The Gospel According to Mark - Logos Forums - Faithlife …
The Gospel According to Markby Greg Williamson ? revised 2011Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation (NLT)IntroductionPreliminary Concern: Why bother with Bible study?One of the most important, yet neglected, disciplines of the Christian life is serious, committed, personal Bible study. While many Christians will say that the Bible is important to them, in truth the vast majority of professing believers spend at best no more than a few minutes a week reading it. The end result is ignorance regarding God's truth which, in turn, has any number of profoundly negative consequences. The Bible is God's lamp to our feet and God's light to our path (see Psalms 119:105) - which means that without it we can expect to spend a lot of time stumbling and bumbling through this life. Beyond the obvious fact that it is an act of obedience and a sign of our love for God, personal Bible study has the potential to impact us in some highly significant ways, including: Knowledge. "Knowledge" is "the truth or facts of life that a person acquires either through experience or thought." While creation reveals (some of) what God is like, the Bible remains the only objective source for the fullest knowledge possible regarding God and his will for us. Wisdom. Wisdom is the "ability to judge correctly and to follow the best course of action, based on knowledge and understanding." In simplest terms, it is "skill for living." A Christian acquires this skill through personal study and application of the Scriptures. Understanding. To understand is "to grasp the meaning of; to grasp the reasonableness of; to have thorough or technical acquaintance with or expertness in the practice of." Knowing and applying God's counsel as found in the Bible is the only sure way to truly understand life - our purpose, our meaning, our direction. With so much to gain, why is Bible study such a lost art? Well, for one thing, personal, committed, ongoing Bible study demands time and effort. Which means getting out of the bed a little earlier each morning and/or turning off the television - or logging off of the internet - a little sooner in the evening. It also means investing in resources, beginning with a good study Bible, Bible dictionary, and Bible commentary. As one source aptly puts it: The big problem with Bible study today is that we think it should be easier than other things we do. We study recipes for quality meals, how-to books for all kinds of things - carpentry, plumbing, automobile maintenance and so on - and read vociferously for our hobbies. Why do we think the Bible is the only subject we should not have to study?! Let me challenge you - make the Bible your hobby. At one level I do not like the analogy; the Bible must be so much more than a hobby! But at another level, what if we spent as much time and money on Bible study as we do our hobbies? What if we took the same amount we spend on golf clubs and courses or on skiing equipment and skiing trips, and put it into Bible study? Yes, encyclopedias, commentaries and other reference materials are expensive. But so is everything we do. The question is about priorities: what is important enough for our time and money? I want to encourage you to get and use the tools that enable us to bridge the gap back to Bible times and authorial intention. Who wrote this book?John Mark ("John" is a Hebrew name meaning "God is gracious; "Mark"/"Marcus" is a Roman name meaning "larger hammer"). Besides the early Church's testimony that Mark served as the apostle Peter's "interpreter" ("a term meaning something like 'private secretary' and aide-de-camp"), Mark had firsthand knowledge of the leaders of the early Church and the Gospel they espoused: Mark was the cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10), a leader in the early Church. Mark came from a wealthy family who were among the first in Jerusalem to become Christians, and whose home served as a meeting place for believers (a house church) (Acts 12:11-13). He was a traveling companion of the apostle Paul during Paul's first missionary journey (c. A.D. 46–48) (Acts 12:25; 13:5). However, because Mark had abandoned Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:13), Paul refused to take him along on the next trip (c. A.D. 49–52), a decision that created a rift between he and Barnabas. The latter took John Mark and headed in a different direction (Acts 15:36-39).At some point Paul and Mark were reconciled, since Paul later speaks highly of him (Colossians 4:10-11; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 24).INTERACTIONWhat does it mean to be reconciled to someone? Does being reconciled mean that two people have to think and act exactly alike? Why or why not? INSIGHTAnother word for reconciliation is reunion. To reunite is to make united again. Unity, however, is not the same as uniformity. Whereas uniformity demands looking and acting exactly alike, unity involves shared beliefs and values - while still leaving room for individual differences. While we can only guess as to why John Mark deserted Paul and Barnabas - Fear of danger? Dissatisfaction with the leadership? Malaria? - it is probably not too much to say that it was John Mark's and Paul's beliefs and values which led them to be reconciled. And doubtless the entire experience better prepared Mark for writing about Jesus, the one who came to reconcile us to God.Mark was a companion of the apostle Peter and may even have been converted by him (see 1 Peter 5:13). It is believed that Mark's gospel is based on Peter's sermons and recollections regarding Jesus, and it is obvious that Mark chose to present his material thematically rather than chronologically. Mark's gospel was held in high esteem immediately after it was written (because of Peter's authority, plus its endorsement by the Christian church at Rome), but it did fall out of favor once the longer and smoother gospels of Matthew and Luke arrived on the scene.Tradition tells us that John Mark went on to establish churches in Alexandria (Egypt), he was martyred, and his remains were carried to Venice and placed under the Church of St. Mark. INSIGHTHow we live our lives bears witness to who we are and what we believe. This was Peter's point in his first epistle. Writing to Christians who were being persecuted for their faith, Peter urged them to live good lives that would bear witness to the saving power of God. "Be careful how you live among your unbelieving neighbors. Even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will believe and give honor to God when he comes to judge the world" (1 Peter 2:12).What was Mark's purpose in writing this book?Mark wrote his gospel for the (Gentile) Christians living in and around Rome during the persecution under Emperor Nero. Mark sought both to encourage and to equip them by reminding them of who Jesus Christ is and what it means to follow him. "The Gospel of Mark teaches about the person and acts of God as revealed in the words and works of his Son, Jesus Christ. In his ministry, defined as good news (gospel), Jesus as the Christ fulfills the promises of the Old Testament concerning the Davidic Messiah-King in a unique way as the Son of God." In Mark's historical narrative we learn that Jesus: was empowered by God's Spirit; proclaimed God's good news; announced God's kingdom; called for "repentance and belief in that good news"; suffered and died to ransom us from sin; and was raised back to life. INTERACTIONWho is Jesus to you: A good man? A wise teacher? Lord? Why?INSIGHTHere is a man who was born in an obscure village, the Child of a peasant woman. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty, and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never owned a home. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. ... While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a Cross between two thieves. ... When He was dead He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. ... Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone and today He is the Centerpiece of the human race ... I am within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever were built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that One Solitary Life. What is the historical setting of this book?The setting for Mark's gospel is the persecution of Christians under Emperor Nero in Rome, beginning A.D. 65."In A.D. 64 a fire broke out at the Circus Maximus in Rome. It spread quickly, devouring everything in its path. Fanned by the wind, it raged for more than five days and devastated a large area of the city before being brought under control. At the time Nero was at Antium, his birthplace, some 33 miles to the south. He rushed to Rome to organize relief work. Because of his evil record, however, people put stock in the rumor that Nero had set the fire himself. Nero, in turn, found a scapegoat in the Christians, whom he charged with the crime. Many were persecuted." It was during this period that both Paul and Peter were put to death. As one source notes: "Writing in the last two or three years of Nero's life, when the Jewish rebellion was in its early stages, when persecution of Christians was severe, and when many '?prophets' and '?deliverers' were making themselves known, the Markan evangelist puts forward Jesus as the true son of God, in whom the good news for the world truly has its beginning." INTERACTIONDescribe a time you were falsely accused of something. What was the outcome? What did you learn from that experience??INSIGHTWilliam Shakespeare wrote that, "Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind." And C. S. Lewis noted how, "Suspicion often creates what it suspects." People are prone to see what they want to see and hear what they want to hear. Moral: Striving to live good lives will help us see the good in others (though they may or may not acknowledge it in us).What type of book/literature is this?Mark's book is a gospel narrative centering on the words and works of Jesus Christ. Jesus' public ministry began in A.D. 29 and ended in A.D. 33. Mark opens his narrative by placing the Gospel within its proper historical context: Old Testament prophets => John the Baptist => Jesus. The nation of Israel had long anticipated God's Messiah and the deliverance he would offer; the "good news" was that he had finally arrived. As one source summarizes: Since the usage and associations of the term in the Synoptics coincide with those in Isaiah, it is likely that the meaning of gospel has its roots in this message of restoration and healing for the helpless. The preaching of the "?good news?" is collocated with the kingdom in both the Synoptics (Mark 1:14–15; Matthew 4:23; 9:35; Luke 4:43; 8:1; 16:16) and in Isaiah (Isaiah 40:9–10; 52:7) and so also with healing in both the Synoptics (Matthew 4:23; 9:35; 11:5; Luke 7:22; 9:6) and in Isaiah (Isaiah 61:1; 26:19; 29:18; 35:5–6). Mark's is actually one of four separate but related gospels, the others having been written by Matthew, Luke and John. Because their subject (Jesus) is unique, in many ways theirs is a unique type of literature. Their basic style, however, reflects a type of biography popular at the time. These biographies of philosophers or writers (rather than generals or politicians) "were shaped over a skeleton chronology running from their birth, or entrance on the stage of public history, to their death, interrupted here and there by topical excursions." The gospel writers (or "evangelists") present us with a series of snapshots of the life and times of Jesus, culminating with his death, resurrection, and promised future return.Mark's is "a biography charged with energy" - it emphasizes action and climaxes with Jesus' crucifixion. Mark's frequent use of the word "immediately" (40 x) "adds to the rapid flow of his narrative, which, dwelling more on Jesus' activity than on his discourses (in contrast to Matthew and Luke), shifts from scene to scene with hardly a pause." As one source puts it, it is as if Mark "rushes on in a kind of breathless attempt to make the story as vivid to others as it is to himself," the end result being what has been called "essentially a transcript from life." Besides showing Jesus in action, Mark includes quite a number of details appropriate to an eyewitness account - "details of persons, times, numbers, and places." Although such intimate details may be unimportant in and of themselves, nonetheless they offer additional proof of authenticity since they are what an "eyewitness would have been likely to recall later when he related the mighty works and words of Jesus and the decisive reactions of those present." As one source puts it: "Mark's Gospel throbs with life and bristles with vivid details. We see with Peter's eyes and catch almost the very look and gesture of Jesus as he moved among men in his work of healing men's bodies and saving men's souls." INTERACTIONHave you ever read the biography or autobiography of a famous person? What was the one thing about him or her that impressed you the most??INSIGHTNot long ago I read Billy Graham's autobiography, Just As I Am. Here is a man who has shared the Gospel with literally millions of people around the world. Here is a man who has confronted presidents and kings with their need for a personal relationship with the King of kings, Jesus Christ. If anyone has a right to boast about his accomplishments, surely it would be Billy Graham.And yet what strikes me most about Billy Graham's life is not his accomplishments, but his humility. Ask him why God has used him so greatly and Billy Graham will tell you he has no idea. All he knows for sure is that God is in charge and he is called to be faithful. How does Mark's gospel compare with the others (Matthew, Luke, John)?The center of focus for all four gospels is, of course, Jesus Christ. And so there is quite a bit of overlap in the reports of Jesus' words and works. But since each gospel writer wrote with a particular audience in mind, each writer emphasizes or highlights themes targeted to his intended audience. Along these lines, it is important to keep in mind that Mark does not aim for a precise, detailed record - "a day-to-day diary of events in chronological and orderly sequence." Because Mark's gospel is more of a patchwork of different episodes from Jesus' life and ministry, "the unity to be found is that of a mosaic or collage of individual passages that together produce a pattern." Regarding the structure of his gospel, one source notes how Mark organized his narrativeaccording to a simple plan. The first eight chapters summarize the nature of Christ's public ministry by alternating stories that show his growing popularity with stories that stress the disapproval of the Jewish leaders. This first half of the book, while indicating some of the tensions created by Jesus' coming, gives the basic impression of success and general optimism. A significant shift then strikes the reader toward the end of chapter 8, particularly beginning with verse 31. At Caesarea Philippi, Peter has just confessed that Jesus is the Messiah, and now for the first time Jesus reveals that as Messiah he must die. The disciples become perplexed and discouraged and their pessimism mounts as this thought is brought home to them repeatedly (Mark 9:9, 31; 10:32–34; 14:17–25). In the end they desert their master (Mark 14:50).When added together, the four gospel accounts present a complementary (rather than contradictory) picture of Jesus. Matthew: "Matthew's object was to exhibit the Gospel as the fulfilment [sic] of the law and the prophecies; to connect the past with the present; to show that Jesus was the Messiah of the Jews, and that in the Old Testament the New was prefigured, while in the New Testament the Old was revealed."Mark: Markis a chronicler rather than a historian. His narrative is the record of an observer, dealing with the facts of Christ's life without reference to any dominant conception of his person or office. Christ's portrait is drawn "in the clearness of his present energy"; not as the fulfilment [sic] of the past, as by Matthew, nor as the foundation of the future, as by John. His object is to portray Jesus in his daily life, "in the awe-inspiring grandeur of his human personality, as a man who was also the Incarnate, the wonder-working Son of God." Luke: As a physician, Luke had an eye for detail and a spirit of compassion. Among other things, Luke's gospel reflects:contrasts (e.g., between good and evil)"the freedom and universality of the Gospel"the prized status of womenand the importance of prayer. John: John's gospel is characterized by the profuse employment of symbolism. This accords with its Hebrew fiber, and also, largely, with the nature of its subject. For not only was John a Jew, familiar with the symbolic economy and prophecy of the Old Testament, but Jesus, the central figure of his Gospel was, pre-eminently the fulfiller of the Law and of the Prophecies. Christ's own teaching, too, was largely symbolic; and John's peculiar, profound spiritual insight detected in His ordinary acts that larger meaning which belonged to them in virtue of Jesus' position as the representative of humanity; and that unity of the natural and spiritual worlds which was assumed in the utterances of our Lord in which the visible was used as the type of the invisible. INTERACTIONWhat is your favorite painting? What do you most appreciate about it??INSIGHTThe story is told of three visitors to the Grand Canyon - an artist, a pastor, and a cowboy. Each one was amazed at the sight before them. The artist exclaimed that the Grand Canyon would make for a beautiful painting. The pastor saw in the canyon an awesome example of God's creative handiwork. But the cowboy moaned, "Sure would be a mighty bad place to lose a cow!" Moral: Who we are is reflected in the way we see things. Being a follower of Jesus involves seeing ourselves, our world and God in a new and exciting way.What are some key themes in this book? Jesus came to save the lost and serve the least. "In contrast with the courtesans and the leaders of Galilee who attend Herod's court, aside from his final days in Jerusalem, Jesus is found in rural, rustic and rudimentary settings and in the company of the little people." Jesus' message of forgiveness and deliverance was/is for people - all people. Broadly speaking, Mark presents Jesus as: The Son of God, as evidenced by his divine activity, including healings, exorcisms, and power over nature.The Son of Man, a Messianic title used often by Jesus in reference to himself.The Redeemer who came to die on a cross for the sins of the world, seen especially in Mark's emphasis on Jesus' passion: "Mark devotes a greater proportion of space to the passion narrative than any other of the gospels." The Healer whose miraculous healings encouraged faith in Jesus. Christ and the Messianic SecretBoth "Christ" (Greek) and "Messiah" (Hebrew) mean "(God's) Anointed One." In the Old Testament, God promised to send someone to deliver Israel. In time the idea of such a deliverer took on a political connotation: the people began looking for an earthly king to deliver them from Roman bondage. The people forgot that God's deliverer would also be a suffering servant. And so by the time Jesus came on the scene, there was much expectation regarding an earthly king who would use force to overthrow the Romans. This popular misconception was one reason Jesus repeatedly told others not to reveal his true identity (demons [Mark 1:23–25, 34; 3:11–12], people he healed [Mark 1:40–44; 5:43; 7:36; 8:26], and the disciples [Mark 8:30; 9:9]).Another important reason for the "Messianic secret" is that Jesus' was to be a spiritual reign and his followers would be a part of God's invisible kingdom. Jesus could become king only after he completed his mission of dying for the sins of the world. Ironically, the cross that was waiting for Jesus, popularly identified with defeat, actually served to inaugurate Jesus' rule over the hearts of all who personally identify with him. And so, knowing that the cross must come before the crown, Jesus told people to remain silent regarding his identify as God's promised deliverer. Only after the cross and his resurrection from the dead did Jesus commission his followers to take the good news to everyone everywhere.INTERACTIONDescribe a time (birthday, Christmas, etc.) when you totally surprised someone with a gift they really wanted. INSIGHTMy wife carries a backpack virtually everywhere she goes. Being the frugal person she is, she refused to buy a new backpack, even after the one she had used for several years was in real need of replacement. And so one Christmas I totally surprised her with a new bag. She loved it and used it until it was completely worn out. The funny thing is, I had tried before to get her to trade in her old bag for a new one - without success. She absolutely refused to give up her old bag. When I gave her the new backpack as a gift, however, she could not refuse. And, as she began to use and enjoy the new bag, soon the old one was completely forgotten. Salvation is a free gift from God. We can neither earn it nor produce it for ourselves. But like my wife with her old, worn-out backpack, our natural tendency is to hold on to what we have and make do with that. And so we tell ourselves that, when it comes to God, we have enough to get by. What we really and desperately need, as Mark reminds us, is to throw out our old bag and accept the new one Jesus offers.Spiritual ConflictThe earth has been the scene of a great spiritual battle ever since the first human pair, Adam and Eve, rebelled against God's rightful rule over their lives (Genesis 3:15a). Since then, Satan has been doing everything within his power to prevent us human beings from seeking God. Mark's Gospel shows Jesus casting out demons (members of Satan's army), which in turn demonstrates his superiority over their master, Satan (Mark 3:27). When anyone turns to Jesus for healing and deliverance, that person is freed from Satan's control - i.e., healed both physically and spiritually. In the final analysis, we can choose to worship either God or Satan. There is no middle ground. And who we worship determines how we worship: If we worship Satan, we will serve self. If we worship God, we will serve others in his name.INTERACTIONIs all conflict bad? Why or why not? INSIGHTThe story is told of a heated encounter between Winston Church and Lady Astor. (Lady Astor was the first woman member of the British House of Commons). Lady Astor: "If I were your wife, I would give you arsenic to drink."Churchill: "And if I were your husband, I would gladly drink it." Conflict literally means "to strike together." Proverbs tells us that, "Just as iron sharpens iron, friends sharpen the minds of each other" (Proverbs 27:17, CEV). Provided it results in good, conflict can be a good and healthy thing. Often conflict is God's way of getting our attention and showing us something important that we should be concerned about. For example, it may be a situation we should seek to remedy, or a bad habit we need to break. Miracles and SalvationIn general, miracles can be defined as: "an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs." Miracles are not intended to prove God really exists; miracles are intended to prove God really cares. In Mark's Gospel, miracles show that Jesus came from God 1) to help the helpless, 2) to offer salvation to those who could not save themselves (everyone), and 3) to announce God's kingdom. Not even Jesus' performing miracles directly in front of them was enough to convince hardcore skeptics - they attributed the miracles to Satan (Mark 3:22). Only those who had fully committed themselves to Jesus were able to see the miracles for what they were: proofs of God's saving love. Hence the repeated connection between faith and miracles: "Your faith has made you well" (Mark 5:34; 10:52).INTERACTIONHave you ever seen a miracle? Describe what happened. INSIGHTAlthough we may use the word "miracle" to describe an event we don't understand, a true miracle is "a special act of God that interrupts the natural course of events." As revealed in the Bible, miracles attract attention; attests to the existence of God; promote good; help confirm God's truth; and open the way for people to hear God's message. DiscipleshipA disciple is a student or learner who seeks to emulate his teacher or instructor. A disciple of Jesus is someone who seeks to live by his teachings. What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? What kind of treatment should a disciple expect? What sort of priorities should govern his or her life? The answers to these questions, important in their own right, would have taken on new and vital significance for Mark's original audience - Christians being hunted down and put to death for their faith - since they help to point out the high cost of discipleship. Mark repeatedly presents Jesus' disciples as being filled with fear and doubt, two real and natural emotions. And that seems to be Mark's point: only through belief in and commitment to Jesus can we begin thinking and acting differently from those in the world around us. Like his or her master, a disciple of Jesus rejects worldly power and status in favor of "the way of suffering and the cross through servanthood." INTERACTIONWho was your favorite teacher in high school? What did he or she do that made you want to learn for yourself? INSIGHTCommenting on 2 Timothy 4:13, where Paul asks Timothy to bring him a cloak, books, and the parchments, Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote the following: He is inspired, yet he wants books! He has been preaching at least for thirty years, yet he wants books! He has seen the Lord, yet he wants books. He has had a wider experience than most men, yet he wants books! He has been caught up into the third heaven, and has heard things which it is unlawful to utter, yet he wants books! He has written the major part of the New Testament, yet he wants books! Moral: Those who love to learn change and grow by learning, and they never outgrow their need to learn.The Kingdom of GodThe "kingdom of God" can be defined as "the sovereignty of God under which people place themselves by accepting the message of Jesus in faith and undergoing a spiritual rebirth." Jesus began his public ministry by proclaiming: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15, NASB). Thus Jesus linked together the concepts of fulfillment, God's kingdom, repentance, and personal belief in the Gospel. God's promises (regarding a Deliverer or Savior) were fulfilled with the coming of his kingdom (= rule) which could be entered into only through repentance (= turning from sin) and belief in (= commitment to) the Gospel (= good news concerning Jesus Christ).INTERACTIONWhat image(s) come to mind when you think of the word "kingdom": King? Queen? Castle? Banquets? Battles?INSIGHTA kingdom is actually an individual country, and many parallels exist between a given country and God's kingdom. Take, for instance, the United States of America:The U.S. is large and expansive.Life here is festive and abundant.By its very nature, the U.S. includes some people but excludes others—i.e., not everyone can be a citizen of our country.It is by grace alone that we are born citizens of the U.S.Our citizenship is very valuable. It entitles us to both privileges and responsibilities.How is this book structured? Mark's Gospel is one of action. The storyline follows Jesus as he travels dusty roads and crosses stormy seas, weaving in and out of towns and villages as he makes his way from Galilee in the north (chapters 1–9) to Judea and Jerusalem in the south (chapters 10–16). Along the way we see Jesus preaching, leading a group of disciples, performing miracles, engaging in dialogue with people, defending his actions and beliefs in open debate, and finally being put on trial and crucified. More than one-third of Mark's Gospel is devoted to the last week of Jesus' life (chapters 11–16), placing major emphasis on the events surrounding the crucifixion.The key verse in Mark is: "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45, NASB). Broadly speaking, we see that:Jesus the Servant is presented (1:1 - 2:12)Jesus the Servant is opposed (2:13 - 8:26)Jesus the Servant instructs (8:27 - 10:52)Jesus the Servant is rejected (11:1 - 15:47)Jesus the Servant is resurrected (16:1-20) Mark 1[[@Bible:Mark 1:1-11]]Mark 1:1-11John the Baptist Prepares the Way1 This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. It began 2?just as the prophet Isaiah had written: "Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way. 3 He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord's coming!Clear the road for him!" 4?This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. 5?All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. 6?His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.7?John announced: "Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am - so much greater that I'm not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals. 8?I baptize you with?? water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!"The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus9?One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. 10?As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him?? like a dove. 11?And a voice from heaven said, "You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy."See (head)It has been four-hundred years since Israel last heard from a true prophet of the one true God. The people are famished for a word of hope. There is much anticipation concerning the promised Messiah who will deliver Israel and restore her to greatness. Just as people clear and level roads in expectation of a king's visit, so John calls people from every social class to prepare their hearts for God by repenting of their sins.?Baptism is a public declaration of a person's willingness to turn from serving self to serving God, and a change in lifestyle is the necessary evidence of that willingness (see Malachi 3:1–5). Jesus presents himself to John to be baptized. Immediately afterward, God testifies publicly that Jesus is his Son and he is "fully pleased" with him.Good News ... Son of God (Mark 1:1)The opening words of Mark's historical record ("The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" NASB) directly challenge a common claim of his day - namely, that the Roman emperor was the divine "Son of God." There was actually an inscription in honor of Caesar Augustus that referred to his birthday as being "the beginning of the good news [or gospel] for the world." Hence Mark's claim for Jesus would have been perceived as nothing less than "a bold challenge to Roman politics and religion."?That said, it should be noted that by immediately linking Jesus' ministry with OT prophecy, Mark shows that his primary concern is with "Israel's narrative and in particular Isaiah's prophetic hopes of restoration." As the prophet Isaiah had written (Mark 1:2)Mark's quotation draws from three different OT texts (Exodus 23:20; Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3). As one source explains: "Mark prefaced this composite quotation from three Old Testament books with the words: 'It is written in Isaiah the prophet.' This illustrates a common practice by New Testament authors in quoting several passages with a unifying theme. The common theme here is the 'wilderness' (desert) tradition in Israel's history. Since Mark was introducing the ministry of John the Baptist in the desert, he cited Isaiah as the source because the Isaiah passage refers to 'a voice … calling' in the desert." Prepare the way (Mark 1:3)John's message echoed that of the prophet Isaiah, who had pictured the nation of Israel, joyful as she returns from captivity, being led by the LORD (Jehovah). The Isaiah passage was highly significant, as among the Jews there was tremendous anticipation associated with Isaiah 40 in general and 40:1-3 in particular. John applied the exodus/deliverance imagery to Jesus as the Messiah/Christ who offers deliverance from sin and its eternal consequences. This is a vital point, since it is a sobering reminder of Israel's failing to worship God (which resulted in her captivity) and the fact that, even more so than occupation by the Romans, sin is the enemy that must be vanquished before we can enjoy true, unbroken fellowship with God. John the Baptist (Mark 1:4)Important Roman officials were always preceded by a herald or announcer, and it may be in deference to this custom that Mark's gospel - likely written to/for Roman Christians - begins with the herald of "the most important man who ever lived." John's is a prophetic voice urging people to prepare to meet God. ("The wilderness and its obstructions are in the hearts of the people; there the Lord's way is to be prepared.") His mission and message placed him outside the established order. As a prophet of God his aim was not reform but revival. Rather than going to the king's court or to Jerusalem, John went to the desert. The words he spoke, the clothes he wore, the food he ate - in short, everything about him - testified to the fact that this Elijah-like figure stood outside the mainstream religious order. He called people to turn from dead religious orthodoxy to living faith in the one true God whose kingdom was fast approaching. Someone ... greater (Mark 1:7)John announced the coming of someone greater than he. What did he mean? And in what sense was John "great"? John was referring to the Messiah, Jesus Christ (although he had not yet identified Jesus specifically). John was great in that 1) he had been chosen by God to prepare the way for the Messiah, and 2) his message had a great, or powerful, impact, with huge crowds coming out to hear him and many people being baptized. On the other hand, Jesus was great in an absolute sense and, in contrast to John, Jesus' message was accompanied by many powerful miracles. While John was fully persuaded of his calling and of the urgency of his message, he was also humble enough to acknowledge his relative unimportance as compared to the Christ. When John spoke of being unworthy "to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals," he was employing imagery with which his audience could instantly identify. It was the job of the lowliest slave in a household to untie, remove, and clean the filthy sandals of the master and his guests. As one source puts it, the difference between Jesus and John is the difference between the original light of the sun and the reflected light of the moon. A very telling illustration of Jesus' greatness can be found in the story in which Jesus depicts himself as the one able to overpower the strong man in order to plunder - or "thoroughly ransack" - his house (see Mark 3:27). Satan is the strong man, his house "is the realm of sin, sickness, demon possession, and death," and Jesus plunders Satan's house by "releasing the enslaved victims." (Would not this then mean that Christians who deliberately sin are in a sense opening the door to Satan's house and placing one foot back inside?) Jesus' miraculous healings and exorcisms were a vital part of his baptizing "with the Holy Spirit," the full measure of which would take place at Pentecost (see Acts 1:5; 11:15-16; 19:2-5).Repented ... John baptized [Jesus] (Mark 1:4, 9)As "God's chosen people," the nation of Israel was renowned for its intricate system of religion. There was a law or a rule for just about everything imaginable. Why then does John call Israel to repentance? Simply put, it is because religion cannot save us; only a personal relationship with God can save us. John's message and baptism prepared the people for the personal relationship that Jesus would make universally available following the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. "The Baptist demanded true repentance for his baptism. This is inward, unseen, in the heart; yet it always manifests its presence by an honest confession of sin." The Bible consistently teaches that Jesus was completely perfect, entirely without sin. Why then does he submit to baptism by John? Jesus' baptism accomplishes a number of things: It marks his decision to begin his public ministry.It allows him to publicly identify with sinners.It is an opportunity for receiving God's (public) approval.It is the occasion on which he is equipped by the Holy Spirit. Baptized (Mark 1:9)Some commentators describe the events surrounding Jesus' baptism in terms of a new/second exodus. God used a deliverer (Moses ~ Jesus) and many miraculous signs (the plagues ~ Jesus' healings and exorcisms) to deliver Israel (from Egyptian slavery ~ from bondage to sin). Along these lines, "the rent heavens and descent of the Spirit can hardly be anything but the sign that God himself has now come in power to rescue his people." At the same time, it appears that the events surrounding Jesus' baptism declare the beginning of a new creation by God. Parallels between the original creation account in Genesis 1 and Jesus' baptism include: the presence and voice of God; the heavens; the Spirit of God; and water. The dove would thus picture the Holy Spirit as he was "moving" or "hovering" over the waters in Genesis, which in turn alludes to "the hovering and brooding of a bird over its young, to warm them, and develop their vital powers." Hear (heart)A Defining MomentAll of us experience defining moments marked by public ceremony, such as a graduation, a promotion, or a wedding. Such occasions represent many things: A decision to begin a new stage in life.A way to identify with a certain group or class of people.Public recognition or approval.A proud moment for friends and family.John the Baptist called people to prepare for what would be the most important defining moment of their lives: baptism in preparation for meeting God. Jesus' baptism was a monumental defining moment, as well, since it marked the beginning of his public claim to Messiahship.Do (hands)John's appearance and habitation presented a stark contrast to the common comforts of life that the majority of his audience enjoyed. "In drawing people out into the wilderness after him John made them share a bit of his own austere life. Men left their mansions, offices, shops, their common round of life and for a time at least gave their thoughts to higher things." What's more, for his part Jesus' baptism was his way of publicly declaring his decision to completely submit to God's will for his life, even though he knew that decision would result in pain, suffering, and death. ??? What can the examples of both John and Jesus teach us about personal comfort versus God's will? [[@Bible:Mark 1:12-20]]Mark 1:12-20(The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus)12 The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, 13?where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him. 14?Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God's Good News. 15?"The time promised by God has come at last!" he announced. "The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!" The First Disciples 16?One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon?? and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 17?Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" 18?And they left their nets at once and followed him. 19?A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee's sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets. 20?He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men.See (head)The same Spirit that marked God's approval of Jesus now leads (literally forces or drives) him out to be tempted. Mark's wording indicates that the Devil's temptations did not end in the desert, and the remainder of his gospel shows this to be the case as demons, public opinion, and religious hypocrisy all work to thwart Jesus' mission. Once having made the decision to begin his public ministry, Jesus moves quickly. He preaches and teaches that God's kingdom is as close as the sound of his voice. He calls his first disciples to leave their booming family businesses - and in so doing to go against societal norms - in order to follow and learn from him. Compelled (Mark 1:12)Mark wrote that the Holy Spirit "drove" ("compelled" NLT, "impelled" NASB; Greek ekballo: "the use of external force in order to move an unwilling object") Jesus into the wilderness - expressing the same idea found repeatedly throughout Mark's gospel in reference to Jesus' casting or driving out demons. "The thought is that of strong moral compulsion by which the Spirit led Jesus to take the offensive against temptation and evil instead of avoiding them." Today a person may do something and then say that he had no choice, he had to do it. It is that type of inner compulsion that is in view here. Unlike us, however, Jesus was not guilty of acting rashly: "Jesus did not throw himself into this temptation of his own accord when, according to human judgment, at the beginning of his ministry he might have been wise to avoid such a decisive conflict. We often rashly put ourselves into temptation. Jesus was brought into his by his Father's Spirit. This means that his temptation had to occur, and occur at this very time. It was God's will to have his Son's ministry begin with this mighty battle against Satan in person and with the resultant victory." Tempted (Mark 1:13)As brought out in Matthew's and Luke's more detailed accounts, Jesus' temptation parallels that of Adam and Eve in several important ways. Whereas Adam was tempted in a paradise and failed, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness and was victorious. The Bible book of Genesis presents the temptation of Eve as encompassing the three main areas of our common humanity: the physical, the intellectual, and the emotional. Likewise these were the three avenues in which Satan approached Jesus. All of this is important because it demonstrates Jesus' victory over Satan - and it is "by his victory over the tempter [that] he may, for all who believe in him, undo the results of the first Adam's failure." Whether or not Jesus could have actually sinned has been a source of much debate. If he was incapable of actually sinning, could he truly be tempted to sin? One source likens Christ's imperviousness to sin to an army: just because an army cannot be defeated does not mean it cannot be attacked. But if Jesus never sinned, how can he fully identify with us sinners? Here we should keep a few points in mind: It was not necessary for Jesus to actually experience sin in order for him to fully understand its detrimental effects on us. By way of illustration, consider the cancer patient who goes in for surgery. Neither having the disease nor undergoing surgery to remove it makes him an expert. On the other hand, the cancer surgeon who has never had the disease himself but who has performed hundreds (or even thousands) of operations to remove it from others would be an expert on the topic. Jesus' is the perfect example of humanity; the perfect man Jesus is what human beings were intended to be like - and what saved human beings one day will be like. Sin is a corruption of the good, the best, the perfect. The perfect man Jesus represents humanity at its highest and best. Which means rather than Jesus seeking to be more like us sinners, we sinners should seek to be more like Jesus. The temptation to sin that Jesus faced was no less real than the death he likewise endured and overcame. Galilee (Mark 1:14)Mark keys in on Jesus' ministry in Galilee, again tying together the work of John the Baptist and Jesus. As John was a herald for Jesus, so Jesus was a herald for/of "the gospel of God" - i.e., "the good news that God sends." (Commentators point out that Jesus' public ministry had actually begun a year or so prior.) Jesus chose to concentrate his ministry in Galilee, "the Jewish province that was farthest removed from the capital and in many respects looked down upon by the proud inhabitants of the center." The synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) "are chiefly taken up with our Lord's public ministry in this province. ... 'It is noteworthy that of his thirty-two beautiful parables, no less than nineteen were spoken in Galilee. And it is no less remarkable that of his entire thirty-three great miracles, twenty-five were wrought in this province. His first miracle was wrought at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, and his last, after his resurrection, on the shore of Galilee's sea. In Galilee our Lord delivered the Sermon on The Mount [and several other great discourses]' (Porter's Through Samaria)." The Kingdom ... Repent (Mark 1:15)Jesus' proclamation regarding God's kingdom (= God's rule and reign) is in effect a declaration of "the supernatural character, origin, and purpose of our salvation." The only proper response was/is to repent and believe. Belief - or "faith" - is a major theme in Mark's gospel account, involving "knowledge, assent, and confidence." In conjunction with repentance, it is the only means of entrance into the kingdom (= "the presence and reign of God"). Repentance is turning from, and belief is turning toward. While we can speak of them separately, in reality "both are always wrought in the same instant and are always found together." As John Calvin has noted, this is good news indeed for us, since it means "not only is our duty enjoined on us, but the grace and power of obedience are, at the same time, offered." Follow me (Mark 1:17)We can surmise that this was not the first time Jesus and these men had met. Here Jesus was not calling them to salvation but, rather, to discipleship - including in their particular case "training for the apostolate." Whereas the initial call to salvation centers on the individual, "[t]his call is for the sake of others." The emphasis of the passage seems to be Jesus' authority, including the fact that his call takes precedent over important social customs (James and John literally abandoned their father in order to follow Jesus). However, and as Mark makes clear throughout his gospel, Jesus' first disciples were anything but the staunch defenders of the Christian faith they would become after Jesus' resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. At first they were spiritually shallow, unsympathetic, proud, unforgiving, not very prayerful, and not overly courageous. While certainly not a very flattering portrait, it does mean there is hope for us! Fish for people (Mark 1:17)We should also note the meaning and implications of Jesus' call to "fish for people": The kind of fishing envisioned was net - not line - fishing ... which involved a circular net that had heavy weights around its perimeter. The occupation of fisherman was labor-intensive. The imagery of using a lure and a line (and waiting for the fish to strike) is thus foreign to this text. Rather, the imagery of a fisherman involved much strain, long hours, and often little results. Jesus’ point may have been one or more of the following: the strenuousness of evangelism, the work ethic that it required, persistence and dedication to the task (often in spite of minimal results), the infinite value of the new "catch" (viz., people), and perhaps an eschatological theme of snatching people from judgment ... If this last motif is in view, then catching people is the opposite of catching fish: The fish would be caught, killed, cooked, and eaten; people would be caught so as to remove them from eternal destruction and to give them new life.Hear (heart)Overcoming TemptationRalph Waldo Emerson believed: "We gain the strength of the temptation we resist."The 15th century priest Thomas Kempis advised: "Do not try to find a place free from temptations and troubles. Rather, seek a peace that endures even when you are beset by various temptations and tried by much adversity." And one Bible commentator has written: "One fact must not be forgotten: the wilderness, though dreadful ... was also the place where nothing was able to separate Jesus from communion with his heavenly Father." DO (hands) ??? Read Matthew 4:1-11. What can Jesus' experience teach us about enduring hardship as part of preparing for the work to which God calls us? [[@Bible:Mark 1:21-28]]Mark 1:21-28Jesus Casts Out an Evil Spirit 21 Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority - quite unlike the teachers of religious law. 23 Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil?? spirit began shouting, 24 "Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy One sent from God!" 25 Jesus cut him short. "Be quiet! Come out of the man," he ordered. 26 At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him. 27 Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. "What sort of new teaching is this?" they asked excitedly. "It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!" 28 The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee.See (head)Teachers of the law had turned the law (essentially our OT) into a series of legal precedents, endlessly citing one interpretive tradition after another. In so doing, they divorced the law from its true intent as a light both to reveal human sinfulness and to guide us to God. Jesus is different; he cuts to the chase by going back to the law itself and explaining God's original intent for it. Jesus' miracles are an extension of his teaching - both reveal his authority. Amazed (Mark 1:22)Twice Mark mentions that Jesus' audience was amazed (literally, "struck as by a blow" (v. 22)) - first at his teaching and then at his miracle-working power. How was Jesus' teaching different from that of "the teachers of religious law"? As evidenced throughout the gospels, there are several points of contrast. Unlike that of his contemporaries, Jesus' teaching was: truthful, significant, systematic, illustrative, loving, and authoritative. Evil spirit (Mark 1:23)Demons are actually fallen angels who, along with their leader, the chief angel Satan, rebelled against God. They could and would take up residence in human beings, and the usual method for casting them out involved the use of magical formulas and even going so far as to incite one demon to attack and drive out another. Whereas Jesus had been on the defensive during his wilderness temptation, he now takes the offensive as he begins a frontal assault on Satan and his demonic army. Jesus does so, it should be noted, not by the exorcism techniques common to his day but rather by his supremely authoritative word alone - a feat so unusual it was perceived as "a new teaching." It should also be noted that modern skepticism regarding demon possession is proved false by Jesus' attitude toward it. If, as some hold, demoniacs were actually nothing more than people suffering from mental illness and/or epilepsy, then either Jesus himself was ignorant or else he chose to accommodate the ignorance of the people around him by going along with the superstitious belief that people can be possessed by demons. Either option irrevocably impugns the righteous character of our Lord and Savior. The fact that demon possession appears to be much less prevalent today is often attributed to the fact that Jesus overthrew Satan and ushered in a new era characterized by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Nonetheless, the lost and confused persons today who go looking for demons - i.e., "spirits" - through witchcraft and other occult practices quite often find them to be very real indeed. HEAR (heart)Legitimate AuthorityThere are several types of "authority," including: "ability to act or produce an effect ... legal or official authority, capacity, or right ... possession of control, authority, or influence over others ... political control or influence." Here the word Mark uses for "authority" (exousia) includes the ideas of power, lordship, and freedom, and in this the first chapter of his gospel record, Mark presents Jesus as being the one "authorized to proclaim the good news of the kingdom (Mark 1:14-15), to call followers (Mark 1:16-20), and to make war on Satan (Mark 1:21-28)." Jesus has "all authority (exousia) in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18) - at least part of which he earned through his sacrificial service on our behalf. Jesus is our perfect model of servant-leadership, and we actually share in his authority whenever we tell others about God's kingdom and whenever we serve others in his name. DO (hands)??? What's the difference between being told to do something and being asked to do it? What does that say about our natural reaction to authority?[[@Bible:Mark 1:29-39]]Mark 1:29-39Jesus Heals Many People 29 After Jesus left the synagogue with James and John, they went to Simon and Andrew's home. 30 Now Simon's mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. They told Jesus about her right away. 31 So he went to her bedside, took her by the hand, and helped her sit up. Then the fever left her, and she prepared a meal for them. 32 That evening after sunset, many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. 33 The whole town gathered at the door to watch. 34 So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak. Jesus Preaches in Galilee 35 Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. 36 Later Simon and the others went out to find him. 37 When they found him, they said, "Everyone is looking for you." 38 But Jesus replied, "We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came." 39 So he traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons.SEE (head)Jesus' healing of the multitudes instantly brings him celebrity status. He responds to his newfound popularity by drawing close to God in prayer, where he gains a renewed sense of purpose and direction. Healed ... cast out (Mark 1:34)Just as soon as the Sabbath ended (at sunset [= 6 P.M.] on Saturday) and the people were once again free to work and travel without restriction, Peter's house was mobbed by people seeking miraculous healing and deliverance. As he often does, in his account Matthew adds that Jesus' actions were intended as the fulfillment of OT prophecy - in this case Isaiah 53:4, which primarily has to do with the Messiah's atoning death. Jesus' many miracles were a foretaste of the total healing to be found in the atonement, as well as a powerful declaration of his authority as the unique Son of God and thus the only one able and willing to atone for the sins of the world. As John Calvin aptly put it: "[Jesus] gave sight to the blind, in order to show that he is 'the light of the world,' (John 8:12). He restored life to the dead, to prove that he is 'the resurrection and the life,' (John 11:25). Similar observations might be made as to those who were lame, or had palsy." Pray (Mark 1:35)We get the impression that prayer was of vital importance to Jesus and that there was, in fact, an indelible bond between Jesus' public ministry and his private prayers. As one source puts it: "The praying of Jesus, as far as we are able to judge from the recorded instances (Luke 3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18, 28; 11:1; Matthew 11:25, etc.; John 11:41; 17:1, etc.), is always concerned with something important in his ministry." In this particular instance Jesus' prayerful conclusion was that he must take his disciples and proceed on a preaching "tour through the Galilean towns and villages." Notice that in both Mark's account and that of Luke, Jesus fails to mention the many marvelous miracles that would accompany his preaching. Why? Because the miracles were secondary to the message, intended primarily as a means of authenticating Jesus as a true prophet and, ultimately, the Son of God. HEAR (heart)Depending on GodAs witnessed by his habit of prayer, Jesus depended on God his Father. If, as the divine Son of God, Jesus realized his need for dependence on God, should we do any less? Sadly, within our hyper-individualistic society, dependence on God is seldom a prized possession. To be sure, many of us claim our faith in God is very important to us - even as we neglect the habit of prayer and the study of the only objective source of truth regarding God's will, the Bible. As demonstrated by Jesus, dependence on God means trying to please him rather than trying to please the crowd. It also means placing God's ultimate will above our own immediate desires. DO (hands)??? In one respect Jesus' popularity can be seen as a continuation of Satan's efforts to derail his mission. If Jesus had wanted to, he could have had his own "megachurch." Instead, he forsook what many would consider success in order to pursue God's will. Is popularity ever a bad thing? Explain. What can this section of Mark's gospel record teach us about being popular versus being in God's will?[[@Bible:Mark 1:40-45]]Mark 1:40-45Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy 40 A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. "If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean," he said. 41 Moved with compassion,?? Jesus reached out and touched him. "I am willing," he said. "Be healed!" 42 Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed. 43 Then Jesus sent him on his way with a stern warning: 44 "Don't tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy.?? This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed." 45 But the man went and spread the word, proclaiming to everyone what had happened. As a result, large crowds soon surrounded Jesus, and he couldn't publicly enter a town anywhere. He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people from everywhere kept coming to him.SEE (head)Jesus risks personal defilement in order to bring healing to a social outcast. Leprosy (Mark 1:40)Forced to live on the fringes of society, lepers were allowed no contact with other people - they "were regarded as the living dead." A common justification for not helping lepers - a rationale found among the Jews and their pagan neighbors alike - was the belief that leprosy was God's way of punishing people for their sins, making the physical leper a "moral leper" as well. Only twice in the OT is a leper healed (Numbers 12:10-15; 2 Kings 5:1-14), and the rabbis of Jesus' day equated curing leprosy with raising the dead. Jesus heals the man and then orders him to submit to the prescribed law concerning healing. In so doing, Jesus demonstrates "compassion, power and wisdom." This one miracle proved that Jesus was/is greater than "Moses the lawgiver, Elijah the prophet, and the priesthood": Jesus commands rather than requests the miracle, and the priest could not bring about the cleansing but only offer public witness to it.Instantly (Mark 1:42)Notice the instantaneous nature of the healing. As one modern English paraphrase renders it: "Then and there the leprosy was gone, his skin smooth and healthy" (The Message). This is important to note because it goes against the false claim of many a skeptic that the miracles recorded in the four gospels are fabrications. If that were the case, doubtless they would be long and drawn out rather than the brief but powerful accounts they are. The priest (Mark 1:44)Having been cured, the leper was told to present himself before the priest. Why? So that, in accordance with the OT law, the priest could examine the leper and declare him clean and thus ready to be restored to the community, including being fit to worship God publicly in the temple. Moreover, such miraculous power as Jesus demonstrated proved that he was the Messiah (see Luke 7:22). Which meant that if the priest declared the man clean, he would likewise be obligated to accept Jesus as the Messiah. If, however, the priest declared the man clean "but rejected the One who cleansed him," his "unbelief would be incriminating evidence against" him (the priest). HEAR (heart)Spiritual Leprosy"Leprosy brought anguish at all levels: physical, mental, social, and religious." As such, it makes for a vivid illustration of sin. Like leprosy, sin:is more than skin deepspreads rapidlycauses defilement and isolationand can be purged only by fire Jesus' mission certainly included temporary physical healing. But, much more importantly, it also and especially included "pardon, peace, spiritual consolation, and strength." DO (hands) ??? As seen both in this incident and throughout his entire ministry, "[t]he sorrows of the people are [Jesus'] own sorrows. He dearly and intensely loves the burdened ones, and is eager to help them." What classes of people does our contemporary society consider untouchable? What can Jesus' example teach us about reaching out to them? Mark 2[[@Bible:Mark 2:1-12]]Mark 2:1-12Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man1 When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. 2 Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God's word to them, 3 four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. 4 They couldn't bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. 5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "My child, your sins are forgiven."6 But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, 7 "What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!"8 Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, "Why do you question this in your hearts? 9 Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man 'Your sins are forgiven,' or 'Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk'? 10 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins." Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, 11 "Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!"12 And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, "We've never seen anything like this before!"SEE (head)Unable to reach Jesus because of the crowd, four friends of a paralyzed man take him to the roof, dig through it, and lower their friend down to Jesus, who is preaching to the crowd. Jesus heals the man as proof that he has the authority to forgive sins. House ... roof (Mark 2:2, 4)The house where Jesus was preaching was so crowded that the four men carrying the paralytic could not get through to Jesus. Rather than waiting for the crowd to disperse, however, they quickly came up with an alternate plan. There are a number of ways in which the four men carrying their paralyzed friend could have gotten to the roof: they could have used a ladder; they could have taken an outside, attached stairway; or they could have gone onto a neighbor's adjacent rooftop and then "crossed over from roof to roof." In any event, the flat roof covering the house would have been "a composite of grass, clay, clay tiles, and laths,"?making it relatively easy to dig through. If, as some suppose, there was a trapdoor leading from the roof to the inside of the house, it would not have been large enough to accommodate a grown man laying prone on a mat/stretcher ("[a] rude pallet, merely a thickly padded quilt or mat, held at the corners") - hence the need to "widen that space by pulling off the tiles that lay about it." In any case, the men dug through the roof and lowered the mat/stretcher down to Jesus. The point, of course, is the faith and determination shown by the paralyzed man and his four friends. Your sins are forgiven (Mark 2:5)The religious leaders were outraged that Jesus, whom they accepted as nothing more than an ordinary man, claimed for himself a prerogative that belongs to God alone. "To be sure, for a mere man to pretend to remit sins would be one of the worst forms of blasphemy." At best, following the necessary sacrifice, a priest could pronounce that a person's sins had been atoned for. But no sacrifice was made for the paralyzed man, and Jesus never claimed to be a priest. Jesus, speaking in his own name, proved his right to forgive - or "dismiss" - sins.?There is a very real sense in which all illness and disease is due to sin. The very first sin (of Adam and Eve) plunged the earth and all its inhabitants into a sinful state, the outworking of which includes disease and death. What's more, people routinely make sinful choices that result in emotional and physical pain and suffering for themselves and others. Both in the OT (note the counsel offered by Job's friends) and during Jesus' day it was commonly believed there was a direct, causal link between a person's sin and his/her physical illness. While in general we should be very slow to draw such a conclusion in any particular case, this may well have been true regarding the paralytic - although this point is disputed (compare John 5:14; 9:3). In any event, Jesus' pronouncement of forgiveness resulted in the man's being delivered from his affliction and, what's more, the physical healing proved that the sin which had caused it - whether in a general or a particular sense - had been removed. The paralytic experienced a foretaste of the salvation of both body and soul that awaits all true believers in Christ.?Son of Man (Mark 2:10)When Jesus identified himself as "the Son of Man," he was alluding to the figure described by the prophet Daniel as having absolute authority on earth (see Daniel 7:13-14). Jesus was "God's vice regent on earth, proclaiming God's rule and offering forgiveness to those who respond in faith to the proclamation." Jesus' true identity is both revealed and concealed: To those who respond in faith to his words and works, it is revealed; to those who do not, it is concealed. In "the Son" we see Jesus' divinity, while in "of Man" we see his humanity. There is an element of mystery here which, in turn, reflects the sense of mystery inherent in the incarnation, in which human nature was joined to divine nature. Notice that rather than merely "a" son of (hu)man(ity), Jesus is "the" Son of Man - meaning this one man is lifted "out from among all men as being one who bears this human nature in a way in which no other man bears it, who, while he is indeed true man, is more than man." ?Forgiven ... forgive (Mark 2:5, 7, 10)The word used in this passage for "forgiveness" (Greek aphiemi) means "to send away." God can never merely overlook our sins, since doing so would be to go against his own perfect sense of justice and holiness. "God does not overlook our sins. He actually wipes out the sins themselves!" The record of our sins is wiped clean because Jesus has already paid the debt we owe. As Warren Wiersbe has noted: "Forgiveness is the greatest miracle that Jesus ever performs. It meets the greatest need; it costs the greatest price; and it brings the greatest blessing and the most lasting results."?The prophet Isaiah testified to the conditions that would prevail when God came to deliver his people, including the lame being made to walk and the people's sins being forgiven. In Mark's gospel it is becoming increasingly clear that God is calling Israel to a revised relationship centered on Jesus and her (= Israel's) response to him. ?Amazed ... praised (Mark 2:12)What was the result of Jesus' miracle? In a word, revival. Notice the descriptions provided by the synoptic gospel writers: "But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men" (Matthew 9:8). "They were all struck with astonishment and began glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, 'We have seen remarkable things today'" (Luke 5:26)." ... they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, 'We have never seen anything like this'" (Mark 2:12, all NASB). Amazement mixed with fear that resulted in praise to God. Why fear? Because being in the presence of holiness makes us acutely aware of our lack thereof. As one source puts it: "The fear was the reaction in their hearts because of the consciousness of their own sinfulness." HEAR (heart)The Transforming Power of ForgivenessMitsuo Fuchida was a staunch military pilot who led the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was a proud Japanese warmonger who admired Adolf Hitler. He wore his hair like Hitler and sported the same little mustache. Fuchida took part in the Battle of Midway, the Marianas Turkey Shoot, Leyte Gulf and other major engagements of the Pacific war. He stood on the deck of the USS Missouri at the surrender ceremonies. Though defeated, he was pleased with his behavior as a pilot. After the war, though, he became disillusioned. He was surprised to learn that Japanese POWs were treated humanely - a sharp contrast to the Japanese treatment of Allied prisoners. He also learned of a woman who ministered to the Japanese prisoners. Her parents were missionaries to Japan but had been beheaded by his countrymen. She had forgiven the Japanese and met the needs of their captured soldiers. Such love led him to the Bible. He eventually became a Christian, and later an evangelist. Before his death in 1976, he led many to Christ through his preaching in Japan and the United States.?A forgiven life is a powerful testimony to the reality of God's healing love.DO (hands)??? "A sign in a convenience store read, 'Check Cashing Policy: To err is human. To forgive, $10.'" What did it cost God to forgive us? Does he remember our sins once they are forgiven? What does that say about how we are to treat others? [[@Bible:Mark 2:13-17]]Mark 2:13-17Jesus Calls Levi (Matthew)13?Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him. 14?As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector's booth. "Follow me and be my disciple," Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him. 15?Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus' followers.) 16?But when the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees?? saw him eating with tax collectors and other sinners, they asked his disciples, "Why does he eat with such scum???"17?When Jesus heard this, he told them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor - sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners."SEE (head)As was common with rabbis, Jesus teaches as he walks. He calls a despised tax collector named Levi (Matthew) to be his disciple. Completely forsaking his lucrative position, Levi obeys Jesus' call and then throws a party in his honor. Jesus' banqueting with so many sinners upsets the religious leaders, who are more interested in rules than in people. Jesus teaches that a person must first realize he or she is ill before they'll be willing to seek out the person who can help them.?Tax collector's booth (Mark 2:14)Levi (= Matthew) was a tax collector, and was at his "tax collector's booth" when Jesus called him. This was "a place where taxes or revenue was collected from those entering a town to sell produce ... In the ancient world taxes were primarily of two types: (1) a head tax on each individual (which was relatively small) and (2) revenue or tribute paid for goods and produce brought into an area for sale. The latter was essentially a kind of 'sales tax,' but paid by the seller who obviously increased the prices of goods accordingly." Tax collectors were despised for several reasons:They charged more than what was required by the government, pocketing the excess as profit.Their mere presence reminded the Jews that they were not a free people.Part of the money they collected went toward the upkeep of pagan religious temples.They associated with people who were ceremonially unclean, thus making themselves likewise. As one source makes clear, the prevailing attitude among the Jews of Jesus' day was that tax collectors were nothing short of evil scum:?A Jew entering the customs service cut himself off from decent society. He was disqualified from being a judge or even a witness in court, and excommunicated from the synagogue. The members of his family were considered to be equally tarnished. Because of their exactions and extortions, customs officials were in the same legal category as murderers and robbers ... Money handled by tax collectors was tainted and could not be used, even for charity, for to touch the wealth of a man who obtains it unlawfully is to share his guilt.?The prevailing method of tax collection afforded collectors many opportunities to exercise greed and unfairness. For centuries force and fraud had been constantly associated with the revenue system of Palestine. Hence [tax collectors] were hated and despised as a class. Strict Jews were further offended by the fact that the tax collector was rendered unclean through continual contact with Gentiles, and because his work involved breaking the sabbath. Contemporary public opinion is accurately reflected in the disagreeable associations expressed in the NT: [tax collectors] are linked with sinners (Matthew 9:10), heathen Gentiles (Matthew 18:17), harlots (Matthew 21:31), and extortioners, imposters, and adulterers (Luke 18:11).?Pharisees (Mark 2:16)For their part, the Pharisees believed their religious scruples made them right with God, or "righteous." They supposed themselves to be the "healthy" - "strong, robust" - ones in Jesus' illustration. While everyone is a sinner, it is only those who accept that fact, repent of their sins, and believe in Christ who can/will be saved. The religious leaders were doubly guilty: 1) they were unwilling to admit their sinful condition and come to Christ for relief, and 2) they looked down their proverbial noses at the "sinners" who did. Eating with ... sinners (Mark 2:16)It is vital to note that Jesus did not take sin or sinners lightly. As he himself said, he came to call sinners to repentance. As one source notes: "[Jesus] never told people, 'Do you have a sense of guilt? Forget about it.' On the contrary, he regarded sin as inexcusable departure from God's holy law (Mark 12:29-30), as having a soul-choking effect (Mark 4:19; cf. John 8:34), and as being a matter of the heart and not only of the outward deed (Mark 7:6-7, 15-23). But he also offered the only true solution." Jesus' analogy regarding a doctor and his sick patients was commonly used to illustrate not only the need of the ill to be made well, but also the fact that a doctor routinely treats an ill patient without contracting the disease himself. Jesus could "seek out sinners and eat with them, without himself becoming impure." HEAR (heart)Bringing AnotherThe story is told of a little dog that had been struck by a car and was lying by the side of the road.?A doctor happened to be driving by, saw the dog, and took him home. As it turned out, the dog was only stunned, and he had a few cuts and bruises. The doctor revived the dog, cleaned the wounds, and was carrying him to his garage when suddenly the dog jumped out of his arms and ran away. The doctor commented to himself that that sure was an ungrateful little dog.?The doctor gave it no more thought until the following evening when he heard a scratching noise at his door. When he opened the door, there was the little dog he had helped, and beside him was another hurt dog. Doubtless Levi invited his friends to meet Jesus because he wanted them to experience the same marvelous change Jesus had wrought in Levi's life.DO (hands)??? Did Jesus go to Matthew's house to "hang out" and have a good time? What was his purpose? What can Jesus' example teach us about associating with crowds of unsaved people in a social setting?[[@Bible:Mark 2:18-22]]Mark 2:18-22A Discussion about Fasting18?Once when John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and asked, "Why don't your disciples fast like John's disciples and the Pharisees do?" 19?Jesus replied, "Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can't fast while the groom is with them. 20?But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.21?"Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.22?"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins."SEE (head) Jesus contrasts the sorrow associated with fasting with the joy associated with a wedding. He uses significant imagery to show that his teaching is intended to usher in a new way of serving God - one that results in joy and peace. Notice the images of newness: a wedding; a new patch of cloth; new wine. The newness that Jesus' coming brings cannot be confined to the old forms of Judaism.?Fasting (Mark 2:18)While there was only one mandatory fast for the nation of Israel, on the Day of Atonement, stricter Jews fasted twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays (from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Jesus was not opposed to fasting, particularly when undertaken with the right motives: repentance, mourning, great distress, "or in preparation for a time of trial or special mission." In the case of John's disciples and the Pharisees, the primary motives were probably repentance and purity, respectively. ?Wedding guests (Mark 2:19)In Jesus' day a Jewish wedding was followed not by a honeymoon but, rather, by a week-long celebration in which the closest friends of the bride and bridegroom - called children (or sons) of the bridechamber - were invited. This seems to be the image Jesus has in mind here, as he compares his disciples to the specially chosen guests at a wedding feast. A special rabbinic ruling exempted all such guests from religious duties, including fasting, that would put a damper on their celebration.?"[M]ourning, fasting, and preparation" were associated with, and appropriate to, John's ministry - just as the theme of celebration accompanied the presence and ministry of Jesus. What's more, this side of Pentecost every true Christian should be filled with joy. As one source puts it: "If it be true that 'God with us' (Immanuel) spells joy for believers, should not 'God within us' (the situation on and after Pentecost) awaken in every child of God joy unspeakable and full of glory?" New cloth ... new wine (Mark 2:21, 22)Jesus' teaching is like a new patch of cloth that cannot simply be added to an old garment, and it is like new wine that cannot simply be added to an old wineskin. In both cases, "a little of the new is worse than useless to preserve the old." In the immediate context, Jesus' point is that the new life he offers must result in "gratitude, freedom, and spontaneous service to the glory of God." Jesus' larger point, however, is that "[s]alvation, available through Jesus, was not to be mixed with the old Judaistic system (cf. John 1:17)." As one source puts it: "[T]he presence and teaching of Jesus was something new and signaled the passing of the old. It could not be confined within the old religion of Judaism, but involved the inauguration and consummation of the kingdom of God." ?We can also note how Jesus' words serve as a corrective against the call by modern "progressive" leaders to abandon "old and worn arguments" against sinful lifestyle choices. Such liberal leaders typically take a two-pronged approach: They assert that the Bible is an ancient book (= old wineskin) incapable of addressing contemporary problems, while calling for an "enlightened" approach (= new wine) of working toward solutions that embrace and affirm people of all beliefs and lifestyles - except, of course, for anyone who disagrees with them. Such thinking is deficient in any number of ways, but primarily because it blindly refuses to recognize the Bible for what it truly is: the inspired Word of God that reflects his consistent standards. The truth is that God's ways do not change, and pride-filled rebellion against God and his standards is as old as humanity itself. Here we can draw counsel from the book of Hebrews: "Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas" (Hebrews 13:7-9a).HEAR (heart)No Other WayWarren Wiersbe points out how Jesus' use of the illustration regarding new wine in the old wineskins refutes the popular notion of a "world religion" comprised of "the best" from the world's many religions. Like other religions, the Christian faith makes exclusive truth claims. Unlike the truth claims of other religions, however, those associated with the Christian faith center on the words and works of Jesus Christ, proven to be the divine Son of God by both his teachings and his miracles, the greatest of which was his own resurrection from the dead.DO (hands)A wedding is a very special occasion that marks the beginning of a whole new phase of life. It's no wonder, then, that the Bible uses wedding imagery in describing our new life with Christ. The Church is Christ's betrothed bride; legally it is just as if we are already joined together. Our joy will not be complete, however, until our bridegroom returns to take us home. While we can be and should be joyful now, we will be infinitely more joyful then.???? How and why does our faith in Christ make us joyful? [[@Bible:Mark 2:23-28]]Mark 2:23-28A Discussion about the Sabbath23?One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat. 24?But the Pharisees said to Jesus, "Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?" 