The Sons of Thunder (3 of 5)
Series: Labels
Jeff Strite
Mark 3:16-17
Four men were playing golf one afternoon and were approaching the 4th hole when suddenly the sky turned ominously dark, and it began thunder and rain.
The men rushed to a gazebo for shelter. But just then, a bolt of lightning hit the long, nearby chain-link fence and lit it up like a neon sign.
There was a LONG period of shocked silence then one player turned the man keeping score and he said: ‘‘You know... that 5 I had on the first hole? It really was a seven.’’
There’s something about the fierceness of a thunderstorm that can shake even grown men. A storm like that speaks of violence and uncertainty and judgment.
In our text today, we read of the label that was given to James and John: ‘‘James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them Jesus gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder)’’ Mark 3:17
Most preachers (including me) have read this Sons of Thunder ‘‘nickname’’ and have come to the conclusion that this meant that James and John were angry and judgmental men - headstrong, impetuous, intolerant and overbearing.
It was as if this label ‘‘Sons of Thunder’’ pointed to a character flaw in these men.
But I’m not sure that I think that anymore. And there’s a couple reasons I’m changing my mind.
The st reason - I noticed (for the 1st time) WHO it was who gave James and John their nickname.
It was Jesus, wasn’t it?
‘‘To them JESUS gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder.’’
Jesus gave them their new ‘‘LABEL.’’
And then I noticed something else - God renamed a few other people in scripture and, whenever God renamed someone in the Bible that new name was based upon what He saw that they could be, rather than what they were when chose them.
He renamed Abram... ABRAHAM;
He renamed Sarai... SARAH;
and He renamed Jacob... ISRAEL.
And each time, the new name that God gave was a declaration that God had a plan for their lives.
In the Ne ...
Series: Labels
Jeff Strite
Mark 3:16-17
Four men were playing golf one afternoon and were approaching the 4th hole when suddenly the sky turned ominously dark, and it began thunder and rain.
The men rushed to a gazebo for shelter. But just then, a bolt of lightning hit the long, nearby chain-link fence and lit it up like a neon sign.
There was a LONG period of shocked silence then one player turned the man keeping score and he said: ‘‘You know... that 5 I had on the first hole? It really was a seven.’’
There’s something about the fierceness of a thunderstorm that can shake even grown men. A storm like that speaks of violence and uncertainty and judgment.
In our text today, we read of the label that was given to James and John: ‘‘James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them Jesus gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder)’’ Mark 3:17
Most preachers (including me) have read this Sons of Thunder ‘‘nickname’’ and have come to the conclusion that this meant that James and John were angry and judgmental men - headstrong, impetuous, intolerant and overbearing.
It was as if this label ‘‘Sons of Thunder’’ pointed to a character flaw in these men.
But I’m not sure that I think that anymore. And there’s a couple reasons I’m changing my mind.
The st reason - I noticed (for the 1st time) WHO it was who gave James and John their nickname.
It was Jesus, wasn’t it?
‘‘To them JESUS gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder.’’
Jesus gave them their new ‘‘LABEL.’’
And then I noticed something else - God renamed a few other people in scripture and, whenever God renamed someone in the Bible that new name was based upon what He saw that they could be, rather than what they were when chose them.
He renamed Abram... ABRAHAM;
He renamed Sarai... SARAH;
and He renamed Jacob... ISRAEL.
And each time, the new name that God gave was a declaration that God had a plan for their lives.
In the Ne ...
There are 11921 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.
Price: $5.99 or 1 credit
