Sat.’s Devo - The Sign of the Cross

Read: Numbers 2:1-3:51; Mark 11:27-12:17; Psalm 47:1-9; Proverbs 10:24-25
The tribes camped in the sign of the cross with the Levites in the middle. So, when God looked down from heaven he was the sign of the cross. They all had flags or banners that they marched behind called standards. God told them to number each tribe. Before, God had told them that the first born were his possession, but now he told them that the Levites were going to be his in place of the first born. There were only 22,000 Levites and 22,273 first born so they had to pay for the extra 273 people. Each person was to pay 5 shekels so they had to collect 1,365 shekels from the first born to pay for the extra ones (273 X 5 = 1,365).
God was teaching them that every one of God’s people must be redeemed. Now, we can be redeemed by applying the blood of Jesus to our hearts. It is our faith in Jesus as the Messiah and God as our father that makes us a child of God.
In Mark, Jesus entered Jerusalem and was challenged by the chief priests over his authority to do things. The problem they had was that they were the religious authority and thought that everything must come through them. Jesus did not even ask them if he could do what he did which offended them. It made them look bad to the people. They were all about outward appearances and personal position.
When challenge, Jesus answered them with a question which was the way the religious people always did. He asked them about John the Baptist. He backed them in a corner with no way to answer. Since they wouldn’t answer him, he didn’t have to answer them. Then Jesus told a parable about them. God was the man who planted the vineyard and put a wall around it, build a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. God’s vineyard was his plan of salvation. The wall was the law and the watchtower were the prophets. God rented his vineyard out to the farmers which were the Levites. They were to tend the vineyard and make sure it produced fruit. When the owner sent servant after servant to collect some of its fruit, they abused some and killed others. They represented the prophets that God sent to warn Israel to turn back to God. Finally, the man sent his son. They killed him and threw him out. He was speaking of himself. He was the stone that the builders rejected that became the capstone.
The scribes and Pharisees knew he was talking about them so they left to come up with a way to trick him in his words. They came up with a plan to attack his political views. They asked him about paying taxes to Caesar. Jesus asked them who’s inscription was on it. Then he told them to give to Caesar was was his and to God what was His. His wisdom shut them up and amazed them.
Lord, I thank you that you put your wisdom in us. Give us the right words to speak when we are challenged for our faith or in questions of our political views. May we answer in truth and authority.