25?Jesus said to them, "Haven't you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 26?He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions."27?Then Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. 28?So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!"SEE (head)The religious leaders accuse Jesus and his disciples of violating the Sabbath. In response, Jesus uses their own Scriptures to show them that the Sabbath was meant to be beneficial, not burdensome. Sabbath (Mark 2:23)The Sabbath was a sign of the sacred covenant between God and his chosen people, Israel. But whereas the original command was not to work on the Sabbath (Exodus 20:10), the religious leaders had added their own interpretations, surrounding the law with traditions that, to them, became just as binding. Thus, for example, wearing false teeth was considered "carrying a burden"; pulling out a gray hair was considered "reaping"; and dragging a chair along the ground was considered plowing. Harvesting grain (Mark 2:24)In this case, the Pharisees accused Jesus' disciples of "doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath" (NASB) - namely, reaping or "harvesting grain" (v. 24). The Law, it should be noted, permitted travelers to eat small amounts of food from someone's field: "'When you enter your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes, but you must not carry any away in a basket. And when you enter your neighbor's field of grain, you may pluck the heads of grain with your hand, but you must not harvest it with a sickle'" (Deuteronomy 23:24-25). The problem, as the Pharisees saw it, was that the disciples were doing this on the Sabbath - a "clear" violation of the law as interpreted by the Pharisees. David (Mark 2:25)There appear to be several reasons as to why Jesus chose to use the example of David and his men eating the bread that was preserved exclusively for the priests (see 1 Samuel 21):Of course there is the how-much-more argument: if David had the right to do something, how much more so the Son of Man. Similarly, "David's hunger sets aside even a divine regulation - shall not the hunger of the disciples set aside mere rabbinical notions?" Because the Sabbath was held as a holy and sacred tradition of the highest order, Jesus' claim to be Lord of the Sabbath amounted to a claim to have authority equal to God's. As the incident noted by Jesus marked the beginning of the end for Saul, as symbolized by Abiathar's taking the ephod and fleeing to David, it is very possible to see here an ominous warning by Jesus that God had turned from Israel's religious leaders and was now speaking through his Son. Similarly, as Saul's insane anger resulted in the death of Ahimelech and "the priests of the LORD" (see 1 Samuel 22:17, NASB) but could not prevent God's plan to install a new king, ultimately the religious leaders' insane plot to kill Jesus would prove powerless to prevent God's plan to install Jesus as King of both Israel and the entire world. (We may wish to note that Ahimelich, and not his son Abiathar, was high priest at the time David ate the bread. A vengeful Saul put Ahimelich to death, and then Abiathar assumed the role of high priest. There are a number of adequate explanations for Jesus' phrase "in the time of Abiathar the high priest" (NASB),?which any good commentary can supply.HEAR (heart)The Law of Spiritual ResponseOne source comments on what it terms "the law of spiritual response." As brought out in Jesus' teachings and especially in his parables, it serves as a reminder of our role regarding biblical truth. The more we respond positively to the truth, the more we are able to grasp it - that is, the more we are able to understand and apply it. Conversely, the more we respond negatively to the truth by rejecting it, the less we are able to grasp it.When it comes to Jesus Christ, we really have only one of two options: either open our eyes to Christ or close them; either embrace Jesus totally or reject him completely. To their everlasting regret, the Pharisees chose the latter.DO (hands)Caught Between Two WorldsOne of Aesop's fables deals with the bat. It seems there was a war between the birds and the beasts, and the bat decided he wanted to belong to both of the feuding factions.And so when the birds were winning, the bat would identify itself as a bird. But when the beasts were gaining the upper hand, the bat would claim to be a beast.As you can image, as soon as they realized what he was doing both the birds and the beasts denounced the bat as a complete hypocrite.Shamed and rejected, the bat had no choice but to become a permanent recluse, hiding in caves and appearing only at night. The Pharisees were trapped between internal sin and external righteousness. Jesus, on the other hand, was always at home in God's world - whether in a praise and worship service or hanging out with sinners. ??? What are some practical things we can do to make sure we are trying to please God rather than people? Mark 3[[@Bible:Mark 3:1-6]]Mark 3:1-6Jesus Heals on the Sabbath1 Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. 2?Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus' enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man's hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath. 3?Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, "Come and stand in front of everyone." 4?Then he turned to his critics and asked, "Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?" But they wouldn't answer him.5?He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, "Hold out your hand." So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! 6?At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus.SEE (head) Jesus visits the place where people gather to learn about God. By choosing to heal the man with the deformed hand, Jesus shows the importance of helping someone in need when it is within our power to do so. Well aware that his actions will bring him into direct conflict with those trying to trap him, Jesus nonetheless chooses to help rather than hide.?Deformed hand (Mark 3:1)The language used (in the original Greek) indicates that the man's "shrunken and paralyzed" hand "was not congenital, but the result of injury by accident or disease." For their part, the religious leaders "kept watching" Jesus "on the side (or sly)" - that is, they were spying on him - in hopes of catching him in some wrongdoing. Their main concern was with the law; they had little interest in mercy. Rabbinic law went to great lengths to keep the Sabbath holy. Steps could be taken to help someone only if that person's life was in danger. But this man's illness was not life-threatening, and Jesus could easily have waited one more day before healing him. Jesus' response amounted to an assertion that since evil is always working, good can never afford to take a day off. Moreover, Jesus' actions showed that God intended the Sabbath to be a blessing rather than a burden. Good ... evil (Mark 3:4)Jesus' question regarding doing good versus doing evil and saving life versus killing "closely echoes the very choice that the law itself offers, particularly as expressed in Deut. 30:15 LXX." Within its original context, Moses's final speech/sermon (Deuteronomy 29-30) amounted to an urgent plea for faithfulness - an irrevocable commitment to God - on the part of Israel, as evidenced by her continued obedience to God's commands. As the embodiment of "God's presence and his Torah," and the one "in whom God's will is fully expressed," Jesus offers the good life that faithfulness to God brings. In choosing to reject Jesus, the religious leaders were in fact rejecting God - and inviting the "death and disaster" (Deuteronomy 30:15, NET) that inevitably accompanies such a decision.?Notice Jesus' response toward the religious leaders: he felt momentary anger mixed with continuing pity. Why? Because they had made themselves hard, callous, blind, and insensitive. Rather than compromise his mercy or his mission, Jesus performed the miraculous healing, restoring the man's hand instantly and completely. As one source aptly puts it: "Subsequent treatments or check-ups were not required."?"Jesus does good and saves life; his opponents plot his destruction." Rather than accept the fact that God was present and active in/through Jesus, the religious leaders go so far as to form an alliance with "their bitter enemies" in order to get rid of him. In an act of supreme irony, the religious leaders used the Sabbath to plot evil and plan destruction. HEAR (heart)Morally ObligatedThe story is told of a particular legal case that came before the courts of Massachusetts. In 1928 a man was walking on a boat deck when he tripped and fell into the ocean bay. Unable to swim, he thrashed about, desperately yelling for help. His friends were too far away to help, but very close by was a young man who happened to be an excellent swimmer. Rather than dive in and help bring the drowning man to safety, however, the young man did nothing. The family of the drowned man sued the young man - and lost.With reluctance the court ruled that the bystander had no legal responsibility whatsoever to help the man who had drowned. We may not be legally obligated to help someone in need but, in keeping with Jesus' example, we certainly have a moral responsibility to do so. Moreover, this illustration speaks volumes regarding the myriad of spiritually drowning people, their need for the life-saving Gospel, and our obligation to share it with them. DO (hands)??? Jesus was determined to do good even though it meant the disapproval of influential people. What can we learn from his example in this? [[@Bible:Mark 3:7-12]]Mark 3:7-12Crowds Follow Jesus7?Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, 8?Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him. 9?Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him. 10?He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him. 11?And whenever those possessed by evil?? spirits caught sight of him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of him shrieking, "You are the Son of God!" 12?But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who he was.SEE (head)Jesus' fame has spread far and wide, and people come out in droves to see him. In their eagerness to find relief from their suffering, the needy press in upon Jesus. He heals many of them and sternly warns the demons to remain silent.?They came (Mark 3:7) While Jesus' reputation was floundering among the religious leaders, it was flourishing among the common folk, as evidenced by both the size and origin of the crowds that came to Jesus. One source provides the following information regarding the regions from which the crowds came: Galilee - At this time the land of Palestine was divided into three parts: Galilee, on the north; Samaria, in the middle; and Judea, on the south. Judea - The southern division of the land of Palestine.?Jerusalem - Jerusalem was "in" Judea. It is mentioned particularly to show that not only the people of the surrounding country came, but also many from the capital, the place of wealth, and honor, and power.?Idumea - The country formerly inhabited by the "Edomites." In the time of the Saviour it was embraced in the country belonging to the Jews. It was south of Judea proper. ... [T]he country of Idumea was bounded by Palestine on the north. During the Babylonian captivity the Edomites spread themselves into the country of Judea, and occupied a considerable part of the south of Palestine. They had, however, submitted to the rite of circumcision, and were incorporated with the Jews. From them sprang Herod the Great.?From beyond Jordan - From the region lying east of the river Jordan. The sacred writers lived on the west side of Jordan, and by the country "beyond Jordan" they meant that on the east side.?Tyre and Sidon - These were cities of Phoenicia, formerly very opulent, and distinguished for merchandise. They were situated on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, and were in the western part of Judea. They were therefore well known to the Jews. ?Not to reveal (Mark 3:12)Why was Jesus unwilling to accept the testimony of the demons? There are several possible reasons:The person and the work of the Savior are so holy and exalted that it would not be fitting to allow corrupt, filthy demons to proclaim them.The title "the Son of God" implied at least that Jesus was the long expected Messiah. However, most of the people conceived of the Messiah in a nationalistic sense: one who could deliver them from the yoke of the foreign oppressor. So, before publicly revealing himself as the Messiah, or allowing himself to be thus proclaimed, Jesus must first make clear the nature of his Messianic office: that he has to suffer and die for the sins of his people, etc. The time to proclaim this publicly, or to have it thus proclaimed, has not as yet arrived.The scribes were telling the people that Jesus and the demons were allies (Mark 3:22). If, then, Jesus permitted himself to be advertised by demons, would he not seem to be confirming the allegation of these scribes? There is also a very practical lesson to be learned here. "The evil (unclean) spirits knew that Jesus was the Son of God, but they had no intention of following him. Many people followed Jesus but didn’t understand his true purpose for coming. Some people came for miracles, some came to hear his teaching, but they didn’t understand the way of the cross. Knowing about Jesus, or even believing that he is God’s Son, does not guarantee salvation. You must also follow and obey him (see also?James 2:17)."HEAR (heart)A multi-millionaire once told a struggling would-be minister: "You are going about this all wrong. Why, I could take a tent, put it in the middle of town, start preaching, and soon have more people - and more money - coming in than you could shake a stick at!" Which speaks volumes regarding the nature of people - whether as leaders or followers. The same crowds that came to witness Jesus' miracles would later abandon him after discovering the demands of true discipleship. Eventually they would turn against him entirely as, at the behest of the jealous religious leaders, they clamored for his crucifixion. DO (hands)??? Why did large crowds follow after Jesus? How did he react? [[@Bible:Mark 3:13-19]]Mark 3:13-19Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles13?Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him. 14?Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles.?? They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach, 15?giving them authority to cast out demons. 16?These are the twelve he chose: Simon (whom he named Peter),17 James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them "Sons of Thunder"??),18 Andrew, Philip,Bartholomew,Matthew,Thomas,James (son of Alphaeus),Thaddaeus,Simon (the zealot??),19?Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).SEE (head)From among the many people following Jesus, twelve are chosen to be his official ambassadors. These men will live with Jesus day in and day out, and will share in his mission and message. They are a diverse group made up of different - and at times conflicting - personality types.?His apostles (Mark 3:14)"Apostle" refers to "one who is sent, usually as a messenger, agent, deputy, or ambassador. It was understood that an apostle was commissioned by a higher authority and acted in behalf of this authority." The number twelve is representative of the twelve tribes of Israel (and the twelve patriarchs), and at first both Jesus and his apostles limit their ministry to Israel. The renewal of Israel, including "a new conquest of the promised land" through direct physical confrontation, was a common theme during this time, and a number of self-professed deliverers arose between the time Jesus departed and the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. ?The twelve apostles lived with Jesus. They saw his miracles, heard his messages, and felt the sting of his rebukes. They joined with Jesus in proclaiming the Gospel and serving people in obvious need. Within this group of twelve specially chosen disciples, Peter, James and John comprised the inner circle. Whenever the apostles are listed in the NT, Peter is first, followed by Andrew, James, and John, with Judas Iscariot last (Mark 3:13-19; Matthew 10:1-4; Luke 6:13-16; Acts 1:13).?Jesus chose the twelve from among his followers and publicly commissioned them to be his special representatives, or "apostles" - thus bestowing upon them a status which would prove highly significant following the birth of the Christian Church and the worldwide spread of the Gospel. HEAR (heart)We Are All SinnersIn the midst of a sermon, a man jumped up. "Brethren!" he shouted. "I have been a miserable, contemptible sinner for years, and never knew it before tonight."A man in the nearby pew announced, "Sit down, Brother. The rest of us knew it all the time." The apostles were sinners in, upon, and through whom Jesus did a mighty work. From its very beginning, the Church has been comprised of sinners saved by grace. Provided we are first willing to admit what everyone else already knows, God can and will work to remake us from the inside out. DO (hands)??? What first comes to mind when you think of the twelve apostles? What can the fact that they were flawed human beings teach us about our own relationship with Jesus? [[@Bible:Mark 3:20-30]]Mark 3:20-30Jesus and the Prince of Demons20?One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn't even find time to eat. 21?When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. "He's out of his mind," they said. 22?But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, "He's possessed by Satan,?? the prince of demons. That's where he gets the power to cast out demons."23?Jesus called them over and responded with an illustration. "How can Satan cast out Satan?" he asked. 24?"A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. 25?Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart. 26?And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive. 27?Let me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger - someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.28?"I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, 29?but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences." 30?He told them this because they were saying, "He's possessed by an evil spirit."SEE (head)Jesus is so preoccupied with meeting the needs of others that he ignores his own. Out of concern for his personal well-being, his family tries to persuade him to stop what he's doing and return home. The religious leaders, meanwhile, say that Jesus' power derives from Satan. Jesus responds by showing that his power cannot be from Satan - and therefore must be from God. His family ... out of his mind (Mark 3:21)Jesus' family accused him of being "beside himself" (KJV), a term describing an "excess of zeal overpowering judgment." Lightfoot says it refers to a "vehement passion" causing one to lose all awareness of the present, and offers this expanded paraphrase: ""His knowledge is snatched away; he hath forgotten himself, and his own health; he is so vehement and hot in discharging his office, and in preaching, that he is transported beyond himself, and his understanding is disturbed, that he neither takes care of his necessary food nor of his sleep." This "was a crucial moment for Jesus. His family or friends came to take him home, to lay hold of him (kratesai), forcibly if need be." (The phrase rendered "his family" literally means "they who were from beside him" or "those from his side", indicating closeness. While some have taken this to mean nothing more than Jesus' close associates or followers, it is more common to understand it as referring to "the kinspeople or family of Jesus" - that is, "those who constituted the household of Jesus," although their exact relationship (brothers? cousins?) is not specified here) Why was Jesus' family so concerned about him? The immediate context indicates it was due to Jesus' putting his ministry ahead of even his own physical needs. Behind this, however, stands a number of broader considerations: Jesus had walked away from a secure, stable job as a carpenter to become a vagrant preacher. ("Accusations of madness were sometimes made against prophets, exorcists, and healers.")Jesus was directly confronting the most powerful and respected element of his society: the religious leaders.Jesus was keeping close company with a group of men, the apostles, who by worldly standards did not amount to much.And so it could be argued that Jesus had abandoned all concern for security, safety, and the opinions of others. And, of course, not to be overlooked is the bald fact of natural concern for the family name, in which case their actions would have been intended "to prevent any injury, or envy, or dishonor, from arising to the whole family." ?Possessed by Satan (Mark 3:22)Matthew's parallel account shows the crowd wondering if, in fact, Jesus might not be the promised "Son of David" (Matthew 12:23) which, in turn, prompted a very strong reaction from the religious leaders. Unable to deny the reality of Jesus' miraculous power but nonetheless desperate to discredit any notion of his being the Messiah, the religious leaders attempt to play their he-is-of-the-Devil trump card. "They intend to say that Jesus is so far from being the Messiah that he is in league with Satan himself." The accusation that Jesus was "indwelt by and in league with" the Devil would remain in the air for quite some time, as seen in the writings of later critics of Christianity who put forward the notion that Jesus had learned the magical arts while working in Egypt, then returned to Palestine and there used his knowledge to claim for himself "the title of God."?So serious is this blasphemous charge that Jesus takes the unusual step of calling - that is, summoning - the religious leaders to himself. Jesus used three illustrations to demonstrate the futility of his critics' thinking: A kingdom at war with itself cannot survive; a family "splintered by feuding will fall apart"; and a strong man's house can be robbed only after he has been tied up by someone stronger. Beyond the obvious application to the slanderous accusation being made against Jesus, it is possible to see in all three illustrations an allusion to Jesus' mission: Jesus has come to further God's kingdom; expand God's family; and defeat God's chief enemy. Someone even stronger (Mark 3:27)As noted earlier (in Mark 1), Jesus depicts himself as the one able to overpower the strong man in order to plunder - or "thoroughly ransack" - his house. Satan is the strong man, his house "is the realm of sin, sickness, demon possession, and death," and Jesus plunders Satan's house by "releasing the enslaved victims." This is a major point worthy of repetition: "Jesus' authority over the demons constitutes the inbreaking of God's reign, heralding and effecting the demise of Satan's dominion over humanity." It should not surprise us, then, to find this same theme reiterated throughout the NT: "'The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out.'" - John 12:31"He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross." - Colossians 2:14-15"Because God's children are human beings - made of flesh and blood - the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying." - Hebrews 2:14-15"Dear children, don't let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil." - 1 John 3:7-8 (all NLT)Blasphemes the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:29)There is much debate regarding the exact meaning of Jesus' solemn - that is, true and authoritative - warning regarding "blaspheming ['the work of'] the Holy Spirit." First and foremost, it must be noted that to reject the Holy Spirit is to reject God, and that to reject God is to make him our enemy. In the immediate context, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit involves a stubborn refusal to acknowledge the true source of Christ's miracles - even to the point of attributing them to Satan. This is very serious indeed, as Jesus' miracles were intended to authenticate his status as God's final, authoritative messenger. Of course, "[t]he tragic and profound irony" in all this "is that when the bona fide Lord of the House casts out unclean spirits, they confess him to be the Holy One/Son of God, but those responsible for the purity of Israel and the house of God instead accuse him of having an unclean spirit."?Because Jesus is no longer present in bodily form, some believe blasphemy of the Holy Spirit was limited to the immediate (= first-century) context, and thus is not applicable today. On the other hand, many believe the modern equivalent of this sin involves a life-long rejection of the Holy Spirit's witness concerning who Jesus is. The latter view is in keeping with the fact that although Jesus did not specifically mention repentance, his audience would have been fully aware of the link between repentance and forgiveness. What's more, it was the religious leaders' absolute refusal to repent of their sinful attitudes and actions - particularly regarding Jesus' true identity - that led them to go so far as to attribute Jesus' power to Satan.HEAR (heart)A New NatureThe story is told of a Hindu man who expressed to a native Christian missionary his conviction that his (the Hindu man's) efforts to live a morally upright life would be met with God's approval and acceptance into Heaven.?The missionary acknowledged that most people today reason along those same lines. Then he called the Hindu man's attention to the babul tree, a tree known for its especially long, sharp thorns. "Suppose," said the missionary, "you break off a hundred of the thorns from the babul tree. Would it then cease to be a babul tree?"?"Of course not," replied the Hindu man.?"Well, it's the same with people. You can give up a hundred bad habits, but in the end you will still be a sinful human being. In order to please God you need a new nature - you need to be a new person. And only Jesus Christ can do that for us."The religious leaders who opposed Jesus thought they were earning their way to God by reforming their behavior through the keeping of religious rituals. They adamantly refused to accept Jesus and the new nature he offers. DO (hands)??? We can learn something from everyone - even if it's only what not to do. What can the Pharisees' spiritual blindness teach us about why and how to sharpen our own spiritual focus? [[@Bible:Mark 3:31-35]]Mark 3:31-35The True Family of Jesus31?Then Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him. They stood outside and sent word for him to come out and talk with them. 32?There was a crowd sitting around Jesus, and someone said, "Your mother and your brothers? are outside asking for you." 33?Jesus replied, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?" 34?Then he looked at those around him and said, "Look, these are my mother and brothers. 35?Anyone who does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."SEE (head)Again Jesus' family expresses concern for his well-being. Jesus uses the opportunity to teach that the most important type of kinship is the one based on obedience to God (see Romans 8:29; Hebrews 2:11). Mother and brothers (Mark 3:31)"Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him," the text tells us. The precise relationship between Jesus and his siblings is much debated due mainly to the Roman Catholic doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary, which claims that Mary was miraculously kept a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Jesus. However, Matthew tells us that after taking Mary to be his wife, Joseph "kept her a virgin until she gave birth" to Jesus (see Matthew 1:24-25). As one source notes: "Joseph lived in continence with Mary till the birth of Jesus. Matthew does not say that Mary bore no other children than Jesus. ... The perpetual virginity of Mary is not taught here. Jesus had brothers and sisters and the natural meaning is that they were younger children of Joseph and Mary and not children of Joseph by a previous marriage" - in which case Jesus would not have been the firstborn and thus not heir to the Davidic throne. Asking for you (Mark 3:32)Jesus was in the middle of teaching his followers when he was rudely interrupted. How does he react? "Jesus uses the interruption to good advantage. He always did exactly that with interruptions. Interrupted while he was praying (Mark 1:35), addressing a crowd (Mark 2:1 ff.), sleeping in a boat (Mark 4:37 ff.), conversing with his disciples (Mark 8:31 ff.), or traveling (Mark 10:46 ff.), he always knew how to turn an interruption into a springboard for the utterance of a great saying or for the performance of a marvelous deed." While we may tend to see interruptions as obstacles, Jesus saw them as opportunities. Why? Might it not be because Jesus valued people more than plans or programs??God's will (Mark 3:35)Simply put, God's will is that we follow Jesus. This involves nothing less than, by God's grace, repenting and believing, turning from our sins, and by faith receiving God's pardon in Christ Jesus. We become members of God's family "[b]y means of a new birth, a special birth from above (John 3:1–7; 1 Peter 1:22–25). When the sinner trusts Jesus Christ as Saviour, he experiences this new birth and enters into God's family. He shares God's divine nature (2 Peter 1:3–4) and can call God 'Father' (Romans 8:15–16). This spiritual birth is not something that we accomplish for ourselves, nor can others do it for us (John 1:11–13). It is God's work of grace; all we can do is believe and receive (Ephesians 2:8–9)."?God's family is both inclusive and exclusive: Jesus says anyone (= inclusive) who does God's will (= exclusive) is his spiritual kinsman. Everyone is responsible for realizing his or her need and then acting upon that need by accepting Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. Beyond that, we must continually, and with much humility, seek to make God's will as revealed in his inspired, authoritative Word, the Bible, our absolute priority.HEAR (heart)Strong FamiliesProfessor Nick Stinnett, chairman of the Department of Human Development and the Family at the University of Nebraska, headed a research project to "discover what makes families strong." Their team observed and interviewed three thousand strong families in South America, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, South Africa, and the United States. From all of this research they concluded that strong families have six main qualities:Family members are committed to the family.They spend time together.They have good family communication. They express appreciation to each other.They have a spiritual commitment.They are able to solve problems in a crisis.Jesus announced the creation of a new family based on one's relationship to God.?Because God's spiritual family is modeled on the natural family he created, it should come as no surprise that the qualities that make for strong natural families also make for strong spiritual ones. DO (hands)??? We become close to other believers by sharing: experiences; interests, obedience, and goals. What are some practical things we can do to become closer to other Christians? Mark 4[[@Bible:Mark 4:1-9]]Mark 4:1-9Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed1 Once again Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore. A very large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat in the boat while all the people remained on the shore. 2?He taught them by telling many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: 3?"Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. 4?As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. 5?Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6?But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn't have deep roots, it died. 7?Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. 8?Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!" 9?Then he said, "Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand."SEE (head)Jesus addresses the crowd gathered at the shore, using a story (or "parable") to teach them about God's kingdom. He likens the kingdom to a farmer planting seed. While only a portion of what is sown actually takes root and grows to maturity, nonetheless the end result is a spectacular crop.?Teaching (Mark 4:1)As one modern paraphrase renders it, Jesus got "into an offshore boat, using the boat as a pulpit as the people pushed to the water's edge" (Mark 4:1 The Message). There at the edge of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus preached to the throng of eager listeners. As usual, he used parables to teach about God's kingdom. Worth noting is the fact that Jesus proclaimed God's truth in many and various settings: indoors, outdoors, along the road, in the synagogue, in houses, in boats, by the shore, on a mountain, and even in a cemetery - in other words, whenever and wherever people would listen. In his teaching Jesus "commanded, commissioned, admonished, exhorted, explained, questioned, consoled, refuted, and predicted." Jesus used parables for several reasons: (1) It caught people's attention and made them listen. (2) It was a teaching technique very familiar to Jesus' Jewish audience. (3) It transformed abstract ideas into concrete realities. (4) It encouraged personal reflection.?Farmer ... seed (Mark 4:3)The parable of the sower/farmer can actually be thought of as the "parable of the soils," since that is where the emphasis lies. It is intended "to illustrate the various responses to the message of the kingdom of God." This parable - or allegory - accurately represents farming as it was practiced in Jesus' day. "Sowing would occur in late fall or early winter (October to December) in the rainy season, looking for sprouting in April or May and a June harvest." Seed was normally sown broadcast style from a bag slung over the farmer's shoulder. The soil was hard and rocky, making it necessary for the farmer to come back and plow the seed underneath the surface. Because of these less than ideal planting conditions, much seed was lost to the elements. In the case of the seed that did take root and grow, a tenfold crop was considered good.Seed fell (Mark 4:4, 5, 7)The seed that falls "on the footpath" ("beside the road" NASB) never has a chance to be plowed under; it is completely exposed, and the birds swoop down and gobble it up. The rocky soil is actually very receptive at the beginning of the growing season, as it "is moist from winter rain and the sun and air have not become too warm." But then time passes, the ground begins to dry under the hot sun, and the plants that looked promising to begin with quickly wither due to their shallow root system. The thorns Jesus mentioned were a persistent nuisance that would return if plowed under rather than dug up. Thorny weeds could grow to a height of six feet and would attack the good plant from both above and below: from above, the thorns would literally smother the plant by prohibiting its exposure to sunlight and air; from below, the thorns' major root system would draw away the crucial "moisture and richness of the soil."?Seeds fell ... and produced a crop (Mark 4:8)Jesus is most certainly not teaching the discouraging prospect that we can expect three-fourths of our efforts to be wasted. Notice the shift from the singular "seed" that is unproductive to the plural "seeds" that produce a crop, perhaps intended to emphasize the variety of approaches to sharing the Gospel. The main point of Jesus' parable is twofold: (1) the seed's growth potential is determined by the soil's condition and (2) in spite of losses, the word Jesus sows "will spring up among the faithful and produce a bountiful harvest." HEAR (heart)A farmer doesn't sow his field and then walk up and down the rows shouting, "Grow! Grow!" Nor does he monitor every seed he plants in order to determine its final outcome. Rather, the farmer does the work and leaves the results to God. In a similar manner, we as Christians are called to spread the Gospel seed without fretting over the end result of every seed we plant. In the end, we must be faithful and content: faithful to spread the seed, and content to leave the results with God.DO (hands)??? What can this passage teach us about God's kingdom? About our obligation to spread the Gospel? [[@Bible:Mark 4:10-25]]Mark 4:10-25(Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed)10?Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant. 11?He replied, "You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders, 12?so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:'When they see what I do, they will learn nothing.When they hear what I say,they will not understand.Otherwise, they will turn to meand be forgiven.'?"13?Then Jesus said to them, "If you can't understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables? 14?The farmer plants seed by taking God's word to others. 15?The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. 16?The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 17?But since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word. 18?The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God's word, 19?but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. 20?And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!"Parable of the Lamp21?Then Jesus asked them, "Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine. 22?For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light. 23?Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand."24?Then he added, "Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given ?- and you will receive even more. 25?To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them."SEE (head)The crowd has dispersed and Jesus is alone with only a few of his more committed followers. He explains the relationship between a person's heart and how he or she responds to the message of God's kingdom. For those willing to accept Jesus' teaching, the kingdom is an open secret, and their faith will grow and will cause God's kingdom to be multiplied. For those who reject Jesus' teaching, however, the door to God's kingdom remains closed because they do not have the faith that unlocks it. Secret (Mark 4:11)Jesus referred to a "secret" (or "mystery") associated with God's kingdom. As one source explains: "'The mystery of the kingdom of God' is the sum of the blessed realities of the divine rule of grace and of glory" - the knowledge and experience of which cannot be achieved naturally but, rather, must be imparted supernaturally by God.As another source notes: "The basic 'secret,' common to all the kingdom parables, is that in Jesus, God's rule (kingdom) has come into human experience in a new spiritual form." The prevailing belief at that time was that God's kingdom would be an earthly, political rule centered in Israel. Jesus challenged this view by showing that the kingdom is not about power politics or military might. God's kingdom begins in and centers on the human heart; its growth and advancement is unseen but constant. (To be sure, one day Jesus will return to set up God's literal rule over the entire earth. For now, however, we experience God's kingdom in a spiritual sense that nonetheless dramatically impacts the world around us.) Learn nothing ... Not understand (Mark 4:12)Jesus prefaced his explanation of the parable of the soils with a few words regarding his use of parables in general, from which we learn that "what may be a clarifying illustration to one (i.e., an insider) may be a confusing riddle to another (i.e., an outsider)." In general, a "parable" can be thought of as "a short discourse that conveys spiritual truth by making a vivid comparison. The truth to be taught is compared to something in nature or a common-life experience. A parable usually expresses a single important truth, though occasionally a subordinate feature expands its total meaning. A parable draws its hearers to take part in a situation, evaluate it, and apply its truth to themselves."?For those who refused to believe and receive the Gospel, the kingdom remained a mystery and Jesus spoke to them only in parables.Jesus appears to be saying that his intention is "to befuddle and prevent people from being forgiven." There is a two-fold sense in which this is indeed the case. First, the Gospel is a stumbling block for most people. Why? Because as stubborn creatures in rebellion against our Creator we operate under the delusion that we are in charge of our own (eternal) destiny. In which case the Gospel designed for our salvation guarantees our destruction. Second, the person who stubbornly refuses to accept Jesus' message eventually reaches a point of no return in which God's saving grace is no longer offered to him/her. In which case all that remains is God's wrath - a terrifying prospect?That said, we should be quick to remind ourselves that Jesus' mission was/is to save, not destroy. Hence many people see in Jesus' words "an attempt to explain why it is that some people hear[d] Jesus' teaching and chose either to ignore it or to misinterpret it." This view finds support in Matthew's more detailed parallel account (Matthew 13:10-17) and, most importantly, in Jesus' total mission and ministry, including his clear and repeated calls to repentance and faith in God. Like all of the Bible's revelations regarding our natural sinful state, Jesus' parable of the soils "aims at the conscience and repentance, thus opening the soul for the gospel."Thus it is fair to say that "Jesus intended that his teaching and miracles would bring people to a point of decision. Those who chose to reject him passed judgment on themselves." Of course, not to be overlooked in all this is God's role as the initiator of salvation: God must grant a person spiritual eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to understand. Until that happens, God's "spiritual truth will remain a riddle (cf. Deuteronomy 29:2-4)." Along these lines, parables actually helped to maintain the balance between human freedom and God's sovereignty: "Jesus' audiences were not denied the opportunity to believe in Him. But after they persistently closed their minds to His message, they were excluded from further understanding of it by His use of parables. Yet even the parables, which veiled the truth, were meant to provoke thought, enlighten, and ultimately reveal it. They uniquely preserved people's freedom to believe, while demonstrating that such a decision is effected by God's enabling." In like manner, John Calvin noted: "[T]he doctrine is not, strictly speaking, or by itself, or in its own nature, but by accident, the cause of blindness. When persons of a weak sight come out into sunshine, their eyes become dimmer than before, and that defect is in no way attributed to the sun, but to their eyes. In like manner, when the word of God blinds and hardens the reprobate, as this takes place through their own depravity, it belongs truly and naturally to themselves, but is accidental, as respects the word."?Think of it like this: the sun, which is absolutely essential to plant growth, causes the plant in the rocky soil to wither and die. Is this the sun's fault? Not in the least.?Notice the connection between the sun, the hardships and difficulties that are part and parcel of the Christian life, and spiritual maturity:?After grain is sown, the sun presently becomes hot, which, however, only helps the seed that has proper roots. This pictures the thlipsis ["trouble involving direct suffering"] or diogmos ["a systematically organized program of oppression and harassment"] that always comes in this wicked world "on account of the Word." ... Then the trouble begins for all who lack good, healthy roots in the soil of their hearts. The remarkable thing is that the shining sun is here used to picture tribulation and persecution. The seed in the good soil must have the sun to grow as it should. That is what makes it bear fruit. Just as little as grain grows properly without sunshine, so little the Word thrives in us without our suffering "on account of the Word."There may well be something to the fact that Jesus used two different words for "understand" in v. 13 (according to the Greek manuscripts used for modern English Bibles). The first means "intuitively comprehend," while the second means "comprehend by experience." It is the difference between academic knowledge and applied knowledge (some would say "book sense" versus "common sense"). The parable of the soils depicts a foundational truth that lays the groundwork for applying all of Jesus' teachings. Seed ... God's word (Mark 4:14)In Jesus' explanation, we learn that "[w]hat the farmer is spreading is really the message about the kingdom" (CEV). "The association of seed and sowing with words and teaching" is found throughout the Bible and was, in fact, proverbial among both the Jews and the Greeks. And fruit and fruit bearing were often used proverbially to describe a person's character and/or spiritual condition. For example: "Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do." (Psalms 1:1-3)"'Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.'" (Matthew 7:15-20)"'I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. ... '" (John 15:1-2)"So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God. (Romans 7:4, 22)"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" (Galatians 5:22-23)"For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God's discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening - it's painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. (Hebrews 12:10-11)"And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness." (James 3:18) (all NLT) Who hear (Mark 4:15, 16, 18, 20)Jesus explained that the different types of soil represent the different ways in which people respond to his message. Which, in turn, corresponds to different heart conditions: unresponsive, impulsive, preoccupied, and well-prepared. And thus "[t]he character of the hearer determines the effect of the word upon him."?ConditionHard [unresponsive]Reference"The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away."Explanation[This heart] resists the Word of God and makes it easy for Satan (the birds) to snatch it away. Soil becomes hard when too many feet tread on it. Those who recklessly "open their hearts" to all kinds of people and influences are in danger of developing hard hearts (see Proverbs 4:23). Hard hearts must be "plowed up" before they can receive the seed, and this can be a painful experience (Jeremiah 4:3; Hosea 10:12).Possible CausesIll-will toward the messenger. Hostility with respect to this particular message.They do not wish to be inconvenienced.[A] spirit of indifference.ConditionShallow [impulsive]Reference"The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word."ExplanationThis heart ... represents the "emotional hearer" who joyfully accepts God's Word but does not really understand the price that must be paid to become a genuine Christian. There may be great enthusiasm for several days or weeks; but when persecution and difficulties begin, the enthusiasm wanes and the joy disappears. It is easy for fallen human nature to counterfeit?"religious feelings" and give a professed Christian a feeling of false confidence. Possible Causes[They] failed to consider that true discipleship implies self-surrender, self-denial, sacrifice, service, and suffering.ConditionCrowded [preoccupied]Reference"The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced."ExplanationThis heart pictures the person who receives the Word but does not truly repent and remove the "weeds" out of his or her heart. This hearer has too many different kinds of "seeds" growing in the soil - worldly cares, a desire for riches, a lust for things - and the good seed of the Word has no room in which to grow. To change the image, this person wants to walk the "broad way" and the "narrow way" at the same time (Matthew 7:13–14); and it cannot be done. Possible CausesPossessionsPowerPrestige PleasureConditionFruitful [well-prepared]Reference"And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!"ExplanationThis heart pictures the true believer, because fruit - a changed life - is the evidence of true salvation (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:19–23). ... Not all true believers are equally as productive; but from every genuine Christian's life, there will be some evidence of spiritual fruit. Possible CausesThese people hear because they want to hear. They reflect on what they hear, for they have faith in the speaker. So they reach a measure of true understanding. They put the message into practice and bear fruit: conversion, faith, love, joy, peace,?longsuffering, etc.In explaining what it is that prevents someone from entering into God's kingdom, Jesus shows us the three greatest enemies of our soul: The shallow heart is tempted by the flesh/self. The crowded heart is tempted by the world/society. The hard heart is tempted by the Devil/Satan (note: Matthew = "the evil one"; Mark = "Satan"; Luke = "the devil") A lamp (Mark 4:21)Jesus' parable of the lamp may be intended to reinforce the idea of faithful discipleship: as believers allow God to produce fruit through them, their lives will broadcast the Gospel light into a spiritually darkened world. "[M]an himself ought to be, not the bushel, but the candlestick." Which, sadly, is the exact opposite of what the religious leaders were doing as they hid God's word "under an elaborate load of human traditions and hypocritical actions." Of course, faithful discipleship begins with proper priorities: the word must be sown; the light must be placed where it can shine; the mystery of God's kingdom must be revealed, not concealed. Only thus can the Gospel both show evil for what it is and reveal the extent of God's goodness. What's more, at Jesus' second coming, both the light of God and each person's response to it will be finally and fully revealed.?Pay close attention (Mark 4:24)Jesus issues a call to "pay close attention" to his teaching - to let his words soak in, as it were. Several points are worth noting:The committed disciple is like the fourth type of soil: "If he accepts Jesus' word, meditates on it and does not permit it to be choked out because of the cares of the world, his understanding of it will grow." (Notice the NLT's more versus less "understanding" [vv. 24-25].) As one source puts it: "The light of Jesus' truth is revealed to us, not hidden. But we may not be able to see or to use all of that truth right now. Only as we put God's teachings into practice will we understand and see more of the truth. The truth is clear, but our ability to understand is imperfect. As we obey, we will sharpen our vision and increase our understanding." On the other hand, "for the one who rejects Jesus' words, the opportunity that that person presently possesses with respect to the kingdom will someday be taken away forever."While it is true that in the present age "the kingdom is largely veiled in the face of satanic opposition and human unbelief," nonetheless "God's rule takes hold in those who accept Jesus' message and His rule manifests itself in spiritual fruitfulness." We might also note that this is infinitely more than a one-time event: literally, Jesus said that the good soil represents those who "go on hearing," "go on receiving/accepting," and "go on bearing fruit." Jesus' teaching that "blessing begets blessing" stems from, and testifies to, God's generous nature: God not only blesses, he blesses abundantly. Why? So that we can share his blessings with others. On the other hand, the person who hordes what little he has will find his possessions - not to mention his attitude - growing ever smaller. Somewhat like the novice pianist who stops practicing - and soon finds what little talent he/she had has vanished entirely. One's heart condition determines what effect the Gospel has in a person's life. If you or someone you know has a hard, shallow, or crowded heart, the proper place to start is with earnest and fervent prayer that God will change that heart into one that is "honest and good," "clinge[s]" to the Gospel, and "bear[s] fruit with steadfast endurance" (see Luke 8:15, NET).God gets the glory, as it is his Gospel seed that grows and produces a bountiful harvest. As one source puts it: "[O]ne seed of the Word produces 30, one 60, one 100 others. It is not the man but the Word that multiplies. The Word is a fixed entity and as such neither to be increased or decreased. Its multiplication consists in its spread in one heart and from one heart to other hearts. It is thus that the hearers bear fruit. When the Word remains and flourishes in a heart, repentance, faith, Christian virtues and works result, whereby the Word spreads."HEAR (heart)Bearing Fruit: A Sign of MaturityThe founder of The Navigators, Jerry White, once observed that "fruit-bearing" is the hallmark of maturity. Human beings, plants, and animals all evidence maturity as they bear fruit. That is, as they reproduce after their kind.?The same holds true, said White, in the spiritual realm, as well. The mature believer bears two types of fruit. First of all there is Christian character and a holy life. Secondly, there is the privilege of aiding and abetting spiritual growth in others through sharing the Gospel and discipling new believers. Those whose hearts are like "fertile/good soil" (vv. 8, 20) "accept or welcome" the Word. Literally, they hold it close to their side. Bearing fruit is outward proof that we have truly welcomed and accepted the Gospel into our hearts. DO (hands)??? Jesus spread the seed of the Gospel liberally, knowing that much of it would never take root and grow. How can that fact encourage us in our own efforts at sharing the Gospel? This parable can also be viewed from the perspective of the need to grow and mature in our Christian walk and witness. For example, we "may be open to God about [our] future but closed concerning how [we] spend [our] money. [We] may respond like good soil to God's demand for worship but respond like rocky soil to his demand to give to people in need." Along those lines, what can this parable teach us about our need "to be like good soil in every area of [our] life at all times"? [[@Bible:Mark 4:26-34]]Mark 4:26-34Parable of the Growing Seed26?Jesus also said, "The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. 27?Night and day, while he's asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. 28?The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. 29?And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come."Parable of the Mustard Seed30?Jesus said, "How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? 31 It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, 32?but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade."33?Jesus used many similar stories and illustrations to teach the people as much as they could understand. 34?In fact, in his public ministry he never taught without using parables; but afterward, when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.SEE (head)In the parable of the growing seed, Jesus compares the way in which God's kingdom grows with the way in which a farmer plants his field. The farmer needs only to be faithful in planting the seed, since God has already foreordained the circumstances necessary for its growth and development. Seed sprouts and grows (Mark 4:27)How God's kingdom grows and develops is, to a large extent, beyond our human understanding and even contrary to our human reasoning. Jesus said "[t]he soil produced crops by itself"- that is, spontaneously or automatically. As one source explains:?The secret of growth is in the seed, not in the soil nor in the weather nor in the cultivating. These all help, but the seed spontaneously works according to its own nature. ... So we sow the seed, God's kingdom truth, and the soil (the soul) is ready for the seed. The Holy Spirit works on the heart and uses the seed sown and makes it germinate and grow, "first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear." This is the law and order of nature and also of grace in the kingdom of God. While Jesus' reference to the sickle may be nothing more than a figure of speech meaning to "send in/forth the harvesters," it is quite possible that he was hinting at the "judgment that arrives with the kingdom." To be sure, the harvest at the end of the age will be a time of great joy for believers - but also great sorrow for those who have rejected Jesus' offer of the kingdom. A mustard seed (Mark 4:31)In the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus teaches that, like a tiny seed that grows into a large plant, God's kingdom begins small but grows to be strong and healthy. (This is also true of Jesus' teaching in general which, although seemingly insignificant at the time, has grown and spread throughout the world and one day will completely dominate it. From that perspective, the "birds" most likely represent Gentiles.) The mustard seed was used proverbially for small things (app. 750 seeds = one gram).An annual plant, the mustard shrub grows to an average height of four feet, but may grow as high as ten or even fifteen feet in only a few weeks. Thus it was said to be a "tree" in comparison to other garden herbs. It is also worth noting that in Jesus' day the mustard seed was considered pungent and beneficial, and was not easily removed once it had taken root - all qualities associated with God's kingdom. The closest OT parallel to Jesus' parable of the mustard seed is Ezekiel 17:3: "On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a stately cedar. And birds of every kind will nest under it; they will nest in the shade of its branches" (NASB). Note, however, that whereas in the OT God's kingdom is spoken of as a tree, Jesus likens the kingdom to a garden shrub, quite possibly reflecting its unexpected spiritual nature and Jesus' role as a Messiah who must first suffer and die before assuming his reign.?When seen from the perspective of the Christian Church, there are some very interesting points to be made, beginning with the mustard seed's representing Jesus: We think of the little Babe in Bethlehem, of the small following of Jesus when his work seemed to end with his death, and then of the phenomenal development during all the years since that time. In a despised corner of the world, from a carpenter's home, came a teacher who gathered a handful of ordinary disciples and then fell into the hands of his enemies and died a wretched malefactor's death. This was no tower of Babel, nothing big in the eyes of the world. Yet this was the kingdom that was to encircle the world and that is to shine in glory forever ... The great branches are not the great Christian denominations but the Christian believers in all the lands of the earth.The result of this growth is ... "so that under its shadow the birds of the heaven (meaning the wild birds) are able to go tenting" ... Only their stay is mentioned and not their eating of the seeds of the great mustard plant. Since the mustard tree itself is the kingdom, all who are in this kingdom are part of the tree. The wild birds who tent in the branches are not members of the kingdom; their stay in the branches is only temporary. These wild birds are men in general who are living in all lands and find the church beneficial and enjoy its wholesome influence in the world. HEAR (heart)Nurturing Faith[G]race or religion in the heart is of gradual growth. It is at first tender, feeble, perhaps almost imperceptible, like the first shootings of the grain in the earth. Perhaps also, like grain, it often lies long in the earth before there are signs of life. Like the tender grain, also, it needs care, kindness, and culture. A frost, a cold storm, or a burning sun alike injure it. So tender piety in the heart needs care, kindness, culture. It needs shelter from the frosts and storms of a cold, unfeeling world. It needs the genial dews and mild suns of heaven; in other words, it needs instruction, prayer, and friendly counsel from parents, teachers, ministers, and experienced Christians, that it may grow, and bring forth the full fruits of holiness. Like the grain, also, in due time it will grow strong; it will produce its appropriate fruit - a full and rich harvest - to the praise of God. While we are incapable of - and hence not responsible for - producing spiritual growth and maturity in either ourselves or others, we certainly are capable of - and hence responsible for - nurturing it. DO (hands)??? What are some ways we can nurture spiritual life in ourselves and others? [[@Bible:Mark 4:35-41]]Mark 4:35-41Jesus Calms the Storm35?As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake." 36?So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37?But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. 38?Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, "Teacher, don't you care that we're going to drown?"39?When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Silence! Be still!" Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40?Then he asked them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?"41?The disciples were absolutely terrified. "Who is this man?" they asked each other. "Even the wind and waves obey him!"SEE (head)In obedience to Jesus, the disciples set out across the lake and soon encounter a fierce storm which threatens to capsize their boat. At their wit's end, they finally awaken Jesus, who rebukes them because of their lack of faith. Jesus commands the storm to cease, and the disciples are utterly amazed.?A fierce storm (Mark 4:37)Mark's description of the storm ("a fierce gale of wind" NASB) literally refers to "a hurricane of wind," as confirmed by Matthew's term which means "a violent upheaval like an earthquake." This was no light rain shower! As one source notes, "the storm fell suddenly from Mount Hermon down into the Jordan Valley and smote the Sea of Galilee violently at its depth of 682 feet below the Mediterranean Sea. The hot air at this depth draws the storm down with sudden power. These sudden storms continue to this day on the Sea of Galilee."?Jesus commanded the wind to be still - literally, "be silent!, be muzzled!" Here the sea is personified "as a raging monster" which, following Jesus' rebuke, "sank to rest as if exhausted by its own beating," producing an immediate calm. To the utter amazement of his disciples, both the wind and the waves obeyed Jesus.?Sleeping ... rebuked the wind (Mark 4:38, 39)How could any human being sleep in such a storm? "The peaceful sleep of Jesus is due to the perfect absence of fear in his heart and to his absolute trust in his Father's care."Here we have the perfect picture of Jesus' humanity placed alongside his deity. Humanity: because he was fully human, Jesus was exhausted from the day's events and needed rest. Deity: because he was fully God, Jesus was able to calm the fiercest storm with only a word - a storm which, by the way, disturbed not his peace but the peace of those who failed to place their complete trust in him. Jesus trusted in God and had peace; the disciples failed to trust in Jesus and had no peace. It would not have been difficult for Mark's first readers to have seen themselves in this story: hunted literally to death because of their Christian faith, they needed to know that Jesus was with them, that he really cared, and that he would keep them safe.?They ... started out (Mark 4:36)This account is filled with convicting irony. Trusting in their skill, the experienced sailors (= the disciples who had been commercial fishermen), take charge of the situation and take the lead as other boats follow (a detail recorded only by Mark). Of course, they are kind enough to do Jesus a favor by taking him along for the ride. A storm comes up, their self-confidence melts, they go into panic mode, and they cry out for Jesus. Convicting Part: How often do we do the very same thing? How often do we take charge, rushing in to lead ourselves and others because we happen to have some experience in a given area? Of course we are kind enough to take God along for the ride ("God is my co-pilot") via a quick, "Please bless my efforts, Lord" - rather than earnestly seeking his will to begin with. And then a crisis hits, we reach our wit's end, and we cry out to God for help. HEAR (heart)The Paralysis of FearThe magnificent Golden Gate Bridge was completed in 1937, at a cost of $77 million. At first it was slow going, as the loss of 23 workmen instilled a sense of dread in the other workers and brought the project to a screeching halt. Finally someone thought that there should be a net. And so for only $100,000 the largest net ever built was hung beneath the workers. The net saved the lives of 10 men, and the work proceeded at a much faster pace than before. The lesson those disciples learned that day on the water was that their greatest enemy was not the storm without but the fear within. They could not see that life's storms are intended not to weaken us but to strengthen us, not to make us afraid but to make us faithful. God can and will use our difficulties as a bridge to bring us closer to him. And, miracle of miracles, God is so good that underneath every bridge he places a safety net: we may fall, but we will not fail.DO (hands)??? Are you in the midst of a fear-producing situation? If so, what can this passage teach you about placing your trust in Jesus? Mark 5[[@Bible:Mark 5:1-20]]Mark 5:1-20Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Man1 So they arrived at the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gerasenes.?? 2?When Jesus climbed out of the boat, a man possessed by an evil?? spirit came out from a cemetery to meet him. 3?This man lived among the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. 4?Whenever he was put into chains and shackles - as he often was - he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5?Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones. 6?When Jesus was still some distance away, the man saw him, ran to meet him, and bowed low before him. 7?With a shriek, he screamed, "Why are you interfering with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, don't torture me!" 8?For Jesus had already said to the spirit, "Come out of the man, you evil spirit."9?Then Jesus demanded, "What is your name?"And he replied, "My name is Legion, because there are many of us inside this man." 10?Then the evil spirits begged him again and again not to send them to some distant place.11?There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding on the hillside nearby. 12?"Send us into those pigs," the spirits begged. "Let us enter them."13?So Jesus gave them permission. The evil spirits came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the entire herd of 2,000 pigs plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.14?The herdsmen fled to the nearby town and the surrounding countryside, spreading the news as they ran. People rushed out to see what had happened. 15?A crowd soon gathered around Jesus, and they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons. He was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane, and they were all afraid. 16?Then those who had seen what happened told the others about the demon-possessed man and the pigs. 17?And the crowd began pleading with Jesus to go away and leave them alone.18?As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him. 19?But Jesus said, "No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been." 20?So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns?? of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.SEE (head)Having traveled to an area populated mainly by Gentiles (= non-Jews), Jesus is immediately confronted by a madman possessed by many demons. Jesus heals the man, allowing the demons to move into a large herd of pigs which then rushes down the steep hillside and drowns in the lake. The townsfolk, more concerned with the swine than with the Savior, beg Jesus to leave. He does, leaving behind the former demoniac as a witness to his divine power. A man possessed (Mark 5:2)While the exact location of this incident is uncertain, the point is that Jesus had crossed over into Gentile territory.?This has been described as "the eeriest episode in the life of Jesus. The description of this possessed and tormented man is shocking and disgusting." There are several disturbing images here: a lunatic; demons; a cemetery; and unclean swine. Evil spirits were associated with cemeteries in popular thought, and it was considered a sign of insanity merely to spend the night in a cemetery. The cemetery ("tombs" NASB) was most likely a series of "cavelike rooms cut into the rocks of nearby hills which served as tombs and sometimes as haunts for demented people." (Matthew writes of two demoniacs, whereas Mark and Luke mention only one. It is possible that one was Jewish and one was Gentile, with Mark and Luke choosing to focus on the latter and/or that they mention only "the leader and spokesman.") The demon-possessed man's actions included cutting himself ("perhaps in a demonic form of worship"), demonstrating that the ultimate intent of demon-possession is "to distort and destroy God’s image in man."?The demons recognized Jesus for who he is: "Jesus, Son of the Most High God" (v. 7). Isn't it interesting that while "men will at times do their utmost to deny Jesus' deity, the demons do not"? The head demon responded to Jesus' inquiry by stating that his name was "Legion" - which pictures "an army, emphasizing power and fierceness." A Roman legion was comprised of as many as 6,000 soldiers. The term "a legion" was used as shorthand for "a great number of any thing" (compare MATTHEW 26:53), and in popular usage it was?associated with uncleanness/impurity.?Why did Jesus ask the man his name? Possibly: As a sign of Jesus' superior authority.So that the onlookers, including Jesus' disciples, would realize that Jesus was dealing with a great many demons at once.To reveal to the demon-possessed man the seriousness of his condition. Why did the demons want to go into the herd of pigs? "Was it simply a yearning to destroy? Was it perhaps a sinister hope that the owners of the herd, seeing their property destroyed, would be filled with antagonism toward Jesus?"Possessed (Mark 5:2)The demon-possessed man in this story is an apt illustration of what it means to be lost in sin and separated from God. He is completely cut off from his family, his community, and even himself, and tormented to the depths of his soul. He makes his home among the dead, and his only companions - the demons inside him - are those living in open rebellion against God. His life is completely void of peace, meaning, and purpose. He suffered both "bodily agony" and "distress of mind." He gave no thought to his physical well-being, for "in the possessed, even the law of self-preservation ceases." Salvation means going from being "restless, naked, and crazed" to being at peace with himself, God, and other people. Following his deliverance, the man "went off and did as Jesus told him. He heralded or published the story till all over Decapolis men marvelled at what Jesus did, kept on marvelling (imperfect tense). The man had a greater opportunity for Christ right in his home land than anywhere else. They all knew this once wild demoniac who now was a new man in Christ Jesus." ?Legion (Mark 5:9)The demons present a picture of what it means to live in open, deliberate rebellion against Christ. Notice that "they did not come of their own accord into the presence of Christ, but were drawn by a secret exercise of his authority. As they had formerly been accustomed to carry men off, in furious violence, to the tombs, so now a superior power compels them to appear reluctantly at the tribunal of their judge. ... [T]heir rebellious complaints testify that their confession [regarding Jesus' true identify] was not made from choice, but was drawn from them by force." While Jesus "remains the sovereign 'Son of God' in the deliverance of the demonized man," this episode serves as a stark reminder "that while the kingdom of God does come in Jesus, it is not yet the time of final judgment when evil will finally and totally be put down. Demons remain and act like demons, tormenting and killing what they inhabit, but they are limited in that Jesus could and still can free people by his power."?A crowd (Mark 5:15)And the crowd that asked Jesus to leave is an apt illustration of the world. "It would seem that all they ever thought of was their own safety and protection." Repeated efforts to bind the demoniac fail, and in the end all they can do is to separate themselves from him (see Matthew 8:28). When Jesus uses the power of God to set the suffering man free, the townspeople react not with joy but with fear. In the end, they are more interested in their lost pigs than in their once lost neighbor who is now saved. This story helps to highlight the fact that Satan and his demons are all about death and destruction, whereas Jesus is all about life and deliverance.?2,000 pigs ... drowned (Mark 5:13)What about the herd of pigs? "In the age of Greenpeace and animal rights the idea that Jesus of Nazareth sentenced two thousand pigs, one of the more intelligent mammals, to death by drowning by allowing demons to invade and terrorize them raises problems for most readers. ... And even if Jesus did not care about pigs, shouldn’t he have cared about the livelihood of the swineherds and the owners? He certainly did not ask anyone’s permission." Besides the fact that it was the demons, and not Jesus, who caused the death of the pigs, we might first of all recall the perspective of the gospel writers: they saw animals in practical terms, as a source of food or forced labor; religiously motivated animal sacrifices were an everyday occurrence among both Jews and Gentiles; and the destructive behavior of demons was of far more concern than the destruction of a herd of unclean pigs. Their alleged enlightened intellect notwithstanding, modern skeptics and critics are not very far removed from the townspeople, who "miss the point when they see only their loss of pigs and fail to see the delivered man." Several points help to relieve any concern for the pigs: The pigs were destined to die anyway.God is free to do with his creation as he sees fit.In this particular instance, the pigs served to glorify God by providing "tangible evidence to the man and to the people that the demons had actually left him and that their purpose had been to destroy him even as they destroyed the pigs." Possibly the pigs' destruction was also God's way of reprimanding their owners for their being more interested in their livelihood than in the wretched condition of their demon-possessed neighbor.If the owners were Jewish, the death of the pigs would have been understood as God's rebuking them for their dealings with an unclean animal.While Jesus' usual response was to tell the healed/delivered person to say nothing, in this case he did the opposite. Why is that? Since Jesus was in Gentile territory, he allowed "more open discussion of his ministry. ... [W]ith few Jewish religious representatives present, there would be less danger of misunderstanding Jesus' ministry as political." In the final analysis, Jesus sent a missionary to the very people who had rejected him, thus proving his love for them. HEAR (heart)Devilish ThoughtsI call’d the devil, and he cameAnd with wonder his form did I closely scan;He is not ugly, and is not lame,But really a handsome and charming man.A man in the prime of life is the devil,Obliging, a man of the world, and civilA diplomatist too, well skill’d in debate,He talks quite glibly of church and state.- Heinrich Heine (1797-1856)The pig's owners and the townspeople may not have been possessed by the Devil's demons, but they had allowed themselves to be persuaded by the Devil's arguments. In the Devil's hands, persuasion can be as deadly as possession. DO (hands)John Calvin: "Thus at the present day, so long as men believe that the kingdom of God is opposed to their interest, either of a public or private nature, they are prepossessed by a depraved and carnal fear, and have no relish for his grace. Accordingly, when he comes, they think that God does not regard them with favor, but rather with anger, and, so far as lies in their power, they send him to another place. It is a mark of shameful insensibility in those men, that the loss of their swine gives them more alarm than the salvation of their soul would give them joy."??? In what way was this true in your own life before you surrendered to Christ? [[@Bible:Mark 5:25-34]]Mark 5:21-43 (The Woman: vv. 25-34)Jesus Heals in Response to Faith25?A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. 26?She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27?She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. 28?For she thought to herself, "If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed." 29?Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition. 