Category: What do you think?

Why Jesus Told Mary Not to Hold On

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TEXAS GOSPEL VOLUNTEER

Mary Magdalene had watched Jesus die. She knew he had done nothing wrong, and yet she stood by as he was killed. That kind of loss leaves a mark that goes deep. So when she saw him again after the resurrection, her reaction was not simply surprise or joy. It was the response of someone who had already lost him once and could not bear the thought of losing him again.

In John 20, Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father.” At first, this seems like a hard thing to say to someone who had been so faithful to him. Other followers touched Jesus after the resurrection without any such warning. Thomas was even invited to reach out and touch his wounds. So why was Mary’s situation different?

The answer lies in what she was actually doing. The word used in the original Greek text points to more than a simple touch. It describes holding on, clinging, refusing to let go. Mary was not merely reaching out to confirm that Jesus was real. She was trying to keep him from leaving.

But holding on was not going to be possible. Jesus had not returned simply to resume life as it had been before. He was on his way back to the Father, and his physical presence among them was coming to an end.

Jesus had promised that after he left, he would send the Holy Spirit. That Spirit would not visit from time to time or appear briefly and then vanish. He would take up a permanent place inside every person who believed. Mary Magdalene, along with every follower who came after her, would carry the presence of Christ within her from that point on.

The Holy Spirit is described as the Spirit of Christ himself. This means that what Mary feared losing, the closeness, the presence, the relationship, would not be gone at all. It would simply change form.

However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

Romans 8:9

Freedom in worship and faith

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JEFF TURNER

Some believers have been pressured to control how they practice their faith. They’re told when to fast or how to follow religious routines. It can also involve people trying to judge others based on their religious habits. In response to this kind of pressure, Colossians 2 gives us some direction.

Paul instructs believers not to let others decide for them about matters such as religious festivals, new moon observances, food choices, drink rules, or Sabbath practices. These instructions were meant to protect Christians from being controlled by outside judgment.

Some of the practices being discussed were part of the Jewish law. These rules once helped set the Jewish people apart, but they are not required in the same way for the church today. The ceremonial system has been set aside, and believers are no longer bound to follow those external requirements.

There is also no command in the New Testament that requires fasting as a regular rule for Christians. Even in the Old Testament, only one fast is clearly required. This shows that fasting and similar practices are not meant to be strict rules imposed on everyone.

Because of this change, the early church began meeting on the first day of the week, which is linked to the resurrection. Believers are also free to eat what is available to them. This idea is supported in the book of Acts, where a message is given that removes food restrictions and allows people to eat without those former limits.

The main shift is from external rules to inner faith. In the end, the focus is not on being controlled by outside rules, but on sincere worship that is honest and grounded in truth.

for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 14:17

A quiet life with purpose

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JEFF TURNER

When people hear the word “aspire,” they often think about strong ambition, success, or gaining influence. It is not common to link that idea with a calm life or staying out of other people’s affairs. Yet in 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul gives a different view. He tells believers to aim for a peaceful life, to focus on their own responsibilities, and to work with their hands.

At first, this may seem like a call to step back or settle for less. However, this instruction is not about ministry work, sharing the gospel, or growing in holiness within the church. Instead, it speaks about daily life in the wider world. It is about how a person lives among others in ordinary situations.

In this setting, believers are called to bring peace rather than conflict. They should avoid creating problems and instead live in a way that supports order and respect. Believers should have clear goals that guide them toward obedience. These goals are not only for church life but also for everyday living. Following God’s instructions in daily actions is a meaningful and necessary aim.

Ambition itself is not wrong. It becomes a problem only when it is centred on self-interest.

In the end, a quiet and steady life, marked by responsibility and peace, is not a weak path. It is a chosen direction that reflects obedience and care in how one lives each day.

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people,

Colossians 3:23

The weight of seeing and rejecting truth

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JEFF TURNER

When reading the Gospels, one might imagine what it would have been like to witness the works of Jesus Christ in person. Seeing His miracles with their own eyes may seem like it would make belief easier. Yet the words recorded in Gospel of John 15 give a different perspective. Jesus explained that those who saw His works and still rejected Him carried a deeper level of guilt.

This does not mean that people who had not seen those miracles were free from sin. Every person is born with a sinful nature and continues to commit sin in daily life. The point being made is more specific. Those who witnessed His works and still turned away became guilty of a greater offence, which is the direct rejection of Him.

This rejection is not a small matter. It is one of the most serious sins because it involves turning away from clear truth. When someone fully understands who Christ is and still refuses Him, the weight of that decision is very great.

The teaching found in Hebrews adds to this understanding. It explains that there is a stronger judgment for those who treat the message of Christ with contempt. To know the gospel, to understand it, and then to reject it brings a heavier outcome than ignorance alone.

In this sense, hearing the message carries responsibility. A person who has never heard is still accountable for sin, but the one who has heard clearly and refused faces a more serious judgment.

And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accordance with his will, will receive many blows, but the one who did not know it, and committed acts deserving of a beating, will receive only a few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

Luke 12:47–48

Understanding Pentecost and the Church today

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JEFF TURNER

In the account of the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, God sent His Spirit, the apostles spoke God’s message, and many people took notice of what was happening. This caused some believe that every church gathering today should aim to have the same kind of experience.

However, when the full context is considered, that expectation does not match the purpose of that event. The coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was not meant to be repeated in the same way at every meeting. It was a unique moment in history that marked the beginning of the church.

During that time, the Holy Spirit came in a visible and clear way, described as something like divided flames resting on each person. This was not a normal or ongoing event but a sign that something new had begun. The apostles also spoke in different languages, and these were real, known languages. People from various regions were able to hear the message in their own speech. The text in Acts 2 even lists these languages to show that this was not random or unclear speech.

This moment shows that God was at work in a new way and that the church had been established. There are a few other moments in Acts where similar signs appear. These happen when new groups of people are brought into the church, such as the Gentiles and followers connected to John the Baptist. In each case, the signs confirm that they are included in the same body of believers as those at Pentecost. Even so, these events are limited and serve a clear purpose in the early history of the church.

The events in Acts 2 were meant to mark the start of something important, not to set a standard for every gathering that follows.

 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.”

Acts 1:8