Radio Streams
SA Radio
24/7 Radio Stream
VCY America
24/7 Radio Stream

CODE #

My Favorite Things
Home
NewsroomALL
Events | Notices | Blogs
Newest Audio | Video | Clips
Broadcasters
Church Finder
Webcast LIVE NOW!
Sermons by Bible
Sermons by Category
Sermons by Topic
Sermons by Speaker
Sermons by Language
Sermons by Date
Staff Picks
CommentsALL -2 min
Top Sermons
Online Bible
Hymnal
Daily Reading
Our Services
Broadcaster Dashboard
Members Only - Legacy

Steve Ham | Cincinnati, Ohio
Contact Info | Edit
•  Email  |  Web
graceandtruthcincy.org
PHONE
859-640-5701
ADDRESS
Grace and Truth Church Cincinnati
2037 Courtland Ave
Norwood, Ohio 45212
MAILING
Grace and Truth Church Cincinnati
2037 Courtland Ave
Norwood, Ohio 45212
Podcast + Codes
SERMONS EMBED | Info
Mobile Apps | Info
•  ROKU TV
•  Apple TV
•  Chromecast
Enjoy sermons from this broadcaster
on a variety of mobile devices.
MyChurch: hpbc1790 | Set
MyChurch Code#: 92796
Our Blog
Older
Newer
Blog
Post+
Search
  
Filter By

The Embrace of Christ
TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021
Posted by: Grace and Truth Church Cincinnati | more..
440+ views | 50+ clicks
Mark 10:15-16 – “‘Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.’ And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.”

All three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) have a narrative of Jesus receiving little children and teaching his disciples an object lesson about the humble, needy spirit that a disciple of Christ must have. Only in Mark do we have the extra information that Jesus actually took these little children into his arms. It is a sweetness in the text that is worth enjoying.

The idea of being taken into the arms of Jesus has been distorted in the sentimentalism and romanticism of our day, but we also need to be careful not to react to error by missing the gentle and loving demeanor of a Savior who truly does love his children. It’s worth contemplating and enjoying, but it doesn’t mean that we should make it sound like a teenage love song. Instead, we should consider what Jesus is doing here as he teaches his disciples about the children he embraces.

The disciples have just rebuked people for bringing their children to Jesus for blessing. Jesus then corrects his disciples and welcomes the children because they are a reminder to them that the Kingdom of Heaven requires a childlike faith. Without childlike faith, we will not enter his Kingdom. Then Mark makes a point that Jesus not only received the little children but took them into his arms. This is yet another picture of how God receives us into the Kingdom of Heaven when we come to Christ with childlike faith: he receives us with open arms. He receives us with tenderness and love and a desire to bless us. Christ embraces the childlike disciple with a heart of love that is beyond our limited comprehension.

Whether or not these little children brought to Jesus grew up to enter the Kingdom of Heaven is unknown, but in this world, the Second in the Trinity took children into his arms with a welcome embrace to show us his love for his disciples and how we must embrace all those who come to Christ with childlike faith. It tells us not only how tenderly Christ loves his church but how we are called to emulate that love. It’s a profound experience to take a moment and wonder at the mystery that the God of the universe would so tenderly embrace those who were once his enemies just as he did these children. It’s his desire that none of them are hindered in coming to him.

So, while some wrongly romanticize these statements, lets marvel at them. God’s love is not just in the transcendent realm beyond our contact or understanding. God’s love to us in Christ has actually been displayed in real time and space in that he embraced little children without hinderance to show us what he did through the cross. So let us trust him and need him without reservation as the little children we need to be. Let’s both enjoy and revere the embrace that holds us securely for all eternity.

Web Link:  CLICK TO FOLLOW EXTERNAL LINK

post new | clone this | rss feed | blog top »
Text feature this blog entry
Our Blog
Older
Newer
Top



Ken Wimer
The Testimony of God

1 Corinthians
Sunday Service
Shreveport Grace Church
Play! | RSS


LAUNCH DAY!

Hourly: Keep Yourselves from Idols
J. D. Crowley
Hampton Park Baptist...
Staff Picks..

Sponsor:
New Podcast for Pastors from NAMB

Join podc­ast host, Ken Whitten & guests Tony Dungy, H.B. Charlr­es, Jr. & more.
https://www.namb.net/podcas..

Sponsor:
New Commentary by John MacArthur

An exp­os­it­ory, word-by-w­ord exeg­et­ical comm­ent­ary on Jonah & Nahum
https://www.amazon.com/jona..

SPONSOR

SPONSOR | 1,700+


SA UPDATES NEWSLETTER Sign up for a weekly dose of personal thoughts along with interesting content updates. Sign Up
FOLLOW US


Gospel of John
Cities | Local | Personal

MOBILE
iPhone + iPad
ChurchOne App New!
Watch
Android
ChurchOne App New!
Fire Tablet
Wear
Chromecast TV
Apple TV
Android TV
ROKU TV
Amazon Fire TV
Amazon Echo
Kindle Reader


HELP
Knowledgebase
Broadcasters
Listeners
Q&A
Uploading Sermons
Uploading Videos
Webcasting
TECH TALKS

NEWS
Weekly Newsletter
Unsubscribe
Staff Picks | RSS
SA Newsroom
SERVICES
Dashboard | Info
Cross Publish
Audio | Video | Stats
Sermon Player | Video
Church Finder | Info
Mobile & Apps
Webcast | Multicast
Solo Sites
Internationalization
Podcasting
Listen Line
Events | Notices
Transcription
Business Cards
QR Codes
Online Donations
24x7 Radio Stream
INTEGRATION
Embed Codes
Twitter
Facebook
Logos | e-Sword | BLB
API v2.0

BATCH
Upload via RSS
Upload via FTP
Upload via Dropbox

SUPPORT
Advertising | Local Ads
Support Us
Stories
ABOUT US
The largest and most trusted library of audio sermons from conservative churches and ministries worldwide.

Our Services | Articles of Faith
Broadcast With Us
Earn SA COINS!
Privacy Policy

THE VAULT VLOG
LAUNCH DAY! New!
Copyright © 2024 SermonAudio.
src="https://legacy.sermonaudio.com/includes/sapopup.js?21"> src="https://legacy.sermonaudio.com/includes/sapopup.js?21">