30?Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my robe?"31?His disciples said to him, "Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, 'Who touched me?'"32?But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. 33?Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. 34?And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over."SEE (head)A crowd is following Jesus and pressing in upon him. A woman sneaks up and touches the edge (= fringe) of his robe in order to be healed of the hemorrhage from which she has been suffering for the past twelve years. Having spent everything she owned and gotten no better, her last resort is Jesus, the one who has power over both diseases and demons.?A woman ... had suffered (Mark 5:25)The woman seeking Jesus had been suffering from "constant bleeding" for twelve years - possibly "a chronic menstrual disorder or a uterine hemorrhage." Treatment of the woman's condition would have included "various and manifold kinds of medicines" in combination with elaborate rituals/ceremonies that amounted to little more than "superstitious remedies" Her incurable condition "made it impossible for her ever to feel strong and healthy." (In his account, the physician Luke refers to the woman's incurable disease but, "with professional sensitiveness, omits Mark's statement that she had suffered many things from many physicians, and was not bettered but made worse.") Along these lines, we might note that the term used to describe the woman's "terrible condition" ("affliction," NASB) literally refers to a whip, connoting the type of excruciating pain endured as part of a scourging. When used in reference to a disease, often there was an implication of divine punishment. To add insult to injury, aside from the physical suffering she had been forced to endure, "the woman's condition would have kept her in a perpetual state of impurity," thus greatly restricting her contact with other people. In spite of this fact, she pressed through the crowd, making impure/unclean everyone with whom she came in contact (see Leviticus 15:25-27; a woman with an issue of blood "defiled every one who touched ... her"). "Many teachers avoided touching women altogether, lest they become accidentally contaminated."?Touched his robe (Mark 5:27)The bleeding woman believed that Jesus had come from God and that he alone possessed the power to heal her. Here and throughout Scripture, we see fear and faith going hand in hand. She kept on telling herself that if she could only touch Jesus' robe, she would be healed - suggesting "that the woman was trying to muster up the courage" to do so. She was understandably afraid, but despite her fear she refused to give up until she had made contact with Jesus. Apparently the woman was trying to touch one of the tassels that hung from each of the four corners of Jesus' robe (cf. Matthew 9:20-21). As one source explains: "Like all true Jews, Jesus wore the shimla, a large, square cloth that was used as an outer robe and had tassels at the four corners according to the requirement stated in Deut. 22:12. The tassels were attached to blue cords, and the Pharisees loved to make these tassels large and prominent in order to display their compliance with the law. Two of the corners of the shimla were thrown back over the shoulder so that two of the tassels hung down behind. One of these, Matthew tells us, the woman touched."?One source notes how the woman's actions reflect the common practice of a subject's kneeling to touch the king's robe in a demonstration of loyalty and submission prior to making a request. While such may indeed be the case, this woman desired to touch Jesus' robe and then slip away unnoticed so as to avoid bringing unwanted attention to herself. As one source puts it, "Her motive was not to steal healing but to keep her ailment hidden."?Who touched my robe? (Mark 5:30)In keeping with the fact that this miracle story is told from the perspective of the woman, we see Jesus' awareness of healing power having left him and asking who it was that touched him. We should avoid concluding that the power left Jesus without his knowledge or consent. As one commentator puts it: To say that this outgo of power from Jesus was without conscious volition on his part is to misconceive the entire operation of this power. It is always under the control of Jesus’ conscious will. To think of a somatic mediation of this power, to think that it required physical contact with Jesus, for instance, the touch of his hand, makes Jesus a magnetic medium or a magician. Jesus healed many without a touch, some even at a distance. Touch of hand or of garment is symbolic, an aid to faith and nothing more. The miracles were wrought by Jesus’ almighty will. The instant the woman touched Jesus he knew it, knew her ailment, willed her healing, and thus realized in himself (2:8, "in his spirit") the power that went out of him to work this miracle.The frightened woman ... told him (Mark 5:33)Why did Jesus refuse to let the woman leave without acknowledging him as the source of her healing? Quite likely it was for several reasons: Jesus wanted to dispel any "quasi-magical notions" that she may have had. Hence Jesus' statement that her faith - and not Jesus' robe - had healed her.?Jesus did not want the woman to feel that she was wrong in her seeking healing from him.Jesus wanted to remove any lingering shame the woman may have felt over her disease.Jesus wanted to help the woman complete what one source refers to as "the circle": "When blessings descend from heaven, they must in the form of thanksgiving be returned to heaven by those who received them." Put simply: we ask God for help; we receive God's help; we thank God for his help.?This "circle" both strengthens our faith and gives God the glory he richly deserves and rightly demands. Notice the tender mercy of Jesus as he deals with this woman. Choosing to reassure rather than reprimand, he: calls her "daughter, a term implying "affectionate concern"commends her faithpronounces peace - that is, "freedom from anxiety and inner turmoil" - upon herreassures her that her time of intense suffering is finally over HEAR (heart)There the Entire TimeThe story is told of an early American Indian initiation rite. A brave would be taught how to hunt, scout, and fish. Then on his thirteenth birthday he would be blindfolded and, for the first time, taken from his family and deposited several miles away in a deep, dark forest where the blindfold would be removed and the brave left to spend the entire night completely alone. It was a very long and very trying night, with fear magnifying the slightest sound. The boy was utterly relieved when the new day finally dawned. To the young brave's utter astonishment, the sun would reveal the figure of a man standing very close by. The man, armed with bow and arrow, was the brave's father. He had been standing guard over his son the entire night. The bleeding woman must have felt very much like the young Indian brave: alone, afraid, and trapped in her condition. Oftentimes our fears stem from an inability to see and understand what is immediately before us, coupled with a sense of being all alone. (Isolationism is a major tool of the Devil.) It is in those moments, however, that God can work most powerfully in our lives. As we turn to him, he will remove our fears and replace them with comfort, direction, and hope. Best of all, he will remind us that we are never completely alone: he is always standing close by. DO (hands)??? Did you wait until you were at the end of your rope before turning to Jesus? Explain. What can the woman's example teach us about trusting Jesus? [[@Bible:Mark 5:21-24]]Mark 5:21-43 (The Girl: vv. 21-24, 35-43)(Jesus Heals in Response to Faith) 21?Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. 22?Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, 23?pleading fervently with him. "My little daughter is dying," he said. "Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live."24?Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him. [[@Bible:Mark 5:35-43]]35?While he was still speaking to her [see v. 34], messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, "Your daughter is dead. There's no use troubling the Teacher now."36?But Jesus overheard?? them and said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid. Just have faith."37?Then Jesus stopped the crowd and wouldn't let anyone go with him except Peter, James, and John (the brother of James). 38?When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw much commotion and weeping and wailing. 39?He went inside and asked, "Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn't dead; she's only asleep."40?The crowd laughed at him. But he made them all leave, and he took the girl's father and mother and his three disciples into the room where the girl was lying. 41?Holding her hand, he said to her, "Talitha koum," which means "Little girl, get up!" 42?And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed. 43?Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened, and then he told them to give her something to eat. SEE (head)When Jesus returns from casting the demons out of the Gentile man, he is met by a large crowd which included Jairus, a local official whose daughter is on the verge of death. Setting aside all rank and privilege, Jairus falls before Jesus and implores him (literally, kept on beseeching him) to come and heal her. On the way to Jairus' home, word arrives that the girl is dead. "Don't give up," Jesus commands, as he takes Jairus and his inner circle of disciples and goes and raises the girl back to life.?Jairus (Mark 5:22)As leader (or "president") of the local synagogue, Jairus ([jay EYE ruhs], meaning "he will awaken") was its "administrative head," "the president of the board of elders." While the ruler of the synagogue usually did not participate in the synagogue services himself, he was tasked with making sure they were carried out in an orderly and dignified manner. "The ruler of the synagogue was one of the most important and most respected men in the community." ("When Mark wrote this, Jairus and his daughter could still be found in Palestine.")?Jairus is an apt illustration of what it means to trust in Jesus. In him we find a mixture of "tender affection, intense anxiety, and a considerable measure of faith." Setting aside personal pride and dignity, Jairus humbled himself before Jesus. Because he would have had many friends among the religious leaders who openly opposed Jesus, Jairus risked losing not only his friends but also his place of prominence within the community. And, being a man of authority himself, his appeal to Jesus was an open acknowledgement of Jesus' infinitely superior authority to heal diseases and cast out demons. When word came of the girl's death, with "majestic calmness" Jesus refused to listen - and commanded Jairus to do likewise by replacing his fear with faith ("Do not be afraid any longer, only believe." NASB). As one source puts it, Jesus "exhorts him to enlarge his heart with confidence." The problem is paralyzing fear; the solution is to trust in Jesus. Asleep (Mark 5:39)When, at Jairus's home, Jesus said that the girl was not dead but only sleeping, he may have been indicating that "for God raising the dead is no more difficult than awaking a sleeper." We might pause to note that while sleep is commonly used as a metaphor for death, the Bible absolutely does not teach "soul sleep," which is "the idea that the soul, during the period between death and resurrection, reposes in a state of unconsciousness." As one source helpfully notes:[In 1 Thessalonians 4:13] the announcement concerns those who have fallen asleep, that is, those believers who have died. Sleep is used to describe the bodies of departed Christians, never their spirits or souls. Sleep is an appropriate simile of death, because in death a person seems to be sleeping. Even our word cemetery comes from a Greek word meaning "sleeping place" (koimētērion). And sleep is a familiar simile, because every night we act out this symbol of death, and every morning is like a resurrection. The Bible does not teach that the soul sleeps at the time of death. The rich man and Lazarus were both conscious in death (Luke 16:19–31). When the believer dies, he is "present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). To die is to "be with Christ," a position which Paul speaks of as "gain" and as being "far better" (Philippians 1:21, 23). This would scarcely be true if the soul were sleeping! When the professional mourners responded with derisive laughter ("they laughed him to scorn" KJV), Jesus (forcefully) threw them out of the house. Why? Likely because their lack of faith made them undeserving to witness such an incredible miracle. But also simply because "[t]he dignity of Jesus and the miracle he was about to perform demanded proper silence."We may pause to note how Jesus turned their skepticism against them: their certainty regarding the girl's death served to confirm that she was truly dead prior to her being brought back to life by Jesus. Jesus commanded the girl to get up ... and she did! Although word of this miracle could not be contained, "with force and/or authority" Jesus told the parents not to tell anyone. (There is a difference between second-hand testimony and an eyewitness account.) Jesus' concern over the girl's physical need for food shows his concern for our ordinary needs. And the fact that the girl was hungry helped to confirm the fact that she had been restored to complete health.?HEAR (heart)A Risky Bicycle RideTim Hansel compares his relationship with Christ to a risky bicycle ride. At first God seemed like a judge keeping a tally sheet of good and bad so as to determine Hansel's final destination.?After meeting Christ, however, life became something like a ride on a tandem bicycle in which Jesus was seated in the rear. Eventually Hansel and Jesus switched places on the bike. Suddenly life was new and exciting, with the Lord taking the pair only he knows where.?Jesus does what look like some risky, even scary maneuvers: taking the bike around curves too fast, leaving the ground too often, even flying through mid-air on occasion. All the while, he yells back at Hansel to just keep pedaling.?Hansel is learning to trust Christ more and to enjoy the trip more. And to just keep pedaling. Jairus took a real risk - first in going to Jesus, and then in remaining with Jesus following word of his daughter's death.?A real commitment to Jesus Christ demands risks. But even those are turned into a marvelous adventure as we learn to trust in and obey him. DO (hands)??? What can Jairus's example teach us about taking risks for Jesus? Mark 6[[@Bible:Mark 6:1-6]]Mark 6:1-6aJesus Rejected at Nazareth1 Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. 2?The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, "Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?" 3?Then they scoffed, "He's just a carpenter, the son of Mary?? and the brother of James, Joseph,?? Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us." They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. 4?Then Jesus told them,?"A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family."?5?And because of their unbelief, he couldn't do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6?And he was amazed at their unbelief.SEE?(head)Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth and is greeted coldly by his neighbors. Seeing him as an ordinary carpenter with no special training, they refuse to accept that Jesus' many wonderful words and works are from God. Rather than placing their trust in him, they take offence at (literally "stumble over") Jesus. Amazed ... scoffed ... deeply offended (Mark 6:2, 3)"[R]eturning as a Teacher (Rabbi) surrounded by His students," Jesus "began teaching in the synagogue," no doubt "speak[ing] about his person and mission, and the relation of both to OT fulfillment."?Jesus was met by bitter skepticism from his neighbors. They asked, "Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands?" (v. 2,?NASB). "These things" ("these ideas"?NET) probably refers to Jesus' proclamation regarding God's kingdom.?To paraphrase Jesus' audience: "Where is he getting this stuff? Who taught it to him? How in the world is he able to do these things?" They were "greatly astounded"?at what they now saw and heard, and very quickly their astonishment turned to hostility. The people who knew Jesus best really did not know him at all, seeing him as nothing more than "just a carpenter, the son of Mary" - likely meant as an insult, "for a man was not regarded as his mother's son in Jewish usage unless an insult was intended." Amazingly, the crowd saw Jesus as nothing more than "a local boy putting on airs," and so they openly questioned his training, skills, and ability.?As one source puts it: "They felt that there was some hocus-pocus about it somehow and somewhere. They do not deny the wisdom of his words, nor the wonder of his works, but the townsmen knew Jesus and they had never suspected that he possessed such gifts and graces."?Jesus was one of them and, to their knowledge, neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet (see Amos 7:14). "[T]hese people of Nazareth admit the wisdom and the works of power and yet become hostile because they cannot solve the mystery as to how their townsman obtained these gifts."?Despite his God-given, powerful, and successful ministry abroad, when Jesus returned home he was met with disrespect and disbelief, and his neighbors took offense at him.?Jesus "was amazed at their unbelief" (v. 6). As one paraphrase renders it: "He couldn't get over their stubbornness" (The Message). Jesus "marvelled at the faith of the Roman centurion where one would not expect faith (Matthew 8:10;?Luke 7:9). Here he marvels at the lack of faith where he had a right to expect it, not merely among the Jews, but in his own home town, among his kinspeople, even in his own home."?Couldn't do any miracles (Mark 6:5)While Jesus certainly could have supernaturally "suppress[ed] the people's rebellious stand, he respected their own responsibility for their attitudes and actions."?As a result of their lack of faith, Jesus chose to limit his miraculous activities among them - a limitation having to do more with his purpose than his power.?"That Jesus is 'unable' to do works because of their unbelief presumes a limitation not of his power but of his mission: to heal without morally directed faith would be to act like the pagan magicians of antiquity."?What's more, the blindness of the townspeople was but a foretaste of what all true disciples of Jesus - both then and now - can and should expect. HEAR?(heart) Baptist by BirthLowell Streiker, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, tells a humorous story which illustrates the wrong way to make decisions.While preaching at a small Methodist church in Georgia he asked for a show of hands to indicate who was a Methodist. Everyone raised their hands except for one little old lady.When asked why she did not raise her hand, the elderly lady said that she was a Baptist. When pressed to explain her decision to become a Baptist, the lady said that she really did not know except that she was following the tradition established by her grandparents and repeated by her parents.Reverend Streiker gently corrected the lady: "Ma'am, that's really not a good reason to be a Baptist. Suppose your mother and your father, and your grandmother and your grandfather had been morons, what would you have been?"To which the sweet little old lady replied: "I guess I'd have been a Methodist."?How could Jesus' friends, neighbors and family members miss his true identity? Answer: Because they relied on faulty, traditional reasoning. They refused to believe that God could or would choose a fatherless common carpenter to deliver Israel. They were looking for royal robes and military might and, while the reports of Jesus' miracles were impressive enough, simply healing the sick and teaching the multitudes was not enough to make him king. Simply put, they rejected Jesus because he did not meet their expectations.DO?(hands)????As followers of Christ, how can we expect to be treated by others? How should we respond? [[@Bible:Mark 6:7-13]]Mark 6:6b-13Jesus Sends Out the Twelve DisciplesThen Jesus went from village to village, teaching the people. 7?And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil?? spirits. 8?He told them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick - no food, no traveler's bag, no money.?? 9?He allowed them to wear sandals but not to take a change of clothes. 10?"Wherever you go,"?he said,?"stay in the same house until you leave town.?11?But if any place refuses to welcome you or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate."12?So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God. 13?And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil.SEE?(head)Jesus multiplies his ministry by sending out his twelve closest followers as his personal representatives. Their efforts mirror those of Jesus, as they preach repentance, cast out demons, and heal the sick. Began sending them out (Mark 6:7)While Jesus' sending out the twelve apostles was in many ways a unique eventintended to prepare them for their future task of taking the Gospel to all the world,?there are a number of important principles that apply to every believer in every age:Strategic support.?Traveling in pairs would provide a greater degree of protection, as well as allow them to cover a lot of territory in a short amount of time. "The six pairs of apostles could thus cover Galilee in six different directions." Accountability.?Jewish law required that a claim be verified by at least two witnesses. Serving as each other's witnesses, the apostles would be accountable to one another and, more importantly, accountable to God's law.God-reliance vs. self-reliance.?"The orders which Jesus issues are to teach the apostles absolute dependence upon their Lord who sends them out."?Rather than purchase extra supplies for the trip, they were to rely solely upon God's providence.?This would include accepting the hospitality of other people, but not begging. (Along these lines, the "traveler's bag" may refer specifically to "a 'beggar's bag' used to collect food or money.") And the disciples were to remain in one house - in contrast to "the practice of religious philosophers in the ancient world who went from house to house begging."?Thus Jesus' directions were "against luxury in equipment, and also against their providing themselves with what they could procure from the hospitality of others."?Jesus' "directions are not intended to inflict hardship on the disciples but to relieve them of all worry regarding their bodily needs." Reliance upon God is also seen in the use of olive oil. Although it had many everyday uses, it is likely that within the context of the apostles' ministry it was intended to serve as "a symbol of the presence, grace, and power of the Holy Spirit," thus implying that God, not the apostles, was the source of healing.?(To our knowledge, Jesus did not use olive oil when he healed, and neither did the apostles following the arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.)Right priorities.?Evangelism is literally a life or death matter for those who hear the Gospel. And so evangelists "must not be fussy about food or accommodation," to include avoiding skipping from house to house in search of ever better accommodations.?(The staff ["walking stick"?NLT] the apostles carried may have served as both a walking stick ["Every traveller and pilgrim carried his staff."] and "an emblem of authority."?)Decisions have consequences.?Those who hear the Gospel are responsible for their reaction to it. The disciples' chief concern was to present the Gospel "faithfully and carefully." To reject the Gospel is to place oneself in dire danger, as evidenced by the apostles shaking the (unclean) dust from their feet - a symbolic action declaring that the Jewish hearers "were acting like pagans in rejecting the disciples' message"?(see?Acts 13:50-51).?One source notes how the dust from the disciples' feet was intended as a witness against those who had rejected them - it proved that the disciples had actually been there, but had been forced to leave when their Gospel message was rejected.A change in direction.?The apostles "went out and preached that men should repent" (v. 12,?NASB). The NLT correctly captures the meaning: "So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God." To repent is "to change one's way of life as the result of a complete change of thought and attitude with regard to sin and righteousness." It involves simultaneously turning away from what is wrong and turning toward what is right. While our Christian walk and witness begins with a definite act of repenting, repentance is nothing less than a daily process as we seek to become ever more Christ-like in our every thought, word, and deed.HEAR?(heart)Common Goose SenseWorking together to spread the Gospel does not require a college degree or years of on-the-job training. In fact, it really takes only a little common "goose sense."?Geese, you see, have an incredible way of pulling together to get the job done. In that respect, they can teach the Church a thing or three.Working Together:?When geese fly in a "V" formation, every bird creates an uplift for the one right behind it. In this way they cover much more territory than any one bird could cover flying alone.Staying Together:?If a bird happens to fall out of formation, he immediately feels the drag and resistance that goes with flying alone, and so quickly rejoins the formation.Leadership Rotation:?When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in order to rest and to give a fresher, stronger bird a chance to lead.Encouragement:?Geese honk as a way of encouraging those up front to keep going.Caring for the Wounded:?If a goose becomes sick or is wounded and falls out of formation, two other birds will follow him to the ground and will stay with him until he is either well and able to fly or dead. DO?(hands)????When and why do we tend to separate ourselves from others? What can Jesus' commissioning of the twelve teach us about how we can and should work together in spreading the Gospel? [[@Bible:Mark 6:14-29]]Mark 6:14-29The Death of John the Baptist14?Herod Antipas, the king, soon heard about Jesus, because everyone was talking about him. Some were saying,?? "This must be John the Baptist raised from the dead. That is why he can do such miracles." 15?Others said, "He's the prophet Elijah." Still others said, "He's a prophet like the other great prophets of the past."16?When Herod heard about Jesus, he said, "John, the man I beheaded, has come back from the dead."17?For Herod had sent soldiers to arrest and imprison John as a favor to Herodias. She had been his brother Philip's wife, but Herod had married her. 18?John had been telling Herod, "It is against God's law for you to marry your brother's wife." 19?So Herodias bore a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But without Herod's approval she was powerless, 20?for Herod respected John; and knowing that he was a good and holy man, he protected him. Herod was greatly disturbed whenever he talked with John, but even so, he liked to listen to him.21?Herodias's chance finally came on Herod's birthday. He gave a party for his high government officials, army officers, and the leading citizens of Galilee. 22?Then his daughter, also named Herodias,?? came in and performed a dance that greatly pleased Herod and his guests. "Ask me for anything you like," the king said to the girl, "and I will give it to you." 23?He even vowed, "I will give you whatever you ask, up to half my kingdom!"24?She went out and asked her mother, "What should I ask for? "Her mother told her, "Ask for the head of John the Baptist!"25?So the girl hurried back to the king and told him, "I want the head of John the Baptist, right now, on a tray!"26?Then the king deeply regretted what he had said; but because of the vows he had made in front of his guests, he couldn't refuse her. 27?So he immediately sent an executioner to the prison to cut off John's head and bring it to him. The soldier beheaded John in the prison, 28?brought his head on a tray, and gave it to the girl, who took it to her mother. 29?When John's disciples heard what had happened, they came to get his body and buried it in a tomb.SEE?(head)Herod Antipas (Mark 6:14)Herod Antipas was the son of Herod the Great and Malthace, a Samaritan woman. Half Idumean, half Samaritan, he had therefore not a drop of Jewish blood in his veins, and "Galilee of the Gentiles" seemed a fit dominion for such a prince. He ruled as "tetrarch" of Galilee and Peraea (Luke 3:1) from 4 BC till 39 AD. The gospel picture we have of him is far from prepossessing. He is superstitious (Matthew 4:1f), foxlike in his cunning (Luke 13:31f) and wholly immoral. John the Baptist was brought into his life through an open rebuke of his gross immorality and defiance of the laws of Moses (Leviticus 18:16), and paid for his courage with his life (Matthew 14:10; Ant, XVIII, v, 2).Herod Antipas sent away his wife (a king's daughter), and Herodias (his niece) deserted her husband (her uncle, Herod Philip) so that they could be together. Theirs was an adulterous and incestuous relationship. "[Herod Antipas's] first wife was a daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia. But [Antipas] sent her back to her father at Petra, for the sake of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had met and seduced at Rome. Since the latter was the daughter of Aristobulus, his half-brother, and therefore his niece, and at the same time the wife of another half-brother, the union between her and Antipas was doubly sinful. Aretas repaid this insult to his daughter by a destructive war (Ant., XVIII, v, 1)." John the Baptist ... Herodias (Mark 6:14, 19)John the Baptist had denounced the immoral and illegal marriage of Herod Antipas. For her part, "Herodias, smoldering with hate, wanted to kill" (v. 19,?The Message) "this upstart prophet of the wilderness who had dared to denounce her private relations with Herod Antipas. ... She never let up, but bided her time which, she felt sure, would come." In a desire to keep peace with his wife, Herod had John locked away "in a terrible, deep, and hot dungeon that formed part of the castle-palace at Machaerus [ma KAY rus]." Convinced that John was not merely innocent but even "a good and holy man" (v. 20) - that is, "[a] holy, pious, upright, honest man" - Herod refused to have him killed. And so Herodias stewed in her anger until her chance finally arrived when her daughter, Salome [suh LOE mee] ("probably in her middle teens"), performed a lewd dance at a party Herod had given for some high-ranking officials and community leaders. "We can well imagine the erotic and suggestive manner in which the probably half-naked girl danced." Through her mother's prompting, the daughter responded to Herod's extravagant gratitude by asking that John the Baptist's head be added to the dinner menu?- indisputable proof that the prophet had indeed been put to death.?Herod's "moral impotency coupled with his silly pride"?got the best of him. Anything but a man of high moral character, Herod kept his rash oath (= "public promise") not for the sake of Salome, but because of the many "important" guests who had witnessed it?Herod was caught in the mother-daughter trap and had John executed. Herod Antipas "stands as the example of all the moral cowards whose moral and religious convictions are too weak to meet an issue."?Herodias was a type of Jezebel and, in fact, Mark may have been alluding "to the Elijah-Jezebel conflict since Jesus later identified John as Elijah (Mark 9:11-13)."?Like the religious leaders who turned against Jesus, Herodias preferred to get rid of the one who denounced her sin rather than deal with the sin itself. And as the religious leaders feared losing their place of prominence, Herodias must have feared that John's message might eventually convict Herod and lead him to put her away. This episode demonstrates the lengths to which people will go in an effort to silence the Gospel. For those who oppose the message of Jesus, the most important things in life are the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Herod ... Jesus (Mark 6:16)The apostles' preaching tour was so successful that word of Jesus soon reached Herod himself.?Popular opinion held that Jesus was a miracle-working prophet, and guilt-ridden Herod feared that he was actually John the Baptist returned to life. "John wrought no miracles (John 10:41), but if he had risen from the dead perhaps he could. So Herod may have argued." Jesus' ministry was similar to John's in that they both preached repentance. John had denounced the immoral and unlawful aspects of Herod's actions, while Herod's fears were based on political dangers. (Some things never change. While today's immoral politicians may have no respect for God's Word, they very much care about anything that might upset their political careers.) It is worth noting that Herod eventually received his just deserts: his army was defeated, he was deposed, and he and Herodias were banished. Contrast Herod with Jesus: "Over against the corrupt and failed 'kingship' of Herod, who feasts in his palace and is concerned only for his status and the great ones of Galilee, stands Jesus."?Herod pretended to be a king; preferred the company of society's "elite"; was a spineless coward; and ended his life in humiliation. On the other hand, Jesus was the King of kings (incognito); preferred the company of ordinary, unpretentious people; was a courageous hero; and ended his life in the triumph of the resurrection, with the promise of a future return and universal acknowledgement of his right to rule.?HEAR?(heart)Refusing to HearThe story is told of a rich father whose son, whom we'll call Ralph, took to a life of crime and debauchery, in the process bringing disgrace on his family and causing his father much grief. When he learned that his father had died, however, Ralph went home immediately in the hopes that his father had left him something in the will. Along with the other family members, the rebellious son sat in the attorney's office and heard the reading of the will, the first part of which included a lengthy listing of the son's misdeeds. Unable to endure any more, Ralph jumped up and fled the room. He disappeared completely, and no one ever heard from him again. It turned out, however, that the father had left his son an inheritance of $25,000. But Ralph ran out before getting to that part of the will. And since he could not be located, he never received his inheritance. Ralph paid a high price for refusing to hear about his sins. Rather than confess their guilt, Herod and Herodias silenced the voice of the one who confronted them with their sinful lifestyle. In the end, they lost the inheritance that God has in store for anyone who will turn from his/her sins and turn toward him.DO?(hands)????What are some ways in which people today seek to silence the convicting Gospel? [[@Bible:Mark 6:30-44]]Mark 6:30-44Jesus Feeds Five Thousand30?The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. 31?Then Jesus said,?"Let's go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile."?He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn't even have time to eat.32?So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone. 33?But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them. 34?Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.35?Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. 36?Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat."37?But Jesus said,?"You feed them.""With what?" they asked. "We'd have to work for months to earn enough money?? to buy food for all these people!" [NASB: And they said to Him, "Shall we go and spend two hundred denarii on bread and give them something to eat?"] 38?"How much bread do you have?"?he asked.?"Go and find out."They came back and reported, "We have five loaves of bread and two fish."39?Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40?So they sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred.41?Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share. 42?They all ate as much as they wanted, 43?and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish. 44?A total of 5,000 men and their families were fed from those loaves!SEE?(head)The disciples' ministry tour was a rousing success, and people continue flocking to Jesus by the thousands. Seeking a much deserved rest, Jesus and his disciples instead find themselves once again surrounded by people in need. Rather than withdraw from them, however, Jesus has compassion on them by first of all mercifully feeding their souls and then by miraculously filling their stomachs. Like sheep (Mark 6:34)The crowd was "like sheep without a shepherd" - that is, they were "lost and helpless, without guidance, nourishment, or protection."?Jesus "had compassion on them" (Mark 6:34) - he personally identified with their plight and determined to do something about it. As one source puts it: "With [Jesus] sympathy is not just a feeling. It is a tender feeling transformed into helpful action."?As recorded in Matthew and Luke, Jesus also healed the sick among the crowd, and of course such miraculous physical healing was a normal part of Jesus' ministry. While there are several OT parallels to the idea of shepherding, three in particular are of special note:At the commissioning of Joshua, Moses asked God to "'appoint a man over the congregation, who will go out and come in before them, and who will lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the LORD will not be like sheep which have no shepherd'" (Numbers 27:16-17). (Leading/going out and leading/coming is military imagery.)When David was made king over Israel, "all the tribes of Israel" affirmed his calling: "Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, 'Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. Previously, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and in. And the LORD said to you, "You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be a ruler over Israel."' So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them before the LORD at Hebron; then they anointed David king over Israel" (2 Samuel 5:1-3).And in the same section of Scripture cited by John the Baptist ("Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness ... "), the prophet Isaiah foretold the coming of the LORD to his people: "Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes" (Isaiah 40:11). (all?NASB)Jesus "is the rejected lowly shepherd, compassionate though powerful in spirit and mighty in action, through whom God will expose wicked shepherds and faithfully shepherd his flock in their pasture. ... Not only are the shepherding hopes of a new Moses, a new Joshua, a new David, and perhaps the Isaianic servant fulfilled in Jesus, but also again, in some mysterious way, Yahweh himself has uniquely come among his people."??Something to eat (Mark 6:36)Like a shepherd caring for his flock, Jesus provided food for those who had followed him. Jesus' miraculous feeding is reminiscent of a similar miracle performed by the prophet Elisha, although that miracle was on a far smaller scale (see?2 Kings 4:42-44). But while Jesus was indeed concerned with the people's physical hunger, he wished to teach them a vital truth they would never forget. Along these lines, there may well be something to the fact that the "groups" (v. 39, Greek?symposion) into which the people were told to form themselves is the source for our word "symposium."?And an "orderly arrangement" - literally "like beds in a garden" - is the idea behind the "groups" (v. 40, Greek?prasia) into which the people seated themselves. As one source notes: "The whole multitude was arranged like a great garden with its beds all beautifully regular. Incidentally, this arrangement made it easy to count the entire multitude."?Jesus involved his disciples in this faith-stretching miracle, using them as vehicles for demonstrating grace and mercy to people in need. At first the disciples "stop at the impossibilities and do not see that these impossibilities are to make them think of Jesus and the things that are possible to him."?As directed by Jesus, they checked to see how much food was on hand - possibly in hopes of convincing Jesus of the hopelessness of their situation.?In the end, however, the disciples who are so preoccupied with the practical are treated to some very practical lessons regarding effective ministry, namely that it involves: taking responsibility for a situation; persisting in finding a solution; and being willing to be used of God.?Effective ministry also involves following Jesus' example in using our God-given abilities to help rather than to harm. Along these lines, we should take note of the fact that "Jesus never employed his miracle-working power to destroy or even to hurt the people but always to help them. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, had compassion on and taught the misled, and sought the lost." When Jesus blessed (Greek?eulogeo) the food, he was literally offering a "eulogy" or "high praise." "The object of the blessing in such a prayer was not the food, but God who gave it."?This miracle shows that God is concerned with seemingly mundane things such as physical hunger, and it highlights the arena in which God works best: normal, everyday life (John tells us that the bread and fish was from a "lad with his lunch which his mother had given him."). The tremendous miracle is followed not by everyone crossing their legs and meditating their way into nirvana, but rather by the disciples bending over to collect the leftovers, quite "possibly for the next day's meal." What's more, the fact that there were exactly twelve baskets of leftovers would mean that Jesus would have to depend on his disciples to share their food with him.?This miracle is very important in Mark's gospel. Coming as it does immediately after Herod's feast, it draws a sharp contrast between the priorities of the world and those of God's kingdom. Jesus meets the people's physical needs, but he does so using "the staples of a peasant's diet." This miracle event will be referred to twice (Mark 6:52;?8:17-21), and is followed by a similar miracle in which four thousand men are fed (Mark 8).?HEAR?(heart)A Statue and a MonumentIn the city of Paris is located statutes of two men named Louis. One is Louis XIV, king of France and absolute monarch remembered for his power-hungry, egotistical efforts to make everyone submit to his will.?The other is Louis Pasteur, the Christian chemist and microbiologist remembered for his tireless research, the end results of which was the alleviation of disease and suffering for countless people around the globe.?"The statue of the monarch is nothing more than a piece of sculpture; the statue of Pasteur is a shrine where pilgrims from all over the world pay grateful homage. It is the uncrowned servant of mankind who wears the real crown of men's love and honor." While God may not be calling you to become a famous chemist and microbiologist, God has prepared each of us for, and expects each of us to do, good works in the name of Jesus Christ. Why? Because God still meets people's physical needs today, and he uses his children to do so. Our acts of service is the starting point for showing his love and mercy to a world in dire need of it. And we can rest assured that no good deed done in the name of Jesus, no matter how small, will ever be in vain.DO?(hands)????What gifts or abilities has God given you? What can this passage teach us about God's desire to use our gifts and abilities to help others in everyday situations?[[@Bible:Mark 6:45-56]]Mark 6:45-56Jesus Walks on Water45?Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. 46?After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.47?Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. 48?He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o'clock in the morning?? Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them, 49?but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. 50?They were all terrified when they saw him.But Jesus spoke to them at once.?"Don't be afraid,"?he said.?"Take courage! I am here!??"?51?Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed, 52?for they still didn't understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in.53?After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. They brought the boat to shore 54?and climbed out. The people recognized Jesus at once, 55?and they ran throughout the whole area, carrying sick people on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56?Wherever he went-in villages, cities, or the countryside - they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.SEE?(head)Jesus sends his disciples away so that he can dismiss the crowds and spend time alone with God. A fierce storm arises, placing the disciples in harm's way as they struggle to row their boat to the shore. Jesus sees their dilemma and walks across the water to get to them. Jesus calms their fears and then calms the storm. On reaching the other side of the lake, Jesus encounters a sea of sick people in need of help, and he heals them. To pray (Mark 6:46)Three times Mark records how Jesus withdrew to pray (Mark 1:35;?6:46;?14:32), the pattern being a crisis event to which Jesus responded by withdrawing in order to commune with his Father.?We know from John's version of the feeding of the five-thousand that afterward the crowd sought to forcefully install Jesus as their king (John 6:15).?"There was a movement to start a revolution against Roman rule in Palestine by proclaiming Jesus King and driving away Pilate." This, of course, would have resulted in much bloodshed and, moreover, would have been contrary to Christ's kingdom, which is not of this world (John 18:36).?As one source puts it: "No one really understood Jesus, not the crowds, not the disciples. Jesus needed the Father to stay and steady him." Walking on the water (Mark 6:48, 49)It was early in the morning (3:00 - 6:00 a.m.) and the exhausted disciples were trapped in one of the lake's renowned storms that had "swept over the water and lashed it into furious waves."?Literally, the boat (Matthew) and the men rowing it (Mark) were being "tortured" (Greek?basanizo: "to punish by physical torture or torment").?Suddenly they looked up and saw what they could only assume to be a ghost - an omen of impending death.?They literally screamed in terror. Jesus "intended to go past" the disciples, perhaps in a way reminiscent of God's "passing beside" in the OT as a means of offering miraculous reassurance (see?Exodus 33:19,?22;?1 Kings 19:11).?Jesus identified himself to them and the disciples received him into the boat. When he rebuked the storm, however, they were utterly amazed - literally, they were amazed "exceedingly beyond measure." Why? Because they still had not fully recognized Jesus for who he was. It is worth asking why Mark chose to omit the fact that Peter walked on the water. After all, Mark is supposed to have been recording Peter's recollections. What's more, this is actually but one of three incidents in which Peter figures prominently that are recorded by Matthew but not Mark. As one source explains:?These are Peter's walking on the water (Matthew 14:28–33), the paying of the temple tax (Matthew 17:24–27), and the statement about the keys to the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 16:19). These omissions may reasonably be explained as due to modesty on Peter's part. In his preaching he was concerned to exalt Christ, not himself. It is worth noting that in Mark's gospel Peter is never mentioned alone except in connection with his being rebuked by Jesus. This is the kind of humility that one would expect to find in Peter after Pentecost. Walking on the water is something only God can do: "He alone has spread out the heavens and marches on the waves of the sea" (Job 9:8,?NLT). Jesus greeted the terrified disciples with a command to "Take courage!" Meaning "to have confidence and firmness of purpose in the face of danger or testing,"?this phrase (Greek tharseo) is found seven times in the NT and is always associated with Jesus (Matthew 9:2,?22;?14:27;?Mark 6:50; 10:49;?John 16:33;?Acts 23:11).?The people (Mark 6:54)Mark contrasts the disciples with the crowd who immediately recognized Jesus. The sick people who came to Jesus were convinced that he was from God and could heal them. The mention of "the fringe of his robe" recalls the miraculous healing of the bleeding woman. As was true in her case, "[h]ealing was not effected by a touch but by the gracious action of Jesus who honored this means of expressing their faith in Him."?Mark shows his readers that there was no limit to the numbers of people Jesus could heal.?HEAR?(heart)The Pilot's FaceScottish author Robert Louis Stevenson told a story in which a ship was caught in a terrible storm. The rocky coast nearby threatened to smash the ship to pieces and kill everyone aboard.?One brave soul from among the passengers fought his way to the pilot-house, where he saw the pilot strapped to the wheel and slowly turning it bit by bit out into the open sea. The pilot saw the look of sheer terror on the passengers face, and he gave him a reassuring smile.?The man then ran back to the other passengers and reported the good news. "'I have seen the face of the pilot and he smiled. All is well.' The sight of that smiling face averted panic and converted despair into hope." God will allow us to endure turbulent times. When we do, we can, should, and must trust him to keep us safe and on course.DO?(hands)????What can this passage teach us about overcoming our fears and trusting in Christ? Mark 7[[@Bible:Mark 7:1-23]]Mark 7:1-23Jesus Teaches about Inner Purity1 One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. 2?They noticed that some of his disciples failed to follow the Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating. 3?(The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands,?? as required by their ancient traditions. 4?Similarly, they don't eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands?? in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to - such as their ceremonial washing of cups, pitchers, and kettles.??) 5?So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, "Why don't your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony."6?Jesus replied, "You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.7 Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.'??8?For you ignore God's law and substitute your own tradition."9?Then he said, "You skillfully sidestep God's law in order to hold on to your own tradition. 10?For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,'?? and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.'?? 11?But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can't help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.'?? 12?In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents. 13?And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others."14?Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. "All of you listen," he said, "and try to understand. 15?It's not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.??"17?Then Jesus went into a house to get away from the crowd, and his disciples asked him what he meant by the parable he had just used. 18?"Don't you understand either?" he asked. "Can't you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? 19?Food doesn't go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer." (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God's eyes.)20?And then he added, "It is what comes from inside that defiles you. 21?For from within, out of a person's heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22?adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23?All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you."SEE (head)As the self-appointed guardians of Israel's religion, the Pharisees confront Jesus over his disciples' failure to keep the tradition of ceremonial washing before meals. In return, Jesus cuts to the heart of the matter by blasting the Pharisees for being so intent on following the manmade rules surrounding the Law while neglecting the Law itself. Jesus then explains to his disciples why the Pharisees' zeal for ceremonial cleanliness is so deficient: it can never cleanse the heart, which is the source of true defilement. Pharisees ... teachers of religious law (Mark 7:1)The pharisees were "a religious and political party in Palestine in New Testament times. The Pharisees were known for insisting that the law of God be observed as the scribes interpreted it and for their special commitment to keeping the laws of tithing and ritual purity." Known as the "teachers of the law" and the "experts in the law," scribes are mentioned several times in the gospels and are "often associated with the Pharisees (Matthew 5:20; 12:38; 15:1; 23:2, 13; Mark 7:5; Luke 5:21, 30; 6:7; 11:53; 15:2; John 8:3). But they are also mentioned alone and were not necessarily Pharisees. The Pharisees were a religious party, while the scribes held an office. ... [T]he majority of the scribes belonged to the Pharisee party, which recognized the legal interpretations of the scribes." Thus "[i]t is proper to speak of the profession of the scribes, and the sect of the Pharisees."?Ritual ... tradition (Mark 7:2, 5)A committee comprised of representatives from these two groups came down from Jerusalem ("the headquarters of Jewish 'orthodoxy'"), no doubt at the direction of the Sanhedrin, and complained to Jesus because his disciples did not follow "the tradition of the elders" (NASB) regarding hand-washing. This tradition "refers to the oral law that grew up alongside the written Law and served as a protective 'fence' around it." As John Calvin put it: "All the traditions that then existed among the Jews had come out of their workshop; and this was the reason why they displayed more than ordinary zeal and bitterness in defending them." The oral law?"interprets, supplements, and sometimes corrects the written Torah." "According to one tradition ... [at Mount Sinai] God supposedly gave to Moses oral instruction in addition to the tablets of the law, and that instruction was passed on by word of mouth through the generations." (A similar claim appeared in connection with the apostles.) Ritual cleansing was an indispensable part of the oral law; it was considered non-negotiable by every loyal Jew. Ritual purity was of vital importance to the Pharisees, and they "longed for the time when all of Israel would live in such a state of holiness. They believed that Israel's identity and blessed future depended on it."?Unable to disprove Jesus directly, the religious leaders once again tried an indirect attack via his disciples (see Mark 2:18, 24). It was obvious their true target was Jesus since, after all, they were his disciples. As one source puts it, it is almost as if the religious leaders were saying to themselves: "We won't attack you personally, but since your disciples aren't washing, you obviously haven't taught them what's important. Maybe you don't even know this law. That makes you no better than a common sinner, certainly not a rabbi whom all these people should be following!" The scribes and Pharisees were very well aware of the fact that in setting aside one of the oral traditions, the way was open for a rejection of them all.As usual, Jesus got to the heart of the matter, this time by addressing the underlying issues of religious authority and defilement.?From the religious leaders' perspective, to be ceremonially impure/unclean was to be unfit for the service and worship of God. The fact is that they would never be able to serve God rightly so long as they believed that with their traditions "they were in possession of something more perfect than the word of the Lord." In fact, they had thoroughly corrupted the worship of God, "of which the first and leading principle is obedience."?Hand washing (Mark 7:2, 5)Bible commentator William Barclay explains exactly what was involved in the ritual of ceremonial hand-washing:?There were definite and rigid rules for the washing of hands. Note that this hand-washing was not in the interests of hygienic purity; it was ceremonial cleanness which was at stake. Before every meal, and between each of the courses, the hands had to be washed, and they had to be washed in a certain way. The hands, to begin with, had to be free of any coating of sand or mortar or gravel or any such substance. The water for washing had to be kept in special large stone jars, so that it itself was clean in the ceremonial sense and so that it might be certain that it had been used for no other purpose, and that nothing had fallen into it or had been mixed with it. First, the hands were held with finger tips pointing upwards; water was poured over them and had to run at least down to the wrist; the minimum amount of water was one quarter of a log, which is equal to one and a half egg-shells full of water. While the hands were still wet each hand had to be cleansed with the fist of the other. That is what the phrase about using the fist means; the fist of one hand was rubbed into the palm and against the surface of the other. This meant that at this stage the hands were wet with water; but that water was now unclean because it had touched unclean hands. So, next, the hands had to be held with finger tips pointing downwards and water had to be poured over them in such a way that it began at the wrists and ran off at the finger tips. After all that had been done the hands were clean. To fail to do this was in Jewish eyes, not to be guilty of bad manners, not to be dirty in the health sense, but to be unclean in the sight of God. The man who ate with unclean hands was subject to the attacks of a demon called Shibta. To omit so to wash the hands was to become liable to poverty and destruction. Bread eaten with unclean hands was not better than excrement. A Rabbi who once omitted the ceremony was buried in excommunication. Another Rabbi, imprisoned by the Romans, used the water given to him for handwashing rather than for drinking and in the end nearly perished of thirst, because he was determined to observe the rules of cleanliness rather than satisfy his thirst. That to the Pharisaic and Scribal Jew was religion. It was ritual, ceremonial, and regulations like that which they considered to be essence of the service of God. Ethical religion was buried under a mass of taboos and rules.As one source points out: "Whatever the status and nature of handwashing practice at the time, the only scriptural requirement for this kind of ritual purity concerned the priests prior to offering sacrifice (Exodus 30:18–21; 40:30–32), or an Israelite having a discharge (Leviticus 15:11), or the elders after the special sacrifice of the heifer (Deuteronomy 21:6). ... [T]he washing of hands for secular food is not from the Torah, the Pharisees' implicit demand is based merely on human tradition." It is worth noting that there is nothing inherently wrong with tradition. There is, however, something very wrong with placing human tradition on par with God's commands. As one source insightfully notes: "Many traditions are good. Some religious traditions can add richness and meaning to life. But we must not assume that certain traditions are sacred because they have been practiced for years. God's principles never change, and his law doesn't need additions. Traditions should help us understand God's laws better, not become laws themselves." The religious leaders not only added to God's Word, but they actually went so far as to replace God's Word with their own traditions. The end result was a zeal not for God's law, but for their traditions. "They may have been able to keep both their traditions and God's law, but they had become so zealous for the traditions that they had lost their perspective and had altered and missed the point of God's law entirely. Jesus also charged that they were doing this on purpose (7:9), for they had tried to win praise from people for their displays of piety as they kept all the rituals. … They didn't even bother to teach the law; instead, they focused on all their rules and their own piety in keeping their traditions and rules." Their zeal was defective and dangerous: "As soon as men allow themselves to wander beyond the limits of the Word of God, the more labor and anxiety they display in worshipping him, the heavier is the condemnation which they draw down upon themselves." ?Hypocrites (Mark 7:6)Jesus called his accusers "hypocrites" (Greek hupokrites), meaning "one who pretends to be other than he really is." As one source puts it: "The hypocrite is the man who hides or tries to hide his real intentions under (hypo) a mask of simulated virtue." It is worth noting, however, that: "The Pharisees were by no means the only ones to be so addressed. The epithet applies to anyone who rejects the truth about God in Jesus. Through his teaching and actions Jesus revealed to men the unhappy state of their delusion and sought to open their eyes to their true situation before God. Hypocrisy is not simply a conscious act of dissimulation [dissimulate: "to hide under a false appearance"], but a perverse blindness."?As with the hypocrites of Isaiah's day, the honor and worship of the religious leaders was a mere pretense. And it is a fundamental truth that God refuses to "accept worship when the worshipers themselves are actively disregarding him."As one source notes: "When people claim to honor God while their hearts are far from him, their worship means nothing. It is not enough to?act religious. A person's actions and attitudes must be sincere." The religious leaders had been pretending for so long and to such an extent that they truly believed their bogus honor and worship were the real thing. They had lost the ability to distinguish between a counterfeit and the genuine article. "The worst form of hypocrisy is that which carries its self-deception to the point where it thinks that it really is what it actually only pretends to be. Such were the Pharisees and the scribes. The more their hypocrisy came in contact with the holy integrity of Jesus, the more it appeared as what it really was. The most vicious enemies of Jesus were these hypocrites." For the religious leaders, "their attempts at heightened holiness were a sign of commitment, but for Jesus, their polemical intent and the ultimately marginalizing impact of their traditions both on the common people, whom they were meant to shepherd, and himself, Israel's holy (e.g., 1:11, 24; 3:29) and true shepherd, rendered such 'worship' utterly vain." Jesus indicted the religious leaders for substituting their own tradition for God's law, in effect sidestepping God's law in order to hold on to their own tradition (see Mark 7:8-9) - "they constantly nullify the divine in order permanently to retain the human." Good intentions notwithstanding, the tradition of the elders remains a prime example of our fallen human tendency to replace God's will with our own. The religious leaders' sin was compounded in that they were deceiving not only themselves but also the common people who were "taught to revere and to follow" them.In effect, Jesus denounced the tradition as "a miserable human religious product that could gain adherence only by crowding out the divine behest of God. Jesus is smashing not only the tradition about washing the hands, he is shattering the entire traditional system of the elders as it was held by the Pharisees and scribes. Anything that can be maintained only by ridding us of some Word of God is by that fact marked as damnable and deadly in the sight of God." We should remember, however, that Jesus was not condemning a sincere effort to apply God's law to every detail of life. Nor was he advocating radical revolt against all tradition (see Matthew 5:17-18; 23:1-3). Rather, Jesus was denouncing the religious leaders' practice of: 1) making fallible human interpretation superior to God's infallible Law, and 2) pretending to obey the Law while actually bending and twisting it to suit their own selfish ends. As Mark recorded, Jesus blasted the religious leaders for "neglecting/abandoning ... setting aside/ignore ... [and] invalidating/making void" (vv. 8, 9, 13 NASB/) God's word. In citing Isaiah and Moses, Jesus was calling both "the law and the prophets" as witnesses against the hypocritical religious leaders. Vowed (Mark 7:11)The specific example Jesus used (vv. 9-12) is the practice of Corban, meaning "that which has been set aside as a gift to be given later to God, but which is still at the disposal of the owner." Corban was a well-known tradition "taken very seriously by the Jewish people." Jesus cited the OT law (Exodus 20:12; 21:17) regarding grown children's responsibility toward their parents. To "honor" one's parents implies "to love, to regard highly, to show the spirit of respect and consideration," and of course would completely rule out speaking ill of, or cursing, one's parents.?"Significantly granting equal status to father and mother, the honor due them goes beyond mere obedience or polite respect to loving them and honoring their role as Yahweh's proxies in giving their children life. Primarily directed at adults - who else could enter into the terms of the covenant? - this is the only commandment that comes with a specific promise: 'that you might live long in the land.' ... Though not an explicit curse of one's parents, [corban] did, for Jesus, amount to the same thing because both things effectively repudiated the parent-child relationship."Corban provided a "religiously acceptable" way for a son to shirk his responsibility: the money that should/would have gone to his parents was declared unalterably "dedicated/consecrated to God." This did not mean that the gift then had to go to the temple or that the son could not use it for himself; it simply meant that it was now forbidden to his parents. ("The matter of vowing things away was greatly abused by the Jews. Thus when a creditor came to collect, and the debtor was reluctant about paying, the creditor cried: 'A gift!' and thus compelled the debtor to pay to the priests.) This is but one of many examples (Jesus: " ... you [keep on] do[ing] many things such as that." [Mark 7:13]) in which the "fence" of oral tradition originally intended to protect the Law actually became a barrier to keeping it.?Understand (Mark 7:18)Jesus rebuked his disciples for their lack of understanding (7:18a): "'Are you so lacking in understanding also?'" (NASB)"'Are you so foolish?'" (NET)"'Are you being willfully stupid?'" (The Message)As one Bible scholar of yesteryear put it: "Jesus charges the disciples with intellectual dulness [sic] and spiritual stupidity." But while the rebuke was sharp, we might also take note of the fact that it came only after Jesus was alone with his disciples and thus was intended to correct privately and not humiliate publicly. Defiles/ defiled/ defile (Mark 7:15, 18, 20, 23)"The rabbis had attacked the disciples about not washing their hands before eating. Jesus now turned the tables on them completely and laid bare their hollow pretentious hypocrisy to the people." In the process, "Christ asserts that Levitical uncleanness, such as eating with unwashed hands, is of small importance compared with moral uncleanness." It was/is the difference between ritual purity and ethical purity. Jesus taught that defilement comes "not by ritual impurity, but by personal sin." "While the scribes and Pharisees may have been well-intentioned in their observance of Jewish rituals and traditions and in their attempts to honor God, Jesus attacked their true heart condition." Scrupulous avoidance of ceremonial defilement allowed the religious leaders to convince both themselves and others that they were pious and holy - even as their hearts were filled with sinful thoughts and desires. Until they addressed the true, inward source of sin, all the ceremonial washings in the world would be for naught. ?Heart ... within (Mark 7:19, 21, 23)Jesus listed several specific sins that proceed from a person's heart. "The general meaning [of Christ's reply] is, that men are not polluted by food, but that they have within themselves the pollution of sins, which afterwards shows itself in the outward actions. ... [A]ll sins proceed from the wicked and corrupt affections of the heart. ... [I]n order to show more clearly that the heart of man is the abode of all evils he says that the proofs and results appear in the sins themselves." Jesus' list begins with "evil thoughts" (Greek kakos + dialogismos: "pertaining to being bad, with the implication of harmful and damaging" + "to think or reason with thoroughness and completeness") because such is in fact "the root of" the dirty dozen "evils which follow. Evil thoughts generated in a heart unite with one's will to produce evil words and actions." ?Jesus' list includes both attitudes and actions. "Notice that the evil attitudes, whether acted upon or not, are still considered sin." The list:sexual immorality: "to engage in sexual immorality of any kind, often with the implication of prostitution" theft: "to take secretly and without permission the property of someone else"murder: "to deprive a person of life by illegal, intentional killing" adultery: "sexual intercourse of a man with a married woman other than his own spouse"greed: "a strong desire to acquire more and more material possessions or to possess more things than other people have, all irrespective of need" wickedness: "deeds which are wicked and evil"deceit: "to deceive by using trickery and falsehood"lustful desires: "behavior completely lacking in moral restraint, usually with the implication of sexual licentiousness" envy: "(an idiom, literally ‘evil eye') a feeling of jealousy and resentment because of what someone else has or does" slander: "to speak against someone in such a way as to harm or injure his or her reputation" pride: "a state of ostentatious pride or arrogance bordering on insolence" foolishness: "the state of not using one's capacity for understanding" "In the teaching of Christ and the apostles, defilement is uniformly ethical or spiritual." This is reflected in the NT's many and various vice lists. For example: Romans 1:28-32; 13:13; 1 Corinthians 5:9-11; 6:9-10; 2 Corinthians 12:20-21; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:3-5; Colossians 3:5-9; 1 Timothy 1:9-10; 2 Timothy 3:2-5; Titus 3:3, 1 Peter 4:3; Revelation 21:8; 22:15. HEAR (heart)A Closet DrinkerThe story is told of a deacon who was zealous for the cause of temperance, constantly railing against the evils of alcohol.?One day the deacon decided to have some improvements done to his living room. As the carpenter was surveying the project, he happened across a well concealed closet. Much to his surprise, within the closet he found a bottle of whiskey and some glasses. He immediately made the deacon aware of his discovery.?The deacon seemed truly shocked, and he quickly surmised that the previous owner must have left it behind when he moved out thirty years earlier.?"'Ah, perhaps he did,' answered the carpenter, 'but say, deacon, that ice in the pitcher must have been well frozen to have remained solid all this time.'" Like the Pharisees, the deacon waged a major campaign against sin - while finding a way to practice it in secret. How can we guard against hypocrisy? We guard against hypocrisy by: Being more concerned with character than with reputation.Pursuing a personal relationship with God rather than practicing a religion.Focusing on our own sins and other people's virtues, rather than vice versa. Remembering that purity is internal, not external, and occurs as our minds are renewed by Christ and we are transformed into his image.?DO (hands)Pharisees exist todayMany Bible-believing Christians also struggle with change and tradition. The Pharisees had established codes of conduct that they made equal with Scripture. Don't we still do the same? In trying to maintain our faith against competitors and challenges, don't we resent those who don't conform and who disregard the history of why we do what we do? What human-made rules, policies, and doctrines have we given the same authority as God's Word? Do we reject someone's thought because we don't like his or her background, training, or personal style? Pharisees exist today. Ask God for insight so as not to be one of them. ??? When are we most tempted to place human teaching and/or tradition above Scripture? What is the true source of the sin in our life, and what does that imply regarding how to eliminate it (see Romans 12:1-2; Philippians 4:8)? [[@Bible:Mark 7:24-30]]Mark 7:24-30The Faith of a Gentile Woman24?Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre.?? He didn't want anyone to know which house he was staying in, but he couldn't keep it a secret. 25?Right away a woman who had heard about him came and fell at his feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil?? spirit, 26?and she begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter. Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, 27?Jesus told her, "First I should feed the children - my own family, the Jews.?? It isn't right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs."28?She replied, "That's true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children's plates."29?"Good answer!" he said. "Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter." 30?And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.SEE (head)Seeking rest from his wearisome opponents, Jesus heads into Gentile territory. There he is immediately greeted by a Gentile woman whose daughter is possessed by a demon. Refusing to take No for an answer, the woman's faith is rewarded. Region of Tyre (Mark 7:24)Here we find the very human Jesus seeking rest by retreating to a "distinctly heathen land. ... There was too much excitement among the people, too much bitterness among the Pharisees, too much suspicion on the part of Herod Antipas, too much dulness [sic] on the part of the disciples for Jesus to remain in Galilee." This passage is often viewed with embarrassment, for it appears that Jesus is being "harsh and unsympathetic," refers to Gentiles as dogs, and is contradicted by a pagan woman. (Once a minister in a liberal denomination was preaching on this passage and actually went so far as to conjecture that Jesus must have been having a bad day!) There is, however, much more to the story than first meets the eye.?A woman (Mark 7:25)One commentator describes the woman who approached Jesus as: "A Greek in religion, a Syrian in tongue, a Phoenician in race." In a parallel account, Matthew reports that the woman twice addressed Jesus by a Messianic title ("Lord" and "Son of David"), thus demonstrating her faith in him as the Messiah (Matthew 15:22). (Along these lines, it may be significant that the language used to describe the woman's asking [Greek erotao] frequently suggests familiar or equal footing between the petitioner and the one being petitioned.) The woman's faith was both sincere and determined. She "fell at [Jesus'] feet" (v. 25) - a simple yet poignant act which indicated "her humility, reverence, submissiveness, and anxiety"?- and "begged" (v. 26, "kept asking" NASB) him to heal her demon-possessed daughter. "The woman by her persistent plea demonstrated her faith in the person of Christ. She a Gentile (dog), asked for what the children (Israel) cast aside. Because of that faith, her request was granted; her daughter was healed immediately."?As renowned Bible teacher Warren Wiersbe points out, this Gentile woman had many obstacles to overcome, including: her nationality - Normally Jews did not associate with Gentiles.her sex - Jewish men looked down on women, and a Jewish man would have very little dealings with a strange woman.Satan - One of the Devil's demons had taken control of the woman's daughter.the disciples - They wanted Jesus to send the woman away (see Matthew 15:23).Jesus - He appeared reluctant to help. It is helpful to keep several points in mind when examining the exchange that took place between Jesus and the Gentile woman, including: With the cross looming ever larger, and with many of his followers having defected (see John 6), Jesus had begun spending less time with the crowds and more time with his disciples in order to better train and prepare them. Jesus' first priority was "'the lost sheep of the house of Israel'" (see Matthew 15:24, NASB).Jesus never turned away a Gentile who came to him for help (see Gentile (v. 26) below). "[A]t no time, certainly, did God shut up his grace among the Jews in such a manner as not to bestow a small taste of them on the Gentiles." The woman was seeking a crumb of kindness at the same time Jesus was feeding his disciples.?Dogs (Mark 7:27-28)"He said, 'Stand in line and take your turn. The children get fed first. If there's any left over, the dogs get it.' She said, 'Of course, Master. But don't dogs under the table get scraps dropped by the children?' Jesus was impressed. 