... and the heart of the mission

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Questions from John – “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:3) John was beginning to wonder, not because he didn’t have faith, but because he also had doubts. By this time, John was in prison and things weren’t going as he might have expected.

A Question about Parables – “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” (Matthew 13:10) This question came from Jesus’ disciples who noticed that Jesus had a curious way of teaching, revealing things to some but not to others. To those who had ears to hear, he had much to say, and his famous Sermon on the Mount showed just how much we can learn from him.

A Question about Miracles – “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him.” (Mark 4:41) This question also came from his disciples, this time after Jesus calmed a storm at sea. It was one thing to turn water into wine, but this miracle was on a much larger scale.

A Question about Metaphors – “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” (John 6:52). Jesus had many that followed him and thought of themselves as his disciples, but this question came from a group that found his teaching and his metaphors too hard to understand or follow. They soon left and never figured out who Jesus really was or that following him with complete surrender was worth it.

Questions from Jesus – “Who do people say I am?” and “Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:13-15) were two questions that Jesus asked of his disciples. After the others had left, Jesus gave his closest followers the opportunity to take a stand and say what they believed. Knowing who Jesus was and how he was the way to the Father was at the heart of Jesus’ mission.

The Second Turning Point – “From that time on” were words that Jesus used to mark another major shift in his ministry. Here it wasn’t the beginning. It was the beginning of the end when Jesus began to explain that his mission ultimately included the cross. Knowing that his disciples knew who he was, he was now ready to complete the mission and leave it in their hands.

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