of other unlimited possibilities
... will surely astound us for evermore!
Hallelujah!
Jesus, what a
Carpenter!
What a Saviour!
What a Lord!
Amen!
--- Dr. Mike Bagwell
THANK GOD FOR JESUS! WHAT A
SAVIOUR HE IS! WE TRUST THIS STUDY WILL BE A BLESSING TO YOU AS
A STUDENT OF GOD'S WORD.
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