'You're right! On your way! Your daughter is no longer disturbed. The demonic affliction is gone'" (The Message). The "dogs" referred to by both Jesus and the woman were "'lap dogs, house dogs,' as opposed to dogs on the street." Hence it "does not refer to wild dogs (scavenging animals roaming around the countryside) in this context, but to small dogs taken in as house pets. It is thus not a derogatory term per se, but is instead intended by Jesus to indicate the privileged position of the Jews (especially his disciples) as the initial recipients of Jesus' ministry. The woman's response of faith and her willingness to accept whatever Jesus would offer pleased him to such an extent that he granted her request."While "[wild, scavenger] dogs" was indeed used by some Jews as a pejorative for Gentiles, such is not the case here. As one source explains: "In the Orient dogs have no owners but run wild and serve as scavengers for all garbage and offal. Such 'dogs' the Jews called all Gentiles - ownerless, in every way unclean, always to be driven off. It is an entirely different conception when Jesus speaks of 'the little pet dogs' in referring to the Gentiles. These have owners who keep them even in the house and feed them by throwing them bits from the table. No Oriental street dogs were allowed in a house, to say nothing of a dining-room or at dining tables." Rather than "resenting Christ's words about giving the children's bread to the dogs (Gentiles)," the woman "instantly turned it to the advantage of her plea for her little daughter." Jesus' resistance in helping the woman was not meant "to extinguish the woman's faith, but rather to whet her zeal and inflame her ardor." In effect, Jesus was inviting "this woman to express the faith that would eventually come to be expected of the Gentiles." Gentile (Mark 7:26)Regarding the relationship between the pre-crucified-and-resurrected Jesus and the Gentiles, we can note the following. Despite Judaism's generally negative attitude toward Gentiles, it welcomed with open arms "a true proselyte who would forsake paganism and become a Jew, both spiritually and nationally." What's more, it was believed "that there would be a massive conversion of Gentiles on the Last Day," although "this conversion is frequently portrayed in terms of Gentiles flocking to Zion at the last day, not in terms of Jewish missionaries reaching out to Gentiles (cf. Isaiah 19:23; Zechariah 8:21; Jeremiah 3:17)." While in Jesus' day "Gentile" was synonymous with "sinner," Jesus refused to adopt the popular mindset that longed for the day when judgment and vengeance would be visited on the Gentiles. While Jesus did not engage in a full-blown mission to the Gentiles, nonetheless he "attracted great numbers of Gentiles (Mark 3:7–12; Matthew 15:29–31). ... he ministered to them and preached the Gospel to them (Mark 5:1–20; 7:24–30; Matthew 8:5–13 par. Luke 7:1–10; John 4:1–42; 12:20–22). ... He castigates sinners (both Gentiles and Jews) and invites all to repent, whether Jew or Gentile." With the exception of the (half-Jewish) Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus neither initiated contact with Gentiles nor failed to minister to those who came to him. To summarize: Jesus "focused his efforts on the Jewish nation and its obligation to receive the Messiah of the final days. His emphasis on the Jews, however, did not exclude Gentile participation in the kingdom during his ministry. However, Gentile participation was nonetheless an exception and not the rule." (Interestingly enough, within Mark the fist open confession of Jesus as the "Son of God" ["or a son of God or son of a god" NASB margin] is made by a Gentile: a Roman centurion present at Jesus' crucifixion [Mark 15:39].) HEAR (heart)Tasting is BelievingThe story is told of a well-educated skeptic who enjoyed giving public lectures on the foolishness of religious faith in general and the Christian faith in particular. He would normally end his tirades by asking if anyone in the audience had any questions.?On one such occasion the speaker's audience included the man who had been the town drunkard until he was converted to Christ. This man politely raised his hand and said that he had a question. He then walked to the front of the audience, pulled an orange out of his coat pocket, peeled it, and ate the entire thing - all without a word.?Then the former-drunkard-turned-Christian asked the speaker if the orange that had just been eaten was sweet or sour.?By now very angry, the speaker called the man an idiot and asked how he (the speaker) could possibly know when he had not tasted it.?To which the born-again Christian replied, "'And how can you know anything about Christ if you have not tried Him?'" "Gentile dogs," said the Jews, "can know nothing of God." By her persistent faith, however, the Gentile woman who came to Christ proved them wrong. In response to her faith, she experienced what the Pharisees did not know because they refused to taste it for themselves: the love, grace and mercy of God in Christ.DO (hands)??? What does it mean to "persist"? What can this woman's example teach us about how to persist in our faith? [[@Bible:Mark 7:31-37]]Mark 7:31-37Jesus Heals a Deaf Man31?Jesus left Tyre and went up to Sidon before going back to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Ten Towns.?? 32?A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him. 33?Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man's ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man's tongue. 34?Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, "Ephphatha," which means, "Be opened!" 35?Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!36?Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news. 37?They were completely amazed and said again and again, "Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak."SEE (head)Still traveling in predominantly Gentile territory, Jesus is met by a man who is deaf and whose speech is severely impeded. Calling him aside, Jesus touches first the man's ears and then his tongue. After looking up to heaven, Jesus commands the stopped organs to be opened, and the man is healed. The crowds were exuberant and continued spreading the news concerning Jesus.?Sidon ... the Ten Towns (Mark 7:31)"Jesus left Phoenicia, but did not go back into Galilee. He rather went east and came down east of the Sea of Galilee into the region of the Greek cities of Decapolis. He thus kept out of the territory of Herod Antipas. He had been in this region when he healed the Gadarene demoniac and was asked to leave."Deaf ... speech impediment (Mark 7: 32)Matthew lets us know that "[a] vast crowd brought to [Jesus] people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn't speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all" (Matthew 15:29-30, NLT). Mark chooses to key in on the man Jesus healed who was deaf and "almost mute" (Greek mogilalos), such that "when he spoke, people could hardly understand" him. The word used to describe this man's speech problem is used only here in the NT and, what's more, is the same word used in the LXX version of Isaiah 35: "Then ... the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then ... the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. ... " (Isaiah 35:5-6, NASB). This fact, along with Mark's many direct quotes from the book of Isaiah, tells us that "Mark saw the fulfillment of Isaiah's words in the healing ministry of Jesus."?Jesus touched the man's ears and his tongue, indicating to him that Jesus was going to do something for those areas. As one source puts it: "In healing this man, Jesus used sign language and symbolic acts (which Mark did not explain) that uniquely suited the man's needs and caused him to exercise faith."?When Mark wrote that the crowd ignored Jesus' command not to tell anyone about the miracle, his point seems to be "that although Jesus sought no publicity or sensationalism, his ministry was so powerful, so stunning in its results that people everywhere proclaimed it."?To heal him (Mark 7:32)This healing is an apt illustration of what it means to follow Jesus:"Jesus ... went ... to ... the region of the Ten Towns" (v. 31). Jesus will meet us where we are and give us what is most needed in our particular situation. "Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone" (v. 33). We must be willing to leave the crowd behind and spend time alone with Jesus. "Silence that does not give rise to speech is dumbness. Speech that does not grow out of silence is chatter." "He put his fingers into the man's ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man's tongue. ... he ... said, 'Ephphatha,' which means, 'Be opened!'" (vv. 33-34). We must trust Jesus and cooperate with his efforts to heal our ears and tongue - that is, change the way we perceive reality (what we hear) and the way we communicate that reality to others (what we say). "Jesus wants to open the ears and eyes of all who are deaf and blind so that they may receive the light of life." "Looking up to heaven ... " (v. 34). We know that Jesus is from God and will work to bring about God's best for us. "?... he sighed ... " (v. 34). Jesus personally identifies with our pain and suffering. "They were completely amazed and said again and again, 'Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak'" (v. 37). We should be constantly amazed at what God has done and is doing in our lives. Moreover, our amazement should result in "a vociferous ["marked by or given to vehement insistent outcry"] championship of Jesus in this pagan land." HEAR (heart)High in the King's EstimateThe story is told of a poor but devout Frenchman living in medieval Europe who often wrestled with doubt as he sought to live the Christian life. He assumed that God was displeased with him because of his struggles. Confused and disheartened, he sought the counsel of his spiritual advisor.?The clergyman answered with an illustration of two commanders, both of whom served the King of France. The first commander's duty station was a castle situated far inland and thus remote from danger. The other, however, commanded a castle that was located on the coast and was thus the object of constant attack and harassment. The clergyman then asked his young friend which of the two commanders the King valued most.?"Doubtless," said the poor man, "the King values him the most who has the hardest task, and braves the greatest dangers."?"You are right," replied his advisor, "And now apply this matter to your case and mine." Some Christians seem to have it made. They are the ones with good health, a loving family, and few financial worries. For other believers, however, life seems to be a constant series of severe struggles: bad health, no family to speak of, and no money to make things a little easier. If we fall into the latter category, we do well to remind ourselves that hardships do not mean God has stopped loving us. In fact, the exact opposite is true: because God loves us so much, he will give us the strength to endure any hardship - so long as we determine to make his glory our highest priority. We can rest assured that every hardship will be accompanied by enough of God's grace to endure it, and that God can and will use our hardships to make us better able to hear, understand, and obey him.DO (hands)??? What can this passage teach us about hearing and speaking the things of God? Mark 8[[@Bible:Mark 8:1-10]]Mark 8:1-10Jesus Feeds Four Thousand1 About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them, 2?"I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. 3?If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance." 4?His disciples replied, "How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?"5?Jesus asked, "How much bread do you have?""Seven loaves," they replied.6?So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to his disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd. 7?A few small fish were found, too, so Jesus also blessed these and told the disciples to distribute them.8?They ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. 9?There were about 4,000 people in the crowd that day, and Jesus sent them home after they had eaten. 10?Immediately after this, he got into a boat with his disciples and crossed over to the region of Dalmanutha.SEE (head)Once again Jesus is confronted by a crowd of hungry would-be followers. As on an earlier occasion, here he decides to miraculously provide more than enough food for all of them.?Out of food again (Mark 8:1)"Many commentators suspect that the two feeding stories are in fact versions of one original episode in the life of Jesus." However, such a theory goes far beyond mere differences of detail to be expected when the same stories are told by the different gospel writers. In point of fact, there are noteworthy similarities between many of Jesus' miracles: large crowds; Jesus touching the sick; faith commended; etc. That said, there are quite a number of noteworthy contrasts between the two feeding stories:Matthew and Mark. Both Matthew and Mark recorded two different miraculous feedings (Matthew 14:13-21 = Mark 6:30-44; Matthew 15:32-39 = Mark 8:1-10).Eyewitness testimony. "Matthew and Peter (Mark's source) were present in person at both miracles and are reliable authorities."Number fed. Whereas the first miraculous feeding involved 5,000 people, the second involved 4,000 - not including women and children. Another miracle. Mark seems to identify this as a second miracle: "In those days, when there was again a large crowd and they had nothing to eat ... " (v. 1). Initiative. Whereas in the first feeding the disciples asked Jesus to send the people away so they could find something to eat, in the second feeding Jesus was the first to mention the peoples' need for food (v. 2). Were the disciples merely waiting patiently for Jesus to act?Or was the possibility of a second miraculous feeding more than they could comprehend? Or did the disciples discount the possibility of a second miraculous feeding because of what had happened the last time when, following the miracle, the crowd had tried to make Jesus king by force? Time. Whereas the feeding of the 5,000 appears to have taken place on the same day the crowds had gathered, the feeding of the 4,000 took place after they had been with Jesus for three days (v. 2).Surroundings. Whereas the first miracle took place in an area surrounded by villages and farms, the second was in a "desolate place" (v. 4, NASB).The crowd. Whereas the first miraculous feeding involved mostly Jews, it seems likely that because of its location this one involved many, if not mainly, Gentiles. (There is some dispute over this point, however, since Mark did not specifically mention Gentiles) That being the case, this miracle can be understood as "an acted parable of the Gentile mission that prefigures the mixed nature of the church." Jesus thus demonstrated that his mission was not exclusively for the Jews. Citizenship in God's kingdom is a matter of faith, not race; and Jesus came to save people around the globe, not just around Galilee. Food. Whereas the 5,000 started with five loaves of (flat) bread and two fish, the 4,000 started with seven loaves of (flat) bread and "a few small fish" (v. 7). (The number seven may have both a literal and a symbolic meaning, since it was often associated with the Gentiles. "In Jewish tradition, Gentile nations numbered seventy [from?Genesis 10:1-32], and Gentiles were sometimes said to be bound, not by the Israelite covenant, but by God's covenant with Noah that is said to have seven commandments [Genesis 9:1-17]. In?Acts 6:1-7, seven leaders were chosen for the Greek-speaking Christians.") Leftovers. Whereas the 5,000 ended with the disciples gathering "twelve full baskets of the broken pieces, and also of the fish" (Mark 6:43), the 4,000 concluded with the disciples picking up "seven large baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces" (Mark 8:8). Because of the types of baskets used to gather up the scraps, apparently there were more leftovers following the second miraculous feeding: compare "basket" in Mark 6:43 (kophinos), Mark 8:8 (spuris), and Acts 9:25 (spuris).Jesus. Above all else, we should remember that Jesus himself specifically referred to the two different miraculous feedings: " ... when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand ... When I broke the seven for the four thousand ... " (see Mark 8:18b-20; compare Matthew 16:9-10). (all NASB) HEAR (heart)What, Me Worry?Do you ever feel as though God is so busy with important concerns that he couldn't possibly be aware of your needs? Just as Jesus was concerned about these people's need for food, he is concerned about our daily needs. At another time Jesus said, "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' … Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things" (Matthew 6:31-32?NKJV). Jesus knows that you have come a long way or that you may be at the point of collapse. Do you have concerns that you think would not interest God? There is nothing too large for him to handle and no need too small to escape his interest. Stingy SaintsThey were satisfied. Jesus had provided enough to fill everyone up. Not just a taste, not merely a helping, but more than required. Because Christ has abundant compassion, his work on our behalf satisfied our needs superabundantly. Because Christ has given so much to us, we should have compassion toward others that reflects God's gracious provision. When we have the means, we should err on the side of generosity. Those under our care should say, "I have had plenty!" Let Jesus' generosity encourage you to give big portions to needy people. Can you imagine the disciples trying to horde the bread and fish during Jesus' miraculous feedings? "One for you, two for me. One for you, three for me. ... " Of course not. In the same way, God blesses us abundantly not so that we can keep it all for ourselves but, rather, so that we can share it with those all around us who have little or nothing. DO (hands)??? How can this passage help us better understand Jesus' mission to save the lost? [[@Bible:Mark 8:11-21]]Mark 8:11-21Pharisees Demand a Miraculous Sign11?When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had arrived, they came and started to argue with him. Testing him, they demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority. 12?When he heard this, he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why do these people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, I will not give this generation any such sign." 13?So he got back into the boat and left them, and he crossed to the other side of the lake.Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod14?But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. 15?As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, "Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod."16?At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn't brought any bread. 17?Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, "Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don't you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? 18 You have eyes - can't you see? You have ears - can't you hear?'?? Don't you remember anything at all? 19?When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?""Twelve," they said.20?"And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?""Seven," they said.21?"Don't you understand yet?" he asked them.SEE (head)Following the miraculous feeding of the mostly Gentile crowd, Jesus is confronted by a group of Pharisees demanding he produce for them "a miraculous sign from heaven" to verify his authority. Jesus refuses to give them any such sign, and he departs with his disciples. They, in turn, show a similar lack of recognition regarding Jesus' true identity.A miraculous sign (Mark 8:11)"The rabbis were splitting hairs over the miracles of Jesus as having a possible natural explanation (as some critics do today) even if by the power of Beelzebub, and those not of the sky (from heaven) which would be manifested from God. So they put up this fantastic test to Jesus which he deeply resents." In demanding a miraculous sign from Jesus, the Pharisees were seeking "unmistakable proof that He and His mission were authorized by God" - perhaps something on par with the miracles performed by Moses during the Exodus. (While Jesus had miraculously multiplied earthly bread on two different occasions, Moses [actually, God] had provided bread from heaven [manna] on a daily basis for 40 years. [see John 6:30-35] But of course such reasoning completely ignores the fact that, as God incarnate, Jesus was/is greater than Moses, manna, and all the Bible's miracles combined.) "The reasoning seems to be that, since the Messiah will be greater than all the prophets and even than Moses, he will prove it by doing at least one sign which in outward grandeur will exceed all other signs that have ever been wrought." (Of course, Jesus' resurrection was/is such a sign [see Matthew 16:4] - but only for those willing to believe.)I will not give ... any such sign (Mark 8:12)Why did Jesus refuse to grant the religious leaders' request for a sign? Because there had already been signs aplenty for anyone willing to see: the handicapped had been restored; the sick had been healed; lepers had been cleansed; waves had been stilled; the hungry had been fed; and the dead had been raised back to life. Moreover, the religious leaders' demand actually represented a temptation. Like Satan in the wilderness at the beginning of Jesus' ministry, the Pharisees wanted Jesus to provide a miracle or wonder that would convince them he was sent from God. Several points are worth noting:Authority. The Pharisees already knew that Jesus could perform the supernatural; they wanted Jesus to prove to their?satisfaction that his miracles and wonders were from God. Just as the apostle Paul signed his letters as a way of guaranteeing their authenticity (see 2 Thessalonians 3:17), the religious leaders demanded to see God's signature, so to speak, as a guarantee of Jesus' ministry. If Jesus had given in to their demand, he would in effect have been declaring that the Pharisees' self-appointed (= illegitimate) authority was greater than his God-given (= legitimate) authority. "The frustrated Pharisees tried a tactical maneuver with Jesus called 'control by demanding proof.' ... If they could raise doubts and thus get Jesus to do miracles at their command, then he would literally be under their control. ... They had already seen and heard about many miracles, but that was not enough for them. They wanted Jesus to answer to them." Insincerity. The Pharisees were not sincere. "They had already decided not to believe. Hearts can become so hard that even the most convincing facts and demonstrations will not change them." Their true intent "was to embarrass Jesus, either because God would not perform the requested sign, or that the sign itself would fail to impress and persuade." Hence their aim was to "discredit [Jesus] completely with the people."Skepticism. No miracle can convince a die-hard skeptic. "Unbelief can be a mind-set against God, a willful rebellion of the intellect such that no amount of evidence will overcome it." While Jesus always welcomed sincere seekers, the Pharisees had already proved themselves to be hardcore skeptics of Jesus by charging that his many marvelous miracles were not from God (see Mark 3:20-30). Although a miraculous sign may serve as "a guarantee of the authenticity of the Sent One and of the truth of the teaching, it has demonstrative power only for souls that are well-disposed or believing. It can provoke astonishment or emotion, even admiration (John 2:23; 6:26; Acts 8:9, 13) without adherence: 'Even though he had done so many signs in their presence, still they did not believe in him' (John 12:37)." As one source puts it: "An appeal for a miracle can be a legitimate expression of one's faith (e.g., Mark 5:23; 7:26, 32). But such an appeal is illegitimate if it arises out of unbelief, as was true of the Pharisees."Resurrection. At his resurrection from the dead, Jesus would be "declared the Son of God with power" (Romans 1:4, NASB). But even that incredible miracle would not be enough for anyone adamantly refusing to believe. Here we might note Matthew's fuller version of this episode, in which Jesus declared: "'Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah'" (Matthew 16:4, NLT). Yeast (Mark 8:15)What did Jesus mean by "the yeast [/leaven] of the Pharisees and of Herod"? Jesus lumped together two opposing factions - "the very strict Pharisees" and the "pro-Roman Herodian dynasty" - in an apparent warning against any popular but dangerous movement that "oppose[s] Jesus' ministry." When we factor in the Sadducees that are mentioned in Matthew's account, it is possible to see a warning against: traditionalism (Pharisees); secularism (Herod and the Herodians [= influential Jewish supporters of Herod who worked to keep his dynasty in power); and skepticism (Sadducees). No matter how fashionable it may be, any movement that openly opposes Jesus has the dire potential to lead many people astray. When presented with clear and compelling evidence that Jesus was the promised Messiah of God, the religious and political leaders chose to reject him. In turn, their "heart-heartedness ... permeate[d] and contaminate[d] the entire society and [made] it rise up against Jesus." "Leaven is used in making bread. It passes secretly, silently, but certainly through the mass of dough." Yeast, or leaven, is used most often in the NT "metaphorically of inveterate [= 'firmly established by long persistence'] mental and moral corruption, viewed in its tendency to infect others." In that respect the "yeast" represents unbelief as evidenced by the religious leaders' demand for a spectacular sign (the Pharisees refused to believe Jesus; Herod had refused to believe John the Baptist). And so Jesus "is appealing to [his disciples] to understand that the authority he possesses cannot be proved by a sign. Only by faith [/belief] can they recognize him as the bringer of God's salvation." We should also understand "yeast" in the sense of "evil teaching, considered as a very powerful, increasingly corrupting influence" (see Matthew 16:12). The religious leaders were not content to keep their unbelief to themselves; they worked it into the lives of others in the form of false teaching. Not even committed followers of Jesus are immune to this yeast - hence Jesus' warning to be on guard against it. ?The disciples thought that Jesus was rebuking them for not bringing along enough food to eat. And so Jesus reminded them of the two miraculous feedings in which he had not only met the need of thousands but also provided extra for his disciples in the form of leftovers. "[T]he point of this remembrance is not that so many were miraculously filled, but that the disciples themselves received plenty." Jesus' gentle scolding was a memorable way of reminding his disciples that he was the divine Son of God who could/would meet all their needs, whether physical or spiritual. HEAR (heart)Giving It All AwayThe story is told of a man who was lost in the desert. Dying of thirst, he came across an old shack inside of which was an old, rusty water pump. He immediately grabbed the handle and vigorously pumped up and down, up and down. But there was no water.That's when he noticed an old jug off to the side on which was written a note instructing the reader to prime the pump with all the water in the jug, and then be sure to refill the jug before leaving.For a moment the man was utterly confused. Should he believe the note and pour out all the water? Or should he drink all the water from the jug and then move on? In an act of faith, he decided to follow the instructions. He poured all the water into the old, rusty pump and once again began pumping the handle up and down. At first nothing happened. But then, before he knew it, fresh, cool, life-giving water was gushing from the pump!He drank until he could not hold another drop. Then he refilled the jug and added a little note of his own: "Believe me, it really works. You have to give it all away before you can get anything back."As God's never-ending supply of life-giving water, Jesus calls everyone everywhere to come and have their spiritual thirst satisfied in him (see John 4:5-14). There is, however, one condition: we must first empty ourselves of all our stubborn pride and arrogance before we can humbly receive this life-giving water. This is something the Pharisees refused to do. But it is something that must be done - not one time only, but on a daily basis. DO (hands)??? What can this passage teach us about what it takes to see Jesus for who he really is? [[@Bible:Mark 8:22-26]]Mark 8:22-26Jesus Heals a Blind Man22?When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him. 23?Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man's eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, "Can you see anything now?" 24?The man looked around. "Yes," he said, "I see people, but I can't see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around."25?Then Jesus placed his hands on the man's eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly. 26?Jesus sent him away, saying, "Don't go back into the village on your way home."SEE (head)A blind man is brought to Jesus and, in a manner reminiscent of the deaf mute, Jesus leads the man away from the crowd and restores his sight in stages. He then sends the man home, telling him to avoid the village.?A blind man (Mark 8:22)What makes this miracle so unusual is the fact that it occurred in stages. Beyond demonstrating Jesus' obvious compassion, this miracle seems intended to teach that: 1) "no matter how complete the blindness, Jesus [is] able to give (in)sight," and 2) "spiritual truth is not always perceived clearly at first." (The next incident recorded in Mark's gospel [vv. 27-33] bears this out: In his limited understanding of Jesus and his mission, Peter confessed Jesus as the Christ but then tried to prevent Jesus from suffering and dying.) This ties into Jesus' warning his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah/Christ (Mark 8:30): the disciples' limited understanding of who Jesus was could/would be cleared up only after Jesus died, rose again, returned to Heaven, and established his Church via the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. Then the disciples would be free to do as they, in fact, did do: take the Gospel to the entire world.?Why did Jesus tell the man to avoid the village as he returned home? Perhaps in order to encourage the man to meditate on the tremendous blessing he had received before sharing it first of all with his family and friends. See (vv. 23, 24, 25)Like Jesus' miracles in general, this one in particular was intended as an acted parable, a real life illustration of what it means to follow Jesus. We should note the fact that this story contains several different forms of the word "see" (Greek blepo). Besides referring to physical sight, this word is used "frequently in the sense of becoming aware of or taking notice of something." It is probably not too much of a stretch to find in this story a reminder that it is only as we take our eyes off ourselves and direct our vision/attention upward to Jesus that we are able to see/understand clearly and to plainly distinguish God's will for our lives."Sight was a widely used metaphor for understanding. This miracle depicts the correct but incomplete understanding of the disciples." Points of comparison between the blind man and Jesus' disciples include:Blind Man: Physical blindness prior to meeting Jesus.Disciples: Spiritual blindness prior to meeting Jesus.Blind Man: Led away from the crowd.Disciples: Called out of the crowd.Blind Man: Touched by Jesus.Disciples: Taught by Jesus. Blind Man: Like a baby, he could see only shapes.Disciples: Like spiritual babes, they had only a partial understanding of who Jesus was.Blind Man: Sight fully restored after a second touch by Jesus.Disciples: Full understanding after the resurrection (and Pentecost).Blind Man: He was not to tell others what had happened.Disciples: They were to keep Jesus' identity secret until after the resurrection. HEAR (heart)As recorded in John 8:31-32, "Jesus said to the people who believed in him, 'You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'" Noted Bible teacher William Barclay finds in these words "a complete picture of discipleship":True discipleship starts with belief.Next comes remaining in Jesus' word, which includes: listening, learning, penetrating, and obeying.It leads to a knowledge of what is most important in this life.And it brings freedom from: fear, self, other people, and sin."The Gospels reveal three stages in the development of a disciple": 1) the curious, 2) the convinced, and 3) the committed. The curious never do see Jesus for who he truly is. The convinced recognize and accept Jesus as the Messiah. The committed see Jesus for who he is and ache with the longing to share that vision with others.DO (hands)??? What can this passage teach us about our own spiritual growth and development? [[@Bible:Mark 8:27-30]]Mark 8:27-30Peter's Declaration about Jesus27?Jesus and his disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi. As they were walking along, he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" 28?"Well," they replied, "some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets."29?Then he asked them, "But who do you say I am?"Peter replied, "You are the Messiah.??"30?But Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.SEE (head)Jesus inquires of his disciples concerning public opinion regarding himself. The general consensus is that Jesus is a prophet. When he presses them for their opinion, Peter acts as spokesman for the group and confesses that Jesus is the Messiah, or Christ.People say (Mark 8:27)Public opinion held that perhaps Jesus was John the Baptist returned to life "to continue the work of preparation for the kingdom," or perhaps a prophet like Moses (see Deuteronomy 18:15-18), or perhaps even the great prophet Elijah who had been taken alive up into heaven via a chariot of fire and a whirlwind, and who was to be sent by God "before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD" (see Malachi 4:5, NASB; compare Mark 6:14-16). These responses reflect the fact that "there was considerable messianic speculation among Jews in late antiquity ... There were anticipations of a coming prophet, or priest, or king - all based on prophecies and/or typologies in Scripture." The Messiah (Mark 8:29)Jesus asked the disciples: "'But who do you [plural] say that I am?'" (NASB). Speaking for the group, Peter confessed Jesus as "the Messiah" ("the Christ" NASB) (Greek Christos: "literally, 'one who has been annointed'). As rendered by the NASB: Matthew: "the Christ, the Son of the Living God"; Mark: "the Christ"; Luke: "the Christ of God." "Messiah" (Hebrew) and "Christ" (Greek) carry the same meaning. "This affirmation of faith in Jesus was the anchor of their discipleship despite their temporary failures and defections."Although true, this confession placed the disciples squarely in the minority, and thus illustrates the fact that "a true believer is one who is willing, whenever necessary, to fly in the face of popular opinion and openly to express a conviction that is contrary to that of the masses. In the best sense of the term, the believer is willing to come forth boldly in the interest of the truth." Most notably in the OT, prophets, priests, and kings were all anointed. "In such settings the anointing signified that the person was commissioned and approved (by God and the people) for the special office or task." By the time Jesus arrived on the scene, there was much anticipation regarding God's specially Anointed (= Messiah/Christ) to deliver and restore Israel. The NT writers consistently present Jesus as the Christ or Messiah, with expectation having given way to fulfillment. Here we might note that: "Anointed as prophet, [Jesus] leads us into all truth (John 6:14; 7:16); as priest he intercedes for us (Hebrews 7:21); and as king he reigns over us (Philippians 2:9–10)." "Every aspect of the salvation which God has intended for and bestowed upon the world is, for the whole of the NT, bound up in Jesus, in so far as he is the Christ." While "Christ" eventually "became part of the name-formula for referring to Jesus, for the Evangelists [= Gospel writers] the term retained a connection with ancient visions of God's decisive eschatological intervention on behalf of his people. For the Evangelists the Jewish rejection of Jesus was their rejection of Israel's Messiah. As perhaps no other christological title, the Evangelists' use of '?Christ?'" testifies to the Jewish roots of the Christian faith while simultaneously asserting its universal character. Not to tell anyone (Mark 8:30)Why did Jesus not openly claim to be the Messiah? For two reasons, really. First of all, the disciples had only a partial understanding of who Jesus was. "The fulness of what 'the Christ' meant was not yet revealed to them." Secondly, Jesus was not the type of Messiah the people were seeking. People simply were not looking for "a humble, patient, loving, peaceful Messiah, God's suffering servant as pictured in Is. 53." As one source puts it: "[T]he dominant popular hope was of a king like David, with a role of political liberation and conquest. ... Jesus' conception of his Messianic role was so much at variance with the popular connotations of christos that he preferred to avoid the title." By the time Jesus came on the scene, the expectation for a national deliverer who would restore Israel to greatness had reached fever pitch. In the gap between the last OT prophet and John the Baptist, the OT prophecies concerning Israel's renewal were used as the groundwork for apocalyptic writings depicting Israel's complete triumph over her enemies. By brute force and bloody determination, the Messiah would crush the Gentiles and reestablish Israel as God's chosen people. "These are the Messianic ideas which were in the minds of men when Jesus came. They were violent, nationalistic, destructive, vengeful. True, they ended in the perfect reign of God, but they came to it through a bath of blood and a career of conquest. Think of Jesus set against a background like that. No wonder he had to re-educate his disciples in the meaning of Messiahship; and no wonder they crucified him in the end as a heretic. There was no room for a cross and there was little room for suffering love in a picture like that." HEAR (heart)An Honest ConfessionThe story is told of a German prince who was traveling through France during the reign of Louis XVI. The prince visited Toulon and was told by the commandant there that he could set free one galley slave.The prince interviewed several of the prisoners, all of whom complained of injustices and mistreatment. All, that is, except for the one prisoner who admitted he had been nothing short of a wicked and desperate wretch deserving of death.The prince "scolded" the man and said that he would not be allowed to remain another day in the company of all the other honest and upright prisoners. And the prince set him free.The first step in confessing Jesus as the Anointed One of God who came to set us free, is to acknowledge that we in no way deserve the freedom he offers us. To see Jesus for who he really is, we must first see ourselves for who - and what - we really are. DO (hands)??? What does it mean to "confess" something? What does it mean to confess Jesus as Messiah? [[@Bible:Mark 8:31-38]]Mark 8:31-38Jesus Predicts His Death31?Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man?? must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. 32?As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.?? 33?Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. "Get away from me, Satan!" he said. "You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's."34?Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 35?If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. 36?And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul??? 37?Is anything worth more than your soul? 38?If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."SEE (head)After Peter confesses that Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus proceeds to inform his disciples exactly what that means. Far from the picture of military might and victory they have in mind, in the very near future Jesus will suffer and be put to death. This is simply too much for Peter to take in, and so he rebukes Jesus. Jesus then explains that a similar fate awaits those who follow him. Son of Man (Mark 8:31)Notice Jesus' use of "Son of Man," a title he would employ with increasing frequency in the days leading up to his crucifixion (Mark 2:10, 28; 8:31, 38; 9:9, 12, 31; 10:33, 45; 13:26; 14:21, 41, 62). "The title 'Son of Man' emphasized Jesus as the vindicated, authoritative, and powerful agent of God." As one source notes: "This title especially suited Jesus' total mission. It was free of political connotations, thus preventing false expectations. Yet it was sufficiently ambiguous (like a parable) to preserve the balance between concealment and disclosure in Jesus' life and mission (cf. Mark 4:11-12). It combined the elements of suffering and glory in a way no other designation could. It served to define His unique role as Messiah.?Elders ... priests ... teachers of religious law (Mark 8:31)Jesus entered "a turning point to new content in His teaching" with his announcement that he, the Son of Man, would be rejected by the Sanhedrin ("the elders and the chief priests and the scribes" NASB), be executed, and rise from the dead three days later - thus predicting "a trial and a formal condemnation." The trial and execution would be an unjust attempt to get rid of Jesus, to put him out of the way. The Sanhedrin was "[t]he council or governing body that met in Jerusalem in NT times and that constituted the highest Jewish authority in Palestine prior to A.D. 70." Its 71 members "were drawn from the three classes named in Matthew 16:21; 27:41; Mark 8:31; 11:27; 14:43, 53; 15:1; Luke 9:22; 22:26: 'the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law.' By the chief priests is meant the acting high priest, those who had been high priests, and members of the privileged families from which the high priests were taken. The priestly aristocracy comprised the leading persons in the community, and they were the chief members of the Sanhedrin. The teachers of the law (KJV scribes) formed the Pharisaic element in the Sanhedrin, though not all Pharisees were professional scribes. The elders were the tribal and family heads of the people and priesthood. They were, for the most part, the secular nobility of Jerusalem." The Sanhedrin was "[h]eaded by the high priest of Israel ... [and it] was granted limited authority over certain religious, civil, and criminal matters by the foreign nations that dominated the land of Israel at various times in its history." Peter ... began to reprimand him (Mark 8:33)Jesus' open talk of betrayal and death was simply too much for Peter and the other disciples to take in; it was beyond their capacity to accept. "The report of Peter's rebuke of Jesus is not meant to discredit Peter, but to underscore the surprising nature of Jesus' prediction." Why did Peter rebuke Jesus? Simply put, it was because to his way of thinking a martyred Messiah was no Messiah at all. "Peter's opposition rests on human ideas which cannot combine messiahship and suffering. But Jesus thinks the thoughts of God. His sense of his messiahship and messianic mission does not follow traditional patterns. He has a different understanding which he believes to be consonant with God's own thinking and purpose." We should note that "in Jesus' statements about his suffering, the announcement of his death is always accompanied by that of his resurrection" (see Matthew 12:40; 16:21; 17:9; 17:22-23; 20:18-19). This is because his death and resurrection is a twofold event - like two sides of the same coin - that declares Jesus to be the Christ/Messiah. Jesus' resurrection proved "his messiahship, which seemed to be disproved by his death on the cross." And so we should not be surprised to find "Peter say[ing] he was 'made' both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36), signifying that the resurrection rightfully confirms him as such. Similarly, the apostle Paul speaks of Jesus' resurrection as a patent declaration of his inalienable right to the title (Romans 1:4)." Jesus said that he would not remain dead but would be resurrected on the third day. Did his disciples not believe him? It may well be that Peter and the other disciples (mis)interpreted Jesus' words as being a figure of speech - meaning "in a little while" - along the lines of Hosea's usage in referring to the nation of Israel's returning to God: "'Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, That we may live before Him'" (Hosea 6:1-2). (It may well be that Jesus had this passage, along with several others from the OT, in mind when making his prediction) This would explain why Jesus' clear and repeated references to his own resurrection (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33) fell on deaf ears: the disciples simply did not take Jesus' words literally. Satan (Mark 8:33)Was Jesus really calling Peter "Satan?" Since Peter was the group spokesman, Jesus' rebuke would have applied to the other disciples, as well. Hence we see Jesus turning and looking at his disciples prior to issuing his rebuke (v. 33). Besides that, however, since "satan" (Greek satanas) means "opponent" or "adversary," it may be in this sense that Jesus was applying it to Peter, hence communicating something like: "Get behind me, you who oppose me!" But while Jesus may not have been literally calling Peter "Satan," he was very literally calling out the satanic opposition he recognized in Peter. "In his wilderness temptations, Jesus had been told that he could achieve greatness without dying (Matthew 4:8-9). Peter, in his rebuke of Jesus' words about dying, was saying the same thing." Among the practical lessons to be learned from this incident is the fact that many times "our most difficult temptations come from those who want to protect us from suffering." When we look at this incident as recorded by both Matthew and Mark and across several Bible translations/versions, we find that Peter's rebuke of Jesus represented a focus, concern, or mindset that values human thoughts, concerns, workings, and interests over those of God, and that such is nothing less than an obstacle, a danger, a hindrance, an offense, and a stumbling block to Jesus. Thus Peter was indeed serving as "an unwitting spokesman for Satan." Jesus used the term/title "Satan" because, like the Devil, Peter was "opposing the divine plan of man's redemption through Christ's sufferings and death." While it is true that "from the human point of view being subjected to suffering and being killed is unacceptable ... [f]rom God's point of view" it was "absolutely necessary." Jesus' rebuke helps drive home the fact that there is only one way of salvation and anything or anyone who opposes it, regardless of good or bad intentions, is in league with the Devil. "What a warning to watch our love, our good intentions, our best acts, lest perhaps they after all agree with Satan and not with Christ."While the disciples loved and admired Jesus, their "job was not to guide and protect Jesus but to follow him." "Peter wanted Christ to be king, but not the suffering servant prophesied in Isaiah 53. He was ready to receive the glory of following the Messiah but not the persecution." While doubtless Peter was trying to protect Jesus, his concern was not entirely selfless. Peter and the other disciples would have been very well aware of the fate awaiting the followers of anyone executed by the Roman government. Having pinned all of their hopes and dreams on Jesus, they literally could not bear the thought of his being put to death as some sort of dangerous criminal and then, as if to add insult to injury, his followers being hounded out of existence. Forget about lost (earthly) glory, "grandeur and triumph" - the disciples would be fortunate if they could escape with their lives. Thus it is small wonder they could not bring themselves to understand/believe that Jesus was going to be put to death - despite his clear and repeated warnings (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34). Your cross (Mark 8:34)Living for God is in many ways more difficult than dying for him. Jesus' call to take up the cross is rich in meaning:Self-Denial. "Deny" (Greek aparneomai) means "to deny utterly," and is the same word Jesus used when predicting that Peter would deny him (see Matthew 26:34-35; Mark 14:30-31; Luke 22:34, 61). It means "refus[ing] to give thought to or express concern for." Denying self "means self altogether, not merely some portion, some special habit or desire, some outward practice." Much more than mere self-reform, it "means to renounce self - to cease to make self the object of one's life and actions. This involves a fundamental reorientation of the principle of life. God, not self, must be at the center of life." In negative terms, self-denial involves letting go "of selfish desires and earthly security"; stated positively, it calls for a daily commitment to trust Jesus, walk in his footsteps, and gratefully obey his commands. Suffering. In a time and place where crucifixion was a very common occurrence, the cross became a poignant symbol for absolute commitment to a cause - even to the point of physical death. Jesus' call to take up one's cross recalls, but goes beyond, the typical Jewish rabbi's injunction "to take up the yoke of Torah, or the yoke of the commandments." The cross is a sobering symbol of the suffering - including possible martyrdom - that lay in store for anyone choosing to follow Jesus. While only Christ's suffering and death has the power to atone for sins, we nonetheless have fellowship in his sufferings and follow in his steps as we too experience the cross before the crown. Submission. The cross was also a piercing symbol of submission. "The underlying figure [of taking up one's cross] is that of a condemned man who is forced to take up and carry his own cross to the place of execution." A condemned criminal was made to carry his own cross-beam as he was paraded through the streets of Jerusalem on his way to die a public, painful, and prolonged death. "Death came slowly to a crucified person, through exhaustion or by suffocation. And it came with great pain. Death by crucifixion was also considered a great disgrace." For all to see, the crucified person was forced to submit to the very authority against which he had rebelled. "Those who follow [Jesus] must take up their (not His) cross, whatever comes to them in God's will as a follower of Jesus. ... [This means being obedient] to God's will as revealed in His Word, accepting the consequences without reservations for Jesus' sake and the gospel (cf. Mark 8:35). For some this includes physical suffering and even death, as history has demonstrated (cf. Mark 10:38-39)." Christ "used the image of carrying a cross to illustrate the ultimate submission required of his followers. He is not against pleasure, nor was he saying that we should seek pain needlessly. Jesus was talking about the heroic effort needed to follow him moment by moment, to do his will even when the work is difficult and the future looks bleak." Rejection. "To bear the cross means to accept the rejection of the world for turning to Jesus and following him. Discipleship involves a death that is like a crucifixion" (see Galatians 6:14). Along these lines, saving versus losing one's life can be seen as a stark reminder "that if one comes to Jesus then rejection by many will certainly follow. If self-protection is a key motivation, then one will not respond to Jesus and will not be saved. One who is willing to risk rejection will respond and find true life." Right Priorities. Verses 35-38 actually begin with the word "For" (see NASB), and so represent an extended definition of discipleship. It involves: 1) losing (but not hating) one's life "in loyalty to Jesus and the gospel" (v. 35) - that is, faith as evidenced by faithfulness , 2) valuing eternal life with God more than the passing pleasures of the world, including "possessions, position, or power" (vv. 36-37), and 3) embracing rather than rejecting Jesus (v. 38).The last point is worth emphasizing. What we do with Jesus in the present will determine what he does with us in the future. "We can reject Jesus now and be rejected by him at his second coming, or we can accept him now and be accepted by him then. Rejecting Christ may help us escape shame for the time being, but it will guarantee an eternity of shame later." What does it mean to reject/disown Jesus? Put simply, it means doing the opposite of what Jesus said: "'If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me'" (v. 34). Thus to reject/disown Jesus means: to have no desire to follow him, to continue in our selfish ways, to refuse to submit and suffer for our faith, and to follow anyone and anything other than Jesus. Notice, too, the link between Jesus and the Gospel: "' ... if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News ... '" (v. 35). Because Jesus cannot be separated from his message, to reject Jesus is to reject the Gospel, and to reject the Gospel is to reject Jesus.?HEAR (heart)The Cross Before the CrownBible commentator Albert Barnes offers several poignant remarks regarding cross-bearing:When persons were condemned to be crucified, a part of the sentence was that they should carry the cross on which they were to die to the place of execution. Thus, Christ carried his, until he fainted from fatigue and exhaustion. ... [The cross] was an instrument of death. ... To carry it was burdensome, was disgraceful, was trying to the feelings, was an addition to the punishment. So "to carry the cross" is a figurative expression, denoting that we must endure whatever is burdensome, or is trying, or is considered disgraceful, in following Christ. It consists simply in doing our duty, let the people of the world think of it or speak of it as they may. It does not consist in making trouble for ourselves, or doing things merely "to be opposed"; it is doing just what is required of us in the Scriptures, let it produce whatever shame, disgrace, or pain it may. This every follower of Jesus is required to do. Peter "was ready to receive the glory of following the Messiah, but not the persecution. The Christian life is not a paved road to wealth and ease. It often involves hard work, persecution, deprivation, and deep suffering. Satan wants to deter us from sacrifice and service by telling us that our difficulties are meaningless, our pain is futile, and that evil will win anyway. Instead [of listening to Satan, we need to] focus on the good that God can bring out of suffering and on the resurrection that follows crucifixion." DO (hands)"True wealth is, above all else, having eternal life. People will die in their sins if they reject Christ, because they are rejecting the only way to be rescued from sin. Sadly, many are so taken up with the values of this world that they are blind to the priceless gift Christ offers. Where are you looking? Don't focus on this world's values and miss what is most valuable - eternal life with God." ??? A popular but extremely dangerous teaching today is that Jesus came so that we can have health and wealth. How does Jesus' words regarding following him help to correct such a notion? Mark 9[[@Bible:Mark 9:1-13]]Mark 9:1-13(Jesus Predicts His Death)1 Jesus went on to say,?"I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God arrive in great power!"The Transfiguration2?Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus' appearance was transformed, 3?and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them. 4?Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus.5?Peter exclaimed, "Rabbi, it's wonderful for us to be here! Let's make three shelters as memorials ??- one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." 6?He said this because he didn't really know what else to say, for they were all terrified.7?Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him." 8?Suddenly, when they looked around, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus with them.9?As they went back down the mountain, he told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man?? had risen from the dead. 10?So they kept it to themselves, but they often asked each other what he meant by "rising from the dead."11?Then they asked him, "Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes???" 12?Jesus responded,?"Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready. Yet why do the Scriptures say that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be treated with utter contempt??13?But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they chose to abuse him, just as the Scriptures predicted."SEE?(head)Having predicted that some of his disciples would see "'the Kingdom of God arrive in great power'" (Mark 9:1), Jesus takes the inner circle of Peter, James, and John to a mountain and reveals his glory to them. Moses and Elijah appear. As usual, Peter speaks up and says the wrong thing. God commands the disciples to listen to his Son, Jesus. Jesus instructs the three disciples not to say anything about what they've just witnessed until he (Jesus) comes back to life. They then question Jesus concerning Elijah, who was to be the forerunner to the Messiah.The kingdom ... in great power (Mark 9:1)Jesus spoke of his disciples "see[ing] the kingdom of God after it has come with power" (Mark 9:1,?NASB). As God's rule or reign, the kingdom was the central focus of Jesus' message and mission. There are a number of ways in which the power of God's kingdom was demonstrated in and through Christ, including:his casting out demons (Luke 11:20)his promised future return (Mark 13:26; 14:26)"the coming of the Holy Spirit on the great Day of Pentecost," when the disciples were empowered to carry out the Great Commission (Acts 1:8)the Transfiguration, which "offers the most dramatic proof that the kingdom had indeed come in the preaching and ministry of Jesus"?Thus "Jesus' point was that his listeners would not have to wait for another, future Messiah because the kingdom was among them, and it would soon come in power."?Transformed (Mark 9:2)Mark records that as Peter, James, and John looked on, Jesus was "transformed" ("transfigured" NASB; Greek metamorphoo), a term meaning "to take on a different physical form or appearance." This is the same idea expressed in our English word metamorphosis: "a striking alteration in appearance, character, or circumstances."?Jesus' transfiguration was a "wonderful visual revelation of his divine glory,"?"a substantial prefiguring of the consummation of the kingdom,"?"a striking preview and guarantee of His future coming in glory" (see John 1:14; 2 Peter 1:16-19). During his transfiguration, "the whole body of Jesus was allowed to shine with the light and refulgence [ = "a radiant or resplendent quality or state"] of its heavenly divinity. Jesus now shines thus in heaven forever. From his conception onward he was the very Son of God, and here on the mount his divine glory was for a little while permitted to shine out through his body." Just prior to his transfiguration, Jesus had been instructing his disciples concerning the mistreatment and death awaiting him in Jerusalem. He also predicted a similar fate for anyone wanting to follow him. The transfiguration was "a heavenly endorsement" of Jesus, "God's divine affirmation of everything Jesus had done and was about to do. ... The Transfiguration clearly revealed not only that [the disciples] were correct in believing Jesus to be the Messiah?(Mark 8:29), but that their commitment was well placed and their eternity was secure. Jesus was truly the Messiah, the divine Son of God." It also offered testimony to the fact that "[f]uture glory would follow present suffering for Him and [his disciples]."?Thus: 1) "God's seal of approval comes on the heals of Jesus' commitment to the way of the cross"; 2) the disciples are told to remain silent concerning Jesus' transfiguration until after the public display of his victorious resurrection power; and 3) the same word used to describe Jesus' change in appearance (metamorphoo) is used elsewhere in the NT to describe the process of becoming more Christlike in our attitudes and actions (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18). Regarding this third point, we should note that metamorphoo refers to "an outward change that comes from within," a change in "the essential form or nature of something." ("Dazzling white" [v.3] "suggests supreme glory, purity, and holiness."?) In regards to the transformation that is to characterize the Christian, it means nothing less than "a radical, thorough, and universal change, both outward and inward."?Moses and Elijah (Mark 9:4)The Bible of Jesus' day - our OT - was commonly divided into the Law and the Prophets.?At Jesus' transfiguration Moses appeared as a representative of the Law, and Elijah appeared as a representative of the Prophets?- "both of which Christ had come to fulfill." "Their appearance showed Jesus as the fulfillment of both the Old Testament law and the prophetic promises." (Jewish rabbis drew many comparisons between Moses and Elijah, including seeing Moses as the first major prophet of Israel and Elijah the last.) It is also possible to understand Moses as representing "the prophetic office (Acts 3:18-22)" and Elijah as picturing "the presence of the last days (Malachi 4:5-6)."?"These two figures were both expected to return in some sense before the time of the end," and they are mentioned together at the close of the OT, where it is foretold that Elijah will arrive ahead of the Messiah to prepare the way for him by "call[ing] the people back to the law of Moses" (see Malachi 4:1-6).?("Malachi 4:4-6 forms a kind of double appendix to the book. The appeal to Moses looks back to remind the nation that it is still under the law, thus linking the prophets to the ancient tradition, and the reference to Elijah, by looking forward, anticipates Yahweh's future return. ... [It is certain that Yahweh will come.] The only question is Israel's fate when he does, and that depends entirely on their response to Elijah.") Both Moses and Elijah had received God's instructions on a mountain, and both of them had seen theophonies (= "any direct, visual manifestation of the presence of God") (Exodus 24:12-18; 1 Kings 19:8-18). There are a number of parallels between Moses's experience at Mt. Sinai and Jesus' transfiguration:"Six days" - Exodus 24:16; Mark 9:2The cloud - Exodus 24:16; Mark 9:7God's voice - Exodus 24:16; Mark 9:7Three companions - Exodus 24:1, 9; Mark 9:2Transformation (Matthew and Luke specifically mention Jesus' face.) - Exodus 34:30; Mark 9:3Fear - Exodus 34:30; Mark 9:6A perverse generation - Exodus 32:20; Mark 9:19? Three shelters (Mark 9:5)Peter's offer to make "three shelters as memorials" ("tabernacles"?NASB) recalls the Feast of Booths/Tabernacles,?established to commemorate the Exodus but "also understood by many as looking ahead to the glorious day of Israel's deliverance." Peter was ecstatic at the sight of Jesus' transfiguration - and rightly so. However, his offer to "make three shrines" reflects his desire for that "mountaintop experience" to continue.?"Peter had forgotten (or was hoping to put aside) Jesus' words that suffering and death would come before glory. Peter saw the fulfillment of Christ's glory for a moment. He wanted the experience to continue, so he tried to capture it without going through Christ's suffering." A cloud (Mark 9:7)During the transfiguration God's voice was heard from a cloud commanding the disciples to listen - meaning "be obedient" - to Jesus, God's Word incarnate (see John 1:1). "This was not a vapor cloud, but was, in fact, the glory of God. This was the cloud that had guided Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 13:21), that had appeared to the people in the desert (Exodus 16:10;?24:15-18;?34:5;?40:34-38), that had appeared to Moses (Exodus 19:9), and that had filled the temple with the glory of the Lord (1 Kings 8:10).Peter's limited understanding was challenged by God's "unqualified endorsement" of Jesus.?Jesus was/is greater than Moses and Elijah, and he is to be listened to (and obeyed). Moses had said: " ... 'The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him'" (Deuteronomy 18:15), and now that prophet (= Jesus) had come. The sudden disappearance of Moses and Elijah is both a literal and symbolic reminder that "[t]he time of Moses and Elijah is over. It is time to heed the words of Jesus." As one source puts it: "Their work was done and they were superseded. Jesus, not Moses or Elijah, is now God's authorized Ruler and Spokesman."HEAR?(heart)"U.S. editor, publisher, and author" Elbert Hubbard once wisely observed: "Complete success alienates a man from his fellows, but suffering makes kinsmen of us all." Like all of us, Peter preferred "the mountaintop of transfiguration" over "the flatland of common experience," "a reassuring experience of God's presence" over "a frightening experience of evil." Here it is vitally important to remember two things: 1) the flatland where we encounter evil is home to countless people in dire need of the Gospel message that only we, as Jesus' followers, can offer them; and 2) we are never truly alone, since Jesus is always with us via God's holy Word and God's Holy Spirit. "As our spiritual vision improves and allows us to see and understand God better, we will also be able to see and understand evil better. We would be overcome by its horror if we did not have Jesus with us to take us through it safely." What's more, we are called not merely to endure evil and suffering, but to confront them with the power of the Gospel. "Christians today need to worship and pray, but they must also go out into the needy world to serve, work, confront, and intercept Satan just as Jesus did." We might also wish to note how "Peter mistakenly made all three men equal. He had missed Jesus' true identity as God himself." While certainly we are to respect Christian leaders, we must be diligent to guard against the ever-present danger of putting them on a pedestal and begin interpreting God's Word (the Bible) through their teaching rather than vice versa. We should be especially cautious - as in, "Shields up!" - when it comes to any leader who claims it is God's will that we be completely free of all suffering and hardship in this life.DO?(hands)????What can this passage teach us about our common human tendency to choose ease and comfort over hardship and pain? [[@Bible:Mark 9:14-29]]Mark 9:14-29Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy14?When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them. 15?When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him.16?"What is all this arguing about?"?Jesus asked.17?One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, "Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won't let him talk. 18?And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid.?? So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn't do it."19?Jesus said to them,???"You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."20?So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth.21?"How long has this been happening?"?Jesus asked the boy's father.He replied, "Since he was a little boy. 22?The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can."23?"What do you mean, 'If I can'?"?Jesus asked.?"Anything is possible if a person believes."24?The father instantly cried out, "I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!"25?When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil?? spirit.?"Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,"?he said.?"I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!"26?Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, "He's dead." 27?But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.28?Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, "Why couldn't we cast out that evil spirit?"29?Jesus replied,?"This kind can be cast out only by prayer.??"SEE?(head)Jesus returns from the mountain to find his disciples being harassed by the religious leaders because they (the disciples) are unable to cast out an evil spirit. Jesus denounces the evident lack of faith and then commands the spirit to depart. When asked by his disciples why they could not cast out the spirit, Jesus says that they were lacking in prayer. Arguing (Mark 9:14)Jesus moved from the cloud to the crowd. "While Jesus had been up on the mountain in Mark 9:2-13, a crowd had gathered around several of his disciples. An argument had erupted between them and some scribes. The argument may very well have had to do with what means were necessary to effect a successful exorcism." As one source puts it: "We may also surmise the cause of the dispute. The scribes were delighted by the failure of the disciples and taunted them and shamed them before the crowd; and the disciples were defending themselves as best they could. The situation was painful indeed."?In essence, the religious leaders were casting aspersions on the disciples' power and authority and, by extension, that of Jesus. Their aim was "to discredit Jesus in any way possible." Possessed (Mark 9:17)A father brought his demon-possessed son - his only child (Luke 9:38)?- to Jesus to be healed. For years the demon had been blocking the boys ability to speak, and it had been causing the boy to go into epileptic seizures. This was "not a case of simple epilepsy; no, it was a very complicated condition, in which the boy did not merely fall to the ground but was actually again and again knocked down by the evil spirit."?The demon had also been throwing the boy "into the fire or into water, trying to kill [Greek?apollumi: "to destroy or to cause the destruction of persons, objects, or institutions"] him" (Mark 9:22). Thus his "condition was long-standing and critical"?and an example of Satan's aim "'to steal and kill and destroy' [apollumi]" (see John 10:10).?Faithless people (Mark 9:19)"Jesus addressed the crowd but especially His disciples with deep emotion,"?calling them a "faithless people" ("unbelieving generation"?NASB; compare Deuteronomy 32:5, 20; Numbers 14:11; Isaiah 63:8-10?). "Jesus allows his deep feeling to be expressed in words. Pain and disappointment wring this cry from his heart."?Jesus' solemn and deeply emotional rebuke sprang from his frustration "with the unbelieving and unresponsive generation, including the crowd, the teachers of the law (scribes), the man, and the nine disciples. His disciples merely reflected that attitude of unbelief so prevalent in the society." Certainly "[f]rom his own disciples Jesus had a right to expect more than this unbelieving generation offered him."?The people could gain the victory over "Satan and his unholy allies" only to the extent that they chose to respond in faith to Jesus and his Gospel message - something most of them refused to do. "Because of a lack of faith in Jesus' proclamation, gaining freedom from Satan's oppression is hindered." "The main lesson of this miracle is the power of faith to overcome the enemy." And because our enemy never takes a break, neither can our faith. "Mark tells this story to show that the battle with Satan is a difficult, ongoing struggle. Victory over sin and temptation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not through our own efforts." Some manuscripts show Jesus saying that the disciples were lacking in both prayer and fasting. "Dependence on God and denial of self are meant." Fasting is "a practical means of focusing one's attention more fully on God for a specific purpose, for a limited period of time." ?Anything is possible (Mark 9:23)The father said to Jesus: "But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!" And Jesus replied: "'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes" (see Mark 9:23-24,?NASB). "Jesus repeated the father's words and turned them around to put doubt in the right place. In a sense, Jesus was saying, 'If?I am able to do?anything? I can do?all things - but it depends on whether?you believe that I can.' Spiritual power comes only when a person turns from self to God in faith. Then the possibilities are limitless." That said, we should be sure to note thatJesus' words do not mean that we can automatically obtain anything we want if we just think positively. Jesus meant that anything is?possible if we believe because nothing is too difficult for God, even when our experience seems to indicate otherwise. We cannot have everything for which we pray as if by magic; but with faith, we can have everything we need to serve Christ. We are free to ask whatever we want, as long as we realize that God will answer according to his will (1 John 3:21-22;?5:14). When we will what he wills, then we truly will have the mind of Christ and can ask anything, being assured of God's answers (see also?John 14:13-14;?15:7). Or, as another source puts it: "'[A]ll things' are here concrete: all those things which faith trusts to the power of Jesus who, moreover, always exerts his power and ability according to his good and gracious will. Faith never asks anything foolish or wrong of Jesus; requests of that kind are never the product of faith. Moreover, faith always bows to the will of Jesus in those things of which we cannot be sure that they are good for us." "Mark recorded this story to show that the battle with Satan is a difficult, ongoing struggle. Victory over sin and temptation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, never through our own efforts (see?John 15:5)." The disciples would soon be experiencing tremendous uncertainty during Jesus' trial and execution. They would struggle with doubt and question their faith. Their "demon of doubt" could be cast out only by prayer and reliance on God. And, following his resurrection, Jesus would fully restore the disciples' faith.?Believe ... unbelief (Mark 9:24)It seems that the father of the demon-possessed boy had in good faith come seeking Jesus. When Jesus was not to be found, and Jesus' disciples failed to deliver his son, the man's faith - that is, "his trust in the ability of Jesus"?- faltered. He was now afraid "that the ability of Jesus [was] perhaps no greater or only a little greater than that of the nine disciples."?The father offers us a double lesson in faith. First of all, Christian faith "is possible only with the help of the One who is its Object."?Here it is good to remember that "[n]o matter how much faith we have, we never reach the point of being self-sufficient. Faith is not stored away like money in the bank. Growing in faith is a constant process of daily renewing our trust in Jesus." The key thought here is "trust in Jesus" - not trust in those who claim to speak for him. Secondly, at times every believer struggles with trusting in and relying on God. And so Christian faith is both objective and subjective: "Objectively our faith is in Jesus, and He is unshakable. Subjectively our faith is often mixed with hesitancy and doubt. The way to overcome uncertainty is to remember that what makes faith valid is not its subjective strength, but the trustworthiness of its object. We can confidently affirm this truth: 'I can't, but Jesus can.'"?What's more, the realization that our faith is weak or small is a very good place to be - provided it leads us to Jesus, the only one who can strengthen and grow it.?This is something like what the apostle Paul had in mind when he wrote: "when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:10,?NASB).Only by prayer (Mark 9:29)Despite the fact that Jesus had commissioned his disciples to cast out demons and that they had already done so (3:15; 6:13), they were unable - literally "lacked the strength"?- to cast out this demon on this occasion. Why? Jesus said: "This kind [of demon] cannot come out by anything but prayer" (Mark 9:29,?NASB). Apparently the disciples were trusting in past successes,?perhaps even thinking they were in permanent possession of the power to cast out demons and so had no need to pray. "Prayer is what the nine had failed to use. They were powerless because they were prayerless. Their self-complacency spelled defeat. Matthew 17:20 has 'because of your little faith' (oligopistian). That is true also. They had too much faith in themselves, too little in Christ. 'They had trusted to the semi-magical power with which they thought themselves invested.'" Prayer is absolutely vital. It demonstrates our faith in (= reliance upon) God. Without it, even the most sincere act of service can quickly change from a humble offering into a pride-filled performance. As one source reminds us: "Where there is little faith, there is little prayer. Conversely, where there is an abundance of genuine, persevering faith, there is also fervent, unrelenting prayer."?HEAR?(heart)Bedpan FaithThe story is told of a Roman Catholic nun who was given a mission assignment to a tribe of Apache Indians. In her excitement and haste, on the way to the reservation she drove past the last gas station without noticing that her gas gauge was reading "empty." Her car ran out of gas about a mile past the station, and so she got out and walked back.The attendant said he would love to help except for the fact that he did not have a gas can.After some prodding from the kindly sister, however, he searched his storage shed and found an old bedpan - which the nun gratefully accepted and filled with gasoline.After walking gingerly back to her car, the nun removed the gas cap and began slowly transferring the gas from the bedpan to her car's gas tank.Just then a trucker drove by, saw the nun emptying the contents of the bedpan into her gas tank, and yelled out his window at her: "I sure wish I had that kind of faith, sister!" To those without a personal, saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, placing faith in him makes about as much sense as pouring the (usual) contents of a bedpan into a gas tank. Those of us who are privileged to call ourselves his disciples know differently, however. The Scriptures, the testimonies of fellow believers, and our own experiences - all these teach us that God will never fail to give us what we truly need. And oftentimes it will be at the very moment we need it most.That said, we also know that because our hearts contain a mixture of faith and unbelief, we must do our part in fostering faith and resisting unbelief. Which means focusing on Christ's ability, recognizing our own inability, and calling on the faith and prayers of others. We must "[a]sk Jesus daily for stronger faith." ?DO?(hands)????At times it's easy to let our struggles with lust, pride, envy, and a host of other sins overwhelm and discourage us. What can this passage teach us about drawing close to God in order to gain the victory over such forces? [[@Bible:Mark 9:30-37]]Mark 9:30-37Jesus Again Predicts His Death30?Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn't want anyone to know he was there, 31?for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them. He said to them,?"The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead."?32?They didn't understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant.The Greatest in the Kingdom33?After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples,?"What were you discussing out on the road?"?34?But they didn't answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. 35?He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said,?"Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else."36?Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37?"Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf?? welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me."SEE?