DRAWING NEAR
MAY 13
Being Zealous for the Lord
The twelve apostles included "James the son of Zebedee" (Matt.
10:2).
Like Peter and Andrew, James and John were fishermen. One day as
Jesus walked the shores of the Sea of Galilee, He saw them in a boat
with their father Zebedee and some hired servants. When Jesus called
them to follow Him, they immediately left the boat and went with Him
(Mark 1:19-20).
James and John were zealous and ambitious men--so much so that Jesus
nicknamed them "Boanerges," which means, "Sons of Thunder" (Mark
3:17). At times their great zeal got the better of them. In Luke 9:54
for example, after a Samaritan village had rejected some of the
disciples, James and John asked Jesus for permission to call down
fire from heaven to incinerate the whole village! On another occasion
they sent their mother to ask Jesus to give them the most prominent
places in His kingdom (Matt. 20:20-28). They wanted power, prestige,
and honor, but Jesus promised them suffering and, in James's case, a
martyr's grave.
James was probably the eldest of the two brothers. His name is listed
first whenever their names appear together in Scripture. Perhaps he
was also the most zealous and passionate of the two since that he was
the first apostle to be martyred. When King Herod decided to
persecute the early church, he had James put to death with a sword
(Acts 12:2). When he saw how much that pleased the Jewish people, he
had Peter arrested but didn't kill him. Apparently James was a bigger
threat than Peter. That tells us something about the powerful
ministry he must have had.
Like James and John, some Christians have a zeal that prompts them to
run ahead of the Holy Spirit. If that's true of you, be thankful for
your zeal but also be careful to allow the Spirit to govern what you
do and say. However, if you've slipped into spiritual complacency and
your life isn't much of a threat to Satan's kingdom, you need to
repent and become more zealous for the Lord!
Suggestions for Prayer:
Ask God to give you a holy zeal that's motivated by love and governed
by His Spirit.
For Further Study:
Read John 2:12-22.
How did Jesus demonstrate His zeal for God's house? Why were
His actions necessary?
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Mark 1:19-20 (NKJV)
19 When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the
son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat
mending their nets.
20 And immediately He called them, and they left their father
Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.
Mark 3:17
17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom
He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder";
Luke 9:54
54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord,
do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume
them, just as Elijah did?"
Matthew 20:20-28
down and asking something from Him.
21 And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Grant
that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the
other on the left, in Your kingdom."
22 But Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask. Are
you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized
with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They said to Him, "We are
able."
23 So He said to them, "You will indeed drink My cup, and be
baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My
right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those
for whom it is prepared by My Father."
24 And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the
two brothers.
25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the
rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great
exercise authority over them.
26 "Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become
great among you, let him be your servant.
27 "And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your
slave;
28 "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,
and to give His life a ransom for many."
Acts 12:2
2 Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
John 2:12-22
12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His
brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.
13 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to
Jerusalem.
14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and
doves, and the moneychangers doing business.
15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the
temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers'
money and overturned the tables.
16 And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do
not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"
17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your
house has eaten Me up."
18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, "What sign do You show to
us, since You do these things?"
19 Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in
three days I will raise it up."
20 Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this
temple, and will You raise it up in three days?"
21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body.
22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples
remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the
Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
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and
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In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase@wowway.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
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There is a living God. He has spoken in His word. He means just what he says, and will do all that He has promised. - Hudson Taylor
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