Tag: disciples

  • Until He Was Taken Up – 3

    Until He Was Taken Up – 3

    It’s evening. Cleopas and another disciple of Jesus have left Jerusalem, broken bread with a fellow sojourner in Emmaus. The risen Jesus is revealed in the breaking of the bread. They return to Jerusalem with the Good News.

    Luke 24:

    And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!”

    (Women have seen the empty tomb. The women ran to the Apostles Simon Peter and John with the Good News the empty tomb. They witnessed the empty tomb and embalming linens, then returned to their own home. Mary has wrapped her arms around her risen Lord, whose crucified body she had partially wrapped in the linens of death.)

    35 Then they (Cleopas and the disciple who had stopped in Emmaus) told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

    36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!”

    37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit.

    38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.

    Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”

    40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.

    41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them.

    44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

    45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them,

    “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

    48 You are witnesses of these things.

  • Many of His Disciples Left Him – John 6:66

    Many of His Disciples Left Him – John 6:66

    Updated August 21, 2023

    At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him.

    John 6:66  

    Walking away from Christ

    Here is a Gospel commentary you might not consider Good News.

    It looks like the church is walking away from Jesus Christ. And church leaders do very little to take the ‘controversial Gospel’ of Christ Jesus into a world which has long ago walked away from God.

    “Many christians walk away from the church.  Biblical preaching is too confrontational for our daily lives.

    Roger@talkofJesus.com

    Many churches accommodate worldly sin as accepted doctrine.  Such preaching and failure to separate the Holiness of Christ’s Church from the sins of the flesh is NOT Biblical.  The atheist pulpits expect no miracles; nor will they be prepared for the Last Day.

    “The Bible is confrontational. Religious institutions as Temples of tradition will be torn down by the same crowds they once accommodated.

    Roger@TalkofJesus.com – August 20, 2013 A.D. (soon to become the ‘common era’)

    a Challenge of the Gospel of John

    Yet what happened to Jesus?  

    The crowds rejected Him.  

    The Religious establishment remained for a time, then the Temple fell [A.D. 70], as had its religious leaders long before.  

    Jesus did not strike down the Pharisees (as political Caesars do each other). Or did the Son of the Most High God take over the Temple.

    Rather, He became our Sacrifice on its Altar.


    the Chaff of ‘christian’ Unbelievers

    What would cause the unthinkable thing of disciples turning away from Jesus — the so-called faithful to turn away and desert our Lord Jesus?

     To back up a little in John’s Gospel, Jesus said:

    63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

    64 But some of you do not believe me.”

    Men and women followed JESUS when it was 'the thing to do.' The number of Jesus' disciples multiplied again and again. But when their KING would not seize their imagined National Throne for the country of God most looked for another savior.

    Do you believe Christ Jesus? 

    He does not say that is doesn’t matter what you do.  What we do as witnesses of Jesus as Lord of our life matters greatly.  However, nothing we do – no acts which merit praises of men – can accomplish anything to save our soul from hell.


    Remember the miracle of feeding the 5000?  

    They would have made Jesus King right there on the spot.  But our Lord fled.

    Most leaders of a 21st c. church (unlike the Lord Jesus) would taken credit for their miracle, make certain to collect the offering and most likely fail to mention God, the Bible or Jesus Christ.

    The crowds of disciples found and followed Jesus.  

    “Give us more miracles – show more of  this Kingly power” —

    Isn’t that is our typical human response (rather than thankfulness for God’s provision and blessing)?  

    No more miracles; no more disciples.

    We'll find another religious leader for our kingly church vision.

    Is the Christ of the Cross GOOD NEWS?

    John 6;

    41 Then the people began to murmur in disagreement because he had said,

    “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”

    51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”

    52 Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant.

    “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked.

    53 So Jesus said again,

    “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day.

    Gospel of John 6:53b-54 ASV

    Do you, dear believer, murmur and complain that Jesus isn’t doing much for Christians in these last days?

    “Lord, to whom would we go?

    67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked,

    “Are you also going to leave?”

    68 Simon Peter replied,

    “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”