(head)Jesus is again on the move, intentionally avoiding the crowds in order to spend time with and instruct his disciples. Again Jesus tells them of his impending death, but they don't know what he means and are afraid to ask. The disciples argue about who is the greatest, and Jesus instructs them concerning true greatness.?Betrayed ... will rise (Mark 9:31)Once again Jesus warned his disciples of what lay ahead for him: betrayal, death, and resurrection. Here "betrayed" (Greek?paradidomi) carries the meaning of: "to deliver a person into the control of someone else, involving either the handing over of a presumably guilty person for punishment by authorities or the handing over of an individual to an enemy who will presumably take undue advantage of the victim - 'to hand over, to turn over to, to betray.'" This term "was used both of Judas' betrayal of Jesus (Mark 3:19; 14:41; Luke 24:7) and of God's delivering up Jesus to death for the redemption of sinners (Isaiah 53:6, 12; Acts 2:23; Romans 8:32)."?According to Mark's account, Jesus said that he "shall arise by his own power and might,"?whereas Matthew records that "God shall raise Jesus up" (see Matthew 17:23).?Is there a conflict here? Not at all. Besides the fact that "will rise" does not mean of one's own power without any help from God (see Matthew 12:25; 1 Thessalonians 4:16), the Bible makes clear that all three persons of the Trinity were involved in Jesus' resurrection and will also bring about our own: Father:?John 5:28-29; Acts 2:24, 32: 3:15, 26; 10:40; 17:31; Romans 4:24; 6:4, 9; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 15:4; 20; 2 Corinthians 1:9; 4:14; Galatians 1:1Son:?Mark 8:31; 9:9, 31; 10:34; John 2:19; 6:39-40; 10:17-18; 11:25; Acts 17:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:14Holy Spirit:?Romans 1:4; 8:11; 1 Peter 3:18Beyond that, it is worth noting that: "There is no inconsistency ... between Jesus' 'being raised' by the Father and his 'rising' by his own power. As the obedient Servant of the Lord, who took the sinner's sins and curse upon himself, he had to wait for the Father to raise him up, thereby proving that Jesus' atoning work was indeed finished (John. 19:30). On the other hand, as God incarnate he had also the authority and power to take again the life he had voluntarily laid down, thus actively abolishing death, bringing life and immortality to light (2 Timothy 1:10), being 'appointed the Son of God in power' (Romans 1:4 TNIV)."?Afraid to ask (Mark 9:32)We know from Mark and the other gospel writers that the disciples responded to Jesus' announcement with "sorrow, bewilderment, and fear" (see Matthew 17:23; Luke 9:45). Why were the disciples afraid to ask Jesus what he meant by all his talk of suffering and dying? In simplest terms, it was because "they did not want to know."?Why not? Likely for several reasons:The disciples did not want to face "the impending fate of their beloved Rabbi." They did not want to face up to their own probable suffering and possible death. ?They were too embarrassed, lest they not understand Jesus' explanation.They feared being rebuked, as Peter had been. ?Jesus' premature death would crush "their hopes for a reigning Messiah"?- including the accompanying power and status to which they felt themselves entitled as officials within his kingdom.The greatest (Mark 9:34)Jesus asked his disciples what they had been discussing, and they replied with embarrassed silence.?They had, in fact, been arguing about who was the greatest in their group - and hence who would occupy the most prominent positions "in the political kingdom which they were expecting [Jesus] to establish." "Perhaps the privileges given to Peter, James, and John (cf. Mark 5:37; 9:2) fueled the argument."?In any event, their "jealous rivalry"?certainly reflected the prevailing attitude of the day which paid homage to "persons of authority and influence" while looking down on "someone with no rank, no authority, no privilege." Jesus turned this mindset on its head by proclaiming that the greatest must be the servant of all. What did he mean? "Being a 'servant' did not mean occupying a servile position; rather it meant having an attitude of life that freely attended to others' needs without expecting or demanding anything in return." As one source puts it: "True greatness does not consist in this, that from a towering height a person, in a self-congratulatory manner, has the right now to look down upon all others (Luke 18:9-12); but in this, that he immerses himself in the needs of others, sympathizes with them and helps them in every way possible. So, if any person - whether he be one of The Twelve or anyone else - wishes to be first, he must be last; that is, servant of all."?Thus it was that "Jesus described leadership from a new perspective. Instead of using people, we are to serve them." Here Jesus used the word "servant" (Greek?diakanos: "a person who renders service"), but elsewhere he used the word "slave" (Greek?doulos: "one who is a slave in the sense of becoming the property of an owner," also translated "bondslave" or "bond-servant") (see Matthew 20:27; Mark 10:44; Luke 17:10). Every true Christian is a slave/bond-servant of Christ: we freely relinquish our rights in order to serve our Lord and serve other people in his name. Jesus was not condemning "the desire to improve one's position in life but He did teach that greatness in His kingdom was not determined by status but by service."?Jesus was actually condoning, not condemning, greatness - not "the false, earthly idea of greatness that was in the minds of the disputing disciples," but true, spiritual greatness.A little child (Mark 9:36)Jesus used a child as a living illustration of anyone who is weak, in need, and humbly dependent on others. "[C]hildren were held in little regard in late antiquity."?The child here represents one who is helpless and unable to repay anything done for him or her. To help one in such a state is to offer sacrificial service. The true disciple of Jesus must be willing to assume a lowly position in order to serve those who are in a lowly state. Certainly "[i]t is possible for thoughtless, selfish people to gain a measure of worldly greatness, but lasting greatness is measured by God's standards" - the first step of which is to replace personal achievement with unselfish service. Rather than "seeking a place of service, [the disciples] were seeking positions of advantage. Jesus used a child to help his self-centered disciples get the point. They were to have servant attitudes, being not 'childish' (arguing over petty issues), but 'childlike,' with humble and sincere hearts." To humbly render service to someone and expect absolutely nothing in return is to perform a great act of faith - although "its greatness will not be displayed until the judgment day."The little child also offers some invaluable lessons on what it takes to enter God's kingdom: "When we receive Jesus, we actually 'enter' or are 'received into' his kingdom. The way into this kingdom is to turn to God from sin in the same spirit of humility that a child exhibits when he shows simple trust in someone he loves. A child comes to a trusted adult without achievements or personal greatness; instead, the child comes simply trusting that he will be received and loved." ?HEAR?(heart)China's First EmperorThe story of China's first emperor is a story of the wrong type of ambition.By the age of thirteen, Ying Cheng had become a warlord, and for the next twenty-five years he fought other warlords and amassed a million-man army. He had a well-earned reputation for completely devouring his enemies."At the height of his power he adopted a new title: Ch'in Shih Huang Ti - First Divine Emperor of China. It was because of this title that we call his land China today. He boasted that he was the head of a dynasty that would last ten thousand years."Besides establishing a central monarchy, Emperor Ch'in "developed a uniform code of law, launched massive public works - roads and canals - and built a shining new capital." He had a massive palace that was one and a half miles long and a half-mile wide.The Emperor's "greatest" achievement, however, was the great Wall of China. Built with forced labor, it is said that the bones of the tens of thousands of workers who perished on the job were ground up and added to the mortar. "If it were in the United States, it would reach from Los Angeles to New York and back again to Chicago. At its top was a roadway wide enough for eight men marching abreast, and it was connected by twenty-five thousand towers. Signal messages could be sent across ancient China in twenty-four hours."Emperor Ch'in died at the age of forty-one, the victim of a plot by his prime minister. The conspirators also forged a letter to the Emperor's son, the end result of which was the son's suicide.Rather than a ten-thousand year dynasty, Emperor Ch'in's was in fact the shortest dynasty in the history of China. ?"It is not wrong for believers to be industrious or ambitious. But when ambition pushes aside obedience and service, it becomes sin. We are all like the disciples and even like the Pharisees in this regard. Pride or insecurity can cause us to overvalue position and prestige." As Jesus taught by both word and example, true and lasting greatness begins with being ambitious to do God's will by offering sacrificial service to those who cannot repay us.DO?(hands)????When you think of "greatness," what images come to mind? What can this passage teach us about true greatness and how we can attain it? [[@Bible:Mark 9:38-50]]Mark 9:38-50 Using the Name of Jesus38?John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn't in our group."39?"Don't stop him!"?Jesus said.?"No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me.?40?Anyone who is not against us is for us.?41?If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded.42?"But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck.?43?If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It's better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell?? with two hands.?? 45?If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It's better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet.?? 47?And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It's better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48?'where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.'??49?"For everyone will be tested with fire.?? 50?Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other."SEE?(head)The disciples complain that a man who isn't a member of their group is acting as though he is. Jesus responds by telling them that even the smallest act of service done in his name is a good thing and will be rewarded. Jesus then addresses the seriousness of causing anyone to stumble and the drastic way in which his disciples must deal with whatever causes them to sin. Those who follow Jesus are to be like salt.Wasn't in our group (Mark 9:38)It seems the disciples were still stinging from their inability to cast the demon out of the boy. Here someone who is not a part of their group was doing what they were supposed to be doing but could not.?Although the disciples thought they had done the right thing in rebuking the rebel exorcist, they were now having second thoughts after Jesus' statement regarding welcoming others in his name (Mark 9:37)?Apparently the anonymous exorcist "was a disciple but not one of the Twelve commissioned by Jesus to do this work." Thus "Jesus is not dealing with a man who is settled in his determination not to join the band of his disciples but with a man whose knowledge is still limited, whose faith is yet young, and of whom our expectation must be that he will grow in both." Rather than focusing inward in an attempt to identify and deal with the true source of their problem, the disciples focused outward in an effort to label and deter the man whose ministry was successful. And so Jesus takes the opportunity to teach them about the nature of sin, including its source and its seriousness.This situation is reminiscent of God's appointing 70 elders to help Moses:?16?Then the LORD said to Moses, "Gather before me seventy men who are recognized as elders and leaders of Israel. Bring them to the Tabernacle to stand there with you.17?I will come down and talk to you there. I will take some of the Spirit that is upon you, and I will put the Spirit upon them also. They will bear the burden of the people along with you, so you will not have to carry it alone. ... 24?So Moses ... gathered the seventy elders and stationed them around the Tabernacle. 25?And the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses. Then he gave the seventy elders the same Spirit that was upon Moses. And when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But this never happened again.?26?Two men, Eldad and Medad, had stayed behind in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but they had not gone out to the Tabernacle. Yet the Spirit rested upon them as well, so they prophesied there in the camp. 27?A young man ran and reported to Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!"?28?Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses' assistant since his youth, protested, "Moses, my master, make them stop!"?29?But Moses replied, "Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put his Spirit upon them all!" 30?Then Moses returned to the camp with the elders of Israel. (Numbers 11:16-30,?NLT)Regarding that situation, one Bible commentator offers the following helpful remarks:The text states that these elders prophesied, but they did not continue to do so. It seems that the temporary gift of prophecy to these elders was primarily to establish their credentials as Spirit-empowered leaders rather than to make of them ongoing agents of the prophecy of the Spirit. Their principal task will not be revelatory; God still speaks through Moses. The task of the elders will be to help in the administration of the immense population, in its varied needs, especially in the context of the increasing impiety of the people.Two of the designated elders did not meet with the others when the Spirit of God came on the group. For some reason they remained in the camp. But they also received the gift of the Spirit, and they also began to prophesy. A young man who was devoted to Moses rushed to his master to inform him of this phenomenon and to beg his master to have them cease. The prophesying of Eldad and Medad in the camp where the common people would see them was perceived as an opportunity for further personal attacks on Moses. If these men had the same gift as Moses, and if they were in the midst of the people making prophetic proclamations, then could they not use their new gifts to bring about further sedition against God's servant?Here the true spirit of Moses is demonstrated. Rather than being threatened by the public demonstration of the gifts of the Spirit by Eldad and Medad, Moses desired that all the people might have the full gifts of the Spirit. This verse is a suitable introduction to the inexcusable challenge to the leadership of Moses in Numbers 12. Moses' magnanimity compares with that of Jesus in Mark 9:38-41 and Paul in Philippians 1:15-18. His expression of the desire for the falling of the Spirit of God on all the people is anticipative of the promise of God through the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28-32) and the experience of the early Christians in Acts 2:5-21. Cause ... to fall (Mark 9:42)Jesus warned against causing one of the little ones who trusts in him "to fall into sin" ("to stumble"?NASB; Greek?skandalizo), meaning "to cause to sin, with the probable implication of providing some special circumstances which contribute to such behavior." (Our English word "scandal" is closely related to it.) The original picture is of "the piece of wood that kept open a trap for animals," and so had the sense of "'springing forward and back,' 'slamming to,' 'closing on something,' or 'trapping.'" ?Jesus "refers to enticing or provoking a disciple to turn away from [him], resulting in serious spiritual damage. The undeveloped faith of the exorcist (Mark 9:38) or anyone else who acts in Jesus' name (Mark 9:41) should be encouraged rather than ruined by harsh criticism or sectarian bias."?The good news is that God has provided all that is necessary to prevent our stumbling: "In his farewell discourse Jesus declares: 'I have said all this to you to keep you from falling away [hina me skandalisthete]' (John 16:1). He refers here especially to the promise of the advocate, paraclete or helper (John 15:18-27), but also to his preaching as a whole (cf. John 6:63)."?Jesus' warning can and should be applied to wolves in sheep's clothing who promote blasphemous heresy such as can be found within Christian Science, the Jehovah's Witnesses, the Mormons, and the Word (of) Faith movement (see Romans 16:17-18; 1 Timothy 6:3-12; 2 Timothy 3:1-6). These types of false teachers are guilty many times over of enticing people into sin through the abandonment of sound doctrine. Their (apparent) success is fleeting, however, and on the day of judgment they will beg for a millstone necktie rather than the eternal fate that they will have earned for themselves. The fact that God has not yet judged these leaders for their false teachings that cause many to take offense and stumble is in no way a sign of his approval; rather, it indicates "that the time of judgment is not yet ripe." ?Hand ... foot ... eye (Mark 9:43, 45, 47)"[F]rom the thought of entrapping and destroying others Jesus turns to the allied thought that we may entrap ourselves and do this through one or the other of our bodily members."?Jesus identified sin with parts of the human body. Not only was this in keeping with contemporary rabbinic teaching, but it helped to underline the nature of sin. Obviously Jesus was not advocating literal self-mutilation, since there would still be one hand, foot, etc. that could cause us to sin.?"In the Bible, feet are often associated with traveling to do evil, hands with accomplishments, and eyes with vision or desires of the heart, aspirations, or ambitions."?While our bodies do not lead us into sin, we do use our bodies to commit sin. As one source puts it: "Do [your bodily members] really act independently of your person? Does your hand, foot, or eye without your volition set and bait a trap for your soul and then catch and kill it? Certainly not. It is your own evil heart and will that abuse these bodily members to make them the instruments of lusts and passions that center within you. It ought to be plain, then, that removing these members from your body and mutilating it would not help you, the lusts and passions would still be there. The heart and will must be changed." A person with a diseased limb that had to be amputated in order to save his/her life would be foolish indeed not to undergo the surgery, since, after all, it is better to sacrifice a limb than to lose a life.?We should see sin in the same way: We can keep our sin and lose our life, or we can give up our sin and save our life. Jesus was saying "that any relationship, practice, or activity that leads to sin should be stopped. As a person would submit to losing a diseased appendage (hand or foot) or a sense (sight) in order to save his or her life, so believers should be just as willing to 'cut off' any temptation, habit, or part of their nature that could lead them to hold onto this world and turn away from Christ and into sin." ?Later the apostle Paul admonished the believers in Rome to "not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present ... your members as instruments of righteousness to God" (Romans 6:13, NASB). The word "instruments" (Greek?hoplon) originally meant "any tool or implement for preparing a thing." It was used "figuratively for weapons of both offense and defense," and in the NT is always used "in the plural for 'weapons.'" This helps underscore the fact that the followers of Jesus Christ are in a spiritual battle of cosmic proportions. Our bodies are neutral instruments that can be used for either good or bad. We sin when we use our hands to harm rather than to help. We sin when we use our feet to carry us to the places we should not go rather than to the places we should go. And we sin when we use our eyes to look longingly at the things we can't have rather than to gaze gratefully on the many blessings God has given us.Hell (Mark 9:43, 45, 47)The word Jesus used for "hell," Gehenna, isthe Greek representative of the Hebrew Ge-Hinnom, or Valley of Hinnom, a deep, narrow glen to the south of Jerusalem, where, after the introduction of the worship of the fire-gods by Ahaz, the idolatrous Jews sacrificed their children to Molech. Josiah formally desecrated it, "that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech" (2 Kings 23:10). After this it became the common refuse-place of the city, into which the bodies of criminals, carcasses of animals, and all sorts of filth were cast. From its depth and narrowness, and its fire and ascending smoke, it became the symbol of the place of the future punishment of the wicked. When Jesus spoke of "'hell, "where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out,"'" he was quoting from Isaiah 66:24, which reads: "'Then they will go forth and look On the corpses of the men Who have transgressed against Me. For their worm will not die And their fire will not be quenched; And they will be an abhorrence to all mankind'" (NASB). The torment will be internal (ref: "the maggots"/"their worm" = the conscience), external (ref: "the fire"/"their fire"), and eternal (ref: the undying worm and the unquenchable fire).?Hell serves as both a warning and a reminder: it is a warning of "the unending, conscious punishment"?that is in store for anyone who continues living in rebellion against God, and it is a reminder of the "unending torment and eternal exclusion from His presence" that we are delivered from if/when we accept Christ's offer of salvation.Three additional but related points are worth mentioning. First, when the Bible speaks of the "destruction" of the wicked, it is referring to an ongoing (= eternal) punishment and not, as some claim, total annihilation (see Matthew 25:46; 2 Thessalonians 1:9). Second, Hell is something that a person chooses for him-/herself, and then a judgment from God in keeping with that person's choice. Hence Jesus' "'go into the unquenchable fires of hell'" (v. 43) versus "'be thrown into hell'" (v. 47).?Third, in all likelihood, both Heaven and Hell will be void of time and space as we understand those concepts right now.Fire ... salt (Mark 9:49, 50)Jesus said: "'For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another'" (Mark 9:49-50,?NASB). What did Jesus intend with all his talk about salt? While interpretations vary, it seems likely that Jesus was drawing upon the OT requirement, set forth in Leviticus 2, that the grain offering be salted.?There the emphasis is on purity and permanence: God's people were called to live pure lives and to avoid whatever would spoil the permanent covenant relationship between them and God. Thus Jesus was referring to "the process of purification, or purging, through which everyone must pass in order to gain entry into the Kingdom of God." As another source puts it: "Jesus was looking upon the disciples as sacrifices to God and at discipleship as a purifying process. The 'fire' that purified them probably referred to trials and persecutions that made them fit for service (see?Matthew 5:10-12;?1 Corinthians 3:13;?1 Peter 1:7;?4:12)." ?Jesus' reference to "fire" also recalls John the Baptist's testimony that the one greater than he (= Jesus) would baptize with both the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11 = Luke 3:16). A temporary, purifying fire awaits all those who follow Jesus (see John 16:33; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Peter 4:12-13), while a permanent, punishing fire awaits all those who reject him. "[W]ithin the hearts and lives of believers it will destroy what is bad and bring out what is good, causing them to be a preservative force, a salting salt, in the midst of their environment." This purification process can be compared to "salt in its burning property when it destroys the germs of corruption. It is the Word of Christ in its power to burn out of our hearts" whatever would prevent us from being effective for God, including "the evil desire to entrap others (v. 42) and the evil desires that would allow our own bodily members to entrap us ourselves (v. 43–48). ... [T]he Word which is excellent as salt may become saltless for us when we do not apply it properly to ourselves. You may have the whole Bible, but if you shrink from its sanctifying power you will not be freed from your corruption. Therefore [Jesus' admonition to 'have the qualities of salt among yourselves' (v. 50)] means using the Word constantly to keep us free from evil and spiritually clean and pure."?This is true discipleship which, in practical terms, demands: "obedience, denial of self, humility, and willing suffering for the sake of the kingdom. The disciples were to allow God's purifying work to be done in them. They, in turn, would be purifying agents in the community and in the world." Once a person has entered into God's kingdom, he/she is fully expected to exert a positive influence on the world at large, to be sure, but first and foremost within the Christian fellowship. Hence Jesus' admonition to "'be at peace with one another.'" "If within the brotherhood there is nothing but carping and quarrelling, how can those who call themselves Christians expect to win others to Christ? It is therefore not surprising that an echo of this exhortation is found also in the epistles of Paul (Romans 12:18; 2 Corinthians 13:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:13)." Along those lines, it is very possible to see in Jesus' words "the beginning of a move to a time when the defining characteristics of God's Spirit-indwelt people would not be temple, sacrifice, food laws, or Torah-observance, but rather the quality of their lives and relationships (cf. John 13:35)." The image of salt should remind us ofthree qualities that should be found in [God's] people:We should remember God's faithfulness, just as salt when used with a sacrifice recalled God's covenant with his people (Leviticus 2:13).We should make a difference in the "flavor" of the world we live in, just as salt changes meat's flavor (see Matthew 5:13).We should counteract the moral decay in society, just as salt preserves food from decay.When we lose this desire to "salt" the earth with the love and message of God, we become useless to him. ?HEAR?(heart)Belief Determines CharacterThe story is told of an ancient ring with the amazing ability to instill in its wearer such noble character as to be the object of everyone's admiration and affection.By and by the ring made its way into the hands of a man who had three sons. Loving each son equally, he was utterly perplexed as to which of his sons should inherit the ring. Unable to decide, he had two other rings made that were identical in every way to the first. Upon his deathbed he called his sons in, one at a time, and gave each of them a ring.Following the funeral the sons realized that each of them had the ring but that only one was the genuine article. Unable to decide for themselves which was the magical ring, they sought out a wise and discerning judge to advise them.After examining the rings, the judge declared that he could not tell them apart, either. "But," he said, "you yourselves can decide who has the real ring. For if the ring provides its wearer with noble character, then each one of you must go and decide to live a life marked by kindness, truthfulness, bravery, and justice. He whose life is filled with these things is the owner of the true ring." This story helps to illustrate how our beliefs determine our behavior. If each brother believed he had the true ring, he would act accordingly. In the same way, those of us who claim to know and believe in Jesus Christ will act like it. We will see the seriousness of sin. And we will take note of our own sins before we take note of others' sins. Which, in turn, will lead us to draw ever closer to God in order to overcome our sins and live out the life he intends us to live through the power and direction of his Holy Spirit.DO?(hands)????According to this passage, how serious is sin? What must we do to rid ourselves of sin's power in our lives? Mark 10[[@Bible:Mark 10:1-12]]Mark 10:1-12Discussion about Divorce and Marriage1 Then Jesus left Capernaum and went down to the region of Judea and into the area east of the Jordan River. Once again crowds gathered around him, and as usual he was teaching them.2?Some Pharisees came and tried to trap him with this question: "Should a man be allowed to divorce his wife?"3?Jesus answered them with a question: "What did Moses say in the law about divorce?"4?"Well, he permitted it," they replied. "He said a man can give his wife a written notice of divorce and send her away."??5?But Jesus responded, "He wrote this commandment only as a concession to your hard hearts. 6?But 'God made them male and female'?? from the beginning of creation. 7?This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife,?? 8?and the two are united into one.'?? Since they are no longer two but one, 9?let no one split apart what God has joined together."10?Later, when he was alone with his disciples in the house, they brought up the subject again. 11?He told them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery against her. 12?And if a woman divorces her husband and marries someone else, she commits adultery."SEE (head)Continuing to make his way southward toward Jerusalem, Jesus is once again accosted by Pharisees seeking to trap him with a question on a much- debated topic. This time they want to know Jesus' opinion regarding divorce. As usual, Jesus quickly moves from mere human opinion to God's authoritative declaration. Moses never commanded divorce; he sought merely to regulate a practice that fell far short of God's intention for marriage. Any and every act of divorce violates the sanctity and permanence of an institution established by God himself. Divorce (Mark10:2)The religious leaders asked Jesus "whether it was lawful [Greek exesti: "to be obligatory - 'must, ought to'] for a man to divorce [Greek apoluo: "to let loose from, let go free"] a wife" (Mark 10:2, NASB). The Pharisees were once again trying to trap Jesus, their aim being "to discredit him in the eyes of the public, so that the crowds would turn away from him." The Pharisees would have been well aware of the fact that it was the issue of divorce that had led to John the Baptist's imprisonment and eventual execution. Since "Jesus was now in the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas (i.e., Judea and beyond the Jordan)," it seems very likely the Pharisees were hoping Jesus' stance would likewise land him in trouble with Herod. At the very least, Jesus' taking sides in the debate would likely "split the ranks of His followers."Among the Jews of Jesus' day, there were two basic schools of thought regarding divorce, one broad-loose-liberal and the other narrow-strict-conservative. The broad-loose-liberal view was that of Rabbi Hillel (HILL el), which held that a man could divorce his wife - only in very rare cases could/would a wife divorce her husband - for many less-than-serious "offenses," including "going in public with uncovered head, entering into conversation with other men, speaking disrespectfully of the husband's parents in his presence, burning the bread, being quarrelsome or troublesome, getting a bad reputation or being childless (for ten years)," or even if the husband was to find "another woman more beautiful than" his wife. Those who subscribed to the narrow-strict-conservative view of Rabbi Shammai (SHAM eye), however, understood divorce to be warranted only in the case of sexual immorality.The law (Mark 10:3)"Appeal to the Law of Moses was for the Jewish people ... an appeal to the highest authority on any question." By asking what Moses "commanded" (see Mark 10:3 in NASB), Jesus was forcing the religious leaders to acknowledge that divorce was permitted but not demanded. Hence their reply: "'Moses permitted a man TO WRITE A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND SEND her AWAY.'" (Mark 10:4, NASB). Thus Jesus challenged the "assumption that because something is 'permitted,' it is therefore according to the will of God." (Polygamy is another example of this same truth.)In answering Jesus, the Pharisees summarized Deuteronomy 24:1-4: "When a man takes a wife and marries her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out from his house, and she leaves his house and goes and becomes another man's wife, and if the latter husband turns against her and writes her a certificate of divorce ... " (NASB). The problem is that since "some indecency" and "turns against (= hates) her" were not clearly defined, their meaning was open to debate. They likely do not refer to either adultery or pre-marital sexual relations, as both were addressed elsewhere and, moreover, carried a penalty of death (see Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:13-29). ("By Jesus' time [ca. A.D. 30] the death penalty was dropped, but Rabbinic law compelled a husband to divorce an adulterous wife.) "The great mistake of the Pharisees was that they imagined that the dissolution of marriage for some cause or other was originally contemplated in the will of God concerning marriage. Hence they thought that for this reason Moses wrote that permission in Deuteronomy 24:1 and commanded only that a written certificate be given the wife."The law's intent was to check divorce, not to encourage it. Moses allowed divorce "in view of their hardheartedness, their obstinate refusal to accept God's view of marriage. Moses acknowledged the presence of divorce in Israel but did not institute or authorize it."The fact is that Moses sought to bring civility to a very uncivil practice. As one source puts it: "Jesus explained that Moses gave the divorce law because of the sinfulness of the human heart. The law protected the wife by restraining the husband from impulsively divorcing her and abusing her like an unwanted piece of furniture, instead of treating her like a human being. Without a bill of divorcement, a woman could easily become a social outcast and be treated like a harlot. No man would want to marry her, and she would be left defenseless and destitute." Once the divorce took place and the wife married another man, she could never again return to her first husband, not even if the second husband divorced her or died. Apparently this provision was added in an effort to force the husband to think twice before rejecting his wife. God (Mark 10:6)"Jesus answered the question not on the basis of rabbinic custom and the debate over Deuteronomy 24:1, but rather from the account of creation and God's original design." In effect, while the religious leaders were arguing that marriage can (should?) be considered a temporary arrangement, Jesus upheld its permanence. "The Hebrew words for 'male' and 'female' reveal that the two were made complementary to each other. God's plan was that in marriage the husband and wife?become one flesh, an intimate closeness that cannot be separated. The wife is not property to be disposed of, but an equally created person." In quoting from the book of Genesis (Genesis 1:27 [and possibly Genesis 5:2], and Genesis 2:24), Jesus demonstrated: 1) that God created marriage to be a lifelong union of one man and one woman, and so 2) "[d]ivorce is tantamount to an undoing of the created order." Both of the popular interpretations regarding divorce were prejudiced in favor of the husband and thus resulted in his advantage. Jesus said "it was because of the hardness of men's hearts that divorce was conceded. The law was unequally balanced to the disadvantage of women, and Jesus' ruling, with its appeal to the Creator's intention, had the effect of redressing this unequal balance." Some Bible versions/translations extend Mark 10:7 (see NET Bible textual commentary). The NASB reads: ""FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER,'" while the KJV adds: "'and cleave to his wife.'" ESV: "'and hold fast to his wife.'" HCSB: "'[and be joined to his wife,]'" While Jesus' point regarding the permanence of marriage remains the same with or without the additional text, nonetheless it is worth noting that "cleave/hold fast" (Greek proskollao) means: "To glue one thing to another." And so the thought is that a man will leave his parents and be glued to his wife. Thus "'the two are united into one'" (Mark 10:8). "The Pharisees, who allowed a husband to discharge a wife at will for any trumped-up cause, were in conflict with the divine view of marriage. They considered husband and wife two like master and servant so that the husband could remove his wife at any time."As one source puts it: "Marriage is not a contract of temporary convenience which can be readily broken; it is a covenant of mutual fidelity to a lifelong union made before God.""This does not mean that a man is committing a sin by not getting married. Rather, it means that those who decide to marry must view marriage as a divine institution, a state in which they must so conduct themselves that true union - sexual, to be sure … but also intellectual, moral, and spiritual - is not only established but more and more firmly cemented." How is this accomplished? By seeing marriage as a team effort in which both partners work together, plan together, pray together, play together, and pull together. Which goes along with Jesus statement that "'God has joined together' [Greek: suzeugnumi]" (v. 9) the man and woman - a word picture of two animals being yoked together. Adultery (Mark 10:11, 12)"Adultery" (Greek moichao) refers to "sexual intercourse of a man with a married woman other than his own spouse. From the standpoint of the NT, adultery was normally defined in terms of the married status of the woman involved in any such act. In other words, sexual intercourse of a married man with an unmarried woman would usually be regarded as 'fornication,' but sexual intercourse of either an unmarried or a married man with someone else's wife was regarded as adultery, both on the part of the man as well as the woman." It is important to note that "Jesus did what the rabbis refused to do: he recognized that a man could commit adultery against his wife. In rabbinic Judaism a woman by infidelity could commit adultery against her husband; and a man, by having sexual relations with another man's wife, could commit adultery against him. But a man could never commit adultery against his wife, no matter what he did. Jesus, by putting the husband under the same moral obligation as the wife, raised the status and dignity of women." If, as appears likely, "commits adultery" (moichao) is in the middle voice, then the thought is that the offending spouse has made him-/herself an adulterer/adulteress. "Unlike Roman law, Palestinian Jewish law did not permit a woman to divorce her husband (although under extreme circumstances she could request that the court force him to divorce her)." Whether Jesus' words regarding a woman divorcing her husband reflected the rare Jewish practice and/or the more common Gentile practice, his point remains the same: "the sin consisted in the disruption of the marriage, no matter by what means this was effected."Jesus' statement to his disciples might be paraphrased: "Any man who unlawfully divorces his wife in order to marry another woman makes himself an adulterer. And any woman who unlawfully forces her husband to divorce her in order to marry another man makes herself an adulteress." Since elsewhere Jesus affirmed that adultery (Gk. porneia) is the only justifiable grounds for divorce (Matthew 5:32; 19:9), one lesson to be drawn from Jesus' teaching is that the innocent party in a marriage - that is, the one who was left behind - is free to remarry. Although the ideal?response is always forgiveness and reconciliation, in the event that simply is not possible - such as in the case of unrepentant adultery -?the innocent party should not feel as if he/she sins against God by remarrying. "In all his utterances on this subject Jesus blames only the one who disrupts the marriage and not the one whose marriage is disrupted. ... The deduction cannot be drawn from the words of Jesus that a disrupted marriage is still a binding marriage in the sight of God. ... Nowhere does Jesus forbid the innocent party of a disrupted marriage to marry again. As regards the guilty one who causes the disruption, the way of repentance is surely open also for such a sinner as it is open for any other who has caused an irreparable wrong to another."(Notice the link between living in "peace" and marriage/divorce both here [Mark 9:50-10:12] and in what the apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth [1 Corinthians 7:12-16].)HEAR (heart)Matrimonial Musings"A deaf husband and a blind wife are always a happy couple." - French Proverb "A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers." - Robert Quillen (1887-1948) "An ideal wife is any woman who has an ideal husband." "By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you will become very happy. If you get a bad one, you will become a philosopher." - Socrates (470-399 B.C.) "Even if marriages are made in heaven, man has to be responsible for the maintenance.""[W]hen the doors on a marriage are shut and bolted and a fire breaks out, all your time and energy goes to putting out the flames." We need to emulate "Jesus' high view of marriage and low view of divorce. ... God created marriage to be a sacred, permanent union and partnership between husband and wife. When both husband and wife enter this union with that understanding and commitment, they can provide security for each other, a stable home for their children, and strength to weather any of life's storms or stresses." DO (hands)??? How does God's design for marriage compare to our society's loose and free attitude regarding both marriage and divorce? [[@Bible:Mark 10:13-16]]Mark 10:13-16Jesus Blesses the Children13?One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.14?When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 15?I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it." 16?Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.SEE (head)Like other religious leaders of his day, Jesus is approached by parents wanting him to bless their children. The disciples try to prevent this. To their way of thinking, Jesus' time and energy are much too valuable to waste on those who can do nothing to further his kingdom. Jesus responds by assuring his disciples that anyone desiring to enter his kingdom must become like these little children. Parents (Mark 10:13)While the main focus of this passage is the children, we can learn much from the parents, as well. As parents, they were responsible for protecting and guiding their children. They refused to be deterred in their mission of bringing their most prized possessions to Jesus. They trusted him with them. They saw and heard Jesus use their children to teach some valuable lessons regarding God's kingdom. As the children grew up, doubtless they would often be reminded of the time their parents took them to Jesus so he could bless them. "How wonderful that in later years believing parents would be able to say to such a child, now arrived at the age of understanding, 'Think of it, when you, my child, were just a suckling, Jesus took you in his arms and blessed you. Then already you were the object of God's tender love. And he has been with you ever since. What, then, is your response?'"?Children (Mark 10:13)The fact that Mark placed this episode immediately after Jesus' teaching on divorce should remind us that bearing and raising children is one of God's purposes for marriage that is dramatically undermined by divorce. Both here and in Mark's earlier account (see Mark 9:36), we see Jesus taking children into his arms (Greek enagkalizomai: "to put one's arms around someone as an expression of affection and concern - 'to embrace, to hug, to put one's arms around.'"), a display of tender affection made even more noteworthy by the fact that Mark is the only gospel writer to record it.?Jesus then "placed his hands on their heads and blessed them" (v. 16). While the Bible in general and the NT in particular contain many examples of someone offering or extending a blessing, Jesus' was a very special blessing. While "bless" in general means: "to ask God to bestow divine favor on, with the implication that the verbal act itself constitutes a significant benefit," in recording Jesus' blessing of the children, Mark used a unique "intensive compound verb ... (kateulogei, imperf., occurring only here in the NT) [that] emphasizes the warmhearted fervor with which Jesus blessed each child who came to Him." As one source notes: "Jesus did not rush through the process or pass it off as unimportant. It probably brought him great joy to spend time with little children whose faith and trust was so pure and simple. The receptiveness of these children was a great contrast to the stubbornness of the religious leaders, who let their education and sophistication stand in the way of the simple faith needed to believe in Jesus; and the dullness of the disciples, whose self-centeredness continued to blind them to Jesus' true mission. No wonder Jesus used children as an example for hard-hearted adults." Jesus' attitude is in stark contrast to that of his disciples: "the disciples scolded the parents for bothering [Jesus]" (v. 13), evidently seeing the children as a disruptive distraction. "Considering their inability to have any quiet time together, the disciples may have viewed these parents and children as another intrusion and drain of time and energy." Thus once again the disciples display a misunderstanding of "both Jesus' compassion and his mission." Jesus' rebuke and Kingdom statement highlights the fact that "[a]ll, including children, who come to Jesus in childlike trust and dependence, are given free access to Jesus. Like these children ... like a child (Mark 10:14, 15)Jesus said that "'the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children'" (v. 14). "Children are a picture of those whose simple trust illustrates what faith is all about. The remark illustrates how everyone is important to God, even those whom others regard as insignificant." Jesus also said that "'anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it'" (v. 15). Thus we understand that "God's kingdom is not gained by human achievement or merit; it must be received as God's gift through simple trust by those who acknowledge their inability to gain it any other way." God's kingdom cannot be gained by asserting our alleged authority or demanding our supposed rights. As one source puts it: "Jesus is talking about the simple, humble, unquestioning, trustful manner in which a child accepts what is offered to him." It needs to be said that this includes actual children. At times we tend to think that children must come to Jesus the same way adults do when, in fact, Jesus said it is actually the reverse. (It is "mature" adults, not children, who oftentimes "feel supremely powerful, perfectly righteous, or totally autonomous" - all childish fantasies which must be laid aside before we can come to Christ.)Luke's parallel account (see Luke 18:15) notes that parents were bringing even their "babies" (Greek brephos: "a very small child, even one still unborn") to Jesus to be blessed by him. The positive qualities of children are a vivid illustration of true discipleship. Like children, we are to be open and receptive to what God offers us. Like children, we are to trust completely in, and rely completely on, our Father. Like children, we are to be humble and obedient. (It goes without saying that we should avoid the negative qualities of children such as being stubborn, selfish, rebellious, spoiled etc.) With infants in particular, we are to imitate their trust and dependence. HEAR (heart)No HelmetsThere's a true story of a family who were driving along the coast of Florida as part of their vacation. They came across a sign that read "Naturist Camp" and assumed it was the same as a naturalist camp. And so they drove into the camp, parked their car, and began walking toward the beach.To their utter embarrassment, they realized they were wrong about the camp when they saw a group of bicyclists, all completely nude, peddling along the beach. The "naturist" camp was actually a "nudist" camp!When they saw the cyclists, the couple's five-yea-old son stopped and stared in wide-eyed wonder. He pointed at the group and said, "Look, Mom and Dad. Those people are not wearing safety helmets!" The five-year-old noticed what, to him, was the most important thing: the absence of safety helmets. As God's children, we are called to help others see the most important thing they are missing: a real and personal relationship with the real and personal God who made them. As we consistently ask God to fill our lives with a love for others, he will increase our childlike faith and use us to impact our world for Jesus Christ.DO (hands)??? What are some practical things we can do to foster the positive qualities of children in ourselves and others? [[@Bible:Mark 10:17-31]]Mark 10:17-31The Rich Man17?As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"18?"Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked. "Only God is truly good. 19?But to answer your question, you know the commandments: 'You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.'??"20?"Teacher," the man replied, "I've obeyed all these commandments since I was young."21?Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. "There is still one thing you haven't done," he told him. "Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."22?At this the man's face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.23?Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!" 24?This amazed them. But Jesus said again, "Dear children, it is very hard?? to enter the Kingdom of God. 25?In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!"26?The disciples were astounded. "Then who in the world can be saved?" they asked.27?Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God."28?Then Peter began to speak up. "We've given up everything to follow you," he said.29?"Yes," Jesus replied, "and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, 30?will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property - along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. 31?But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.??"SEE (head) Jesus is approached by a young man of some importance, probably a leader in his community, who asks Jesus how to be made right with God. In response, Jesus recites some of the ten commandments. When the young man says he has always kept them, Jesus tells him to get rid of his wealth and then follow him. The man refuses, and he leaves disheartened. Jesus then says how difficult it is for a person with material wealth to be made right with God. The disciples are amazed, and Peter points out how much he and the others have given up to follow Jesus. Jesus says anything given for the kingdom will be given back many times over - but not without difficulties and suffering.A man (Mark 10:17)At first all we know of this man is that he was eager ("came running") and tremendously respectful ("knelt down") (v. 17). Matthew and Luke tell us that he was "influential, wealthy, and young [cf. Matthew 19:20, 22; Luke 18:18]." In fact, he was?"one of the officials who managed the affairs of the local synagogue," and "between 24 and 40" years old. The man addressed Jesus as "Good Teacher," and asked Jesus what he must do to "inherit eternal life." From what Jesus said to him, as well as what he (Jesus) said during a separate but similar exchange (see Luke 10:25-29), it seems clear that "Jesus believed that keeping the true spirit of the Law guarantees eternal life" - a spirit which, it must be noted, excludes the works-based righteousness (= earning a right standing before God through good works) upon which this man was relying. We know this was his motivation because he spoke in terms of doing something to get eternal life. "Sincere in both his desire for eternal life and his willingness to do anything to obtain it, the man did not understand that an inheritance need not be earned, only accepted." He "felt insecure about his future destiny." In fact, the man deeply desired both "peace of mind for the present and never-ending blessedness for the future." "The picture thus drawn of the young ruler is really pathetic: so eager to do the good thing, so desirous of life eternal (when so many young men are carried away by the world), so strongly attracted to Jesus - and yet so far from the right road to eternal life!" To be sure, from all outward appearances this man had indeed lived an exemplary life. As one Bible commentator notes:Many would today be only too well satisfied with themselves if they were like him, and others would praise and perhaps envy him if they saw him in modern form. Picture him: an exemplary young man in early manhood, fine and clean morally as the phrase now goes, the son of wealthy parents but not spoiled by wealth, with a strong religious bent, an esteemed member of the church, in fact, one of its pillars, a ruler of the local synagogue who was more important than a member of the church council in our present congregations is. Where are the parents that would not be proud of such a son? Where the church that would not give him a prominent place? Where the young lady that would not be attracted by his position and his personal excellence? Yet all this is worthless in the eyes of Jesus. In fact, the man himself is not satisfied.Good (Mark 10:17, 18)For all his seeming righteousness, the man had a faulty understanding of goodness, seeing it "as something measured by human achievement." What he needed was "to see himself in the context of God's perfect character" In challenging the man's understanding of goodness and reminding him of the source of absolute goodness (= God), in effect "Jesus is saying, 'Before you address me with such a title, you had better think soberly about what the implications are, and especially what they are for you.'" "Because only God is truly good, the man, without knowing it, was calling Jesus 'God.' He was correct in so doing, but Jesus preferred that people use such words only when they meant and understood them." It appears that the man saw Jesus as the ideal religious teacher who had found the key to eternal life -?and he wanted to know Jesus' secret.The commandments (Mark 10:19)Jesus responded to the man's inquiry by recounting five (possibly six) of the Ten Commandments, all of which have to do with one's relations with other people (see Exodus 20:12-16; Deuteronomy 5:16-20). The man was Torah-observant and thus had lived a morally upright life. All his life he had "wholeheartedly obeyed" (NET version, meaning "carefully guarded") all the laws Jesus had mentioned. "The man sincerely believed that he had not broken any commandments; now he wanted Jesus to guarantee his eternal life. Such is the condition of one who tries to attain eternal life or a relationship with God by his or her own merit. Even if it seems that the person has kept all the laws perfectly, he or she still needs assurance." Perhaps the rich young man was expecting "Jesus to prescribe something meritorious that he needed to do to make up for any lack." Good intentions notwithstanding, the rich young man was relying on his conduct and his possessions, his "[m]oney represent[ing] his pride of accomplishment and self-effort." While he "was probably being sincere when he insisted I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws, he had confined his righteousness to external obedience. The rich man's response to Jesus' command to give away all he had revealed that internally he loved money more than God." In effect, material wealth had become his god, causing him to break the first and greatest commandment, "Do not worship any other gods besides me" (Exodus 20:3). ("Money, fame, work, or pleasure can become gods when we concentrate too much on them for personal identity, meaning, and security.")A comparison of the commandments (NASB):Exodus: "12 Honor your father and your mother ..." (Exodus 20:12) Matthew: "18 ... YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER" (Matthew 19:18)Mark: " ... DO NOT MURDER" (Mark 10:19)Luke: "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY" (Luke 18:20)Exodus: "13 You shall not murder." (Exodus 20:13)Matthew: "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY" (Matthew 19:18)Mark: "DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY" (Mark 10:19)Luke: "DO NOT MURDER" (Luke 18:20)Exodus: "14 You shall not commit adultery." (Exodus 20:14)Matthew: "YOU SHALL NOT STEAL" (Matthew 19:18)Mark: "DO NOT STEAL" (Mark 10:19)Luke: "DO NOT STEAL" (Luke 18:20)Exodus: "15 You shall not steal." (Exodus 20:15)Matthew: "YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS" (Matthew 19:18)Mark: "DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS" (Mark 10:19)Luke: "DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS" (Luke 18:20)Exodus: "16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." (Exodus 20:16)Matthew: "19 HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER" (Matthew 19:19)Mark: "Do not defraud" (Mark 10:19)Luke: "HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER" (Luke 18:20)Exodus: "17 You shall not covet ... anything that belongs to your neighbor." (Exodus 20:17)Matthew: "and YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF" (Matthew 19:19)Mark: "HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER" (Mark 10:19)Luke: (N/A)Another important lesson to be learned from this passage has to do with the connection between our abundance and other people's needs. The commands that Jesus listed could be summed up in what he elsewhere referred to as the second greatest commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (When viewed from this perspective, defrauding can be understood as withholding from our neighbor the love we owe him/her.) By saying that he had kept all the commands Jesus noted, the rich young man was in effect saying that he loved other people as much as he loved himself. Jesus put his love for others to the test by telling him to sell everything he had and then donate the proceeds to charity. The young man's unwillingness to do so revealed that he in fact did not love other people as much as he loved himself. Jesus most certainly was not saying that the man could earn his salvation through good works - through either "philanthropy or poverty." When it comes to the triangle of God, ourselves, and others, the point was (and is) that being right with God will result in our using what God gives us to help others in need. In that way we prove that we value both God and people more than we value material wealth. Conversely, failing to help others in need proves that we are not loving God as we should. Sell all ... follow me (Mark 10:21)"For the wealthy, the thought of poverty is frightening." Jesus loved the man enough to tell him the hard truth that we must rid ourselves of whatever prevents us from following Jesus. In essence, Jesus told the man to "decide between wealth in this life and wealth in heaven." The problem was not that he possessed money; the problem was that his money possessed him. "He wanted to have the kingdom, but as it turned out, he wasn't ready for the kingdom to have him." While Scripture does not condemn owning or accumulating material wealth, it does very strongly condemn relying on wealth rather than God. This man's love for his possessions was preventing him from demonstrating the childlike humility and obedience that Jesus said is absolutely necessary for entering God's kingdom. "The way to eternal life was in turning from trust in self-attainments and earthly securities to trust in Jesus." Jesus' call was (and is) both an invitation and a command to imitate him - which goes far beyond the mere "theological instruction" the rich young man had come seeking. We can almost hear the man saying to himself as he walked away: "'This requirement is not fair. None of the other rabbis would have demanded this much of me.'" "Jesus' words to this rich young man were a test of his faith and his willingness to obey. The man thought he needed to do more; Jesus explained that there was plenty more he could do, but not in order to obtain eternal life. Instead, he needed an attitude adjustment toward his wealth. Only then could he submit humbly to the lordship of Christ. By putting his treasure in heaven and 'following' Jesus along the road of selflessness and service to others, the man could be assured of his eternal destiny." In one respect, Jesus' instructions to the rich young man to sell everything and give the money to the poor were uniquely for him and thus "not a requirement for all prospective disciples." Hence this passage cannot "be used as proof for the abolition of personal ownership of wealth."?That said, we must be very careful lest we overlook two truths of vital importance: 1) Radical self-denial is demanded of every true disciple. 2) What's more, salvation itself is impossible without "true and saving faith in Christ. That is why Jesus adds the gospel call to come and follow him to the selling and giving away. This would be the evidence of true faith in him."Jesus offered the rich young man a lesson in spiritual mathematics. Salvation does not mean adding something to what we already have in order to make ourselves good enough for God. Rather, it begins with subtracting any sense of our own goodness, as such only creates division between us and God. We must accept in faith the finished work of Jesus Christ, and then God will give us a new nature that desires above all else to know, love, and serve him. God then multiplies our efforts at living a righteous and holy life. The end result equals peace with other people and, most importantly, peace with God. As one source puts it: "Jesus tells this man that he really needs the one essential and vital thing. He has thus far attained only an outward obedience to the law and has not even discovered that this is utterly useless for salvation; he still thinks that all he needs is to add something to this outward obedience. The thing he lacks begins with this discovery, with the realization that all his work-righteousness is in vain, that what he needs is a complete inward change."Hard ... impossible ... possible (Mark 10:23, 27)"22 The man's face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go. 23 Looking at his disciples, Jesus said, 'Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who "have it all" to enter God's kingdom?' 24 The disciples couldn't believe what they were hearing, but Jesus kept on: 'You can't imagine how difficult. 25 I'd say it's easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for the rich to get into God's kingdom.' 26 That set the disciples back on their heels. 'Then who has any chance at all?' they asked. 27 Jesus was blunt: 'No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you let God do it'" (vv. 22-27, The Message). "The failure of what perhaps had looked like a promising recruit" prompted Jesus' discourse on the distraction of riches. "Jesus used a common Jewish proverb describing something impossible and absurd. With all their advantages and influence, rich people may find it difficult to have the attitude of humility, submission, and service required by Jesus. Because money represents power, authority, and success, wealthy people often have difficulty realizing their need and their powerlessness to save themselves. Those rich in talent or intelligence suffer the same difficulty. It is difficult for a self-sufficient person to realize his or her need and come to Jesus. It's hard to give away the control over life that money provides." The disciples were "amazed" (v. 24) and "astounded" (v. 26) at Jesus' teaching. Why were Jesus' words regarding the wealthy such a shock to his disciples? "[B]ecause in Judaism riches were a mark of God's favor and thus an advantage, not a barrier, in relation to God's kingdom." And so, "[i]f the rich - those who from the disciples' vantage point seemed to be first in line for salvation - cannot be saved, then who?can be saved?" As another source puts it: "[M]any people drew the wrong conclusion that individual prosperity was a sign of God's favor and of virtue, and individual adversity a sign of God's disfavor and of perversity." The truth both then and now is that, while God's kingdom in its fullness will indeed include material abundance, "too much health and wealth in the present age act as a distraction and a deterrent." But, said Jesus, while "salvation is impossible with men - beyond their human merit or achievement," it is not impossible "with God. It is not beyond His power to bring about because all things necessary for people's salvation - rich and poor alike - are possible with God. What people cannot effect, God can and does by His grace."Hence salvation is a gift to be accepted, not a right to be earned. "At every point, beginning, middle, end, man is completely dependent on God for salvation."?Eye of a needle (Mark 10:25)Today it is common to hear that the "eye of the needle" mentioned by Jesus was actually "a small gate somewhere in the walls of Jerusalem, through which camels may pass, but with great difficulty." However, "[t]he so-called 'needle gate' that the locals show to gullible pilgrims to the Holy Land cannot be dated any earlier than the Middle Ages (usually to Theophylact [a church official and Bible commentator]; eleventh century)." As one source explains: "The humorous comparison employs a memorable Jewish proverb to depict the impossible. It is easier by comparison for a camel, the largest animal in Palestine at that time, to go through the eye of a common sewing needle (the smallest opening) than for a rich man who trusts in his riches to enter God's kingdom." While "speaking rhetorically," Jesus was indeed referring to a literal camel, a literal needle, and a literal truth: "[A]part from God's intervention, salvation is impossible." We cannot earn our salvation; we can only humbly accept it as God's free gift. "No one is saved on merit; but?all are saved who humbly come to God to receive salvation." A hundred times as many (Mark 10:30)Peter took it upon himself to remind Jesus that, in contrast to the rich man who refused to give up his riches, Peter and the other disciples had given up everything in order to follow Jesus. "It occurs to Peter that he and the Twelve had done exactly what Jesus required of the rich young ruler and so thinks he ought to remind Jesus of this fact. Peter thinks that this their act was no small thing." As Matthew makes clear, Peter was actually demanding to know how they would be compensated for their loss (see Matthew 19:27). Peter was again thinking in merely human terms, "the old spirit ... of human claims and merit" - that is, the false belief that "[t]he more we do, the more we earn, and the more God owes us." In reply Jesus assured the disciples that "'everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property - along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then'??" (vv. 29-31). What did Jesus mean?We should start by reminding ourselves that "[t]his promise is for all true followers of the Lord. ... It is for all who have chosen Christ above all else, even above their dearest relatives and most cherished possessions." Jesus was saying that following him demands "a break with old ties - home, loved ones, or property (fields), as the case may be. But to everyone who makes the break Jesus promised that all these things will be replaced a hundredfold by new ties with fellow disciples in this present Age, the time period between Jesus' First and Second Advents. Then in the Age to come, the future Age following Jesus' return (from a NT viewpoint), each will receive the ultimate recompense - eternal life."Thus "Jesus assured the disciples that anyone who gave up something valuable for his sake would be repaid a hundred times over, although not necessarily in the same form. It is difficult to say whether Jesus had in mind material as well as spiritual blessings; although in light of?10:17-31 it probably means that God will give spiritual blessings for material sacrifices." Jesus also said that our "compensation" will include persecution. "These persecutions are really the butter on the bread, for by them we are more strongly assured that we are God's children than by the other blessings that he sends us. Persecutions alone are able to lift us into the company of the prophets to share their high rewards (Matthew 5:10-12)." Jesus' statement regarding the greatest versus the least is a reminder that "[r]ewards in God's kingdom are not based on earthly standards such as rank, priority, or duration of time served, personal merit, or sacrifice, but on commitment to Jesus and following Him faithfully."And so, believers "who still seek status and importance here on earth will have none in heaven. Jesus may have been speaking to the disciples' mixed-up motives. They had given up everything and hoped for rewards, for status in God's kingdom (whatever that would be). ... Jesus, so unimpressed with worldly prestige, holds places of honor in reserve for faithful disciples who see beyond trophies and blue ribbons to what the Bible elsewhere calls a 'crown of glory.'" HEAR (heart)Monetary Musings"No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he'd only had good intentions. He had money as well." - Margaret Thatcher "Money is a marvelous servant but a terrible master." - Warren Wiersbe "He who serves God for money will serve the devil for better wages." - English Proverb "Money is like manure: If you spread it around, it does a world of good; but if you pile it up, it stinks to high heaven." "To get money is difficult, to keep it more difficult, but to spend it wisely most difficult of all." On the one hand, the Bible teaches that material wealth is a blessing from God and a sign of his favor. On the other hand, the Bible repeatedly warns of the misuse and abuse of material wealth. The fact is that money is a tool that can and should be used to help ourselves and others. We should feel free to use and enjoy it - but only as we also and always guard against making it an idol. "How much to enjoy, to invest, to spend on family; how much to give to church, charities, individuals in need - these are matters for a lifetime. What really matters, however, is that our economic lives spring forth from souls neither too withered for delight nor too hard for compassion. In that harmony we seek the right rhythm for seeking first the kingdom of God." DO (hands)??? The man who approached Jesus was young, eager, morally inclined, and rich. Most churches today would be hard pressed not to accept his application for membership. What does that say about the current state of the Church? [[@Bible:Mark 10:32-37]]Mark 10:32-37Jesus Again Predicts His Death32?They were now on the way up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were filled with awe, and the people following behind were overwhelmed with fear. Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus once more began to describe everything that was about to happen to him. 33?"Listen," he said, "we're going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man?? will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans.?? 34?They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him, but after three days he will rise again." Jesus Teaches about Serving Others35?Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do us a favor."36?"What is your request?" he asked.37?They replied, "When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left."38?But Jesus said to them, "You don't know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?"39?"Oh yes," they replied, "we are able!"Then Jesus told them, "You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering. 40?But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen."41?When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. 42?So Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 43?But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44?and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45?For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many."SEE (head)Fear and dread grow thick as Jerusalem fast approaches. Jesus again tells his disciples what to expect: he will be handed over to his enemies, beaten and killed, and will rise back to life. James and John ask for a special place in the kingdom, but Jesus says God has already determined who will occupy those positions. The other disciples become indignant, and Jesus takes advantage of the teachable moment to describe true servant-leadership.Everything (Mark 10:32)This was Jesus' third, and most detailed, prediction of the mistreatment and death he was going to suffer at the hands of the Jewish Sanhedrin and the Romans. Mark records how everything was fulfilled: "we're going up to Jerusalem" = Mark 11:11"where the Son of Man?? will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law" = Mark 14:53-65"They will sentence him to die" = Mark 14:64b"and hand him over to the Romans" = Mark 15:1"They will mock him, spit on him" = Mark 15:16-20 (see Mark 14:65)"flog him with a whip" = Mark 15:15"and kill him" = Mark 15:20b-39"but after three days he will rise again" = Mark 16Notice Jesus' repeated use of the word "and" (Greek kai) (9x in the Greek; 8x in the NASB): "behold we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the scribes and they will condemn him to death and they will hand him [over] to the Gentiles and they will mock him and spit on him and flog him and kill [him] and after three days he will rise" "The very simplicity of this style is actually dramatic and highly effective. ... They take us down, down to the most frightful death; this [last 'and'] by one tremendous stroke undoes it all and brings Jesus back to life in the resurrection of glory. Places of honor (Mark 10:37)Two of Jesus' disciples requested a permanent appointment to the two highest "places of honor" once he had assumed the throne, which they expected to happen very soon. ("[I]n a royal court both sides are places of honor, the left being only slightly less glorious than the right.") Their request was actually a mixture of both good and bad: "Their request was evidence of faith. They believed that according to his promise Jesus would be seated on the throne of his glory, and that each of The Twelve would also be seated on thrones. They were convinced of this in spite of the fact that at this moment there was little to show that events were moving in that direction. That much can be said in their favor. On the other hand, it is clear that sinful ambition was playing a role here. They desired that the two most honorable places should be assigned not to Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, or even to Peter and Andrew, but to themselves, James and John, to nobody else!" James and John "did not understand that Jesus' kingdom is not of this world; it is not centered in palaces and thrones, but in the hearts and lives of his followers. None of the disciples understood this truth until after Jesus' resurrection." Jesus said that the positions of honor being sought by James and John had already been decided by God - and thus could not be changed (Mark 10:40). "The eternal counsel of the Father, which fixed all things in regard to the kingdom, included also the disposition of the glory seats."While Jesus will indeed "distribute eternal rewards (2 Timothy 4:8), he will do so according to God's decisions." It is with a deep sense of irony that during Jesus' crucifixion the "places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left" were occupied by two condemned rebels (Mark 15:27). It is also worth noting that for the one rebel who repented and received salvation, God used an occasion of tremendous dishonor to bring about the greatest honor imaginable: eternity with Jesus. Cup ... baptism (Mark 10:38, 39)Jesus responded to the disciples' request by asking if they were able to undergo the type of dishonorable treatment he was about to endure. With a mixture of loyalty, self-confidence, and naivety, they replied in the affirmative. (The expression "drink the/a cup" means to "fully undergo this or that experience, whether favorable or unfavorable.") Jesus said that they would indeed be called to endure a similar "'baptism of suffering.'" - that is, "be plunged into the flood of horrible distress." ("In the Old Testament, 'deep waters' often described calamity, suffering, and the divine judgment of God.") Like most of their fellow Jews, the disciples believed the Messiah's kingdom would be earthly, and they thought Jesus was going to set up that kingdom very soon. And so James and John may have been volunteering to fight in "a messianic battle" to establish Jesus' earthly kingdom. However, what Jesus had in mind was his "bearing the burden of God's judgment on sin which involved overwhelming sufferings culminating in His death (cf. Luke 12:50)." The disciples would also suffer even to death, with James being the first apostle to die and John the last."The 'cup' and the 'baptism' refer to what Jesus would face on the cross. Mark alone recorded references to both the 'cup' and 'baptism.' These words would be familiar to the early church because of the rites of Eucharist and baptism. Mark may have intended to show his readers the true importance of these rites. To drink Jesus' cup and to be baptized with his baptism meant more than just taking part in a ritual; it also meant taking up his mission and his sufferings." Indignant (Mark 10:41)The other disciples were very angry with James and John - for beating them to the punch! As one source puts it: "The ten prove themselves no better than the two. Many feel wronged by the success of others, but similar success on their part appears quite without wrong to them." However, "[b]efore we react harshly to the disciples' behavior, we should recall how easy it is for us to be irritated at the honors others seek or receive." Jesus used the situation "to instruct his disciples further on the type of service appropriate for the kingdom of God." Thus Jesus continued his pattern of a passion prediction, "followed by important teaching of what followers of Jesus should expect and how they should live" (see Mark 8:34-9:1; 9:33-37). Namely, they were to be servant-leaders who follow the example of their Servant-Master.Servant ... slave (Mark 10:43, 44)Jesus taught that among his followers there is a direct correlation between greatness and humble service. A leader must be "your (pl.) house servant (diakonos), one who voluntarily renders useful service to others," and the first must be "a slave (doulos), one who forfeits his own rights in order to serve any and all. A disciple is to serve others, not his own interests, voluntarily and sacrificially." Whereas worldly greatness often depends on "coming down heavily on others" in order to elevate oneself, to be great in God's kingdom is to be "self-giving," to pour one's self out "in service to others, for the glory of God." Thus Jesus literally turned the idea of greatness on its head: "And now the Gentile idea of greatness is inverted, turned upside down, the pyramid rests on the apex, the great man does not sit atop the lesser men, but the great man bears the lesser men on his back."This was actually nothing less than a revolutionary concept. "While the Old Testament often spoke of submission and service, it usually referred to a person's relationship with God. Jesus applied the concept of the servant attitude to a person's relationship to other people. In doing so, he transformed the ethics of the ancient world. The Greeks considered humility to be the lowest virtue; Jesus made it the highest." To be great in God's kingdom is to be ready and willing to serve others. "Whether they reward and exalt us for this service or not makes no difference. ... The greatness is measured by the service and not by the power and authority arrogated and displayed."Why is this the case? Because ("'For ...'" v. 45) even the Master - the only one entitled to absolute praise and honor and glory - humbled himself in voluntary, sacrificial, vicarious, and obedient service, laying down his life so that others could live. One source paraphrases Jesus' thought: "'In the kingdom about to be set up ... [a]ll My servants shall there be equal; and the only greatness known to it shall be the greatness of humility and devotedness to the service of others. He that goes down the deepest in these services of self-denying humility shall rise the highest and hold the chiefest [sic.] place in that kingdom; even as the Son of man, whose abasement and self-sacrifice for others, transcending all, gives Him of right a place above all!'" Ransom (Mark 10:45)Jesus said that he "'came ... to give his life as a ransom for many'" (v. 45). "Jesus' mission was to serve - ultimately by giving his life in order to save sinful humanity. ... Jesus took our place; he died the death we deserved." Here "'ransom'" refers to "the means or instrument by which release or deliverance is made possible," and "'for'" carries the thought of "'in the place of' or 'in exchange for.' The passage is a clear proof of Christ's substitutionary atonement." As one source puts it: "The idea of Jesus as the 'ransom' is that he paid the price with his own life by standing in humanity's place as a substitute, enduring the judgment that was deserved for sin."HEAR (heart)The Patient is the DoctorThe true story is told of Dr. Evan O'Neill Kane's quest to prove that local anesthesia would be a better option than the usual practice of always using general anesthesia. The sixty-year-old chief surgeon of Kane Summit Hospital, located in New York City, had performed nearly four-thousand appendectomies. He decided to find a volunteer who would allow him to perform the operation while using local anesthesia.But it was very difficult. There was a general fear that the effects of the anesthesia would wear off during the operation, leaving the patient in excruciating pain. And some people simply believed a local anesthesia would not work at all.Finally, however, the doctor had his volunteer. And so on February 15, 1921 the volunteer was prepped for surgery, the local anesthesia was administered, and the surgery went without a hitch. Dr. Kane proved his point and became famous twice over. He not only became the first surgeon to perform a major operation using only local anesthesia, but he had performed the operation on himself! We can learn much from Dr. Kane's incredible example of sacrificial service. He did for others what they could not - and would not - do for themselves. Convinced of the rightness of his case, he went to incredible lengths to prove it. DO (hands)"In Jesus' kingdom, leaders are those who work toward the best interests of others, not parading their authority or lording it over others. Servant leadership in Jesus' kingdom has a lot of the 'can do' spirit in it, a big portion of 'follow me to the hard work,' and a huge helping of 'your pile looks bigger than mine, let me help you.'" ??? It's been observed that leadership is influence. What are some practical steps we can take to positively influence those around us for Jesus Christ? [[@Bible:Mark 10:46-52]]Mark 10:46-52Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus46 Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and His disciples left town, a large crowd followed Him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. 