As we prepare for Easter, it's a time to reflect on the life of Jesus and the profound impact He had on those around Him. Imagine being one of the disciples, witnessing the miracles, the healings, and the power that emanated from Jesus. Today, I want to focus on a story from Mark 11, where Jesus curses a fig tree. The next day, the disciples notice that the tree has withered, and Peter exclaims in amazement. This reaction is significant because Peter, who had seen countless miracles, still found himself in awe of Jesus' power.
Peter's life was transformed by Jesus. He left everything to follow Him, drawn by the authenticity and authority of Christ. Despite witnessing the feeding of the 5,000, the raising of the dead, and the transfiguration, Peter's amazement never waned. This story challenges us to reflect on our own sense of wonder. Have we become so familiar with the story of Easter that it no longer moves us? Have we lost the ability to be amazed by God?
As we enter Holy Week, I encourage you to ask God to renew your sense of awe. The story of Jesus' resurrection is not just a tale to be retold; it's a powerful reminder of God's love and power. Let us not become complacent or bored with the story of Easter. Instead, let us approach it with fresh eyes and open hearts, ready to be amazed once again by the incredible sacrifice and victory of Jesus. May this week be a time of renewed wonder and deepened faith as we reflect on the life, death, and resurrection of our Savior.
Key Takeaways
1. Ending Amazement:** Despite witnessing numerous miracles, Peter's amazement at Jesus' power never diminished. This challenges us to maintain a sense of wonder and awe in our relationship with God, continually seeking to be amazed by His works. [03:30] 3. Familiarity Breeds Complacency: The story of Easter can become routine if we're not careful. We must guard against becoming so familiar with the story that it loses its impact, asking God to renew our sense of awe and wonder.
4. The Call to Reflect: As we enter Holy Week, it's a time to deeply reflect on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. This reflection should lead us to a deeper understanding of His love and sacrifice, inspiring us to live out our faith with renewed vigor.
5. A Prayer for Awe: Let us pray for God to help us be in awe of Jesus once again. This prayer is a humble acknowledgment of our need for His Spirit to reignite our passion and wonder, drawing us closer to Him during this sacred time.
"Can you imagine everything that they went through? Man, how exciting it would be to see people being healed and eyes being opened and death being raised. So I want to read you a story from Mark chapter 11. Verse 12, it says, The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry, and he noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off. So he went over to see if he could find any figs." [00:00:32](32 seconds)
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"Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day, and he exclaimed, Look, Rabbi, the fig tree you cursed has withered and died. If you look at that scripture, what I love about this is the word there that says he exclaimed. And then when you look at him saying, Look, Rabbi, the fig tree is cursed. You cursed has withered and died. There's an exclamation point behind that. What that simply means is that he was excited and was saying things in excitement." [00:01:29](35 seconds)
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"We look at Peter's life, and again, he has seen so many things. And Jesus called him, and when he called him, there was something about Jesus that pulled Peter from his daily life and his daily job to give up everything and just to follow him." [00:02:04](19 seconds)
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"The reason why is because Jesus was real. This was really happening. This was someone who had such a power behind him that it drew people to him. In fact, as we see Jesus' life, we see that people flocked to him. They were always coming and wanting to be around him." [00:02:22](20 seconds)
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"But what I love about this story is that as Peter exclaimed this word, Look, Rabbi, the fig tree you cursed has withered and died. Exclamation point." [00:02:42](13 seconds)
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"You may say, well, we're at Easter time and, you know, I've heard this story. Every year, it's the same story. It doesn't change. Jesus raised from the dead." [00:04:23](10 seconds)
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"But I want to tell you today that God is still amazing, that we can still stand in awe of what He did." [00:04:51](13 seconds)
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"You may say, oh, well, I've heard it so much that maybe it's even boring. But I want to encourage you to ask God, ask Him, say, please, Lord, help me to be in awe of Jesus again." [00:05:03](14 seconds)
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