Chapter 6 – Into the Forest In this chapter there were not any Biblical parallels, but it adds a lot to the story. Enjoy. Chapter 7 – A Day with the Beavers “At the name of Aslan, each one of the children felt something jump in its inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell, or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer.” St. Mark begins his gospel with a bold proclamation – “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (1:1). After that, “immediately” goes to work. He’s baptized and tempted by Satan. He heals the multitudes; preaches great sermons; cleanses lepers; exposes false teachers; and tells earthly stories with heavenly meanings. He calms the stormy sea; exorcises the demon possessed, multiplies bread in his hands, walks on the water, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the blind see. He even raises Jairus’ daughter from the dead. And all of that is just the first half of Mark’s gospel. Mark’s gospel is 16 chapters long. Today we come to the exact middle, the end of the 8th chapter, and Jesus asks the big question, “Who do people say that I am?” With the kind of groundwork that Mark has carefully laid out, what would you expect people would be saying about Jesus? Mark has carefully recorded what people have been saying about Him up to this point. They say, “what is this?”(Question mark.) “Who then is this that even wind and sea obey him?” (Question mark) “He is possessed by Beelzebul.” (No question mark, but we wish there where one.) “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?” “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead.” “He is Elijah.” No one gets it! No one sees. How blinded by our sin we are. Ironically, the only ones in the first half of Mark’s gospel that get it are the demons. “I know who you are, the Holy one of God.” “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” So, when Jesus asks His disciples “who do you say that I am?” all of heaven is silent, listening intently to how they will answer. And when Peter answers, “You are the Christ,” the angels are dancing and the heavenly choir is singing, the saints in glory are cheering and the confetti is flying. They get it! They see Him “as He is.” “You are the Christ.” 1) How do you feel when Jesus’ name is mentioned? Why? Read II Thessalonians 3:3 & John 10:27-30: But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. (NIV, My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one. (NIV, “And he/Edmund thought about Turkish Delights and about being a King.” How does our God guard us from the lies Satan uses against us? God gives us the truth of His Word to help us recognize these lies. We also have brothers and sisters in the faith who remind us of God’s truth, and point out Satan’s lies when they take root in our lives. God’s grace and forgiveness are ours as well when we find that we’ve been taken in by Satan’s lies. • What promise is given concerning the attacks of Satan in our lives? God will strengthen and protect us. He cannot be overcome by Satan. Psalm 91:9-13: If you make the Most High your dwelling— even the Lord, who is my refuge—then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
Posted on: Mon, 23 Sep 2013 23:27:08 +0000
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