47 When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"48 "Be quiet!" many of the people yelled at him. But he only shouted louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"49 When Jesus heard him, He stopped and said, "Tell him to come here." So they called the blind man. "Cheer up," they said. "Come on, He's calling you!" 50 Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. 51 "What do you want Me to do for you?" Jesus asked."My rabbi, " the blind man said, "I want to see!"52 And Jesus said to him, "Go, for your faith has healed you." Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.SEE (head)Jesus and his disciples pass through Jericho and a large crowd joins them. A blind man is sitting in his usual spot beside the busy road where, being unable to work, he is reduced to begging for a living. When he hears that Jesus is passing by, he begins to cry out. Although the crowd keeps telling him to quiet down, he refuses. Jesus asks for the man to be brought to him, and Jesus heals him. The blind man then begins to follow Jesus.Jericho (Mark 10:46)Jesus was passing through Jericho on his way up to Jerusalem. "Founded perhaps as early as 8,000 B.C.," Jericho is located about fifteen miles northeast of Jerusalem. There were actually two Jerichos -- "old Israelite Jericho" (aka OT Jericho) and "new Herodian Jericho" (aka NT Jericho). "The Old Testament city of Jericho had been destroyed by the Israelites (Joshua 6:20). But during Herod the Great's rule over Palestine, he had rebuilt the city (about a mile south of the original city) as a site for his winter palace. Jericho was a popular and wealthy resort city, not far from the Jordan River." Thus the Jericho of Jesus' day was a wealthy "city on a major route from Galilee down the Jordan Valley to Jericho and then up (WSW) through the Judean hills to Jerusalem." The converted tax-collector Zacchaeus (zack KEY us) lived there (Luke 19:1), and Jesus' story of the good Samaritan "is set on the narrow, bandit-infested road from Jerusalem down to Jericho (Luke 10:30-37)." Beggar (Mark 10:46)"Beggars were to be found wherever crowds assembled or passed by, as at the entrance to Jericho or the gates of the temple (Matthew 20:30; Acts 3:2)," and of course Jericho's wealth would have attracted many beggars. As one source explains, there were many reasons for begging and beggars: Israel was never without her poor and afflicted. The poverty that seemed to require begging for the sustaining of life was at times occasioned by natural disasters, such as blindness, and also by marauding enemies who stripped the land of its crop. Because widows, orphans, and aliens without land rights were especially apt to suffer under such circumstances, special laws were designed to protect them (Deuteronomy 10:17–19; 24:19–22; 28:29; Psalms 68:5–6). In some instances the presence of begging testifies to ineffective public relief and limited medical knowledge. The heavy taxation on the land by Rome was also a factor in encouraging poverty and its attendant ills. It must be remembered that plain indolence was sometimes the cause (Proverbs 20:4). In later times the concept of giving alms as an efficacious act developed, and from a legalistic point of view seemed to vindicate begging as a practice, since it provided opportunity for works of righteousness. Jesus warned against externalism in deeds of charity (Matthew 6:1–4). Without question the development of urban centers tended to encourage begging as a profession.No provision is found in the Mosaic legislation to legalize begging. There is no term in biblical Hebrew to describe the professional beggar. Begging is a part of a curse (Psalms 109:10). Professional beggars were despised by the Jews, and support for them from the general charity fund was prohibited. The Bible does encourage concern and compassion for the poor (Deuteronomy 15:4–8). Material prosperity was the blessing of God, and these mercies should be shared with those in need. In spiritual decadence, almsgiving was equated with righteousness. This was a legalistic turn that testifies to the human tendency to pervert the ways of God. Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46)This "is the last healing episode recounted in the Gospel of Mark." Reduced to begging because of his blindness, Bartimaeus camped out beside the road, which afforded him "ready access to the traffic to and from Jerusalem. This important trade route was traveled by merchants and the well-to-do, as well as the pious on their way to Jerusalem to worship, who might be inclined to give alms." Because Mark does not record that he was born blind, it may be that Bartimaeus was seeking "to receive back the sight he once had." The fact that Mark records his name may indicate that "Bartimaeus was known in the early church." "There were no healings of the blind in the Old Testament; the Jews believed that such a miracle would be a sign that the messianic age had begun (Isaiah 29:18;?35:5)." Son of David ... Mercy ... My rabbi (Mark 10:47, 48, 51)Bartimaeus called Jesus "Son of David" and "Rabboni" (Greek rhabboni/rhabbouni: "an honorific title for a teacher of the Jewish Scriptures, implying an important personal relationship"). The former was a messianic title and the latter, signifying "my great master," was "an expression of personal faith." Despite his physical blindness, Bartimaeus could "see" the fact that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, contrary to most of his countrymen who had physical sight but were nonetheless "blind" to this highly significant spiritual truth. Hence Bartimaeus was making a nuisance of himself by literally screaming for Jesus to "have mercy" on him (Greek eleeo: "to show kindness or concern for someone in serious need"). Jesus told Bartimaeus that his faith had "healed" him or, literally, had "saved" him. Hence "Bartimaeus' physical 'salvation' (i.e., deliverance from darkness [blindness] to light [sight]) was an outward picture of his spiritual 'salvation.'" Because both God and Jesus are rich in mercy, we are to be, as well: The NT often uses eleos [noun]/eleeo [verb] for the attitude that God requires of us. In Matthew 9:13; 23:23 it denotes the kindness owed in mutual relationships. The LXX phrase 'showing mercy' occurs in Luke 10:37 for the actions of the Samaritan. In Matthew 18:33 the demand for mercy is based on the divine mercy which precedes ours (cf. James 2:13). The new feature here as compared with Judaism is that God's mercy is known in and through Christ. In James 3:17 and Romans 12:8 eleos embraces lovingkindness in general, though pity is included. Concern for eternal as well as temporal welfare may be meant (cf. Jude 22).Coat (Mark 10:50)Bartimaeus's cloak was an outer or exterior garment worn over the tunic (a one-piece shirt-like garment worn next to the body that covered from neck to knees).? The cloak was "a large piece of woolen cloth nearly square" that "was wrapped around the body or fastened about the shoulders, and served also to wrap oneself in at night." His casting it aside may have indicated a total dependence on and trust in Christ, particularly since he had most probably "been sitting on part of his cloak, with the rest folded over his lap, into which coins could be tossed." HEAR (heart)No Easy RoadDavid Livingstone is remembered as a courageous, devoted Christian missionary to the African continent. One time he was contacted by a missionary society asking if he had found a good road. If so, they wrote, they would send other men to join him. Livingstone wrote back that he did not want men who would come only if there was a good road; he wanted men who would come if there was no road at all. The road to Heaven is overgrown with obstacles, cluttered with challenges, and hemmed in by hardships. This is the road Jesus traveled while on this earth, and this is the same road to which he calls all who would follow him. It is not a newly paved superhighway, but it is a superior way that one day will lead us to a city filled with splendor in which God himself will be our light: "And there will be no night there - no need for lamps or sun - for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever" (Revelation 22:5). DO (hands)??? What hardships are you facing as you travel with Jesus? How can the example of Bartimaeus help you to better endure them? Mark 11[[@Bible:Mark 11:1-11]]Mark 11:1-11Jesus' Triumphant Entry1 As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2?"Go into that village over there," he told them. "As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3?If anyone asks, 'What are you doing?' just say, 'The Lord needs it and will return it soon.'" 4?The two disciples left and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside the front door. 5?As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" 6?They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it. 7?Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it.8?Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields. 9?Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,"Praise God!??Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD!10 Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David!Praise God in highest heaven!"??11?So Jesus came to Jerusalem and went into the Temple. After looking around carefully at everything, he left because it was late in the afternoon. Then he returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples.SEE (head)Jesus is heading into Jerusalem. Along the way he sends two of his disciples into Bethany which, situated about two miles southeast of the city, was home to Mary, Martha, and Lazarus (and the place where Jesus raised Lazarus back to life). There the disciples fetch a colt for Jesus to ride, and along the road to Jerusalem Jesus receives a royal welcome, complete with the ancient equivalent of a red carpet and shouts of acclamation. After arriving in Jerusalem, Jesus goes into the temple, looks around, and then retires to Bethany for the evening. Jerusalem (Mark 11:1)Mark 11 begins the events of the final week leading up to Christ's crucifixion - "extending from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday." Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem is often described as his "triumphal entry." Such entries were actually not uncommon - although, of course, Jesus' was much more significant than any other. Aside from those associated with Roman officials, "Jesus' celebrated entry is one of as many as twelve similar entries, as recorded in 1 and 2 Maccabees and in Josephus." (1 and 2 Maccabees are "[t]wo deuterocanonical books that cover the period of Israel's history from 167 BC to 100 BC. The books are named after Judas Maccabeus, who initiated the Jewish revolt in 166 BC against Rome. The chief value of these books is that they provide historical accounts of Israel's struggles during the time between Malachi and the time of Christ." Josephus was a "Jewish military officer and historian" who lived during the first century AD. "His works illumine the period in which the church came into existence - especially concerning the religion, politics, geography, and prominent persons of the early Christian era.")"The departure from the Mount of Olives, in order to enter Jerusalem, mounted upon a colt, is the beginning of a series of elements drawn from Zechariah": Mount of Olives = Zechariah 14:4a young donkey/colt = Zechariah 9:9merchants in the Temple = Zechariah 14:20-21a mountain moved/leveled = Zechariah 4:6-7Although he had done so before, this occasion marked Jesus' official presentation of himself as Israel's deliverer, the Messiah who would bring much-anticipated peace to God's people. Christ was identified as the Messiah at his baptism; authenticated as the Messiah at his temptation; glorified as the Messiah at his transfiguration; and presented as the Messiah at his triumphal entry. The colt on which Jesus rode was emblematic of peace, and the fact that it had not been ridden before was in keeping with "the ancient rule that only animals that had not been used for ordinary purposes were appropriate for sacred purposes (Numbers 19:2;?Deuteronomy 21:3;?1 Samuel 6:7)." The crowd (Mark 11:8)The occasion was Passover, and participants crowded in and around the city of Jerusalem, swelling its population to more than three times the norm. "Pilgrims to the feast were typically welcomed by crowds already there," and the shouts of joy offered to Jesus were actually a regular part of the festivities. To be sure, some in the crowd did recognize and accept Jesus' presentation of himself as the promised Messiah. As the apostle John brings out, these included witnesses to Jesus' miraculous raising of Lazarus (see John 12:17-18). In fact, it appears that there were actually two crowds: "One had assembled in Bethany to see Jesus and Lazarus raised from the dead, and this crowd started to Jerusalem with him; the other came out from Jerusalem to meet him when it got word that he was coming. The crowd that met him was thus the one that was in front. From Luke 19:37 we learn that this crowd joined the other near the top of Olivet where it slopes down toward Jerusalem. And here the shout arose and continued which acclaimed Jesus as the Messiah."That said, probably most of the people who greeted Jesus were simply caught up in the moment. As one source puts it: "For most people, then, this moment of jubilation was simply part of the traditional Passover celebration - it did not alarm the Roman authorities or initiate a call for Jesus' arrest by the Jewish rulers." And so the Roman guards, on special alert because of the occasion and the unusually large number of people present, saw no reason to stop Jesus or prevent him from entering Jerusalem - something they surely would have done if they had suspected him of being a political activist. Shouting (Mark 11:9)According to the NASB: "Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting: 'Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!'" (Mark 11:9-10). As one source brings out: "The chiastic (a-b-b'-a') arrangement of these verses suggests antiphonal chanting by two groups - those who went ahead of Jesus and those who followed Him. They chanted Psalm 118:25-26. At the annual Passover festival (cf. Mark 14:1), the Jews chanted the six 'ascent' psalms (Psalms 113-118) to express thanksgiving, praise, and petitions to God."He left (Mark 11:11)After surveying the temple, Jesus returned to Bethpage for the night. (Jerusalem's city gate was closed and locked at sunset) Accommodations were scarce at this time of the year: it would have been difficult to find and/or afford lodging within Jerusalem. What's more, it was probably not safe for Jesus to stay in the city, as the religious leaders were plotting his death. As with everything else, in this regard Jesus leaves us a good example for us to follow: "Jesus never acted in a foolhardy way; he always used proper prudence. Although he knew that no one could lay hands on him until his hour would come he never presumed on this and disregarded danger."HEAR (heart)It Makes All the DifferenceOn a crowded street of one of our large cities, a young man was snatched from the path of a speeding truck, his life saved by a venerable-looking man. Still breathless from fright, the youth thanked the one who saved his life and then was lost in the crowd.Two weeks later in a crowded courtroom, an anxious young man stood in the prisoner's box to be sentenced for murder."Young man, have you anything to say before the sentence of death is passed upon you?" "Why! Yes! Yes, Judge," the youth responded, "you know me." A silence moved like a shock wave over the courtroom. "I'm sorry. I cannot place you.""Yes. Surely you remember. Two weeks ago. At Main and Seventh Streets, you saved my life. Surely, Judge, you can do something to save me now." A silence pervaded the courtroom. "Young man, now I do remember you. But that day I was your savior. Today I am your judge."Today the Lord Jesus Christ wants to be your Savior. If you refuse Him and His grace, one day He will be your Judge. Jesus came to offer himself as the Savior. Those who reject him as such, however, must one day face him as Judge. DO (hands)??? What would you do if you knew the president of the United States was coming to visit you tomorrow morning? What are you doing for the King of kings and Lord of lords who has already come in the flesh, is present in spirit now, and will one day return? [[@Bible:Mark 11:12-19]]Mark 11:12-19Jesus Curses the Fig Tree12?The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13?He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so he went over to see if he could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. 14?Then Jesus said to the tree, "May no one ever eat your fruit again!" And the disciples heard him say it. Jesus Clears the Temple15?When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, 16?and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace.?? 17?He said to them, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves."??18?When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching.19?That evening Jesus and the disciples left?? the city.SEE (head)Leaving Bethany where they had spent the night, Jesus and his disciples again head into Jerusalem. Along the way, Jesus stops at a fig tree and, finding it fruitless, pronounces a curse upon it. He then returns to the Temple and this time drives out the merchants and the money changers. Jesus' enemies respond by plotting his death.A fig tree ... only leaves (Mark 11:13)The cursing of the fig tree was actually an acted parable related to the nation of Israel. Fig trees normally produce a large amount of fruit twice a year, including late in the spring. This incident occurred during early spring (mid-April), when the tree's leaves would have started budding. Jesus was not expecting mature ripened fruit but, rather, the edible buds that would have indicated a soon-fruitful tree. But there were no buds. ("An absence of these buds despite the tree's green foliage promising their presence indicated it would bear no fruit that year.) As one source puts it: "When [Jesus] came to the tree 'he found nothing on it except leaves,' not even green, unripe fruit ... Jesus would not have blasted this tree if it had had even a little immature fruit on it. But here was this tree with its grand display of foliage which was nothing but empty pretense; whereas it led one to expect that it might have at least a few figs that were already fit to eat it had absolutely nothing at all, 'nothing but leaves'!""Jesus' strong denunciation of the tree ... was a dramatic prophetic sign of God's impending judgment on Israel ... The promising but unproductive fig tree symbolized Israel's spiritual barrenness despite divine favor and the impressive outward appearance of their religion (cf. Jeremiah 8:13; Hosea 9:10, 16; Micah 7:1)." As another source explains: "Jesus' harsh words to the fig tree could be applied to the nation of Israel and its beautiful temple. Fruitful in appearance only, Israel was spiritually barren. Just as the fig tree looked good from a distance but was fruitless on close examination, so the temple looked impressive at first glance, but its sacrifices and other activities were hollow because they were not done to worship God sincerely (see?Jeremiah 8:13;?Hosea 9:10,?16;?Micah 7:1)." The irony is thick: "The pretentious fig tree had its counterpart in the temple where on this very day (Monday) a lively business was being transacted so that sacrifices might be made, while at the same time the priests were plotting to put to death the very One apart from whom these offerings had no meaning whatever." The OT prophets often compared a lack of righteousness to a fruitless tree and, conversely, fruitfulness was used to illustrate God's blessings bestowed in response to faith and obedience. Some three years prior to this incident, John the Baptist had heralded the coming of the Messiah. Included in his message was a dire warning to the religious leaders (and all of Israel): "Even now the ax of God's judgment is poised, ready to sever your roots. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 3:10). Since that initial call, Jesus had spent virtually every waking moment calling Israel to repentance and salvation. But still Israel continued producing only leaves of promise; there was no fruit in keeping with repentance. And so God had no choice but to judge her unrepentant attitude, which he would do through the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70. The temple ... a den of thieves (Mark 11:15-17)The cleansing of the temple was an indisputable sign of Jesus' authority - "by this action Jesus as the Messiah claimed greater authority over the temple than that of the high priest" - as well as a condemnation of the corruption that had become so thoroughly embedded in Israel's religion. As one source puts it: "The people as well as the temple authorities were guilty of graft, extortion, and desecration of the house of prayer. Jesus assumes and exercises Messianic authority and dares to smite this political and financial abuse." Each pilgrim coming to the Temple to offer a sacrifice during Passover would be in need of two things: 1) an animal without spot or blemish, and 2) acceptable currency with which to purchase the animal (and pay the Temple tax). "They paid high prices for these sacrificial animals. True, a worshipper could bring in an animal of his own choice. But if he did that he was taking a chance that it would not be approved." Enter the merchants (who sold "wine, oil, salt, approved sacrificial animals and birds") and the money changers. "Money from three sources circulated in Palestine in New Testament times: imperial money (Roman), provincial money (Greek), and local money (Jewish). ... Greek and Roman currency .... featured human portraits [and so was] considered idolatrous. Hence "in the temple area foreign money was not accepted in payment. ... So the money-changers would exchange foreign money for Jewish, charging a small fee for the favor. This business ... was very profitable. It presented abundant opportunity for cheating the unsuspecting pilgrim." And so rather than simply offering a much-needed service, under the direction of the high priest, both the merchants and the money changers took advantage of the patrons by charging exorbitant rates. (Popular opinion was rightly "critical of the Jewish high priesthood," regarding "it in various ways as corrupt.") Their booths were set up in the only place Gentiles were allowed in the Temple: "the large outer court of the Gentiles surrounding the inner sacred courts of the temple itself." Thus "the market filled their worship space with merchants so that these foreigners, who had traveled long distances, found it impossible to worship. The chaos in that court must have been tremendous." To add insult to injury, "people loaded with merchandise were taking shortcuts through this area, making it a thoroughfare from one part of the city to another."Jesus' cleansing of the Temple was actually a number of things, including: a religious event intended to cleanse the Temple of impurities, whether commercial or sacerdotal a messianic event intended to include the Gentiles in the scope of the Temple's activities a prophetic event intended to announce the destruction of the Temple and its eschatological restorationa political event intended to disrupt the commercial and sacerdotal activities of the Temple because they had become oppressive and exploitative Do Christians today have the right and/or obligation to act as Jesus did in cleansing the Temple? Here there is much wisdom to be found in the comments of John Calvin: [Jesus] declared himself to be both King and High Priest, who presided over the temple and the worship of God. This ought to be observed, lest any private individual should think himself entitled to act in the same manner. That zeal, indeed, by which Christ was animated to do this, ought to be held in common by all the godly; but lest any one, under the pretense of imitation, should rush forward without authority, we ought to see what our calling demands, and how far we may proceed according to the commandment of God. If the Church of God have contracted any pollutions, all the children of God ought to burn with grief; but as God has not put arms into the hands of all, let private individuals groan, till God bring the remedy. I do acknowledge that they are worse than stupid who are not displeased at the pollution of the temple of God, and that it is not enough for them to be inwardly distressed, if they do not avoid the contagion, and testify with their mouth, whenever an opportunity presents itself, that they desire to see a change for the better. But let those who do not possess public authority oppose by their tongue, which they have at liberty, those vices which they cannot remedy with their hands. Planning how to kill him (Mark 11:18)"The leading priests and teachers of the law" ("[t]he chief priests and the scribes" NASB) were afraid to arrest Jesus openly because of his popularity with the "Passover pilgrims" who had come "from all parts of the ancient world." They were afraid of sparking a riot or rebellion. More than that, however, they feared losing their religious monopoly: "[The Sanhedrin] was filled with the fear that Jesus would draw all the people to him and thus rob the Sanhedrin of its standing and its authority. The Sanhedrin saw a dangerous rival in Jesus. ... When the teaching [of Jesus] takes hold of people, they are in a fair way to turn away from all other authorities and to follow Jesus alone. That was exactly what the Sanhedrin feared." They responded by "consider[ing] how they could assassinate him" (v. 18, NET). Following his cleansing of the temple, "people could not ignore Jesus or be indifferent to him. They had to take sides. Either Jesus was a subversive radical who must be restrained (death is an effective restraint), or he was someone to be listened to, believed, and followed." HEAR (heart)His "Good" Right ArmThe story is told of Sid, a man who seemed to be dogged by trouble.One day he was arrested for burglary and taken before a judge.Sid's attorney argued that his client had not really broken into the lady's home. He had merely inserted his right arm through an open window and removed a few small items, including a newspaper and a tangerine. And since Sid's arm is not Sid, asserted the attorney, Sid should not be held liable for something a member of his body did.The judge was not convinced but decided to follow the defense attorney's logic nonetheless. He sentenced Sid's arm to one year's imprisonment, and gave Sid the option of accompanying the limb or not, as he saw fit..Whereupon Sid, a Korean war veteran, stood up, removed his prosthetic right arm, handed it to the judge, and walked out of the courtroom a free man. Every person stands guilty before God. We all deserve to be imprisoned forever. But, thanks be to God, Jesus has dealt with our sin by taking upon himself the punishment we deserve. He gave far more than his right arm - he gave his very life. While on earth, Jesus made the same offer to the nation of Israel that he has been making to all of humankind ever since: salvation through personal, committed faith in himself. Today countless people seek a middle way such as the one Sid found. By deciding beforehand to ignore Jesus' teaching, people are able to avoid making a decision for or against him. However, "[w]hen Christians tell the real story, there is no middle ground. Either Jesus is God's Son, the world's Savior, or he is a befuddled, perhaps demented, imposter." DO (hands)??? "God will not let his Temple serve as a refuge for robbers. The Temple will not protect the wicked who show in the very Temple how they regard the God of the Temple. The church has no refuge for sinners who go on in their sin and think that they are safe when they run to the church; and certainly not for the sinners who support the church by desecrating the church and justify their desecration by crying, 'It is for the church!'?"[Jesus] stood against lack of faith and altering the purpose for worship. Those who use the church people or the worship gathering for social, political, or financial advantage are clearly wrong. God opposes those who attempt to leverage power or status or to meet their need for self-importance in his house of prayer." [[@Bible:Mark 11:20-26]]Mark 11:20-26(Jesus Clears the Temple)20?The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up. 21?Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, "Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!"22?Then Jesus said to the disciples, "Have faith in God. 23?I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. 24?I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours. 25?But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.??"SEE (head)The next morning, as Jesus and his disciples again head for Jerusalem, they pass the fig tree that Jesus had cursed only the day before. The disciples notice that it is now completely lifeless - it will never have the opportunity to bear fruit again. Jesus takes advantage of their amazement to teach them about the power of prayer. Sincere prayer, uttered in faith, will move mountains. Faith ... this mountain (Mark 11:22, 23)Jesus commanded, entreated, or exhorted ("'Have'" = imperative) his disciples to "'Have faith in God" (Mark 11:22), with "faith" being defined as: "to believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance." As one source puts it: "Faith that rests in God is unwavering trust in His omnipotent power and unfailing goodness." Such faith, said Jesus, can move a mountain. While Jesus was speaking figuratively, he was using an actual mountain as an illustration. Which one? While a common answer is the Mount of Olives, at least one viable alternative is the Temple Mount; "Why should not 'this mountain' refer to Israel's most famous mountain, on which is situated the temple establishment, with which Jesus has come into serious conflict?" While there are a number of "rabbinic and Jewish parallels to the saying about moving mountains," these refer to skill or strength, leaving "Jesus' point that faith can move mountains" without parallel. ?It should be noted that Jesus' declaration was made "on the recognized premise that petitions must be in harmony with God's will (cf. Mark 14:36; Matthew 6:9-10; John 14:13-14; 15:7; 16:23-24; 1 John 5:14-15). This enables faith to receive the answers God gives. God is always ready to respond to obedient believers' prayers, and they can petition Him knowing that no situation or difficulty is impossible for Him." As another source puts it: "Jesus is saying that the greatest possible difficulties can be removed when a person has faith (cf. James 1:6)." The emphasis is not on what we can get but, rather, on what God can do. Many times God fails to work as we, with our limited understanding, would prefer - a very good thing, indeed(!) As C. S. Lewis has noted, prayer is so powerful that God reserves the right to overrule our requests lest we misuse that power. Both the Bible and Church history are replete with examples of "the impossible" becoming possible as God works in and through ordinary people. In the case of Jesus' first disciples in particular, "he was referring to prayers that the disciples would need to endlessly pray as they faced mountains of opposition to their gospel message in the years to come. Their prayers for the advancement of God's kingdom would always be answered positively - in God's timing." Jesus was not making "a guarantee that the disciples could get anything they wanted simply by asking Jesus and believing. God does not grant requests that will hurt people or that will violate his own nature or will. Jesus' statement was not a blank check." Along those lines, one source offers the following helpful insights regarding this often-abused teaching of Jesus: If the promise of Christ, "Whatever you ask for … it shall be yours" seems almost unbelievable, it should be borne in mind that such praying and asking must, of course, be in harmony with the characteristics of true prayer which Jesus reveals elsewhere; in fact, it must be in line with all of scriptural teaching. Accordingly it must be the expression of:humble, childlike trust; note "believing that you received it," and cf. Mark 10:15; also Matthew 7:11; 18:3-4; James 1:6.a sincere heart and mind (Mark 12:40; cf. Matthew 6:5).a will to persevere (Mark 13:13; cf. Matthew 7:7; Luke 18:1-8).a love for all concerned (Mark 12:31, 33; cf. Matthew 5:43-48; Luke 6:32-36).submission to God's sovereign will (Mark 14:36; Matthew 6:10; 26:39).Have faith ... forgive (Mark 11:22, 25)Jesus taught that there is a direct causal relationship between God's forgiveness of our sins against him and our forgiveness of other's sins against us. "For a person to pray while bearing a grudge is like a tree sprouting leaves and bearing no fruit (11:13). True faith changes the heart. Real prayer dismantles pride and vengeance, filling the holes with love. Real faith seeks peace." Thus Jesus taught that the two key elements in prayer are faith in God and forgiveness. Faith means "firm persuasion," and includes trusting God to accomplish the seemingly impossible. This includes moving a mountain of difficulty, as well as moving within our own hearts such that we refuse to harbor grudges against those who have committed a mountain of wrong against us. Mountains can be moved one rock at a time, and hearts can be healed one act of forgiveness at a time. Both faith and forgiveness call for the type of commitment available only to those who persistently, prayerfully seek God's will rather than their own. HEAR (heart)In an insightful comment, E. Stanley Jones asserted that prayer amounts to surrendering to God's will and then cooperating with that will. The person in a boat who tosses a hook on shore and then pulls on the line does not pull the shore toward him but, rather, pulls the boat toward the shore. In the same way, prayer is not pulling God to one's own will but, rather, catching hold of God's will and pulling oneself toward it. Prayer is God's way of bringing us closer to him, not our way of bringing God closer to us. Getting close to God requires lots of effort on our part: patience, persistence, and faith. As we draw close to God, he will strengthen and direct us, and we will find ourselves seeking his will more and our own will less.DO (hands)"For our churches to have prayer power, there must be harmony and forgiveness evident in the body of believers. Let go of hurts, abandon grudges, and forgive others." [[@Bible:Mark 11:27-33]]Mark 11:27-33The Authority of Jesus Challenged27?Again they entered Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking through the Temple area, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. 28?They demanded, "By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?" 29?"I'll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question," Jesus replied. 30?"Did John's authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? Answer me!"31?They talked it over among themselves. "If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn't believe John. 32?But do we dare say it was merely human?" For they were afraid of what the people would do, because everyone believed that John was a prophet. 33?So they finally replied, "We don't know."And Jesus responded, "Then I won't tell you by what authority I do these things."SEE (head)Jesus and his disciples are walking through the Temple when suddenly they are confronted by a contingent of religious leaders. They want to know by whose authority Jesus had cleansed the Temple. Jesus responds by asking them about the baptism of John the Baptist. They choose not to answer Jesus, and so he chooses not to answer them.Priests ... teachers ... elders (Mark 11:27) The men who confronted Jesus represented the Sanhedrin, the Jewish supreme court (NASB: "chief priests ... scribes ... elders"). As one source explains:The chief priests constituted a group or order consisting of the present ruling high priest, those who had formerly occupied this high office, and other dignitaries from whose ranks the high priest was generally selected. The custody of the temple had been entrusted to these people, mostly Sadducees. It is not strange that the scribes, mostly Pharisees, are also mentioned, for these were the men who studied, interpreted, and taught the law. Their teaching was done in both temple and synagogue. The elders, too, were present. In ancient Israel an elder was the head of a tribe or of a tribal division. In fact, every city or town of any importance soon had its ruling elders. With the establishment of the Sanhedrin the more prominent local elders became members of this august body. We might call them the Sanhedrin's "lay members." Rather than a simple fact-finding committee, "[t]his was an angry official group sent on an official mission to question Jesus regarding his actions." They "began saying to Him, 'By what authority [exousia: "the right to control or govern over"] are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority [exousia] to do these things?'" (Mark 11:28, NASB). "The questions the religious leaders asked were perfectly valid questions to check for a false prophet or false teacher, but their sinister motives made it an evil test." The religious leaders challenged Jesus' authority to do "these things" - that is, Jesus' right to cleanse, heal, and teach: to cleanse the temple, perform miraculous healings, and teach about God's kingdom (see Matthew 21:12-17, 23-27). As usual, they were trying to trap Jesus, hoping he would "[say] something for which he could be arrested." "[N]o matter what Jesus said in response to their question they were not going to believe it and would in the end use it against him." As another source puts it: "The Sanhedrists were acquainted with the authority on which Jesus acted; they were not inquiring for information. Their one purpose was to deny him this authority, for to admit it was to accept Jesus as the Messiah sent of God, against which everything in them rebelled." At this point Jesus' popularity prevented the religious delegation from arresting him outright. And so it is likely they were hoping Jesus would answer in such a way as to lose his popular support - and hence clear the way for his arrest. "[T]he high priest and his ranking priestly associates possessed ultimate authority on the Temple Mount." They were hoping that Jesus would either condemn himself by admitting that he had no legitimate authority to cleanse the temple, or that he would claim "a 'right' superseding that of the chief priests, a claim that would have made him politically vulnerable." As one source puts it: "If Jesus were to answer that his authority came from God, which would be tantamount to saying he was the Messiah and the Son of God, [the religious leaders] would accuse him of blasphemy and bring him to trial (blasphemy carried the death penalty,?Leviticus 24:10-23). If Jesus were to say that his authority was his own, they could dismiss him as a fanatic and could trust that the crowds would soon return to those with true authority (themselves)."?One question (Mark 11:29)Jesus responded with a question of his own regarding the baptism of John. While it is true that "counter questions [were] a common Rabbinic debating technique," it is also true that "when Jesus employs this method he in every instance vanquishes his opponents, and this certainly was not true with respect to rabbis in general." (Examples: Mark 2:8-10, 19-22, 25-28; 3:23-30; 8:12-13; 10:3-12; 11:29-33; 12:24-27.) We may also wish to note that "[Jesus'] counter question is the opposite of an evasion. Jesus merely returns the question of the Sanhedrists to them by substituting John the Baptist for himself. ... The correct answer to the question about John was the correct answer to the question about Jesus. All he would need to do was to hand it back to the Sanhedrists." Jesus question "forced those seeking his death to reveal their unwillingness to believe him." Jesus' counter question had to do with the source of John's authority as a prophet. Put simply, Jesus was asking: "Was John a true and lawful prophet of God, or an impostor?"?"A subtle irony is involved: these men ask of Jesus what they ought already to know from John." Jesus' question created quite a quandary for the religious leaders. On the one hand, an endorsement of John's ministry would amount to a public proclamation that 1) Jesus was the Messiah, and 2) they (the religious leaders) were a bunch of unrepentant snakes (see Matthew 3:7-10). ?On the other hand, to deny the legitimacy of John's ministry would be to pit themselves against overwhelming public opinion that John was a prophet. "If the Sanhedrists would have denied the divine origin of John's baptism, this would have spread like wildfire, and no one could predict what the inflamed multitudes would do" - including throwing a hard rock party (see LUKE 20:6). Not to mention the fact it would invite God's judgment against their refusal to listen to both John and Jesus. In the end, it was the religious leaders' absolute refusal to believe that prevented them from recognizing the legitimate authority of both John and Jesus. "By suspending judgment, these religious leaders showed that they really rejected John and Jesus as God's messengers. Throughout their history most leaders of Israel repeatedly rejected God's messengers, a point Jesus made in the following parable (Mark 12:1-12)." Here we find a specific instance of a general principle: "Christ's opponents failed to see the truth because they hardened themselves against it. The reason why many people know so little about Jesus and about the joy of living the Christian life is that they refuse to submit themselves to his will." As Jesus said elsewhere: "'My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me. Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own'" (John 7:16-17). HEAR (heart)The Open DoorThe story is told of a girl who turned her back on her widowed mother who had worked so hard to bring her up, and left home without telling her mother where she was going. Night after night the mother waited for the girl, but she did not come back. In her perplexity and sorrow the mother went to her pastor to ask his help. He suggested that she have some pictures taken of herself and bring them to him, which she did. Then he asked her what message she wanted to send her lost girl. In tears the mother said, "All I want to tell her is 'Come back.'" "Write that on each picture," said the minister, and then he proceeded to send these pictures to places of amusement in other large towns which he felt the daughter was most likely to frequent. He requested that the picture be posted on the bulletin board where it could be easily seen. One night, the daughter came to one of these places and was attracted by something familiar about the picture on the bulletin board. Little did she imagine that it could be her mother's picture. She came closer to it, and there it was - her own mother, looking much older than when she had left. The she saw what was written on it, "Come back," and knew it was addressed to her. She could not proceed with her plans for that night. With a heart burning with remorse, she went back to her room, packed her clothes, and took the first train home. Arriving in the early hours of the morning, she was surprised to find the door of the little apartment open; in she went. There was her mother in tears, not sleeping, but sitting up, praying for her prodigal daughter. She threw her arms around her, and the first thing she asked when she could speak was, "Mother, why did you leave the door open?" "Oh, Louise, the door has never been closed since the day you left. I left it open all the time expecting your return. I didn't want you to find it shut when you came back." To reject Jesus Christ is to reject God's love and to wander aimlessly in a world filled with many distractions but no real peace. To embrace Jesus Christ is to experience the patient, long-suffering love of God that is something like returning home after a long absence to find the front door unlocked in anticipation of our return. DO (hands)These religious leaders [who confronted Jesus] were concerned about authority. They wanted to keep theirs, and they knew Jesus' teaching was challenging their power structure. Their actions illustrate the potential for spiritual blindness of those in power in the church. Although bishops, pastors, and deacons hold important positions, wrong motives can render them ineffective. These Pharisees had the power to renew Jewish faith, but they would neither change the religion nor let anyone else do it. They challenged Jesus' authority, but they had no real spiritual insight or power of their own. If you hold a position of leadership in the church, base that authority on a heart for God and a desire for service.?These religious leaders were afraid of the crowd's reaction. They had not loved the people or led them properly. All they wanted was to stay on top.?Proverbs 29:25 says, 'The fear of others lays a snare' (NRSV). Christian leaders must not give in to public opinion and pressure. They must stay faithful to God whether people praise or condemn. Don't use people to gain support. Don't let circumstances or people's expectations sway you. Stand true to God, and you will have no need to fear the crowd. Mark 12[[@Bible:Mark 12:1-12]]Mark 12:1-12Parable of the Evil Farmers1 Then Jesus began teaching them with stories: "A man planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country. 2?At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop. 3?But the farmers grabbed the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed. 4?The owner then sent another servant, but they insulted him and beat him over the head. 5?The next servant he sent was killed. Others he sent were either beaten or killed, 6?until there was only one left - his son whom he loved dearly. The owner finally sent him, thinking, 'Surely they will respect my son.'7?"But the tenant farmers said to one another, 'Here comes the heir to this estate. Let's kill him and get the estate for ourselves!' 8?So they grabbed him and murdered him and threw his body out of the vineyard.9?"What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do?" Jesus asked. "I'll tell you - he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others. 10?Didn't you ever read this in the Scriptures?'The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.11 This is the LORD's doing,and it is wonderful to see.'"12?The religious leaders?? wanted to arrest Jesus because they realized he was telling the story against them - they were the wicked farmers. But they were afraid of the crowd, so they left him and went away.SEE (head)Once again Jesus is in the Temple, teaching the truths of God. Using a common everyday situation to teach a profound spiritual truth, Jesus describes the nation of Israel as a vineyard owned and leased out by God. Its tenants, the nation's religious leaders, refuse to give God his due. Instead, they kill first the owner's messengers and then his son. They themselves will be killed, says Jesus, and the vineyard will be given to other tenants. Jesus ends by predicting that he, the one rejected by the religious leaders, will become the chief cornerstone of God's new building.A vineyard (Mark 12:1)Jesus' story, or parable, describes an everyday situation in the Palestine of his day. "Wealthy foreign landlords owned large land estates which they leased to tenant farmers. The tenants agreed to cultivate the land and care for the vineyards when the landlords were away." At harvest time the tenant farmers would pay the owner's agents, sent by him to collect a set percentage of the crop. "Generally this amounted to a quarter to a half of the crop, probably in the form of wine, not grapes." It was during this time that "[t]ensions often arose; records exist of bitter disputes between landowners and their tenants." In order for the landowner to retain his legal rights to the land, he had to receive some produce from the tenants. Thus a deliberate failure to pay the landowner actually represented a calculated effort on the part of the tenants to undermine his legal rights to the property. His son (Mark 12:6)While the landowner convinced himself that the tenants would respect his son, they took the son's presence to indicate that the owner was no longer alive. "In Palestine at the time, a piece of land could be possessed lawfully by whoever claimed it first if it was 'ownerless property,' unclaimed by an heir within a certain time period (cf. Mishnah Baba Bathra 3.3). The tenant farmers assumed that if they killed the son they could acquire the vineyard." Get rid of the son and the land would be up for grabs. Hence it is not a matter of impulse. "On the contrary, it is 'malice aforethought,' the result of wicked deliberation, of corrupt, selfish scheming. It is premeditated murder." The cornerstone (Mark 12:10)Jesus quoted from Psalm 118:22-23 to sound a note of hope. ("Psalm 118 was a key part of the Passover service, and all the pilgrims coming to Passover would recite?118:25-26 as they came to Jerusalem.") "A slain son cannot be revived but a rejected stone can be retrieved and used."Thus the rejection of Jesus will spell not the end but the beginning as Jesus himself becomes the chief cornerstone - "considered the most important stone of a building," "used as the standard to make sure the other stones of the building were straight and level" - of the Church "international, gathered from both Jews and Gentiles." (Of course there is also a sense in which Israel, rejected by all other nations, was/is the cornerstone in God's plan of redemption.)Teaching (Mark 12:1)One source outlines the main elements of this parable: the man who planted the vineyard = Godthe vineyard = Israelthe tenant farmers = the Jewish religious leadersthe landowner's servants?(12:2) = the prophets and priests who remained faithful to God and preached to Israelthe son = Jesus?(12:6), and the others to whom the vineyard was given?(12:9) = the Gentiles As one source rightly points out: "A vineyard is naturally planted for the sake of the fruit it will yield. But this parable does not center our attention on the productivity or the unproductivity of the vineyard or of its vines ... but on the vicious action of these vine-growers to whom the vineyard is leased, and who were to meet the terms of that lease."A number of additional points are worth noting:Isaiah 5:1-7. This parable "builds upon the imagery of Isaiah 5:1–7, the Song of the Vineyard, which portrays the coming destruction of those who fail to bear fruit for God." OT imagery. The parable includes imagery found throughout the OT: the idea of "fruit-producing growths" intended to yield a full and useful crop, in particular "the olive tree, the fig tree, and the grapevine"; "the vineyard representing God's possession Israel (ISAIAH 5:1–7); the harvest as judgment time (Jeremiah 51:33; Hosea 6:11a; Joel 3:13); and the servants as spiritual leaders (Exodus 14:31; Judges 2:8; 1 Samuel 3:9; 2 Samuel 3:18)." (Later rabbinic literature explicitly equates the watch tower with the temple and altar.) Judgment. This is "a juridical parable, that is, a parable that induces the hearers to pass judgment on themselves. The vineyard is Israel, its owner is God, and the fruit is the behavior of Israel." It foretells the harsh judgment awaiting them after they've committed the ultimate atrocity of killing God's Son. ("Throwing the heir's body out of the vineyard?[v.8] pictures Jesus' death outside of Jerusalem.") "God's love and patience exceed absolutely everything that men have ever heard of here on earth. Yet let us not overlook the other point, how Jesus here pictures the corresponding guilt of all those who abused these messengers and finally killed also the son. If God's love and patience exceed all bounds, so also does this guilt."The prophets ... the Son. This parable recounts the shameful treatment rendered God's spokesmen, the prophets, at the hands of the nation's religious and political rulers, who will thus lose their stewardship. "Throughout Israel's history, the leadership constantly rejected the prophets God sent to them, refusing to turn away from idols or to follow God's guidance. Many of God's prophets were beaten; others were killed." Moreover, "[e]ach generation of the Jewish leaders allowed the deeds of their fathers by repeating them. They made all the previous murders their own by adding to them; and the climax was reached by the last generation of these leaders in killing Jesus. They put into final practice the lessons in killing taught them by all former persecutors of the prophets by killing God's own Son." ("'Beloved' occurs elsewhere in Mark only at Jesus' baptism and transfiguration (1:11; 9:7). Both are allusions to Ps. 2, wherein in the face of insurrection God affirms his messianic son's inheritance, which is the focus of the parable in Mark.")Perverted thinking. "Jesus came to call Israel back to God. But the religious leaders, caught up in their positions, wanted to hold on to their power and prestige with the people. Jesus threatened to take that away; they couldn't match his teaching, his miracles, or his popularity. They thought that killing Jesus was the only way to gain back the respect of the people that seemed to be slipping from their grasp." God's patience. God's miraculous long-suffering can be depicted only by the most unlikely human situation, as no landowner in his right mind would subject his servants to such severe mistreatment, capped off by the sending of his own son. As one source puts it: "The patience of God toward Israel's religious rulers is without parallel in human history - an illustration must be invented to picture it, and the illustration will have to be unreal."Rejecting God. The parable teaches the hard truth that "God's long-suffering love ... turns to judgment when we reject God's message. ... For the Christian, failure to follow Christ leads to loss of spiritual gifts and a loss of a sense of God's presence and power. Will God give our responsibilities to others who will use them appropriately? To the person who is not yet a Christian, putting God off leads to spiritual deafness or hardening. Soon that person can't hear God's Word at all. At all times, we must embrace God's truth eagerly, follow his lead faithfully, and respect the importance of his message daily." HEAR (heart)A Gangster ChristianBilly Graham has shared the Gospel with an enormous number of people. He has spoken to everyone from ordinary individuals to vast crowds, from presidents to kings. Once he even shared the Gospel with a notorious gangster named Mickey Cohen. Cohen seemed interested in the message but did not make a profession of faith. Until, that is, a friend shared the Gospel and included Revelation 3:20: "'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me'" (NASB). The gangster made a profession of faith, but there was no subsequent evidence of genuine repentance. He continued his life of crime, just as before. And he even rebuked the believer who had shared the Gospel with him, complaining that he was never told he would have to give up his "work" (his rackets) and his "friends" (his gangster associates).Cohen had heard that there were Christian actors and Christian politicians. And so he really thought he could be a Christian gangster!Like the gangster Mickey Cohen, Israel's religious leaders refused to understand what it meant to represent God. They thought they could take the privileges without the responsibilities. But, warned Jesus, that kind of attitude leads only to hard, selfish, sinful hearts that refuse to listen to God. People possessing such hearts will do anything to silence God's voice. But, said Jesus, there reaches a point where God leaves them alone to face the full consequences of their sin.DO (hands)??? "We are shocked that these renters killed the owner's son with such disregard, ungratefulness, and violence. Yet we do violence to Jesus and his messengers when we think they disrupt our security, leisure plans, or pleasure. How are we 'killing' God's claim on our time and treasure? Are we possessive and murderously resentful when our leisure or pleasure gets bumped for Christian responsibilities? Would [Jesus'] return be unwelcome because of the plans that we have made?" [[@Bible:Mark 12:13-17]]Mark 12:13-17 Taxes for Caesar13?Later the leaders sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. 14?"Teacher," they said, "we know how honest you are. You are impartial and don't play favorites. You teach the way of God truthfully. Now tell us - is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 15?Should we pay them, or shouldn't we?" Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, "Why are you trying to trap me? Show me a Roman coin,?? and I'll tell you." 16?When they handed it to him, he asked, "Whose picture and title are stamped on it?""Caesar's," they replied.17?"Well, then," Jesus said, "give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God."His reply completely amazed them.SEE (head)Jesus is approached by "some Pharisees and supporters of Herod" seeking to trap him. These traditional enemies have joined forces in an effort to ensnare their mutual enemy, Jesus. They raise the topic of paying taxes to the Roman government. Jesus first assures them that they are fooling no one but themselves, and then he asks for a denarius. He reminds them that the coin belongs to Caesar and thus should be given to him. God, however, deserves and must be given what belongs to him.?Pharisees and supporters of Herod (Mark 12:13)As we have seen, the Pharisees were "a religious and political party in Palestine in New Testament times. The Pharisees were known for insisting that the law of God be observed as the scribes interpreted it and for their special commitment to keeping the laws of tithing and ritual purity." Jesus' most scathing rebukes were directed at this group (see Matthew 23). And the "supporters of Herod" (= Herodians) were "Jews of influence and standing who were favorable toward Greek customs and Roman law in New Testament times." They regarded the Herodian dynasty "as the safeguard against direct pagan rule which the Jews loathed, and also as the best compromise between the ancient faith and pagan civilization." To them, the Herodian family represented "'the last hope of retaining for the Jews a fragment of national government, as distinguished from absolute dependence upon Rome as a province of the empire.' Supporters of the family of Herod, who held their dominions by the grant of the Roman emperor, would be in favor of paying tribute to the supreme power." The one thing the (conservative) Pharisees and the (liberal) Herodians agreed on was the need to get rid of (independent) Jesus.?Taxes to Caesar (Mark 12:14)The Pharisees opposed paying taxes (which at least some saw as a form of idolatry), while the Herodians supported it. As one source explains the taxation system: "There were three basic types: (1) a land or produce tax took one-tenth of all grain and one-fifth of all fruit (or wine), (2) everyone aged fourteen to sixty-five paid a head or poll tax collected when a census was taken - one day's wages, and (3) a custom tax was collected at ports and city gates as tolls for goods transported - rates were 2 to 5 percent of the value of the goods." Most commentators identify the "taxes" Jesus was asked about as "the annual poll tax (head tax) ... [which] went directly into the emperor's treasury. This tax was unpopular because it typified the Jews' subjugation to Rome (cf. Acts 5:37)." Roman taxation was seen as "a recognition of Rome's right to rule over Israel" and as a way of honoring Caesar over God. Any Israelite who said taxes should be paid would immediately be branded by the religious leaders as a traitor who thought more of serving Rome than of serving God. Open denunciation of the tax, however, especially by a popular leader, could easily be interpreted by the Roman government as an act of insurrection. Add to this the delegates' public acknowledgement of Jesus' reputation for scrupulous honesty - which doubtless they proffered in an effort to cut off any possible escape?- and we see why Jesus' enemies felt certain they had him this time. (Victims of flattery usually come in one of two sizes: extra-large ego or extra-small self-esteem.) At the very least, they hoped to discredit Jesus among his supporters, while at most they hoped "to provide a basis on which He might be accused of treason to the Roman government. A Roman coin ... picture and title (Mark 12:15, 16)Jesus asked?them for a denarius - a small, silver Roman coin "worth approximately one day's wage for a laborer." The front of the coin was inscribed with an image of the emperor and the words ""Tiberius Caesar, Son of the Divine Augustus." The back of the coin pictured the emperor "seated on a throne wearing a diadem and ... clothed as a highpriest" and read "High/Chief Priest (of the Roman Nation)." "This inscription originated in the imperial cult of emperor worship and was a claim to divinity, which was particularly repulsive to Jews" because the emperor proclaimed himself the "supreme authority not only in political but even in spiritual affairs." The denarius, "the only coin acceptable for imperial tax payments," was different from the copper coins that were circulated throughout Jewish Palestine. In carrying and using the Roman coin, Jesus' opponents were submitting to Rome's authority, including indirectly acknowledging "the benefits of the civil government ... and consequently the obligation to pay taxes."Give to Caesar ... give to God (Mark 12:17)While we, no less than Jesus' original audience, may (and should) feel chafed when we think of government abuse and corruption, we should be quick to recall that the government's authority is God-given. For that reason alone, Christians are to submit to the government, including paying taxes. What's more, the government uses our tax dollars to provide us with innumerable benefits, including public defense, public roadways, public sanitation services, etc., etc. In that respect, to pay taxes is simply to pay a debt we owe. Which, not coincidentally, is the precise meaning behind Jesus' "Render to Caesar ..." (Mark 12:17, NASB): "In their question, the religious leaders used the word?didomi, meaning 'to give.' Jesus responded with the word?apodidomi, meaning 'to pay a debt.'" As one source brings out, submission to God includes submission to the governing authorities:[W]e misunderstand Jesus when we have him say that the obligation to God has nothing to do with the obligation to our government. Even the Pharisees and their disciples were not that shallow as their question shows. The 'and' of Jesus intends to cancel the 'or' of his questioners (in both v. 14 and 15). These are not alternatives, they harmonize, yea, more: in giving to God what is God's we will for his sake give also to the ruler what is his. Our obligation to God covers everything in our life, its citizenship as well as our religion.Jesus' somewhat ambiguous response was intended to challenge "one's loyalties and motives." When Jesus spoke of giving God his due, he "probably meant it as a protest against the emperor's claim to deity. Indeed the emperor must receive his due, but not more than that; he must not receive the divine honor and worship he claimed. Those are due only to God. People are 'God's coinage' because they bear His image (cf. Genesis 1:27) and they owe Him what belongs to Him, their allegiance. This, not the poll tax, was the crucial issue to Jesus."As one source puts it:Jesus avoided the trick question by showing that believers have dual citizenship (1 Peter 2:7). Our citizenship in the nation requires that we pay money for the services and benefits we receive. Our citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven requires that we pledge to God our primary obedience and commitment. (See Acts 4:18-19 and Acts 5:29 for discussions on obeying God rather than people.) As God's followers, we have legitimate obligations to both God and the government. But it is important to keep our priorities straight. When the two authorities conflict, our duty to God always must come before our duty to the government. The coin bearing the emperor's image should be given to the emperor; our lives, bearing God's image, belong to God.HEAR (heart)No EscapeWarren Wiersbe tells a story of the time he carried on a brief correspondence (via snail mail) with a man who objected to his interpretation of Romans 13 (regarding submitting to governmental authority). The man said all government was of the devil and that Christians must resist it. Wiersbe pointed out that through his use of the U.S. Postal Service, the man was actually accepting governmental authority. The money he used was printed and guaranteed by the federal government. And, for that matter, the very freedom that the man employed in voicing his opinion was a right guaranteed by the government. DO (hands)??? Read Acts 5:26-29 and Romans 13:1-7. How do these Scripture passages compare with Christ's command in Mark 12:17? [[@Bible:Mark 12:18-27]]Mark 12:18-27Discussion about Resurrection18?Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees - religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question: 19?"Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother's name.?? 20?Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children. 21?So the second brother married the widow, but he also died without children. Then the third brother married her. 22?This continued with all seven of them, and still there were no children. Last of all, the woman also died. 23?So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her." 24?Jesus replied, "Your mistake is that you don't know the Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God. 25?For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven.26?"But now, as to whether the dead will be raised - haven't you ever read about this in the writings of Moses, in the story of the burning bush? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said to Moses,?? 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'? 27?So he is the God of the living, not the dead. You have made a serious error."SEE (head)A group of Sadducees poses a hypothetical question to Jesus in an effort to disprove the resurrection. They are correct in their understanding of the Mosaic law requiring a man to marry his widowed sister-in-law in order to provide his deceased brother with an heir. But they are committing a grave error in trying to use this law to prove that the resurrection does not make sense. Jesus responds by teaching them about the general nature of the resurrection, as well as the fact that death is not the end of our existence.Sadducees (Mark 12:18)Not very much is known about the Sadducees. "Our information about them is meager and derived exclusively from hostile sources. Clearly they consisted mainly of the most influential priestly and aristocratic families ... [and] they are presented essentially as the preservers of ancient priestly traditions." This group "included most of the priests; the office of high priest was regularly held by a Sadducee." Like most wealthy and "connected" people, the Sadducees exercised an influence disproportionate to their size, controlling "the official political structures of Judaism at this time." They accepted as authoritative only the writings of Moses - the Pentateuch, or first five books of the Bible. And since, they believed, the resurrection was not taught in those books, it could not be true. ("They denied the truths of the resurrection, future judgment, and the existence of angels and spirits.) In light of their renowned animosity toward the Pharisees, they must have thought they had found "a way to trip Jesus and at the same time to maintain their skeptic views against the orthodox Pharisees." (Historical note: "Many of the Sadducean leaders were murdered by the Zealots during the revolt against Rome [A.D. 66-70], as real or suspected collaborators; the destruction of the Temple [A.D. 70] deprived their survivors of their position of religious significance. They disappeared, and the Pharisees saw to it that they left no traces behind them.")Marry the widow (Mark 12:19)"Apparently one of the favorite sports of the Sadducees was to make fun of their opponents by showing how their beliefs led to ridiculous conclusions." ("We may suppose that they had tried this proof [regarding levirate marriage and the resurrection] in controversy with many a Pharisee and had made a laughingstock of every opponent. Jesus was to be the next victim.") Thus they approach Jesus with a "free rendering of the Mosaic regulation concerning levirate (from Latin, levir, 'husband's brother') marriage (cf. Deuteronomy 25:5-10). If a husband died without leaving a male heir his (unmarried) brother (or, if none, his nearest male relative) was to marry his widow. The first son of that union was given the name of the dead brother and was considered his child. This was to prevent extinction of a family line and thereby kept the family inheritance intact." As another source brings out: "Levirate marriage was an ancient solution to the problem of the widowed and childless woman. In great antiquity a woman had two places: her father's house as an unmarried virgin, or her husband's house, in which she would bear him children. A childless widow had no secure place in ancient society. Through levirate marriage she had the opportunity to bear children in the name of her deceased husband." ("The story of Ruth and Boaz, recorded in the Book of Ruth, is a good example of the levirate form of marriage."). The resurrection (Mark 12:23)Since the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection, it was obvious they were ridiculing the very idea."The underlying premise is that the doctrine of resurrection is inconsistent with the teaching of Torah, especially so when someone like Jesus adopts a strict, monogamous position that rules out divorce." For his part, Jesus affirmed the reality of a future resurrection, and taught that the life associated with it will be characterized by serving and fellowshipping with God. People will relate to each and to God in a very different way, as there will be no death and thus no need for marriage and offspring. "The entire arrangement of sex, marriage, reproduction, and childbirth, and any laws pertaining to these is valid for the earthly life only and not for the life to come."The Scriptures ... the power of God (Mark 12:24)Based as it was on the very words of God as recorded in the Pentateuch (Exodus 3:6), the Sadducees had no choice but to accept Jesus' teaching regarding the afterlife. "God implied that the patriarchs were still alive and that He had a continuing relationship with them as their covenant-keeping God, even though they had died long before. This demonstrates, Jesus concluded, that He is not the God of the dead, in the Sadducean understanding of death as extinction, but of the living. He is still the patriarchs' God which would not be true had they ceased to exist at death, that is, if death ends it all. And His covenant faithfulness implicitly guarantees their bodily resurrection. ... Both bodily resurrection and life after death depend on the faithfulness of 'the God of the living.'" Jesus not only made his point, but he did so in such a way as to affirm that the Bible is totally trustworthy - right down to the verb tense of the words used. In choosing this particular line of reasoning, Jesus made several assumptions that help to affirm the truth and accuracy of God's inspired, authoritative Word, the Bible. Jesus assumed:God's appearance to Moses was a genuine, historical event. God reveals himself in propositional statements. Doctrine must be historically accurate in order to be true. Every passage of Scripture, including some that on the surface may seem unlikely to prove a point, is totally trustworthy. HEAR (heart)The Truthful BarometerA young farmer in North Dakota brought home a fancy barometer for which he paid $24.65. In the following days he watched it avidly as it predicted the weather. On one of the walls of his home it hung in an honored place. But the day came when for three days it predicted "storm" while the sky was turquoise and clear. So he took it off the wall and back to town where he demanded his money back. Returning home, he and his wife became alarmed when they saw evidence of a storm ten miles out. When they turned in their yard, their home had blown away. The furniture was up in the apple trees, and the bathtub three blocks away in a pasture. But the grandmother had believed the barometer, and when a dark cloud appeared she took the two small children and went to the shelter in the old storm cellar, long unused, and they were saved.We live in a world that openly questions, and even mocks, the very idea that the Bible is God's inspired, authoritative Word. As a consequence, many people deny the existence of absolute moral truth, live immoral lives, and see God as a crutch for the weak-minded. The truth is that the Bible is our only sure and reliable barometer. We may not understand everything about it, but if we are willing to give it the honored place it both deserves and demands, God will use it to guide us and keep us safe through life's storms. As for the skeptics and critics, one source wisely advises: "Where active unbelief is strong, Christians need to concentrate strong intellect, persuasive witness, and steady prayer. Remember to pray for professors, educators, student workers, and missionaries who present Christ in atmospheres of aggressive and hostile unbelief." DO (hands)??? Like the Sadducees of Jesus' day, many people of our own day are less than sincere in their questioning of God's Word and/or God's people. How should we handle such people? One source offers some excellent counsel.As Christians, we will face unfair theological questions from religious leaders who do not believe in Christ as Lord or in his Word as divine. We also will face unfair questions from unbelievers who have no knowledge. To stand our ground, we must discern the thoughts and feelings that lie beneath their questions. Do their own consciences suffer, so they are reacting against Christianity as the source of their conviction?Do they resent the assurance of faith that Christians hold?Have they been severely hurt or disappointed by so-called religious people?Do they wish to proudly flaunt their own freedom and power of intellect?Are they reacting on partial knowledge, misconceptions of God, or poor interpretations of Scripture?Have they confused the love and compassion of Jesus Christ with the sometimes improper actions of professing Christians? Many who attack the Bible have never truly studied it or considered Christ's claims. Turn the discussion to the love of Christ.[[@Bible:Mark 12:28-37]]Mark 12:28-37The Most Important Commandment28?One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" 29?Jesus replied, "The most important commandment is this: 'Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. 30?And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.'?? 31?The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'?? No other commandment is greater than these."32?The teacher of religious law replied, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. 33?And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law."34?Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.Whose Son Is the Messiah?35?Later, as Jesus was teaching the people in the Temple, he asked, "Why do the teachers of religious law claim that the Messiah is the son of David? 36?For David himself, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said,'The LORD said to my Lord,Sit in the place of honor at my right handuntil I humble your enemies beneath your feet.'??37?Since David himself called the Messiah 'my Lord,' how can the Messiah be his son?" The large crowd listened to him with great delight.SEE (head)Jesus is asked about a topic commonly debated among the religious leaders of his day: the most important commandment in the Scriptures. He responds by saying that loving God with our entire being, followed by loving and caring for those around us, is the most important thing in life. Jesus then asks a question of his own regarding the identity of the Messiah. Although the Messiah is to be a descendent of David, he will also be far superior to David, who was the greatest king of Israel and a man after God's own heart. All the commandments (Mark 12:28)In sharp contrast to the Sadducees, the scribe in this story "came with no apparent hostile or hidden motive," but simply "to appraise Jesus' skill in answering a much-debated subject in scribal circles." "The Pharisees had codified the law into 248 commandments and 365 prohibitions. These 613 precepts were imposed by the Pharisees on their followers as their obligation." It was inevitable that, at certain times and in certain situations, one command would come into conflict with another. Thus there were ongoing debates regarding which command was to be obeyed and which one was to be ignored. There were also attempts to summarize the entire law in one single command. "As a Pharisee himself [see Matthew 22:34-36], the man had in mind the debates over the relative importance of ritual, ethical, moral, and ceremonial laws, as well as the positive versus negative laws." Linking passages of Scripture together based on key words was actually a common Jewish interpretive technique. "These passages were also linked in Jewish tradition (e.g., Philo), and some other teachers felt that these were the greatest commandments that summarized the law. This was especially true of 'Love the Lord your God'." That said, it appears that no one prior to Jesus placed these two commands on equal footing. What's more, "Jesus, not only by word but also by very deed, was the first to set forth the true meaning of perfect love toward God united with perfect love toward man." The order in which Jesus placed the commands is also very important. If we truly love God, then love for our neighbor will?follow. However, if we try to put loving our neighbor above loving God, we will be unable to properly love either one. Listen, O Israel (Mark 12:29)Jesus responded by first of all reciting the Shema ("from the opening word 'Hear,' which in Hebrew is shema"), described as "[t]he 'watchword of Israel's faith,' a declaration of the oneness and uniqueness of God as found in the opening words of Deuteronomy 6:4: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.' ... The Shema is not a prayer (rabbinic literature never refers to 'praying' the Shema) but a confession of faith or creed. ... [T]he main focus of the Shema in its original setting - ancient Near Eastern polytheism - is clearly on the fact there is one God. Yahweh alone claims the unqualified love and obedience of all His creation." "[R]ecited by pious Jews every morning and evening[,] [i]t basically affirms two things: (1) the unity of God ('the Lord is one') and (2) the covenant relationship of God to the Jewish people ('the Lord our God')." Apparently Jesus' aim in reciting the Shema was to bypass endless debate and get back to a basic, foundational truth: "What mattered were not laws and their relative importance; what mattered was a relationship with the one true God." Love the Lord your God (Mark 12:30)Jesus affirmed that "[t]he whole duty of man, the whole moral-spiritual law, can be summed up in one word: love." In simplest terms, we are to love God with every ounce of our being. As one paraphrase renders it, we are to love God "with all [our] passion and prayer and intelligence and energy" (The Message). Jesus said:And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart (Greek kardia: "the center of desires and affections").all your soul (Greek psuche: a "person's 'being' and uniqueness")all your mind (Greek dianoia: "the center of a person's intellect")and all your strength (Greek ischus: "physical capabilities")Notice the repetition of the word "all," meaning that "[n]ot even the smallest corner is to be closed against [God] and opened to another." A more precise definition of the various terms reveals much overlap, indicating that "[t]he use of the various terms is not meant to delineate distinct human faculties, but to underscore the completeness of the kind of love that is called for." To love God as Jesus said "calls for a volitional commitment to God that is personal, comprehensive, and wholehearted." It is "the love of intelligence and purpose and is thus far above the love of mere liking or affection." Through Christ "God gives himself totally in love to his people; therefore he expects his people to give themselves totally ('soul,' 'mind,' and 'strength') in love to him." It is also helpful to see this command in light of its original context: "Loving the Lord with all the heart and soul and strength is placed at the head, as the spiritual principle from which the observance of the commandments was to flow (see also Deuteronomy 11:1; 30:6). It was in love that the fear of the Lord (Deuteronomy 10:12), hearkening to His commandments (Deuteronomy:13), and the observance of the whole law (Deuteronomy 11:22), were to be manifested; but love itself was to be shown by walking in all the ways of the Lord (Deuteronomy 11:22; 19:9; 30:16)." Love your neighbor (Mark 12:31)But Jesus did not stop there. He cited "a second commandment ... which is of the same supreme quality as the first." Jesus said we are to love neighbor as self - that is, to be just as concerned for the well-being of others as we are for our own. A "neighbor" (Greek plesion) is "'one who is nearby,' a generic term for fellowman; "any other man irrespective of nation or religion with whom we live or whom we chance to meet." As one source puts it: "[A neighbor]?is anyone who has been providentially placed in [our] path for sympathy and help. A person should really never ask, 'And who is my neighbor?' Instead, he himself should be a true neighbor to those in need, even though they be his enemies. See Matthew?5:43-48; Luke?10:30-37." As another source notes, "neighbor" refers to "one who is near us, i.e., one with whom we come in contact, no matter who he may be. It is idle to demand love for one of whose existence we know nothing." Thus rather than some lofty philosophy that produces much heat but little light, love of neighbor is actually an imminently practical idea that can/should be practiced daily. Along those same lines, one Bible commentator notes that it is for very practical reasons that the command says to "love your neighbor" rather than to "like your neighbor": This love for our neighbor could not be expressed by ["like"] for the simple reason that liking would not be enough, and that we could not possibly like everyone with whom we come in contact. Take some vicious individual or some filthy person - can you embrace and kiss him and take him into your home? But you can, indeed, love him (agapan) with the intelligence that sees and comprehends what is wrong with him and with the noble and true purpose of ridding him of what is wrong with him. This love will ever make the true interests of its neighbor its own.Taken together, the two commands Jesus gave can serve as a summary of the Ten Commandments: the first four commandments focus on our relationship with God, while the remaining six focus on our relationship with people. The two greatest commands describe the type of person God chooses to honor. They also convict us of our need for a Savior, since we all fall far short of keeping them completely. In his parallel account, the apostle Matthew includes Jesus' declaration that: "'The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments'" (Matthew 22:40). Or, as one modern paraphrase renders it: "These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them." (The Message). In other words, according to Jesus, "all of the commandments were given for two simple reasons - to help us love God and love others as we should." More important than ... offerings and sacrifices (Mark 12:33)The scribe was delighted at Jesus' response, declaring that love for God and neighbor were of greater importance than offerings and sacrifices. "In other words, love was more important than all the ritual and ceremonial laws." As one source puts it, the scribe found Jesus' answer to be "so complete, so rich and satisfying, so illuminating in every way that the scribe himself said so in his own way." Obviously the scribe had been seriously wrestling with this issue, and it may well be that prior to his conversation with Jesus he had attached more weight to the offerings and sacrifices. On the other hand, he may have already reached the same conclusion as Jesus and was overjoyed to have his interpretation affirmed. It is certainly the case that the truth of Jesus' words were "emphasized and constantly repeated in the Old Testament. See especially the following passages: 1 Samuel 15:22; Psalms 40:6-7; 51:16-17; Isaiah 1:10-17; Hosea 6:6: Micah 6:6-8." While the Judaism of Jesus' day gave equal weight to love and sacrifices, the scribe declared, and Jesus implicitly affirmed, that love was superior. Thus "[t]his man had caught the intent of God's law as it is so often stressed in the Old Testament - that true obedience comes from the heart." ("Because the Old Testament commands lead to Christ, the man's next step toward obtaining God's kingdom was faith in Jesus himself. ... Perhaps after Jesus' death and resurrection, this understanding Pharisee also became a believer.")Son of David (Mark 12:35)"It was a common belief in Judaism that Messiah would be David's son in that he would come from the lineage of David."?Quoting from Psalms 110, Jesus taught that the Messiah is both a son of (= descendant of) David and far superior to David, strongly implying that the Messiah is both man and God. "The Davidic sonship of the Messiah was a standard Jewish belief (cf. John 7:41-42) firmly based on the Old Testament Scriptures (cf. 2 Samuel 7:8-16; Psalms 89:3-4; Isaiah 9:2-7; 11:1-9; Jeremiah 23:5-6; 30:9; 33:15-17, 22; Ezekiel 34:23-24; 37:24; Hosea 3:5; Amos 9:11). Jesus added that it is equally true that the Messiah is David's Lord." As another source puts it: "David's Son is God's Son. Accordingly, when Jesus now says, 'How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?' he means, 'How can they say that the Christ is merely the Son of David?'" And so, "[w]ithout clearly stating it, Jesus was lifting the veil of his divine identity. The divine Messiah would indeed come in human form, and he was standing among them." Besides serving as a marker to set him apart from all the rest of David's descendants, the Messiah's deity spelled profound implications for Israel's religious leaders. Like the rest of the nation at that time, they thought of the promised Messiah in earthly terms - "a human ruler who would reign on King David's throne, deliver them from Gentile domination by establishing God's rule on earth, and restore Israel's greatness as in the days of David and Solomon." To the religious leaders' way of thinking, such a Messiah posed no real threat to them personally: he would have his power, and they would still have theirs. Jesus, on the other hand, was very much a threat, as his open, repeated, and vehement denunciation of the religious leaders' false teaching and hypocritical ways represented a clear and present danger to their power and control. If he really was the Messiah, then they were in serious trouble. Their solution? Get rid of him. HEAR (heart)Not for SissiesThe story is told of a group of senior citizens who lived in a retirement home. One day they were sitting around comparing their various and sundry aches, pains, and illnesses. Arthritis made everyone's list. Indigestion was very popular. And of course there were ulcers, as well as insomnia. And on it went. Finally one gentleman who was 85 years old spoke up and said, "Well, it just goes to prove that getting old ain't for sissies!" "[Jesus'] provocative questions brought delight to the crowds, thoughtfulness to the attentive, and continued anger to his enemies." As Jesus' followers, we too can expect mixed reactions as we openly proclaim in both word and deed God's life-transforming truth. Some people will be delighted by it, some will give it serious thought, and some will want to kill the messenger. Which just goes to prove that being a faithful follower of Jesus ain't for sissies!DO (hands)??? What are some practical, everyday habits we can form that will help our "thoughts, decisions, and actions" to be governed by the two greatest commands? (Hint: Begin with the basics of prayer, Bible study, and fellowship.) [[@Bible:Mark 12:38-44]]Mark 12:38-44(Whose Son Is the Messiah?)38?Jesus also taught: "Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. 39?And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. 40?Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be more severely punished." The Widow's Offering41?Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. 42?Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins .??43?Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. 44?For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on."SEE (head)Jesus denounces the religious leaders as hypocrites who hunger for wealth and status as they practice their religion in public to be seen and admired by other people. In reality, they aren't the least bit interested in helping people; rather, they want only to help themselves to whatever they can get out of other people, even the most helpless and marginalized members of society. Jesus contrasts these religious hypocrites with a widow whose sincere faith and trust in God leads her to give away all she has. Her contribution, says Jesus, is far more valuable than the large sums of money given by the rich.Flowing robes ... greetings ... seats of honor ... head table (Mark 12:38, 39)Regarding the "flowing robes" Jesus mentioned, one source explains: "The robes of the intellectuals and aristocrats were long, reaching to the feet. The religious leaders wore white linen robes, with white symbolizing religious purity. These robes were supposed to be worn mainly for religious duties. However, the religious leaders had taken to wearing them into public, such as to the?marketplaces, for attention. The white robes singled them out and thus caused the people to recognize them as authorities and greet them respectfully. The leaders had no reason for these actions except vanity." Regarding the other items on Jesus' list, one source explains how many (most?) of the religious leaders liked to:be greeted in the marketplaces with formal titles - Rabbi (teacher), master, father (cf. Matthew 23:7; Luke 20:46) - by the common people who respected them highly; have the most important synagogue seats, those reserved for dignitaries, situated in front of the chest containing the sacred scrolls of Scripture and facing the whole congregation; and have the places of honor at banquets, special evening meals at which they were seated next to the host and received preferential treatment.As one source says (with tongue in cheek): "What an honor to ordinary mortals to have the privilege of greeting such distinguished men!" Cheat widows (Mark 12:40)Because religious leaders were not allowed to charge for their teaching, "they depended on the hospitality extended by devout Jews. Some of them used this custom to exploit people, cheating the poor out of everything they had and taking advantage of the rich." They set the tithe at 20 to 30 percent "on top of the heavy land taxes levied by the government." In general, they sought to convince others that to help a religious leader live in comfort on earth is to earn a special place in heaven. While "[t]he temple establishment was supposed to have provided social protection and economic assistance to widows," in fact they did the exact opposite. As one source notes: "Scribes often served as estate planners for widows, which gave them the opportunity to convince distraught widows that they would be serving God by supporting the temple or the scribe's own holy work. In either case, the scribe benefited monetarily and effectively robbed the widow of her husband's legacy to her." This practice was so commonplace that the phrase "devour widows' houses" (Mark 12:40, NASB) became "a vivid figure of speech for exploiting the generosity of people of limited means."Is it any wonder Jesus said they would be severely punished? "The punishment for these scribes would be especially severe because as teachers they were responsible for shaping the faith of the people. But they saddled people with petty rules while they lived greedily and deceitfully. Their behavior gave a pretense of piety, while they oppressed and misled the very people they were supposed to lead." The collection box (Mark 12:41)This ("the treasury" NASB) likely "refers to the receptacles in the temple forecourt by the Court of Women used to collect freewill offerings." As one source explains: "In the Court of the Women, which covered a space of two hundred feet square. All round it ran a colonnade, and within it, against the wall, were the thirteen chests or 'trumpets' for charitable contributions. These chests were narrow at the mouth and wide at the bottom, shaped like trumpets, whence their name. Their specific objects were carefully marked on them. Nine were for the receipt of what was legally due by worshippers, the other four for strictly voluntary gifts." Many rich people (Mark 12:41)As one source notes: "Many of those donating large sums were wealthy landowners who lived in or near Jerusalem; others were Jewish businessmen and merchants of the Diaspora who had journeyed to Jerusalem for the Passover holiday." Apparently "there were always bystanders at these treasure chests who noted the large contributions and murmured praises when these were cast in. Such people would surely have overlooked [the poor widow] and her tiny gift." A poor widow (Mark 12:42)Beyond the court of the Gentiles lay the court of the women, which contained "13 trumpet-shaped collection receptacles for receiving worshipers' freewill offerings and contributions." Jesus watched as the Passover crowd was putting their money "into the treasury" (NASB), and took note of a widow whose contribution was as nothing compared to that of the others. Her "two small copper coins" (NASB) amounted to "1/64 of a Roman denarius, a day's wage for a laborer." "[A] widow ... had few resources for making money. If a widow in New Testament times had no sons, no protector, and remained unmarried, she was often destitute. Since there was no social security or public aid for widows, a widow would often be without financial support." Given more ... given everything (Mark 12:43, 44)Apparently Jesus was making two points regarding the widow. First of all, she stood as proof of what he had just been condemning, namely, "a temple establishment that exploits the poor and powerless, rather than assists them, as the Law of Moses commands." Secondly, while the widow's minuscule contribution would, in the long run, mean nothing to those in charge of furnishing the temple, it cost her a great deal. Thus Jesus commended her not because of how much she gave, but because of how much it cost her. She gave everything and held back nothing. In so doing, she was placing herself completely in God's hands. Where would her next meal come from? (Her two small coins "could buy one a handful of flour, or the equivalent of one meager meal.") God would provide. Where would she get more clothes when what she had began to wear out? God would provide. Where would she live if she were evicted? God would provide. The wealthy, on the other hand, gave large amounts - while making sure they had plenty left over for the next several months and years. They were trusting in their money; the widow was trusting in God.The story of the poor widow offers a number of valuable lessons on grateful giving:Grateful giving is sacrificial. "It is not the portion but the proportion that is important: the rich gave out of their abundance, but the poor widow gave all that she had. For the rich, their gifts were a small contribution, but for the widow, her gift was true consecration of her whole life." As another source notes: "Many who live in abundance decline to give or give too little because they fear that they will not have enough for the future. They give from lack of faith, and that robs their giving of its true value." Grateful giving is reckless (but not irresponsible). We are to trust in God, not our wealth. "Though her gift was by far the smallest in monetary value, it was the greatest in sacrifice. The value of a gift is not determined by its amount, but by the spirit in which it is given. A gift given grudgingly or for recognition loses its value." Grateful giving involves quality more than quantity. Even if we are able to give little in the way of money, time, or talent, God can take that little and use it to accomplish great things for his kingdom. "We may not be asked to give all we have; Jesus was not making that point in this example. But we must have the generous heart attitude of this widow and not the deceitful heart attitude of the Pharisees. Our Lord notices every act of service coming from a sincere heart." Grateful giving is contagious. "Even in regard to money this widow's gift has been multiplied endlessly. How many givers' hearts has she not helped to purify, fill with better faith, and make truly generous in their gifts! When the final computation is made in heaven, the interest which this woman's gift bore for the kingdom will be far beyond anything that the gifts of others, such as those at the treasure chests, could possibly produce." Grateful giving leads to great growing. God doesn't want our money; he wants us. Giving with an attitude of joy will help us better trust in, depend on, and obey our loving God. "Jesus wanted the disciples to see this lesson in total surrender of self, commitment to God, and willingness to trust in his provision." Grateful giving knows that poverty can be a curse or a blessing. "It becomes a curse when it fills the heart with anxious care and worry, with murmuring and complaint, or leads to unbelief and dishonesty. It becomes a blessing when it compels the poor man to cast himself upon God who has promised to care for his children." HEAR (heart)Going the Extra MileAt the bottom of the Grand Canyon is an American Indian reservation void of paved streets, stoplights, and cars. What it does have is several hundred people, houses and buildings, and a United States Postal Service office. The postal carrier is a man named Charlie who for the past 20 years has been leading a mule train from the top of the Grand Canyon down to the reservation below. It's a slow, cumbersome three hour trip one-way, the first part of which is along narrow ledges comprising a dizzying array of switchbacks. The folk at the bottom need the same daily supplies we all do, and they are all hand delivered via U.S. Postal Service mule train. (FedEx and UPS will not make the trip.)Charlie calculates that he has traveled enough miles to circle the globe twice. To him it's not simply a job, it's a way of life. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to a life of adventure filled to the brim with opportunities to serve God through helping others. As we leave behind the safe and ordinary in order to give freely of our time, talent, and treasure, God will honor our sacrificial service by using us as his spiritual mail carriers, delivering the love, joy and peace available only through personal, committed faith in Jesus Christ.DO (hands)??? Who do you know in need of a helping hand or an encouraging word? What can you do to help him or her? Mark 13[[@Bible:Mark 13:1-8]]Mark 13:1-8Jesus Foretells the Future1 As Jesus was leaving the Temple that day, one of his disciples said, "Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings! Look at the impressive stones in the walls." 2?Jesus replied, "Yes, look at these great buildings. But they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!"?3?Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives across the valley from the Temple. Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him privately and asked him, 4?"Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to be fulfilled?"5?Jesus replied, "Don't let anyone mislead you, 6?for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.'?? They will deceive many. 7?And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don't panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won't follow immediately. 8?Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.SEE (head)As Jesus heads out of the Temple in Jerusalem, one of his followers comments on the magnificent edifice. Jesus responds by declaring that it will be completely destroyed. Later a small group of his disciples approach Jesus privately to ask when this will take place and what signs they should look for. Jesus responds by listing several horrific events that must take place, although these will be only "the birth pains, with more to come." The temple (Mark 13:1)The Jerusalem temple, comprising one-sixth of the area of the city, "was built with large white stones, polished and generously decorated with gold." Considered one of the wonders of the ancient world, it was rebuilt and expanded to twice the size of Solomon's temple by Herod the Great in an effort to appease the Jews. While the main structure was finished by 9 B.C., it took another 70 years (until A.D. 64) for the entire building project to be completed. The courtyard alone was about four hundred yards wide by five hundred yards long. As one commentator has put it: "The Temple seemed the summit of human art and achievement, and seemed so vast and solid that it would stand forever." As another source puts it: "Rabbinic literature is not particularly favorable to Herod. Nevertheless, concerning Herod's temple it states, 'He who never saw Herod's edifice has never in his life seen a beautiful building.'" When one of his disciples expressed admiration for the temple, Jesus responded by predicting the complete destruction of both it and the city of Jerusalem: "'these great buildings ... will be completely demolished'" (v. 2), which actually paralleled what had been recorded by the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7:11-14; 9:11). "This wonder of the world would be completely destroyed. As in the days of the prophet Jeremiah, the destruction of the Jews' beloved temple would be God's judgment against them for turning away from him." Jesus' "prediction was fulfilled literally within the span of a generation. In A.D. 70, after the temple area was burned contrary to Titus' directives, he ordered his Roman soldiers to demolish the whole city and level its buildings to the ground." "It is believed that more than a million Jews, who had crowded into the city, perished." Sign ... the Messiah ... wars ... earthquakes ... famines (Mark 13:4, 6, 7, 8)Naturally the disciples wanted to know when these terrible things would take place. (Because "all this" and "these things" [v. 4] are both plural, we know the disciples had in mind more than just the temple's destruction. Compare Matthew 24:3.) And so they asked Jesus for both a time and a sign, seeing "no long interval between the temple's destruction and the end-time events climaxing in the coming of the Son of Man."?Jesus, on the other hand, went on to paint "a prophetic scene involving two perspectives: (a) the near event, the destruction of Jerusalem (A.D. 70); and (b) the far event, the coming of the Son of Man in clouds with power and glory."And so, "[l]ike much of Old Testament prophecy, Jesus predicted both near and distant events without putting them in chronological order. The coming destruction of Jerusalem and the temple only foreshadowed a future destruction that would ultimately usher in God's kingdom." Notice how Jesus avoided providing a precise time, as well as the detailed cryptic signs or visions commonly associated with apocalyptic predictions. Instead, Jesus described in general terms what the disciples could expect and how they were to respond. Major spiritual deception, wars, false messiahs, earthquakes, and famines, said Jesus, represent the beginning, not the end. Jesus' response should remind us that a personal relationship, rather than a prophetic revelation, is our greatest need. Which, not coincidentally, is in keeping with God's general purposes for prophecy: "Speaking through the prophets, God guided kings and people by telling them how to act in specific situations, warned people when they disobeyed him, predicted events that he would bring about, interpreted events when they came about, and demonstrated that he alone was both ruler of history and a God who relates personally to his people" (emphasis added). Regarding the requested sign, one source explains: What then is/are the sign(s) about which the disciples asked (v. 4)? On the one hand, everything that happens can function as a sign; that is, a sign of God's sovereign control of history and his care for his faithful people. If events turn out as Jesus predicted, then clearly God is in control.But, on the other hand, if the disciples wanted signs that would help them predict the timing of the end, no such signs were supplied. In fact not a single event predicted in the chapter is called a sign. The word itself (semeion) does not appear at all in Jesus' answer, except in verse 22 where the disciples are warned against sign-givers. The disciples are told that various events are not to be considered evidences that the end has come (e.g., 13:7), and other events are called (only) the beginning of the travails (13:8). Mislead ... deceive (Mark 13:5, 6)Jesus responded to the disciples' request for a "sign" "in two ways: negatively, by warning them against false signs of the end (13:5-13), and positively, by stating the notable event that inaugurates unparalleled tribulation and by describing the Second Advent (13:14-27)." The first item on Jesus' list is spiritual deceivers. As one paraphrase renders vv. 5-6: "Jesus began, 'Watch out for doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities claiming, "I'm the One." They will deceive a lot of people'" (The Message). Jesus warned that "[m]any false messiahs will arise in crisis times, making use of His name (His title and authority), claiming, 'I am He.'" He knew "that if the disciples looked for signs, they would be susceptible to being deceived" by such false messiahs. Sadly, the tendency to let no crisis go unexploited has been played out time and again throughout the history of the Christian Church. As one source notes: "Some are petty and have this or that little sect of fanatics following them, some are grand like the popes in their long succession, some are out for the hard cash, some are viciously lascivious. They all use the revelation of Christ as their sheep's clothing. The sad thing is that they shall actually succeed in deceiving many, for all men have an affinity for religious error, and many yield to it with avidity and develop the strongest delusions. They have no limit in perverting to their own ends what the Scriptures say about the kingdom." Wars ... earthquakes ... famines (Mark 13:7, 8)The disciples would "hear of wars right at hand and rumors about wars in distant places." However, these and other "contemporary events such as ... natural disasters" must not be interpreted "as indications that the end is at hand" As one source rightly reminds us: "These disturbances in the physical realm are indeed foreshadowings and portrayals of that which, on a much more extensive and intensive scale, will take place in the realm of nature at the end of the age; but except in that very general sense they cannot be correctly termed signs." As another source puts it: "The world of nature is affected in the same way by sin as is the world of men, and thus these disturbing manifestations are signs of the end. But not signs after which the end is at once due. No; more of these manifestations will be piled up, not always consecutively but often concurrently and simultaneously." Jesus offered his warning lest his disciples drastically misinterpret these severe events to mean "that somehow God had lost control of his creation or that his promises would not come true. Just as false messiahs and religious frauds come and go, so do worldly crises. Even when the world's situation gets worse, God is in control." Birth pains ... more to come (Mark 13:8)"These are only a prelude, 'a beginning of birthpains,' much severer pains and writhings must be added before the new, heavenly eon comes to full birth." Here "birth pains" (Greek odin) indicates the type of intense suffering associated with giving birth. These pains "refer to the period of intense suffering preceding the birth of the new Age, the messianic kingdom. This emphasis - 'the end is still to come' (13:7) and 'these [things] are the beginning of birth pains' (13:8) - suggests that an extended period of time will precede 'the end.' Each generation will have its own wars and natural disasters. Yet all these events fall within God's purposes. Human history is heading toward the birth of the new Messianic Age."As one source puts it:To be sure, the events here indicated have significance. They are stepping stones leading to the final goal. By means of them the end of the age is both foreshadowed and brought closer, and God's eternal plan is being carried forward. Moreover, when we realize that toward the end of the present dispensation the indicated disturbances will occur together (Matthew 24:33), will probably be more numerous, extensive, and fearful than ever before (Luke 21:11, 25-26), and are going to take place in connection with the great tribulation that will usher in the parousia, we may conclude that it would not be unreasonable to call the final outbreak of these terrors 'concurrent or accompanying signs.' THE DAY OF THE LORDJesus' prophetic prediction is straight out of the OT. The imagery of childbirth, with its intense suffering, is used in the OT to picture "the anxiety and distress caused by war, affliction, or divine judgment." What's more, we also find war, earthquakes, and famines repeatedly associated with God's judgment and/or the last days. The "day of the LORD" was the name used by the OT prophets for the time when God would come in ultimate judgment to punish the wicked and reward the righteous (Isaiah 13:6, 9; Ezekiel 30:3; Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14; Amos 5:18, 20; Obadiah 1:15; Zephaniah 1:7-8; 2:2-3; Malachi 4:5). Equivalent expressions in the NT include: "the 'day of our Lord Jesus Christ' (1 Corinthians 1:8; cf. 2 Corinthians 1:14), the 'day of God' (2 Peter 3:12; Revelation 16:14), or 'the last day(s).'" Put simply, "[i]n the NT the Day of the Lord is the second coming of Christ." Major themes associated with the day of the Lord include: Vindication. God will be vindicated. "In the battle between evil and God, it is God who is victorious and vindicated. He is the ultimate power to whom is given the final word and against whom no force can stand (Isaiah 2:17)." Triumph. Good will triumph over evil. "[E]vil [will] be trounced and evildoers will in the end receive their due. There is justice after all. God will settle his accounts with all that is godless and anti-God, arrogant and pridefully hostile against the Almighty. On the other hand, the scenes about God's blessing and the recovery of an Edenic paradise have and will continue to offer hope for those whose trust is in God (2 Peter 3:13)." Righteousness. Not only will righteousness prevail then, but the certainty of that day should lead us to want to live righteously right now. "The purpose of discussions about the day of the Lord, past or future, is to illumine the present. Peter's question is rhetorical but pointed. In view of the coming day of the Lord, 'What kind of people ought you to be?' (2 Peter 3:11)." It is also worth noting that: "Many Bible students believe the Day of the Lord will be a long period of time rather than a single day - a period when Christ will reign throughout the world before He cleanses heaven and earth in preparation for the eternal state of all mankind. But others believe the Day of the Lord will be an instantaneous event when Christ will return to earth to claim His faithful believers while consigning unbelievers to eternal damnation." HEAR (heart)Marks of a False TeacherThroughout the history of the Church there have been individuals who have misled many by claiming unique insight into biblical prophecy. Indeed, this is the way many of the major Christian cults were born. There are several questions we can and should ask to test the genuineness of anyone - self-professed prophet or other - claiming to teach biblical truth:Have their predictions come true, or do they have to revise them to fit what's already happened? Does any teaching utilize a small section of the Bible to the neglect of the whole? Does the teaching contradict what the Bible says about God? Are the practices meant to glorify the teacher or Christ? Do the teachings promote hostility toward other Christians? DO (hands)??? One Bible commentator wisely counsels: Beware of groups who claim special knowledge of the last days because no one knows when Christ will return. In fact, it's not important to know. Jesus tells us that the best way to prepare for the future is to stay faithful to him and away from imposters. We must not be sidetracked by promises for social, economic, military, or political reform. The only sure way for the disciples (and all believers) to keep from being deceived is to focus on Christ and his words.Many Christians speculate on when and how Jesus will return. Charts and signs abound. Some churches predict the future with scientific zeal. But Jesus wants us to stay faithful to him even when imposters and violence seem to rule. He gives no charts, only a promise and a pledge. Don't guess about the future; instead, give your days to him until he comes. Everything will happen according to God's divine plan. Our responsibility is to be prepared, to endure, and to continue to preach the Good News to all nations. [[@Bible:Mark 13:9-23]]Mark 13:9-23(Jesus Foretells the Future)9?"When these things begin to happen, watch out! You will be handed over to the local councils and beaten in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me.?? 10?For the Good News must first be preached to all nations.?? 11?But when you are arrested and stand trial, don't worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit. 12?"A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. 13?And everyone will hate you because you are my followers.?? But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14?"The day is coming when you will see the sacrilegious object that causes desecration?? standing where he?? should not be. (Reader, pay attention!) Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. 15?A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. 16?A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. 17?How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. 18?And pray that your flight will not be in winter. 19?For there will be greater anguish in those days than at any time since God created the world. And it will never be so great again. 20?In fact, unless the Lord shortens that time of calamity, not a single person will survive. But for the sake of his chosen ones he has shortened those days.21?"Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,' or ‘There he is,' don't believe it. 22?For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones. 23?Watch out! I have warned you about this ahead of time!SEE (head)Jesus says his disciples will be made to stand trial before various religious and secular bodies, which will be for them an opportunity to present the Gospel. Betrayal will be common: disciples' own family members will turn against them, and they will be hated by all types of people. The temple will be desecrated, signaling the time to go into hiding. Great calamity will follow, and many "false messiahs" will arise and deceive many people.Watch out (Mark 13:9, 23)Jesus repeatedly commanded his disciples to remain steadfast: "don't panic" (v. 7) . . . "watch out!" (v. 9) . . . "Watch out! I have warned you!" (v. 23). These repeated warnings reflect Jesus' main purpose - i.e., "to give practical, ethical teaching. ... He is preparing his disciples - and beyond them the church - to live and to witness in a hostile world." This is an invaluable lesson in light of every generation's tendency to see catastrophic events as signs of the end of the world and Christ's return. As one source insightfully notes: If Jesus did not endorse sign-seeking, he certainly did call for another sort of watching. The first word of Jesus' discourse is "?watch?" (blepete, v. 5 - a word that regularly means "?be discerning?" in Mark's Gospel, cf. 4:12; 8:18). The last word of the discourse is another word for "?watch?" (gregoreite, v. 37 - a word that means "?be alert and faithful,?" cf. 14:34, 37–38). The overall message of Mark 13 seems to be that since no one knows when the end will come, vigilance is required at every moment. Trials will test faithfulness, but the disciple must serve and if necessary suffer "?to the end?" (13:13). Sign-seeking and apocalyptic calculation are not endorsed. Handed over ... beaten ... stand trial (Mark 13:9)Jesus warned that his disciples would be severely mistreated. As one source explains: On account of the disciples' belief in Jesus, the Jews would brand them as traitors or heretics, pass down the sentence right in their synagogue, and have them?flogged. Flogging was the punishment given to Jews who were found guilty of serious offenses. A flogging consisted of thirty-nine lashes across the back with a leather whip. This was based on?Deuteronomy 25:1-3, which calls for forty lashes; thirty-nine were given in order to avoid accidentally giving too many. The apostle Paul wrote that he had received such floggings five different times (2 Corinthians 11:24). This punishment could only be given to Jews who would submit to it in order to remain in the Jewish community. The book of Acts recounts how Jesus' prophecy was at least partially fulfilled following the establishment of the Christian Church. The apostles, including Paul, were persecuted, harassed, and forced to endure much hardship for the sake of the Gospel. They also appeared before high-ranking officials - both Jewish and Gentile - with whom they shared the Gospel. For example, we know that "[t]he apostle Paul spoke to the Sanhedrin (Acts 22:30), Governor Felix (Acts 24:10), Governor Festus (Acts 25:1-6), and King Agrippa (Acts 26:1) and had hoped to speak to the emperor himself (Acts 26:32)." The most important phrase here is "'because you are my followers'" (v. 9; "'for my sake'" NASB; "'because of me'" HCSB,) Several points are worth special mention:"Whatever they suffer is for him. He sends them, him they represent, him and the royal rule of his kingdom they proclaim." "When anyone persecutes Christ's disciple he is persecuting Christ himself." "[T]he persecuted one is never separated from Christ's love and from the strength and the comfort he imparts." "This will be an effective testimony indeed, which will be greater than ordinary preaching. For it will compel all these high authorities to investigate judicially the whole course of the gospel and to note all that the gospel contains and all that it does for man." Preached to all nations (Mark 13:10)"Jesus talked about the end times and final judgment to emphasize to his followers the urgency of spreading the good news of salvation to everyone. Although they would face persecution, Jesus' followers must never give up in their mission of actively preaching the Good News to?all the nations and getting the Word of God to every language group." Proclaiming the Gospel - that is, "all that pertains to Jesus and his work and rule of grace in his kingdom for the salvation of men" - remains both the privilege and the responsibility of each new generation of Christians.Notice, however, that while Jesus said the Gospel would be preached to all nations - and, strictly speaking, Jesus said "this preaching will be carried out before officials of all nations" - he did not say that it would be accepted by them. "[P]reaching the gospel worldwide does not require or guarantee its worldwide acceptance before or at the end of the Age." As one source notes: "Jesus seems to be saying here, 'Instead of looking for signs of the end, get busy and spread the 'good news'! All nations must hear before the End comes.'" Thus we conclude that rather than simply a period of suffering and persecution, the time between Jesus' first and second comings is also a time of grace and evangelism on a global scale. We might also wish to note the apostle Paul's repeated assertion, made prior to the destruction of Jerusalem, that "the gospel ha[d] spread all over the world" (see Colossians 1:6, 23) - "[a] legitimate hyperbole, for the gospel was spreading all over the Roman Empire. Paul does not say that all men are converted, but only that the message has been heralded abroad over the Roman Empire in a wider fashion than most people imagine."? What's more, this same type of "world-wide" language is found throughout the Scriptures: Genesis 41:57; 1 Kings 10:24; Romans 1:8; Acts 2:5.Brother ... father ... children ... everyone (Mark 13:12, 13)It was generally believed that "spiritual decline" and "social breakdown" - including "a period of steep moral decline and religious apostasy" - would precede God's "redemption and restoration." Jesus' warning closely parallels that of the prophets Micah (Micah 7:6) and Isaiah (Isaiah 19:2). He warned that opposition will come from two different sources: "official channels and ... close personal relationships." Hence we can be certain that "[c]onfessing Jesus will create division even within the family circle." "Everyone" indicates equal-opportunity persecution: believers will be hated by all kinds of people "regardless of rank, station, race, nationality, sex, or age. Because the world hates Christ it also hates his representatives." Because you are my followers (Mark 13:13)Jesus said his followers would "'be hated by all because of My name'" (v. 13, NASB). As one source notes: "The reason for it is the onoma [= name] of Christ, which here, too, signifies more than merely the personal names 'Jesus,' 'Christ,' etc.; it includes all by which he is known. Hence in phrases such as this 'name' is equivalent to 'revelation.' Men will in dislike and opposition turn against everything that reveals Christ and makes him known. The implication in 'name' is that the apostles and those who succeed them will always proclaim this 'name' or revelation and will thus arouse the hatred. In the Acts the persecutors avoid even pronouncing the name Jesus wherever possible." Endures ... saved (Mark 13:13)Jesus was not endorsing salvation by works. Rather, "[h]e was simply arguing that genuine faith evidences itself in persistence through even the worst of trials." As one source explains: "This 'saved' one will experience God's salvation in its final form - glorification. Perseverance is a result and outward sign, not the basis, of spiritual genuineness. A person genuinely saved by grace through faith endures to the end and will experience the consummation of his salvation." A victorious ending awaits both the individual believer and the Church: for the believer "this period of persecution will last until death delivers him from this earthly scene. For the church in general it will last until Christ's return in glory." The day is coming (Mark 13:14)"Mark 13:14-23 offers many parallels to the events immediately leading up to and involved in the Jewish revolt in [A.D.] 66-74. ... It is probable that most readers of Mark would see the events of the 60s and 70s in these verses." In keeping with the usual pattern of biblical prophecy, we should see the events surrounding A.D. 70 as a partial fulfillment, or foreshadowing, of what will take place at a later time - that is, during the Great Tribulation. Put differently, the connection between the two time periods is more theological than chronological. One commentator compares the destruction of Jerusalem with the Flood of Noah's day and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as "a type of the end of the world." As has often been noted: "The 'prophet' - whether Isaiah, Joel, Micah, Malachi … Jesus Christ - views the future as a traveler beholds a distant mountain range. He sees one peak rising right behind another. And from where he stands, he describes the future exactly as he sees it. Yet, the closer one gets to the first peak, the greater the distance is seen to be between peak No. 1 and peak No. 2." The sacrilegious object that causes desecration (Mark 13:14)"'ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION'" (NASB). This phrase "designate[s] a detestable object of pagan idolatry so loathsome to God that he would enact desolating judgment." In particular, Jesus was referring to "the presence of an idolatrous person or object so detestable that it [would cause] the temple to be abandoned and left desolate."This appears to be an allusion to Daniel 9:27 (see also Daniel 11:31; 12:11). It is possible to understand Daniel's prophecy as having three fulfillments:It was fulfilled "in the actions of Antiochus IV (or a representative of his) in 167 B.C." The Jewish historian Josephus reports that "the abomination of Antiochus was a pagan altar, on which swine were sacrificed," and it was "[t]his act [which] incited the Maccabean wars." Another fulfillment came with "the occupation and appalling profaning of the temple in A.D. 67-68 by Jewish Zealots, who also installed a usurper, Phanni, as high priest. Jewish Christians fled to Pella, a town located in the Transjordanian mountains."?The final fulfillment will involve the Antichrist - "a power who [will] be the vary incarnation of evil and who [will] gather up into himself everything that [is] against God" during "the period of the great tribulation at the end of the age" (see 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). "In the end times, the Antichrist will commit the ultimate sacrilege by setting up an image of himself in the temple and ordering everyone to worship it (2 Thessalonians 2:4;?Revelation 13:14-15)." As one source explains in some detail:This person is the end-time Anti-christ (Daniel 7:23-26; 9:25-27; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 8-9; Revelation 13:1-10, 14-15). He will make a covenant with the Jewish people at the beginning of the seven-year period preceding Christ's second coming (Daniel 9:27). The temple will be rebuilt and worship reestablished (Revelation 11:1). In the middle of this period (after 3 1/2 years) the Antichrist will break his covenant, stop temple sacrifices, desecrate the temple (cf. Daniel 9:27), and proclaim himself to be God (Matthew 24:15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4; Revelation 11:2). This launches the terrible end-time events of the Great Tribulation (Revelation 6:1-17; 8-9; 16:1-21). Those who refuse to be identified with the Antichrist will suffer severe persecution and be forced to flee for refuge (Revelation 12:6, 13-17). Many - both Jews and Gentiles - will be saved during this period (Revelation 7:1-17) but many will also be martyred (Revelation 6:9-11). Roof ... field ... pregnant ... nursing (Mark 13:15-17)Jesus said that when the temple is desecrated "'those in Judea must flee to the hills'" (Mark 13:14). It may or may not be coincidental that Jesus' words reflect the three most common stations in life: Retiree. "'A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack'" (Mark 13:15).Worker. "'A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat'" (Mark 13:16).Domestic care-giver. "'How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days'" (Mark 13:17).Greater anguish ... Never be so great again (Mark 13:19)"At no time in the past, present, or future has there been or will there be such a severe tribulation as this." As one source notes: "While the events of A.D. 70 may reflect somewhat the comments Jesus makes here, the reference to the scope and severity of this judgment strongly suggest that much more is in view. Most likely Jesus is referring to the great end-time judgment on Jerusalem in the great tribulation." The same point applies to Jesus' words in v. 20: "'In fact, unless the Lord shortens that time of calamity, not a single person will survive. But for the sake of his chosen ones he has shortened those days.'" Jesus' language in this verse "suggests God's direct intervention in judgment, an unmistakable characteristic of the end-time Tribulation (cf. Revelation 16:1).""[T]his tribulation ... immediately precedes the close of the world's history and surpasses any other distress in its intensity." As one source explains, the Great Tribulation will be set apart from all preceding calamities by both its scope and its severity:[I]t will be worldwide, not localized, as stated in the promise of deliverance (Revelation 3:10) and as described in detail in the judgments of the Revelation. The intense local persecutions and calamities of this present day cannot be the beginning of the Tribulation, for that time will affect the entire world. Then too the Tribulation will be unique because of the way men act. ... When the Great Tribulation comes, men will act as if they think the world is coming to an end. For years some men have been talking as if they thought the end were near, but at the beginning of the Tribulation, they will realize that the end is actually at hand. Scientists, politicians, and even church leaders warn today that the end of human history could be upon us, and even use the term "Armageddon," but people are not behaving as if they believe it. Real estate is being bought and sold, savings are being accumulated, and plans are continually being made for the future. But when the Tribulation comes, people will hide in bomb shelters and will actually seek death rather than try to preserve life. The future, in those days, will hold no attraction. We do well to remind ourselves that all this does not mean that God has lost control or that he no longer cares. As one source puts it: "When the time of suffering comes, the important point for the disciples and all believers to remember is that God is in control. Persecution will occur, but God knows about it and controls how long it will take place. He will not forget his people." False messiahs and false prophets (Mark 13:22)"This time Jesus warns of false prophets, as well as false messiahs. These false prophets may come on their own, or they may accompany various false messiahs." Their aim will be to deceive and mislead true Christians through the use of counterfeit miracles "that would seem to validate their claims."Here and throughout his apocalyptic message, Jesus lovingly prepares his disciples in advance of the severe difficulties awaiting them. "When fiery trial arrives they must never be able to say, 'How strange and unexpected! Why did not the Lord prepare us for this? Why did he not warn us?' Having been forewarned, the disciples will not be unduly disturbed when the prediction attains preliminary fulfilment. In fact, their faith in Jesus will then be strengthened." A "sign" can be defined as: "An unusual phenomenon interpreted as of supernatural origin and designed to provide instruction, give warning, or encourage faith. In this sense it is a rough synonym of miracle." Signs and wonders have been associated with God and his people in both the OT and the NT, beginning with the miraculous deliverance of Israel from Egypt, all the way through the establishment of the Christian Church (Exodus 7:3; Deuteronomy 4:34; 6:22; 7:19; 26:8; 29:3; 34:11; Nehemiah 9:10; Psalms 135:9; Isaiah 8:18; Jeremiah 32:20, 21; Daniel 4:2, 3; 6:27; John 4:48; Acts 2:19, 22, 43; 4:30; 5:12; 6:8; 7:36; 14:3; 15:12; Romans 15:19; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:4). "The Exodus was clearly the great redemptive act of God in the OT, when He did His powerful signs and wonders to save His people out of Egyptian bondage. This theme is especially developed in Deuteronomy ... [T]he coming of Jesus places a whole new perspective on [the meaning of signs and wonders]. The phrase now refers, not to God's activity in the days of Moses, but to His even greater redemptive work in Christ and to the proclamation of this redemption by His apostles." That said, the Bible also consistently warns against false/counterfeit signs and wonders. As one source explains:Signs may also be performed by people not sent from God (cf. Exodus 7–8). Thus, from very early in their history as the people of God the Israelites were warned to test the signs and wonders of a prophet against his teaching (Deuteronomy 13:1–5). The NT continues this emphasis. Jesus warned that "false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect" (Matthew 24:24; cf. Mark 13:22). This will occur especially at the end of the age and the consummation of the Kingdom (2 Thessalonians 2:9f; Revelation 13:13f; 16:14; 19:20). The emphasis throughout Scripture is that both the message and the signs must be from God (cf. Acts 4:29f for a positive example of this point). Signs substantiate an authentic word from God, but many false prophets try to validate false messages with signs. Both Testaments teach that the people of God must be discerning in this matter. HEAR (heart)Tex was DeceivedPopular Bible teacher and author Charles Swindoll tells of a cruel joke he played on a co-worker.At the time, Chuck was living in Huston, Texas and working as a machinist apprentice. He worked just behind a fella named Tex who had the nasty habit of chewing tobacco, and he kept his opened tobacco pouch in his back pocket.One night a small cricket happened along. It was the same color as Tex's tobacco, and so Chuck grabbed the cricket, pulled its head off, and dropped it in Tex's tobacco pouch.Sure enough, in just a little while Tex reached around and took a big wad of tobacco from his pouch. Without ever looking at it, he shoved it into his mouth. As Chuck tells it: "He spit wings and body parts throughout the evening. It was a delight to watch him. I don't think Tex ever knew that he chewed up a cricket - which proves, if you chew tobacco, you don't know what you've got in your mouth." Tex was deceived. He took for granted that the contents of his tobacco pouch had not changed, and so he never stopped to inspect what he was putting into his mouth. The world is filled with philosophies and belief systems that lead to deception and destruction. As we wait for the return of our Savior, we are called to chew on God's Word, the Bible, day and night. And while we certainly should not be afraid to use the thoughts and reflections of others in helping us to understand the Bible, we should also and always be alert to the possibility of any teaching that seeks to corrupt the pure truth of God's Word.DO (hands)??? False teachers are heretics, their false teaching is heresy, and we must be on constant guard against both. Along those lines, one Bible commentator helpfully identifies five precursors to heresy: Self-serving doctrine. "It arises from constructing doctrine to suit oneself."Lack of balance. "Heresy arises from overstressing one part of the truth."People-pleasing. "Heresy arises from trying to produce a religion which will suit people, one which will be popular and attractive."Lone-ranger mentality. "Heresy arises from divorcing oneself from the Christian fellowship. When a man thinks alone he runs a grave danger of thinking astray."Intellectualizing the Bible. "Heresy arises from the attempt to be completely intelligible. ... Even at our most intellectual we must remember that there is a place for the ultimate mystery before which we can only worship, wonder and adore."[[@Bible:Mark 13:24-31]]Mark 13:24-31(Jesus Foretells the Future)24?"At that time, after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened,the moon will give no light, 25 the stars will fall from the sky,and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.26?"Then everyone will see the Son of Man?? coming on the clouds with great power and glory.?? 27?And he will send out his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the world?? - from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. 28?"Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. 29?In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that his return is very near, right at the door. 30?I tell you the truth, this generation?? will not pass from the scene before all these things take place. 31?Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.SEE (head)Jesus says that there will be an unprecedented series of cosmic catastrophes, followed by his return and the gathering together of his chosen ones. He uses a budding fig tree as an illustration. Jesus says "this generation" will witness these events. And he assures the disciples that his words are more permanent than heaven and earth.?After the anguish of those days (Mark 13:24)"' ... after that tribulation ... '" (NASB). This phrase "refers to the events described in vv. 4-23, the tribulation that began with the 'abomination of desolation.'" "Tribulation" (Greek thlipsis: "trouble involving direct suffering - 'trouble and suffering, suffering, persecution'") is often associated with OT prophecy, and is an apt term for describing "the terrifying future scenario Jesus envisions." Sun ... moon ... stars (Mark 13:24-25)Here we have "[a]n allusion to Isaiah 13:10; 34:4 (Septuagint (LXX)); Joel 2:10." Jesus said that at the time of his second coming the fabric of the universe will be torn. The sun, moon, and stars will all be dramatically affected. What did he mean? It is very possible that his words should be taken literally, in which case Christ's return will be heralded by a sort of "universal fireworks." This goes along with the theme of the fall and recreation of nature. Of course it is also possible to take Jesus' description figuratively. "The heavens were seen as the abode of heavenly forces, so their shaking indicates distress in the spiritual realm." As one source notes: "One should not forget that prophetic imagery was not always meant to be taken literally, especially apocalyptic symbols. Peter in Acts 2:15-21 applies the prophecy of Joel about the sun and moon to the events on the day of Pentecost." And since "the greatest earthly powers" are symbolized "in the OT by sun, moon and stars," the toppling of all earthly governments may well be in view. Probably Jesus intended a combination of the literal and the figurative/symbolic. Son of Man coming ... gather his chosen ones (Mark 13:26, 27)Jesus said that everyone will witness his arrival in his "royal chariot," so to speak (= "on the clouds," a reference to Daniel 7:13), which will be followed immediately by the gathering of his "chosen ones." As one source explains: "This is Jesus' personal, visible, bodily return to the earth as the glorified Son of Man (cf. Acts 1:11; Revelation 19:11-16). ... His triumphant return will bring an end to the veiled nature of God's kingdom in its present form." As one commentator has noted: "The manifestation of the angels and the gathering of the people will gloriously mark the end of Jesus' keeping secret his divine power and authority. Jesus' second coming marks the core of the Christian hope. When he comes, the whole world will know that Jesus is Lord, and Christians' hope and faith will be vindicated." Jesus' words regarding the gathering of his chosen ones call to mind the OT promise regarding the gathering of Israel's exiles at the restoration of Israel (see Zechariah 2:6-13). As one source explains: The Old Testament often mentioned God's regathering of dispersed Israelites from the remotest parts of the earth to national and spiritual unity in Palestine (Daniel 30:3-6; Isaiah 11:12; Jeremiah 31:7-9; Ezekiel 11:16-17; 20:33-35, 41). At the time of the Second Advent Israelites will be regathered around the triumphant Son of Man, judged, restored as a nation, and redeemed (Isaiah 59:20-21; Ezekiel 20:33-44; Zechariah 13:8-9; Romans 11:25-27). Also all the Gentiles will be gathered before Him (Joel 3:2) and like a shepherd He will separate "the sheep" (the elect) from "the goats" (Matthew 25:31-46). These redeemed Jews and Gentiles will enter the millennial kingdom, living on the earth in natural bodies (Isaiah 2:2-4; Daniel 7:13-14; Micah 4:1-5; Zechariah 14:8-11, 16-21). His angels (Mark 13:27)Again we note that Jesus' sending out the angels is something that in the OT only God can do. One source summarizes the angels' role in the final judgment:They function as a kind of heavenly police force, arresting offenders, presenting evidence and executing punishment. In Jesus' teaching the end of the age will see angels separating the righteous from the wicked (Matthew 13:36-42). Angels will be dispatched to gather God's people from all over the earth (Matthew 24:31; Mark 13:27), and they will be with the Son of man when he sits in judgment (Matthew 25:31). They will also assist in inflicting punishment on evildoers (Matthew 13:41-42, 49-50). When Jesus taught that those who acknowledged him and his teaching would ultimately be acknowledged before God's angels at his coming, the angels were being cast in the role of hearing evidence in the heavenly courtroom. Those ashamed of him will be denied before the heavenly court (Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; 12:8-9).This generation (Mark 13:30)What did Jesus mean when he said that "'this generation?? will not pass from the scene before all these things take place'"? One source explains: rious views exist for what generation means. (1) Some take it as meaning 'race' and thus as an assurance that the Jewish race (nation) will not pass away. But it is very questionable that the Greek term genea can have this meaning. Two other options are possible. (2) Generation might mean "this type of generation" and refer to the generation of wicked humanity. Then the point is that humanity will not perish, because God will redeem it. Or (3) generation may refer to "the generation that sees the signs of the end" (Mark 13:26), who will also see the end itself. In other words, once the movement to the return of Christ starts, all the events connected with it happen very quickly, in rapid succession. The third view is very common and, in keeping with prophecy's dual fulfillment, it should be applied to both those (Jews) alive during the events of A.D. 70 and those (Jews) "living at the time of the Great Tribulation who will see the end-time events."My words will never disappear (Mark 13:31)Once again Jesus applies to himself a truth the OT reserves exclusively for God (Isaiah 40:8; compare Psalms 102:25-27; Isaiah 51:6, 55:11). Jesus' words regarding the disappearance of heaven and earth "does not mean total annihilation but glorious renewal." In essence Jesus claimed that his words "will never undergo even the slightest change in meaning or in form - the modernistic speaking of 'outworn categories of thought' or 'thought forms' to the contrary notwithstanding." THE RAPTURE"Rapture" refers to "the church being united with Christ at his second coming (from Lat. rapio, 'caught up')." Here we note the three main views regarding the Rapture in relation to the events described by Jesus as marking the end of the age (the Tribulation/Great Tribulation):Pretribulation. Pretribulationists believe that the Church will be raptured/removed prior to the beginning of the Tribulation.Midtribulation. Midtribulationists believe the Church will be raptured/removed halfway through the Tribulation. Posttribulation. Posttribulationists believe the Church will be raptured/removed after the Tribulation.One source explains the connection between the chosen ones of Mark 13:27 and the pre- and posttribulational views of the Rapture:Identifying "the elect" in this context as Gentiles and Jews who come to believe in Jesus as the Messiah during the final Tribulation period (cf. Revelation 7:3-4, 9-10) is compatible with a pretribulational view of the Rapture of the church, the body of Christ (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Since the church will be spared from God's final judgment on the earth (cf. 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9-11; Revelation 3:9-10), the church will not go through the Tribulation. This preserves the imminence of the Rapture for present-day believers and gives added emphasis to Jesus' exhortation, "Watch!" (cf. Mark 13:35-37). But since Jesus' disciples had no clear understanding of the coming church (cf. Matthew 16:18; Acts 1:4-8), He did not mention this initial phase of God's end-time program separately.Some interpreters, however, hold to a posttribulational view of the Rapture. They identify "the elect" here as the redeemed of all ages - past, present, and future. This requires the resurrection of all the righteous dead at the end of the Tribulation and together with all living believers they will be caught up (raptured) to meet the returning Son of Man who descends to the earth at that time. Thus the church, the body of Christ, remains on earth during the Tribulation period, is supernaturally protected as an entity through it, is raptured at the end of it, and immediately returns to the earth to participate in the Millennium.Regardless of which view one adopts, the emphasis "is on disclosure and triumph. Whereas the Son of Man has been hidden or at least veiled in his first coming, now he will be revealed." HEAR (heart)The Longed For LeaderGod's promise of a future kingdom where Christ rules in great power and glory gives us reason for hope. Today, leaders are shortsighted, prone to bend principle for political gain, and sometimes corrupt. Yet we ask them to be for us what only Christ can be. When Christ returns to rule, his leadership will be just, strong, and wise. He will bring the world for which we have hoped and longed, led by the leader we needed and for whom we have waited. When injustice ruins your plans today, spoils your program, or angers your soul, take hope. God calls us to work and live for the next administration, led by the one whose program brings justice and love.DO (hands)??? What is the difference between hoping (and working) for positive change and putting one's ultimate hope in a human leader? [[@Bible:Mark 13:32-37]]Mark 13:32-37(Jesus Foretells the Future)32?"However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. 33?And since you don't know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert??! 34?"The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return. 35?You, too, must keep watch! For you don't know when the master of the household will return-in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. 36?Don't let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning. 37?I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for him!"SEE (head)Jesus says that only the Father knows the appointed hour of his return. Since the disciples have no way of knowing, they are to "stay alert and keep watch." Jesus illustrates his future return by comparing it to a wealthy homeowner who leaves for an extended journey. Having given specific instructions to his servants, he tells the gatekeeper "to watch for his return." Jesus drives the point home by telling the disciples to "keep a sharp lookout!" He can return at any hour of the night or day, and woe to them if they are found sleeping on duty. Jesus concludes his sermon with yet another stern call for watchfulness.No one knows the day or hour (Mark 13:32)One commentator provides an excellent summary of this entire section (Mark 13:32-37): Probably because Jesus knew that the question about when he would return would be asked most often, he saved his answer to the disciples' question, "When will all this happen?" for last. His answer was blunt: "No one knows; not even me." He then pointed out that the mark of a disciple was not having inside information, but serving Christ faithfully. Spiritual vigilance, "not sleeping," becomes the essential theme of the entire chapter. Jesus' servants must be so busy that they have no time to speculate about his schedule. Several points are worth noting:Neither scientists nor psychics. "The emphasis of this verse is not on Jesus' lack of knowledge, but rather on the fact that?no one knows. It is God the Father's secret to be revealed when he wills. No one can predict by Scripture or science the exact day of Jesus' return. Jesus was teaching that preparation, not calculation, was needed." We might also wish to note how?Jesus' claim that he did not know the day or hour actually affirms both his humanity and his deity. "In His Incarnation Jesus voluntarily accepted human limitations, including this one (cf. Acts 1:7), in submission to the Father's will (cf. John 4:34). On the other hand Jesus' use of 'the Son' title (only here in Mark) instead of the usual 'Son of Man' revealed His own awareness of His deity and sonship. Nevertheless He exercised His divine attributes only at the Father's bidding (cf. John 8:28-29)."Trust in God ... and keep the powder dry. Here Jesus offers us a tremendous example to follow. Rather than being troubled by a lack of knowledge regarding the precise day and hour of his return, Jesus was content to submit to and trust in God. We need to do the same, even as we remain alert and on guard (Mark 13:33). "Constant praying is to be combined with this alertness. The contents of these prayers will naturally be appeals to God to keep the disciples true in faith and ready for Christ's coming. ... The uncertainty of the time of the Lord's coming is to keep us wide awake, to call on God, and thus to be ever ready." In that respect, "[a] map of the future would be a hindrance, not a help, to faith." No slacking off. Becoming involved with and even blending into the world has been a constant temptation for every generation of Christians. Just imagine how much worse it would be if we did know the exact day and hour of his return. Our natural (= sinful) tendency would be "to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season" (Hebrews 11:25, KJV). And while that might not cost us our salvation, it most certainly would diminish our eternal reward. Moreover, who would be left to call people out of the world and into God's kingdom? As one source pointedly reminds us: "Heaven is not our only goal; we have work to do here. And we must keep on doing it until death or until the return of our Savior." No close-out bargains. "Jesus explained that believers must be on guard and alert, ready for his return to happen at any moment. Christ's second coming will be swift and sudden. There will be no opportunity for last-minute repentance or bargaining. The choice that people have already made will determine their eternal destiny." A man going on a long trip (Mark 13:34)This parable teaches the need for "constant vigilance" and the "faithful fulfillment of assigned tasks" With this illustration, Jesus attempts to turn his disciples' fears into a fearless work ethic. The real issue is not why the master left or when he will be back; the real issue is whether or not his servants will trust him and be found faithful when he does return. Instructions (Mark 13:34)In Jesus' illustration, the homeowner actually gives his slaves the authority to act on his behalf: "It is like a man, away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge (lit. giving the authority to) ... " (Mark 13:34, NASB, margin). The word Jesus uses here is exousia, which refers to legitimate power or authority. Thus the homeowner's servants become his legal representatives, acting in their master's name, with his power and authority. As Christ's followers, we are given and expected to use his power and authority. For what purpose? So that we can relax and take it easy? By no means. Christians represent Christ and are to diligently, faithfully work to advance his kingdom. We are to be alert, and "[t]he alertness Jesus has in mind is not only eager and prayerful, it is also intelligent, continuous, and last but not least, active." As one source puts it: "The slaves [in Jesus' parable of watchfulness] understand that they are in charge of themselves, had their own work to do, and would not want the master to return suddenly and find them being lazy. Each of us has enough assigned work to do that we shouldn't be neutralized or paralyzed by fear or doubt. We do not need to worry about how other servants compare to us; instead, we should devote ourselves to doing what God has given us to do." Watch (Mark 13:34)Jesus specifically mentions "the gatekeeper" ("doorkeeper" NASB), who is told to "watch" for his master's return. The gatekeeper's "role was a prominent one, because he held the master's keys, kept out unwanted visitors and checked other slaves leaving the premises." The owner "commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert" (NASB). As one source notes: "To be (constantly) on the alert or watchful - a Greek word from which the proper name Gregory (the watchful or vigilant one) is derived - means to live a sanctified life, in the consciousness of the coming judgment day. Spiritual and moral circumspection and forethought are required; preparedness is necessary. The watchful person has his loins girded and his lamps burning (Luke 12:35). It is in that condition that he looks forward to the coming of the Bridegroom. ... " In his application of the parable, Jesus makes clear that watchfulness is its main theme: 35?You, too, must keep watch! For you don't know when the master of the household will return - in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. 36?Don't let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning. 37?I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for him! (NLT)35 Therefore, be on the alert - for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning - 36 in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 What I say to you I say to all, "Be on the alert!" (NASB)35 So, stay at your post, watching. You have no idea when the homeowner is returning, whether evening, midnight, cockcrow, or morning. 36 You don't want him showing up unannounced, with you asleep on the job. 37 I say it to you, and I'm saying it to all: Stay at your post. Keep watch. (The Message)Evening ... midnight ... dawn ... daybreak (Mark 13:35)Jesus' language "corresponds to the Roman system of reckoning time." ("Jews had only three watches of the night.") There were four "watches," consisting of three-hour shifts beginning at 6 P.M. and ending the following morning at 6 A.M. (The names - "'evening ... midnight ... when the rooster crows ... morning'" [NASB] - "were derived from their termination point.) Notice how "Jesus purposely places the arrival at some time during a night in order to illustrate that the Son of man will come at an hour when we think not." Sleeping (Mark 13:36)Jesus warned against being found sleeping when the master returns, with sleep "indicat[ing] moral and spiritual laxity." The "nighttime [is] when a careless doorkeeper would be inclined to sleep." And of course to be found in such a state would be a dereliction of duty, if not an indication of blatant disloyalty. Jesus' point was/is "that none of his followers would want to be found spiritually lax, but instead conscientiously going about the work given by God for them to do." MARK 13: APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE?One source offers a very helpful perspective on Mark 13:Is Mark 13 an "?apocalyptic discourse""? It is in the sense that it clearly reflects a view of history/eschatology in which a present age of crisis and persecution will give way to a future age in which God exercises judgment on his enemies and vindicates and rewards his elect. Moreover, it contains eschatological predictions and warns the elect of impending deceptions and disasters. One of the typical patterns of apocalyptic literature is reflected in the structure of the chapter - the beginning of woes (v. 8b), a time of great tribulation (v. 19) and a cosmic upheaval in which God intervenes (vv. 24–27).But in other ways Mark 13 is very unlike "?apocalyptic literature.?" Its concern is not with timetables and calculations. It reports no other-worldly journeys. It contains no visions of the abode of the dead, the divine courtroom or the heavenly throne room. In contrast with typical apocalypses, it insists that the timing of the end is unknown to the angels, indeed even to the revealer of the discourse (13:32). The discipleship teaching of Mark 13 (reflected in the numerous imperatives, e.g., vv. 5, 9, 11, 23, 33) and its apparent anti-sign-seeking message, set it apart from typical apocalypses. It is Jesus' farewell discourse offering hope and calling for faithfulness. It has the same function today for Christians who know that the end did not come with the crisis of A.D. 70 but who look forward to the fulfillment of the promise of 13:26–27. Right Living While WaitingThe entire thirteenth chapter of Mark tells us how to live while we wait for Christ's return: We are not to be misled by confusing claims or speculative interpretations of what will happen (13:5-6). We should not be afraid to tell people about Christ, despite what they might say or do to us (13:9-11). We must stand firm by faith and not be surprised by persecution (13:13). We must be morally alert, obedient to the commands for living found in God's Word. This chapter was not given to promote discussions on prophetic timetables, but to stimulate right living for God in a world where he is largely ignored. Jesus' purpose was to warn us to be prepared. Will you be ready? The only safe choice is to obey him?today. HEAR (heart)Dynamite FishingThere was a game warden named Jake who had an amazing neighbor named Sam. Sam was a fisherman, and whenever he went fishing in a particular lake he returned home with a long string of fish. This was in spite of the fact that that particular lake was notoriously stingy when it came to giving up its fish.One day Jake's curiosity got the best of him and he asked Sam if he could go fishing with him. "Sure," said Sam, and off they went.They had made it out to the middle of the lake when all of a sudden Sam reached in his tackle box, pulled out a stick of dynamite, lit it, and tossed it overboard. In just a few seconds the area around his boat was littered with fish floating on the water's surface. Sam took out his net and began scooping them up.Jake was understandably outraged. "I'm going to throw the book at you! You are going to jail! What you are doing is horrible!"That's when Sam once again reached into his tackle box, pulled out a stick of dynamite, and lit it. This time, however, he tossed it right into Jake's lap!"Well," said Sam. "Are you going to just sit there, or are you going to go fishing?" Our English word "dynamite" comes from the Greek dunamis, meaning "strength, power, ability." Jesus said that he would return " ... with great power (dunamis) and glory" (Mark 13:26, NASB). The apostle Paul told Timothy that "God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power (dunamis) and love and discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7, NASB). And the apostle Peter declared that Jesus' "divine power (dunamis) has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3, NASB). While we await the return of our Savior, we are called to be alert, watchful, and diligent. With the strength, power, and authority of Jesus, we are called to minister to one another and to fish for people using the dynamite power of the Gospel.DO (hands)Months of planning go into a wedding, the birth of a baby, a career change, a speaking engagement, the purchase of a home. Do you place the same importance on preparing for Christ's return, the most important event in your life? Its results will last for eternity. You dare not postpone your preparations because you do not know when his return will occur. The way to prepare is to study God's Word and live by its instructions each day; remain morally alert and avoid the spiritual lethargy Paul warned about in?1 Thessalonians 5:6; and refuse to be distracted from doing the work or fulfilling the role that God has assigned to you. ??? What are some of the things that threaten to distract you "from doing the work or fulfilling the role that God has assigned to you"? Letting "sports consume a Sunday"? Allowing a frenzied schedule to push aside prayer? Replacing the Bible with books and magazines? Mark 14[[@Bible:Mark 14:1-11]]Mark 14:1-11Jesus Anointed at Bethany1 It was now two days before Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law were still looking for an opportunity to capture Jesus secretly and kill him. 2?"But not during the Passover celebration," they agreed, "or the people may riot." 3?Meanwhile, Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Simon, a man who had previously had leprosy. While he was eating,?? a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head.4?Some of those at the table were indignant. "Why waste such expensive perfume?" they asked. 5?"It could have been sold for a year's wages?? and the money given to the poor!" So they scolded her harshly.6?But Jesus replied, "Leave her alone. Why criticize her for doing such a good thing to me? 7?You will always have the poor among you, and you can help them whenever you want to. But you will not always have me. 8?She has done what she could and has anointed my body for burial ahead of time. 9?I tell you the truth, wherever the Good News is preached throughout the world, this woman's deed will be remembered and discussed."Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus10?Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them. 11?They were delighted when they heard why he had come, and they promised to give him money. So he began looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.SEE (head)As the Passover celebration rapidly approaches, the religious leaders once again conspire to kill Jesus. Meanwhile, Jesus and his disciples are in Bethany where, at the home of friends, a woman demonstrates her affection for Jesus by pouring a bottle of very expensive perfume over his head. Jesus says that she has anointed his body for burial and that what she has done will never be forgotten. Then Judas Iscariot goes to the same religious leaders who are seeking Jesus' life and agrees to deliver Jesus to them.Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread (Mark 14:1)"The Passover was of supreme theological significance for the Israelites, since it marked one of the most momentous acts of divine intervention in their history, the beginning of their deliverance from bondage in Egypt when, in the final plague, God destroyed the firstborn of the Egyptians but spared those Israelites whose homes had blood smeared on the doorposts (Exodus 12:11–30). God commanded that the day was to be observed as a memorial feast (12:14)." Passover was "observed in Jerusalem (cf. Deuteronomy 16:5-6)" and "celebrated on Nisan (March-April) 14-15 (which most say was Thursday-Friday of Jesus' Passion Week). ... The Passover meal was eaten at the beginning of Nisan 15, that is, between sunset and midnight Thursday evening. This was followed immediately by the festival of Unleavened Bread celebrated from Nisan 15-21 ... These two Jewish festivals were closely related and in popular usage were often designated as the 'Jewish Passover Feast' (an eight-day festival, Nisan 14-21)," or simply the "week of Passover." The Mosaic Law commanded every adult male who lived within fifteen miles of Jerusalem to attend the Passover. However, "it was the one ambition of every Jew to eat at least one Passover in Jerusalem before he died. Therefore from every country in the world pilgrims came flocking to the Passover Feast." We can easily imagine the festive chaos as Jerusalem's population swelled to several times the norm. (Jerusalem was never more than a mile long and about a half-mile wide. The normal population was 50,000. A conservative estimate of the population during Passover is 250,000.) The Romans were right to be concerned, since "[r]ecalling God's great act of salvation in history could inspire thoughts of revolt." Because the occasion was ripe for riot and rebellion, the Roman army was on a high state of alert during this time. As eager as the religious leaders were to get rid of Jesus, they knew that doing so in public during a national feast could easily result in a riot and subsequent retaliation by the governing authorities. Capture ... and kill (Mark 14:1)While the religious leaders were "always considering the opportunities" for doing away with Jesus, his popularity prevented them from openly arresting him, lest Jesus' supporters riot. ("Orientals," notes one Bible commentator, "fly easily into the most violent rage, especially when they are congregated in great mobs.") Regarding the desire to be rid of Jesus, one source notes: The plan to kill Jesus was not new. It was of long standing (Mark 3:6; 12:7; John 5:18; 7:1, 19, 25; 8:37, 40; 11:53). We may well believe, however, that due to events of recent days the leaders were now more determined than ever to destroy Jesus. Their envy had been increased by the raising of Lazarus from the dead, causing many people to believe in Jesus (John 11:45-53), by the triumphal entry's effects upon the crowds (Mark 11:1-11), by the cleansing of the temple (Mark 11:15-18, 27-28), by parables which the leaders knew were aimed against them (Mark 12:12), and by the woes pronounced against the scribes and Pharisees (Mark 12:38-40; cf. Matthew 23). Poured the perfume over his head (Mark 14:3)We know from a parallel account (John 12:3) that it was Mary (of Bethany, the "sister of Martha and Lazarus) who anointed Jesus. (It may well be that Mark "withheld her name because, when he wrote, she was still alive and to publish her name might entail evil consequences for her from Jewish haters of Jesus.") At that time and place "it was customary to anoint the heads of Rabbis." Too, "[i]t was a common custom at some Jewish meals for the honored guests to be anointed with oil (see Luke 7:44-46), but it would not be expensive nard. Such an anointing, with expensive oil and pouring it on the head as well as the feet, pictured a royal (messianic) anointing." "A jar made of alabaster stone was normally used for very precious substances like perfumes. It normally had a long neck which was sealed and had to be broken off so the contents could be used." Mary's was an act of reckless extravagance: the perfume she poured on Jesus could cost the equivalent of a year's wages for a common laborer. (Translation: A commoner would have to work for an entire year to earn the money to buy it.) The perfume, "imported from the mountains of India," was made from a mixture of oil and nard, a "[p]erennial herb with strong, fragrant roots." "Life savings were often invested in jars of such ointments that maintained or grew in value." "Along with the perfume, Mary poured out her heart in gratitude and devotion!" As one Bible commentator has noted: "If love is true, there must always be a certain extravagance in it. It does not nicely calculate the less or more. It is not concerned to see how little it can decently give. If it gave all it had, the gift would still be too little. There is a recklessness in love which refuses to count the cost." Scolded her harshly (Mark 14:5)The disciples completely misunderstood "Mary's unselfish act of worship." Her tangible demonstration of gratitude and devotion was lost on them. ("The essence of worshiping Christ is to regard him with utmost love, respect, and devotion, as well as to be willing to sacrifice to him what is most precious.") "Poor Mary! Almost wherever she looks, she meets angry glances, shocked disapproval. That the native language of love is lavishness these men do not seem to understand." One Bible commentator notes the irony of the situation:"And be given to the poor" hides the thieving motive of Judas behind the suggestion of generous charity for the poor. Think of it, Judas speaks up for the poor! But note that he condemns not only Mary but Jesus himself. Judas implies that Jesus is robbing the poor; that he is lavishing upon himself what rightfully belongs to charity; that for his own glorification he allows a waste that is utterly wrong; that his example is harmful to others - and that Judas is the man who knows what is right, proper, charitable and is not afraid to come out with it! This is the traitorous touch in the action of Judas. Such of the other disciples as supported him most likely wanted to criticize only Mary and thought how good helping the poor would be. Mark alone preserved kai enebrimonto aute, "and they began scolding her." The verb is very strong and really means, "they began snorting at her"; "murmured" in our versions is far too weak. Judas Iscariot (Mark 14:10)The religious leaders were plotting to kill Jesus when Judas went to them with an offer they could not refuse: he would deliver Jesus to them for the price of a slave (see Matthew 26:15 and Exodus 21:32). "Apparently they planned to arrest [Jesus] after the crowds had gone, but Judas' unexpected offer expedited matters. Thus God's timetable was followed." For the religious leaders Judas's offer to betray Jesus was a win-win situation: "[I]t gave them the opportunity they had been looking for, and they could later claim that Jesus had been betrayed by one of his own disciples."In agreeing to hand over Jesus, Judas was also agreeing to serve as a legal witness against him. According to Roman law, a person first had to be indicted before he could be put on trial. By signing the indictment, the witnesses against the accused were agreeing to appear in court to offer testimony for the prosecution. "Thus Judas offered himself as a witness against Christ. He agreed to go before the Roman courts when Christ was brought to trial on a yet undetermined charge." As an insider, Judas could pick the most convenient time to betray Jesus to the authorities. Judas would have told the religious leaders "that he knew enough of the habits of Jesus to enable them to catch him 'in the absence of the multitude' (Luke 22:6) without waiting for the passover to be over, when the crowds would leave." Most probably Judas also supplied the religious leaders with "the essence of Jesus' proclamation and self-understanding," which they hoped to use against him. Too, the crowd - which had come from near and far - would serve as witnesses to, and heralds of, the fact that Jesus had been put to death. Rather than simply defect or run away, "Judas [gave] up his friend and master to his enemies, knowing that they sought his life." What motivated Judas to betray Jesus? Probably some combination of: jealousy, greed, and disappointment/disillusionment with Jesus' mission. As one source puts it: "Disillusioned because Jesus was talking about dying rather than about setting up his kingdom, Judas may have been trying to force Jesus' hand and make him use his power to prove that he was the Messiah. Or perhaps Judas, not understanding Jesus' mission, no longer believed that Jesus was God's chosen one." HEAR (heart)Love DemonstratedA class of little girls was learning to spell. They spelled a number of small words, such as "pig," "cat," "dog," "cow," and amused themselves by imitating the sounds that these animals make. Then little Mary was asked to spell "love." She didn't stop to give the letters, but ran and threw her arms around the teacher's neck and kissed her on the cheek. "We spell 'love' that way at our house," she said. The girls laughed, but the teacher said, "That is a beautiful way; but do you know another way to spell 'love'?" "Oh, yes," cried Mary, "I spell love this way," and she began to put the books in order on her teacher's desk. "I spell love by helping everybody when they need me."Like Mary of Bethany, little Mary preferred showing love to merely speaking of it. She seemed to know instinctively that the impact of a loving act is not limited by its size. As one source puts it: "Headlines are written about presidents and prodigies. Movies are made about world-class heroes. Yet we remember small acts of kindness and compassion. They fill our personal memories and iron out the creases of our lives. Small acts of love fuel our days. God's memory is greater. He notices everything we do to serve and honor him. Never think of your seemingly insignificant gesture as just a blip on the screen. God is pleased with your kindness, and he will remember." DO (hands)??? "The essence of worshiping Christ is to regard him with utmost love, respect, and devotion and to be willing to sacrifice to him what is most precious." What can this passage (14:1-11) teach us about both what to pursue and what to avoid as we seek to love Jesus sacrificially?[[@Bible:Mark 14:12-31]] Mark 14:12-31The Last Supper12?On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go to prepare the Passover meal for you?" 13?So Jesus sent two of them into Jerusalem with these instructions: "As you go into the city, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. 14?At the house he enters, say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?' 15?He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal." 16?So the two disciples went into the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.17?In the evening Jesus arrived with the twelve disciples.?? 18?As they were at the table?? eating, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, one of you eating with me here will betray me."19?Greatly distressed, each one asked in turn, "Am I the one?"20?He replied, "It is one of you twelve who is eating from this bowl with me. 21?For the Son of Man?? must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born!"22?As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, "Take it, for this is my body."23?And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24?And he said to them, "This is my blood, which confirms the covenant?? between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice for many. 25?I tell you the truth, I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new in the Kingdom of God."26?Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial7?On the way, Jesus told them, "All of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say,‘God will strike?? the Shepherd,and the sheep will be scattered.'28?But after I am raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there."29?Peter said to him, "Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will."30?Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, Peter - this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me."31?"No!" Peter declared emphatically. "Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!" And all the others vowed the same.SEE (head)Jesus sends two of his disciples into Jerusalem to make preparations for the Passover meal. During the celebration, Jesus announces that one of the disciples will betray him. He then offers them bread and wine as symbols of his body and blood which are the means to a new covenant. They conclude the celebration with a hymn and then head out to the Mount of Olives. Along the way, Jesus informs the disciples that they will all desert him. This news is greeted with vehement denial by both Peter and the others.The Passover meal (Mark 14:12)"The Passover lamb was roasted and eaten after sunset in a family group of at least ten people." The meal was comprised of several elements, each designed to serve as a tangible reminder: There was the lamb, to remind them of how their houses had been protected by the badge of blood when the angel of death passed through Egypt.There was the unleavened bread to remind them of the bread they had eaten in haste when they escaped from slavery.There was a bowl of salt water, to remind them of the tears they had shed in Egypt and of the waters of the Red Sea through which they had miraculously passed to safety.There was a collection of bitter herbs - horse radish, chicory, endive, lettuce, horehound - to remind them of the bitterness of slavery in Egypt.There was a paste called Charosheth, a mixture of apples, dates, pomegranates and nuts, to remind them of the clay of which they had made bricks in Egypt. Through it there were sticks of cinnamon to remind them of the straw with which the bricks had been made.There were four cups of wine. The cups contained a little more than half a pint of wine, but three parts of wine were mixed with two of water. The four cups, which were drunk at different stages of the meal, were to remind them of the four promises in Exodus 6:6, 7. We might also wish to note the practice of hymn singing (see Mark 14:26): "The Hallel Psalms (Psalms 113-118) were sung during the meal. Psalms 113 and 114 were sung just before the second cup and Psalms 115-118 were sung at the end of the meal, after the fourth, or hallel cup."As one source notes: "As the Passover brought an enslaved people into a new life of liberty and rest, so Christ anticipated that through His death believers would be brought into a new life of peace and rest. . . . Christ's death was not an end in itself but the means of providing eternal blessing for those who would trust Him as Savior." Two of them ... as Jesus said (Mark 14:13, 16)As one source explains, Jesus' instructions "may reflect another instance of Jesus' supernatural knowledge. However, the need for security (cf. Mark 14:10-11), the disciples' question (Mark 14:12), and Jesus' subsequent directives seem to indicate that He had carefully reserved a place in advance where they could eat the Passover meal together undisturbed." According to tradition, the man (a servant) whom the disciples met led them to the home of John Mark's father, and it was there that Jesus and his disciples ate the Passover meal. If this be so, the need to keep Judas in the dark (lest he upset Jesus' Passover plans) would explain why Jesus did not name the place outright. It is also worth noting that "a man carrying a pitcher of water" would have been an unmistakable sign, since "ordinarily not a man but a woman or girl would be doing this" (men normally carried wine-/animal skins).One Bible commentator notes how the incident involving preparation for the Passover highlights the trust relationship between Jesus and every true disciple: The disciples found everything as Jesus had told them. These faithful men could not know what each day would bring, but they were learning that each step was guided by God's sovereign will. And they were coming to understand the partnership of their calling: They go, God provides; they work, God blesses. The Passover meal did not miraculously appear; someone had to prepare it! The disciples were discovering that this kind of personal, daily walk with God had some very exciting dimensions to it. No job could be too difficult; no place too far. Disciples today have the same Lord. We must trust God with the future, realizing that whatever it is, he will be with us. For our part, we must be flexible, responsive, and ready to follow. Betray me (Mark 14:17)Jesus' point regarding his betrayer sharing his bowl was "not to identify the specific individual per se, but to indicate that it is one who was close to him - somebody whom no one would suspect. His comment serves to heighten the treachery of Judas' betrayal." Not surprisingly, the disciples were aghast at the thought that someone from among their own intimate group would betray Jesus. "In the Middle East eating together established a symbolic bond of mutual trust and commitment," and of course this was anything but an ordinary meal: We should not "fail to note that this was the Passover of Jesus, that the Twelve were here at his invitation, not he at theirs, that this was Jesus' bowl, and to be allowed to dip into it with Jesus supreme honor indeed." Jesus deliberately concealed Judas's identify from the rest of the group, however, apparently in an effort to give Judas every opportunity to repent. ?My body ... my blood (Mark 14:22, 24)"[B]y historically linking Passover and Lord's Supper so closely together Jesus also made clear that what was essential in the first was not lost in the second. Both point to him, the only and all-sufficient sacrifice for the sins of his people. Passover pointed forward to this; the Lord's Supper points back to it." By definition, the "covenant" of which Jesus spoke is "an arrangement established by one party that cannot be altered by the other party. In other words, God established the covenant, and humans can only accept or reject it; they cannot alter it in any way." Jesus' sacrificial death "established the forgiveness promised in the new covenant of Jeremiah 31:31. Jesus is reinterpreting the symbolism of the Passover meal, indicating the presence of a new era."As one Bible commentator explains:Jesus told the disciples to?"Take, eat; this is My body." Jesus used literal terms to describe a figurative truth. Just as he had so many times said, "I am" the door, the bread, the light, the vine, so the bread symbolized Jesus' work of salvation on behalf of humanity. His words "this is my body" symbolize the spiritual nourishment believers obtain from a personal relationship with the Savior. The phrase would more clearly be translated, "This is my self." It was Jesus' pledge of his personal presence with all his disciples whenever they would partake of this meal.Each name believers today use for this sacrament brings out a different dimension to it. It is the "Lord's Supper" because it commemorates the Passover meal that Jesus ate with his disciples; it is the "Eucharist" (thanksgiving) because in it we thank God for Christ's work for us; it is "Communion" because through it we commune with God and with other believers. As we eat the bread and drink the wine, we should be quietly reflective as we recall Jesus' death and his promise to come again, grateful for God's wonderful gift to us, and joyful as we meet with Christ and the body of believers. One source notes how Jesus' declaration, "'This is my blood of the covenant'" (Mark 14:24, NASB), recalls and alludes to Exodus 24:8 and Zechariah 9:11. So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words." (Exodus 24:8, NASB)As for you also, because of the blood of My covenant with you, I have set your prisoners free ... (Zechariah 9:11, NASB)"The pouring out of his blood takes on sacrificial and atoning connotations, which Jesus has linked to the covenant of the kingdom." (While it may be legitimate to think "death" when we see "blood" in the Bible, in the case of Jesus we should always think "sacrificial death.") Thus Jesus indicated that his body and blood were the means through which God would firmly establish a new covenant which "promises forgiveness of sins and fellowship with God through the indwelling Spirit to those who come to God by faith in Jesus." The central elements of the new covenant are God's love for us and our response of obedience. The idea of the new covenant is further developed in the remainder of the NT, with the epistle to the Hebrews presenting the most systematic treatment. This covenant is tied to the prophecy delivered by Jeremiah some 600 years before Christ:"The day will come," says the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife," says the Lord. "But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day," says the Lord. "I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people" (Jeremiah 31:31-33).As one source explains: "The New Covenant is God's new arrangement in dealing with people, based on Christ's death (cf. Hebrews 8:6-13). The spiritual blessings Israel expected God to grant in the last days are now mediated through Christ's death to all who believe. The physical blessings promised to Israel, however, are not being fulfilled now. They will be fulfilled when Christ returns and establishes His millennial reign with Israel in her land."We should also remember the significance of Communion for contemporary Christians:That [the first disciples] all drank from the cup reflects our common experience at Communion. We experience the presence of Christ; we remember his life and death for us; we acknowledge again his lordship in our life. Communion humbles us before God. We all come; we all eat and drink together. We confess our sin and restate our need for him to lead our lives. This ritual gets rid of our pride. Communion reminds us that we are forgiven. It reaffirms for us that sins confessed are sins forgiven because of Christ's death. Communion cleanses our guilt. Communion expresses our oneness in Christ. We participate as a body of believers in one communion; thus, we are unified in our faith and in our experience of Christ. Communion encourages us to recommit. As we recall the sacrifice of Christ, we are reminded to pledge ourselves to service like his. All of you will desert me (Mark 14:27)Jesus said that his disciples would become deserters. "Now when a shepherd is struck down, the sheep scatter in every direction, for they have lost their rallying point. So also when Jesus is captured and subsequently crucified, his followers will panic and flee." "The verb translated 'fall away' (skandalisthesesthe ['desert me' NLT]) means to take offense at someone or something and thereby turn away and fall into sin. Jesus predicted that all 11 disciples would take offense at His sufferings and death. To avoid the same treatment they would 'fall away,' denying association with Him and desert Him. Their loyalty would temporarily collapse." Hence Jesus would be forced to face "His final hour of testing alone with His Father, without human sympathy or support."As terrible as was the thought that one of their own would deliberately turn against Jesus, it was even more unbearable to imagine that the entire group would desert him in his hour of greatest need. And so, as usual, Peter spoke up, vowing that even if everyone else denied Jesus, he would still be faithful. Peter refused to believe that he was capable of denying Jesus even once, let alone three times. Peter said he would die before that happened. "And all the others vowed the same."?After I am raised ... Galilee (Mark 14:28)Notice the silver lining, as it were, in an otherwise dark and foreboding message. "Christ's prediction has an optimistic climax ... In clear and unfigurative [sic.] language Jesus speaks about being raised from the dead, just as he had spoken previously (Mark 8:31; 9:9, 9:31; 10:34). This is also another revelation of his love, for here Jesus assures them that he is going to meet them in the very region, Galilee, where their homes were, and where the Lord had originally called them to himself" (see Mark 16:7). As another source puts it: "Jesus promised that he would go ahead of [his disciples] into Galilee and meet them all there. Galilee is important in Mark's Gospel as the place of restoration. That is where their relationship would be renewed, their failures forgiven, and their pattern of ignorance and rejection broken." HEAR (heart)BetrayalThe Greek word for "betray" (paradidomi) means "to give into the hands of another; to give over into one's power or use." It is the opposite of receiving or welcoming, and can involve either handing over a guilty person for punishment by the proper authorities or, as in the case of Christ, handing over "an individual to an enemy who will presumably take undue advantage of the victim."?Judas deliberately betrayed Jesus, and all of Jesus' other disciples gave him over into the hands of his enemies. Choosing fear over faith, they ran away from their Lord and Master. However, as only he can, God brought good out of even the disciples' betrayal. Their experience made them more useful to, and usable by, God. For the rest of their lives, their failure to remain faithful would remind them of their need to rely on God rather than self. Their failure was also a crucial part of Shepherding 101: it would help them to better understand, relate to, and gently guide fellow believers who had sinned and fallen short of God's will.?Today we no less than the first disciples need to be on guard against betraying Jesus, particularly through practical denial. "[P]rofessing commitment to Christ and then denying him with one's life is also betraying him. It is denying Christ's love to disobey him; it is denying his truth to distrust him; it is denying his deity to reject his authority." If our words and actions do not match, we need to pray for and work for a change of mind and heart that embraces God's revealed truth. DO (hands)??? How will remembering God's loyalty to us in the past better prepare us to be loyal to him both today and tomorrow? [[@Bible:Mark 14:32-52]]Mark 14:32-52Jesus Prays in Gethsemane32?They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, "Sit here while I go and pray." 33?He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. 34?He told them, "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." 35?He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. 36?"Abba, Father,"?? he cried out, "everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine."37?Then he returned and found the disciples asleep. He said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Couldn't you watch with me even one hour? 38?Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak."39?Then Jesus left them again and prayed the same prayer as before. 40?When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn't keep their eyes open. And they didn't know what to say.41?When he returned to them the third time, he said, "Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But no - the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42?Up, let's be going. Look, my betrayer is here!"Jesus Is Betrayed and Arrested43?And immediately, even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders. 44?The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: "You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss. Then you can take him away under guard." 45?As soon as they arrived, Judas walked up to Jesus. "Rabbi!" he exclaimed, and gave him the kiss.46?Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 47?But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest's slave, slashing off his ear.48?Jesus asked them, "Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? 49?Why didn't you arrest me in the Temple? I was there among you teaching every day. But these things are happening to fulfill what the Scriptures say about me."50?Then all his disciples deserted him and ran away. 51?One young man following behind was clothed only in a long linen shirt. When the mob tried to grab him, 52?he slipped out of his shirt and ran away naked.SEE (head)Jesus and his disciples arrive at the garden of Gethsemane, where he takes the inner circle of Peter, James and John aside and asks them to keep watch. Jesus goes on a little farther and then, falling to the ground, begins pouring out his heart in prayer to God. He returns to the three disciples, rebukes them for sleeping, and then again goes off to pray. This scene is repeated once more before the armed contingent sent by the religious leaders and led by Judas Iscariot arrives. Judas identifies Jesus by giving him "the kiss of greeting," after which one of the disciples attempts to take on the heavily armed mob single-handedly. Jesus rebukes his arresters for their obvious display of cowardice. Meanwhile, the disciples flee. Gethsemane (Mark 14:32)"In John 18:1 [Gethsemane] is described as a garden (kepos), from which comes the traditional designation 'Garden of Gethsemane,' while Luke 22:40 has simply 'place' (topos). From John 18:1 it is evident that it was across the Kidron, and from Luke 22:39, that it was on the slope of the Mt. of Olives. It was a place where Jesus frequently went with His disciples (Luke 22:39f; John 18:2). Its name suggests a grove of olive trees, as does its location on the Mt. of Olives. The language of John's Gospel seems to imply a walled garden ('entered,' 18:1)." "It may be that the grove was privately owned and that Jesus and his disciples had special permission to enter."?Crushed with grief (Mark 14:34)"Apart from the Cross itself, the moments in Gethsemane were the most intense in Jesus' life." What's more, the "deepest sorrow and suffering" Jesus endured in the garden of Gethsemane is absolutely unique in the history of humanity - it never was, and never will be, repeated by anyone else. "The full impact of His death and its spiritual consequences struck Jesus and He staggered under its weight. The prospect of alienation from His Father horrified Him."For Jesus, Gethsemane was, quite literally, hell on earth.?Why was it necessary for Jesus to go through the pain and suffering of Gethsemane? Because it gave him the opportunity to freely choose the cross. As one source puts it: But why Gethsemane at all? Why could not God have arranged it in such a way that at the very entrance of the garden Jesus would immediately have been arrested, etc.? Why all the agony, the wrestlings, the prayers, the bloody sweat? Could not the answer be as follows: to establish for all time that the obedience (both active and passive) which Jesus rendered was not forced upon him against his will but was voluntary? He was actually laying down his life for the sheep (John 10:11, 14). That wholehearted sacrifice, in total obedience to the Father's will, was the only kind of death capable of saving the sinner (Hebrews 5:7-9). The awful hour ... this cup (Mark 14:35, 36)The garden of Gethsemane is rightly remembered as Christ's most difficult moment. Jesus asked that, if it were possible, the "cup" would be taken from him, quickly adding that he desired God's will and not his own. By asking not to drink from the cup, was Jesus seeking to abandon his earthly mission to die on the cross for the sins of the world? The short answer: No. (Jesus agonized over the cup, not the cross.) Along these lines, several comments are worth noting:"The prayer of Jesus is conditional from the start: 'if it is possible.' When he was using this condition Jesus reckoned with the impossibility. The condition is one of reality and assumes that, if such a possibility existed, the Father would use it. ... It is thus that the prayer is justified: 'Remove this cup from me!' We see that it is offered only with the proviso that such removal may be one of the possibilities open to God." "The metaphor 'the hour' denoted God's appointed time when Jesus would suffer and die (cf. Mark 14:41; John 12:23, 27). The corresponding metaphor, 'this cup,' referred to the same event. The 'cup' means either human suffering and death or more likely, God's wrath against sin, which when poured out includes not only physical but also spiritual suffering and death. In bearing God's judgment the sinless Jesus endured the agony of being 'made sin' (cf. Mark 15:34; 2 Corinthians 5:21)." Why would Jesus pray for the cup of God's wrath to be taken from him? Because enduring that wrath meant being separated from God - a prospect which brought Jesus unimaginable anguish. "God's face upon which He had ever looked was soon to be hid." "The exact meaning of [Jesus' experience in Gethsemane] has been a subject of theological controversy from earliest times. But certainly there seems to be an anticipation of the cross ... Some would see in the event an intended contrast with the experience of Adam in the Garden of Eden: here the Second Adam prevailed, by prayer and inward submission to the will of God, over temptation." To be sure, Jesus' faith was tested. And yet, "despite the test of faith, Jesus emerged reaffirming faith in God's possibilities and recommitting Himself to God's will (v. 36)." As another source puts it: "Jesus' human will was distinct from but never in opposition to the Father's will (cf. John 5:30; 6:38). So He acknowledged that the answer to His request was not governed by what He desired but by what the Father willed. God's will entailed His sacrificial death (cf. Mark 8:31) so He resolutely submitted Himself to it. His deep distress passed from Him but "the hour" did not (cf. Mark 14:41)""[A]s his horrible death and separation from the Father loomed before him, he was?overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Jesus did not attempt to run from it, nor did he doubt that God would raise him from the dead and return him to glory. Jesus, in his humanity, agonized over the inevitable horror that would soon come, yet he faced it courageously (Hebrews 12:2-3). Some see in Jesus' words an allusion to?Psalm 42:6." "We may not face execution for our faith, but we face many problems that wear us down. We deal with irritating people whom we must love and serve; we face the burden of unfinished tasks or lack of obvious results; we cope with helpers who let us down or fail to comprehend. We must remember that in times of great stress, we are vulnerable to temptation, even if we have a willing spirit." Along these lines, Jesus' experience offers us some practical lessons regarding suffering: We must endure our deepest suffering alone. While friends and loved ones may be able to offer some encouragement, they cannot go through the pain for us. People can suffer with us, but they cannot suffer for us.Suffering can drain us on every level: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Suffering should drive us to our knees in fervent, dependent prayer. And while it is okay to question God's will, it is never okay to rebel against him. Hardships and difficulties should teach us to rely more on God and less on self. Inactivity and sorrow feed the flesh, while prayer and watchfulness feed the spirit.Abba, Father (Mark 14: 36)Jesus addressed God as "Abba," an intimate Aramaic term for "Father." While it "was a common way young Jewish children addressed their fathers," it was virtually unheard of for any Jewish person to use this term when praying to God. "Abba here suggests that Jesus' primary concern in drinking the cup of God's judgment on sin necessarily disrupted this relationship (cf. Jesus' words of address, Mark 15:34)." The fact that Jesus called God "Abba" on a regular basis, and apparently even taught his disciples to do the same, points toward the intimate relationship between God and human beings, created in his image, which Jesus came to make possible (cf. Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6). The spirit ... the body (Mark 14:38)Jesus chided his disciples for sleeping - three times(!) - when they should have remained awake and alert. His words regarding the spirit versus the body/flesh speak volumes regarding the struggle against temptation. Of course the biggest temptation for the disciples would be the thought that Jesus had deceived them, that in fact he was not the Son of God or the Messiah. "On the one hand (Gr., men) the spirit (one's inner desires and best intentions) is willing or eager (e.g., Peter, Mark 14:29, 31), but on the other hand (Gr., de) the body (lit., "flesh"; a person in his humanness and inadequacies) is weak, easily overwhelmed in action (e.g., Peter, Mark 14:37)." As another commentator has put it: Jesus was "thinking of how both spirit and flesh act in temptation. The spirit is eager enough to endure and to overcome the temptation, but the flesh in us is weak, utterly helpless in temptation, a drag and a terrible handicap to the spirit in us. By calling on the disciples to watch and to pray Jesus seeks to rouse their spirit into full activity. By sleeping and by giving way to sleep-producing sorrow of heart they are yielding to the flesh." Judas ... arrived with a crowd of men (Mark 14:43)It is impossible to overestimate the depth of Judas's betrayal. As one source puts it: Since he was 'one of the twelve,' it would be impossible to mention all the privileges that had been bestowed upon him during the many days, weeks, and months he had spent in Christ's immediate company. Such confidence had the other eleven reposed in this same Judas that they had even made him their treasurer. And now he was proving himself totally unworthy of all these honors and advantages, of all this trust. A shameless, disgusting quisling [= "traitor, collaborator"] he had become, a wretched turncoat, one who for the paltry sum of thirty pieces of silver was delivering over to the enemy the greatest Benefactor whose feet ever trod this earth, even the Mediator, both God and man, the Lord Jesus Christ.?"The religious leaders had issued the warrant for Jesus' arrest," and Judas led an armed contingent of men to the place he knew Jesus would be. Judas's actual presence was necessary for several reasons: "Judas was acting as Jesus' official accuser. ... Judas pointed Jesus out, not because Jesus was hard to recognize, but because Judas had agreed to be the formal accuser in case a trial was called." Without Judas the large detachment would have had only general directions to go by and, in turn, "their search would have become evident and given Jesus time to escape" (not counting, of course, the fact that Jesus did not wish to escape). The garden was dark and secluded. Secrecy was needed in order to avoid a riot.The irony is thick: "The Gospel of John also mentions 'torches and lanterns.' Torches and lanterns - to search for the Light of the world. ... Swords and cudgels - to subdue the Prince of Peace." "Judas' act of betrayal when he kissed Jesus is especially sinister when it is realized that it was common in the culture of the times for a disciple to kiss his master when greeting him." Why was Jesus arrested? What was the charge(s)? "No charges are stated in Mark's account; nevertheless the legality of His arrest according to Jewish criminal law was assumed since the Sanhedrin authorized it."The high priest's slave (Mark 14:47)Mark records that, following Judas's act of betrayal, "one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest's slave, slashing off his ear" (Mark 14:47). A comparison with the other gospel accounts provides a more detailed picture: "Mark graciously avoids identifying Peter as being guilty of this well-meaning but pointless act. John, the eyewitness, identifies the servant as one named Malchus and says it was his right ear that was severed (John 18:10). Peter may have swung wildly, intending to cut off Malchus's head but succeeding only in wounding him. Luke the physician mentions that Jesus restored Malchus's ear." Malchus "is in a class by himself. He is not one of the huperetai or police force, he belongs to Caiaphas himself. He must have been a trusted and important member of the high priest's household who had been sent with this expedition as the high priest's personal representative to see and to report everything to his master. That explains why he is out in front under Peter's sword." When it became clear to the disciples that their master was not going to resist, delay, or obstruct the arrest, they all fled.One young man following behind (Mark 14:50)Mark recorded: "One young man following behind was clothed only in a long linen shirt. When the mob tried to grab him, he slipped out of his shirt and ran away naked." (Mark 14:51-52). This is generally accepted as Mark's way of saying that he himself was there that night - that is, he was the young man. While it is impossible to be absolutely certain, many Bible scholars believe something like this took place that night: The house containing the room where Jesus and his disciples share the Passover meal belongs to John Mark's parents. (This was one of the first house churches in Jerusalem [see Acts 12:12].) Judas leaves to get the temple guard which he brings back to the house. By the time he returns, however, Jesus and his disciples are gone. All the commotion awakens young John Mark whose father, a wealthy man, also owns a garden in Gethsemane which he regularly makes available to Jesus and his disciples. Judas knows the spot and guesses that is where Jesus went. Dressed only in his bed clothes, John Mark follows Judas and the armed contingent to the garden (or possibly ran ahead of them in order to warn Jesus), from where he later flees for his life. HEAR (heart)True LoyaltyThe following letter was written by a young communist to his girlfriend, breaking off the relationship with her because of his devotion to the communist cause. The letter was given to her pastor who in turn sent it to Dr. Billy Graham. He published it.We communists have a high casualty rate. We are the ones who get shot and hung and ridiculed and fired from our jobs and in every other way made as uncomfortable as possible. A certain percentage of us get killed or imprisoned. We live in virtual poverty. We turn back to the party every penny we make above what is absolutely necessary to keep us alive.We communists do not have the time or the money for many movies or concerts or T-bone steaks or decent homes or new cars. We've been described as fanatics. We are fanatics. Our lives are dominated by one great, overshadowing factor: the struggle for world communism. We have a philosophy of life which no amount of money could buy. We have a cause to fight for, a definite purpose in life. We subordinate our petty personal selves into a great movement of humanity; and if our personal lives seem hard or our egos appear to suffer through subordination to the party, then we are adequately compensated by the thought that each of us, in his small way, is contributing to something new and true and better for mankind.There is one thing in which I am in dead earnest about, and that is the communist cause. It is my life, my business, my religion, my hobby, my sweetheart, my wife, my mistress, my bread and meat. I work at it in the daytime and dream of it at night. Its hold on me grows, not lessens, as time goes on; therefore, I cannot carry on a friendship, a love affair, or even a conversation without relating it to this force which both drives and guides my life. I evaluate people, looks, ideas, and actions according to how they affect the communist cause, and by their attitude toward it. I've already been in jail because of my ideals, and if necessary, I'm ready to go before a firing squad.That is loyalty. It is the attitude that was sadly lacking in the disciples-turned-deserters that night in the garden of Gethsemane: "The disciples' primary loyalty to Jesus should have kept them from running. But fear took its toll." True, unqualified loyalty is what Jesus demands today of anyone and everyone who would follow him. Absolute and total commitment - not to a cause or a creed, but to the person of Jesus Christ.DO (hands)??? Think of a time in your life when you suffered greatly yet refused to stop trusting in God. What made you hang on to your faith? What would you tell someone else whose faith is being tested? [[@Bible:Mark 14:53-65]]Mark 14:53-65Jesus before the Council53?They took Jesus to the high priest's home where the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law had gathered. 54?Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and went right into the high priest's courtyard. There he sat with the guards, warming himself by the fire.55?Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council?? were trying to find evidence against Jesus, so they could put him to death. But they couldn't find any. 56?Many false witnesses spoke against him, but they contradicted each other. 57?Finally, some men stood up and gave this false testimony: 58?"We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this Temple made with human hands, and in three days I will build another, made without human hands.'" 59?But even then they didn't get their stories straight!60?Then the high priest stood up before the others and asked Jesus, "Well, aren't you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?" 61?But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?"62?Jesus said, "I AM.?? And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God's right hand?? and coming on the clouds of heaven.??"63?Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, "Why do we need other witnesses? 64?You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?""Guilty!" they all cried. "He deserves to die!"65?Then some of them began to spit at him, and they blindfolded him and beat him with their fists. "Prophesy to us," they jeered. And the guards slapped him as they took him away.SEE (head)Jesus is brought to the home of the high priest, while Peter follows from a distance. The Sanhedrin is convened and several false witnesses come forward to testify against Jesus. When it's obvious that no real evidence is to be forthcoming, the high priest asks Jesus directly if he is the Son of God. Jesus says that he is, and the high priest demands that he be sentenced to death for blasphemy. Council members and guards alike then begin mocking and beating Jesus.The high priest's home (Mark 14:53)While the "full Sanhedrin, with seventy-one members, normally met in the assembly hall in the temple," only twenty-three members "were necessary for a quorum." Being under the rule of Rome, the Sanhedrin itself had no authority to impose the death penalty. For these reasons, this first trial of Jesus should be understood as "a preliminary 'court of enquiry'" or "a Grand Jury." Of course that fact in no way diminishes the multiple illegalities associated with these proceedings, including: soliciting false testimony; demanding that the defendant testify against himself; failing to wait one full day between the reaching of the verdict and the carrying out of the sentence (death); and subjecting the accused to verbal and physical abuse. One source explains why such a "hasty night meeting" was necessary:This hasty night meeting was deemed necessary because: (1) In Jewish criminal law it was customary to hold a trial immediately after arrest. (2) Roman legal trials were usually held shortly after sunrise (cf. Mark 15:1) so the Sanhedrin needed a binding verdict by daybreak in order to get the case to Pilate early. (3) With Jesus finally in custody they did not want to delay proceedings, thereby arousing opposition to His arrest. Actually they had already determined to kill Him (cf. Mark 14:1-2); their only problem was getting evidence that would justify it (cf. Mark 14:55). Perhaps also they wished to have the Romans crucify Jesus to avoid the people's blaming the Sanhedrin for His death.Many false witnesses (Mark 14:56)"In Jewish trials the witnesses served as the prosecution, giving their testimonies separately." Jewish law demanded that the sworn testimony of two or three witnesses was necessary to convict someone of a crime. If, however, the witnesses were found to be lying, then the false witnesses were to receive the punishment that would have been inflicted on the accused (see Deuteronomy 19:15-21). Thus not only should the false testimony of the witnesses have brought the trial to a screeching halt, but those same witnesses should have received the punishment the Sanhedrin was seeking for Jesus - namely, death. The accusation regarding destruction of the Temple was very serious indeed, as "[d]estruction of a worship place was a capital offense in the ancient world."Answer these charges (Mark 14:60)"Caiaphas was getting frustrated. Now his only hope was to get Jesus to say something that would give them evidence to convict him. The religious leaders had tried and failed on prior occasions to trap Jesus with trick questions (Mark 12:13-34); here the high priest simply?stood up in this revered group and spoke directly to Jesus. He may have been hoping that Jesus was ignorant enough to not realize that the witnesses had invalidated themselves. Caiaphas tried to make up in intimidation what was lacking in evidence. He asked Jesus to answer his accusers and then to explain the accusations against him." Jesus refused to participate in this travesty of justice. "Jesus refused to say anything. He had nothing to say to the group of liars who had spoken against him, and he had no reason to explain a bunch of false accusations." Until, that is, the high priest asked him directly if he were "the Messiah, the Son of the blessed God?" (Mark 14:61). As made clear in Matthew's gospel, the high priest made a "demand in the name of the living God" (Matthew 26:63) - that is, he placed Jesus under a solemn oath to tell the court who he really was. Claiming to be the Messiah (or Christ) alone would not have been enough to warrant a charge of blasphemy - insanity maybe, but not blasphemy. However, "Jesus replie[d] with his authoritative 'I am' and a declaration of coequality with the Mighty One, as Son of man who will come visibly on the clouds of heaven (v. 62; cf. Psalms 110:1; Daniel 7:13)." Claiming to be the Son of God, and then joining that to the Son of Man image as found in the book of Daniel, "certainly would have been blasphemy if untrue." And, of course, the religious leaders did not allow for the slightest possibility that Jesus' claims were true. In essence, Jesus said that "[s]itting on the right hand of power, one day he would come to judge his accusers, and they would have to answer?his questions (Revelation 20:11-13). This represented the highest view of Jesus' deity possible. Jesus used the highest titles for God's deity and then applied them to himself." The high priest tore his clothing ... blasphemy (Mark 14:62, 63)One Bible commentator provides the following info regarding the high priest:?As Matthew 26:3 informs us, the highpriest was Caiaphas. He occupied that office from A.D. 18-36, and was son-in-law of Annas (John 18:13). He was a rude and sly manipulator, and opportunist, who did not know the meaning of fairness or justice and who was bent on having his own way "by hook or by crook" (Matthew 26:3-4; John 11:49). He did not shrink from shedding innocent blood. What he himself ardently craved for selfish purposes, he made to look as if it were the one thing needful for the welfare of the people. In order to bring about the condemnation of Jesus, who had aroused his envy (Matthew 27:18), he was willing to use devices which were the product of clever calculation and unprecedented boldness. Caiaphas accused Jesus of blasphemy - that is, "the sin of claiming to be God or of attacking God's authority and majesty in any way." As one source notes:?By tearing his clothes, probably his inner garments rather than his official robes, the high priest showed that he regarded Jesus' bold declaration as blasphemy. To him, Jesus' words dishonored God by claiming rights and powers belonging exclusively to God (cf. Mark 2:7). This symbolic expression of horror and indignation was required of the high priest whenever he heard blasphemy. His reaction also expressed relief since Jesus' self-incriminating answer removed the need for more witnesses.The Mosaic Law prescribed death by stoning for blasphemy (Leviticus 24:15-16). Without further investigation the high priest called for a verdict from the Sanhedrin. Since there were no objections they all condemned Him (cf. Mark 10:33) as worthy (enochon, "guilty, liable"; cf. Mark 3:29) of death.All told, Jesus was subjected to two trials comprised of three hearings each: hearing: First Jewish phase, before Annas location: Jerusalem, court of Annasreference: John 18:13-24hearing: Second Jewish phase, before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrinlocation: Jerusalem, house of Caiaphasreference: Matthew 26:57–68; Mark 14:53–65; Luke 22:54hearing: Third Jewish phase, before the Sanhedrinlocation: Jerusalem, meeting place of Sanhedrinreference: Matthew 27:1; Mark 15:1a; Luke 22:66–71hearing: First Roman phase, before Pilatelocation: Jerusalem, at the Praetoriumreference: Matthew 27:2, 11–14; Mark 15:1b–5; Luke 23:1–5; John 18:28–38hearing: Second Roman phase, before Herod Antipaslocation: Jerusalem, before Herod Antipasreference: Luke 23:6–12hearing: Third Roman phase, before Pilatelocation: Jerusalem, at the Praetoriumreference: Matthew 27:15–26; Mark 15:6–15; Luke 23:13–25; John 18:39–19:16These hearings, as well as the character of the men conducting them, amounted to an absolute travesty of justice. As one source puts it: "For the absolutely sinless One to be subjected to a trial conducted by sinful men was in itself a deep humiliation. To be tried by such men, under such circumstances made it infinitely worse. Greedy, serpent-like, vindictive Annas (see on John 18:13); rude, sly, hypocritical Caiaphas (see on John 11:49-50); crafty superstitious, self-seeking Pilate (see on John 18:29); and immoral, ambitious, superficial Herod Antipas; these were his judges!" HEAR (heart)A General's ObjectivityGeneral Robert E. Lee was asked what he thought of a fellow officer in the Confederate army who had made some derogatory remarks about him. Lee rated him as being very satisfactory. The person who asked the question seemed perplexed. "General," he said, "I guess you don't know what he's been saying about you.""I know," answered Lee. "But I was asked my opinion of him, not his opinion of me!" Not an Enemy in the WorldA reporter, interviewing an old man on his 100th birthday, asked, "What are you most proud of?""Well," said the old man, pondering the question, "I don’t have an enemy in the world.""That’s wonderful!" said the reporter."Yep," added the centenarian, "I’ve outlived every last one of them."?Why did Jesus choose to endure such an unjust trial? In one sense, it was because his opinion of his accusers was much higher than their opinion of him. We also know that, almost as a bonus, Jesus' long-suffering was rewarded: he outlived his enemies. DO (hands)Blasphemy!Given the mind-set of the religious leaders, Jesus' claims were blasphemous. How could this man have the authority of God? Popular culture and modern thought still view Christ's claims as blasphemous, and if we express our faith, people will view us as bigoted and intolerant. They will be outraged by our claims to know the truth. Our belief that God controls our life violates their desire to have a human-centered life. Our view of moral law offends their belief that all values are relative to each person and situation. Our conviction about controlling our desires radically disagrees with their pleasure- and experience-oriented outlook. Be ready for the world to be morally outraged at your single-minded belief in Christ and his truth. ??? Discuss one current social, political, or religious issue in which the world is morally outraged at Christians' "single-minded belief in Christ and his truth."[[@Bible:Mark 14:66-72]]Mark 14:66-72Peter Denies Jesus66?Meanwhile, Peter was in the courtyard below. One of the servant girls who worked for the high priest came by 67?and noticed Peter warming himself at the fire. She looked at him closely and said, "You were one of those with Jesus of Nazareth.??" 68?But Peter denied it. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, and he went out into the entryway. Just then, a rooster crowed.??69?When the servant girl saw him standing there, she began telling the others, "This man is definitely one of them!" 70?But Peter denied it again.A little later some of the other bystanders confronted Peter and said, "You must be one of them, because you are a Galilean."71?Peter swore, "A curse on me if I'm lying-I don't know this man you're talking about!" 72?And immediately the rooster crowed the second time.Suddenly, Jesus' words flashed through Peter's mind: "Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me." And he broke down and wept.SEE (head)While Jesus is being subjected to a mock trial and physical and verbal abuse inside the home of the high priest, Peter is outside in the courtyard. A servant girl recognizes him as one of Jesus' followers, but Peter flatly denies it and moves away from her. The same girl loudly announces that one of Jesus' followers is in their midst, but Peter again denies it. A little later others, too, accuse Peter of being a disciple of Jesus. This time Peter denies it with an oath. Following his third denial, Peter hears a rooster crow, remembers Jesus' prediction, and breaks down in tears.Peter (Mark 14:66)This tragic episode in Peter's life is a story of courage mixed with fear. Certainly no one could question Peter's courage. Among the group of twelve, he was always the first to volunteer. And had he not only a short while earlier tried taking on Jesus' captors single-handedly? Peter not only followed Jesus to his trial, but he even remained in the courtyard in order "to see the outcome" (Matthew 26:58, NASB). The vast majority of men would never have made it that far. And even after having been recognized as a follower of Jesus, he refused to leave. But Peter was also afraid. It was safe to be associated with a man who was popular with the people. But it was a dangerous thing indeed to be associated with a man whom the religious leaders of Israel were trying to condemn to death. And so when he was recognized as a disciple of Jesus, Peter panicked and denied it - not once, but three times. With the third denial, Peter could no longer contain the mixture of thoughts and emotions welling up inside him. They came out with a curse equivalent to: "May God strike me dead if I'm lying!" Rooster crowed (Mark 14:68, 71)There's been some confusion regarding the rooster crowing that Jesus had said would immediately follow Peter's denial. One Bible commentator notes: "The Roman night was divided into four watches from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. At the end of the third watch, at three o'clock in the morning, the guard was changed. When the guard was changed there was a bugle call which was called the gallicinium, which is the Latin for the cockcrow. Most likely what happened was that as Peter spoke his third denial, the clear note of the bugle call rang out over the silent city and smote on Peter's ear. He remembered and his heart broke." I don't know this man (Mark 14:71)How could Peter deny Christ? Like any heinous sin, Peter's denial involved several downward steps, the end result of which was extreme vulnerability. "First, Peter had confidence in himself (Luke 22:33; Mark 26:35). Second, Peter separated himself from Christ and followed Him only at a distance (Mark 14:54). Third, Peter sat down in the company of Christ's adversaries (Luke 22:55). The cumulative force of these put Peter in a vulnerable position." Peter's shameful conduct offers a negative example of the positive truth found in the very first verse of the book of Psalms: "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!" (Psalms 1:1, NASB). Renowned Bible teacher Warren Wiersbe says of this verse: We move into sin and disobedience gradually (see Proverbs 4:14-15 and 7:6ff). If you follow the wrong counsel, then you will stand with the wrong companions and finally sit with the wrong crowd. When Jesus was arrested, Peter didn't follow Christ's counsel and flee from the garden (Matthew 26:31; John 16:32; 18:8), but followed and entered the high priest's courtyard. There he stood with the enemy (John 18:15-18) and ultimately sat with them (Luke 22:55). The result was denying Christ three times. The "ungodly" [= "wicked"] are people who are willfully and persistently evil; "sinners" are those who miss the mark of God's standards but who don't care; the "scornful" [= "scoffers"] make light of God's laws and ridicule that which is sacred (see Proverbs 1:22; 3:24; 21:24). When laughing at holy things and disobeying holy laws become entertainment, then people have reached a low level indeed. It is probably worth noting some of the differences between Peter and Judas. Judas sought out the religious leaders; Peter sought to hide from them. Judas voluntarily betrayed Jesus; Peter involuntarily denied Jesus. Judas hanged himself; Peter was restored.HEAR (heart)Healthy FearA young soldier of evident breeding and culture had one peculiarity. He would never drink alcoholic beverages with the others. One day the major asked him to take a message to the express agent in town. "Where shall I find him, sir?" he asked. "Just go into Casey's saloon and sit down. He'll show up in the course of the afternoon." The soldier drew back and said, "Beg pardon, sir, but can't I meet him some place else?" "Why, what's the matter with Casey's? Are you afraid to go there?" "Yes, sir, because drink was what made me enlist and leave my family in the first place. I was drunk and didn't know what I was doing." "You may go," said the major curtly. "I'll find a more accommodating and less cowardly man." From then on this soldier carried a reputation for cowardice because he was realistic enough to avoid danger he knew he was too weak to face. However, the opinion of the battery changed one day when he was one of the seven chosen to fire a cannon salute to a visiting general. One bag of powder failed to discharge, and the sergeant ordered it pulled out. As it fell to the ground, the men were horrified to see that one corner of it ignited. For a breathless moment no one moved. Then this soldier flung himself upon it and with his bare hands smothered the deadly spark. From then on he was the hero of the company. You may depend upon it; the man who is afraid of doing wrong will be brave enough when the occasion calls for it. Peter should have stayed away from that courtyard the night of Jesus' trial. But courageous love mixed with foolish pride would not let him. The end result was a display of cowardice that stayed with him the rest of his days. Having been restored by Jesus, however, Peter again had the opportunity to act courageously - this time depending on God's strength and not his own - when on the day of Pentecost he publicly proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the heart of the very city where Jesus had been put to death. The man who had so fearfully denied Jesus went on to become a faithful pillar of his church.DO (hands)??? "Before we judge Peter too severely, we need to examine our own lives. How many times have we denied the Lord and lost opportunities to share the Gospel with others? Do we, like Peter, talk when we should listen, argue when we should obey, sleep when we should pray, and fight when we should submit?" Mark 15[[@Bible:Mark 15:1-15]]Mark 15:1-15Jesus' Trial before Pilate1 Very early in the morning the leading priests, the elders, and the teachers of religious law -?the entire high council - met to discuss their next step. They bound Jesus, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor. 2?Pilate asked Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews?"Jesus replied,?"You have said it."3?Then the leading priests kept accusing him of many crimes, 4?and Pilate asked him, "Aren't you going to answer them? What about all these charges they are bringing against you?" 5?But Jesus said nothing, much to Pilate's surprise.6?Now it was the governor's custom each year during the Passover celebration to release one prisoner - anyone the people requested. 7?One of the prisoners at that time was Barabbas, a revolutionary who had committed murder in an uprising. 8?The crowd went to Pilate and asked him to release a prisoner as usual.9?"Would you like me to release to you this 'King of the Jews'?" Pilate asked. 10?(For he realized by now that the leading priests had arrested Jesus out of envy.) 11?But at this point the leading priests stirred up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. 12?Pilate asked them, "Then what should I do with this man you call the king of the Jews?"13?They shouted back, "Crucify him!"14?"Why?" Pilate demanded. "What crime has he committed?"But the mob roared even louder, "Crucify him!"15?So to pacify the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified.SEE?(head)Following their preliminary trial the night before, the Jewish high council brings Jesus before Pilate, the Roman governor, who asks Jesus if he is the King of the Jews. The religious leaders bring charges against Jesus and then stir up the crowd to demand the release of Barabbas, a murderer and enemy of the state, rather than Jesus. The crowd demands that Jesus be put to death. Pilate has Jesus severely beaten, and then hands him over to the soldiers to be crucified.Pilate (Mark 15:1)"[T]the Sanhedrin, once having hold of Jesus, was determined to rush him to death because it feared the uprising of the people in case of delay. ... This meeting was held ... early in the morning, before the pilgrims were astir. ... [T]he resolution that had to be passed in this second session was the formal confirmation of the death verdict that had been pronounced at the night session. ... In all formality they took the final vote on the death penalty for Jesus. The next step followed as a matter of course: the Sanhedrin had to take Jesus to Pilate." "Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor for the regions of Samaria and Judea from A.D. 26–36. Jerusalem was located in Judea. Pilate's normal residence was in Caesarea on the Mediterranean Sea, but he happened to be in Jerusalem because of the Passover festival. With the large crowds that flocked to the city for that celebration, Pilate and his soldiers came to help keep the peace. He stayed in his headquarters, called the Praetorium." ?Why did the Jews need to go before the Roman governor, whom they despised almost as much as he despised them? "The Jews most assuredly wanted to put Jesus to death, but they lacked the authority to do so. For this reason they handed him over to Pilate in hopes of securing a death sentence. The Romans kept close control of the death penalty in conquered territories to prevent it being used to execute Roman sympathizers."?As another source explains: "Though the Sanhedrin could pronounce a death sentence it could not exercise capital punishment. So a condemned prisoner had to be turned over to the Roman authorities for a death sentence to be carried out (cf.?John 18:31). The Roman governor could either ratify or rescind the Sanhedrin's death sentence (cf.?John 19:10). If rescinded, a new trial had to be conducted before a Roman court in which the Sanhedrin had to prove that the defendant had committed a capital crime under Roman law."One Bible commentator notes how the Sanhedrin was guilty of "group think": "Years ago, sociologists concluded that intelligent, capable people would fail to see the fault in their group decisions as each person dismissed evidence that might thwart consensus. They called it 'group think.' The people who condemned Jesus were not stupid, just afraid, confused, and desperate. Alone they would never perpetrate this crime - setting up a man for crucifixion by perjured testimony and concocted allegation. Together they pulled it off without dissent. They were wrong, but no one raised a voice once momentum built." (The key to combating group think is to look out for, and offer rational alternatives to, "decisions based on fear, prejudice, and greed.")King of the Jews (Mark 15:2)King of the Jews" was a Roman designation, with Jewish equivalents being "Messiah," "son of David," and "king of Israel." From Pilate's perspective, "King of the Jews" carried "political implications of sedition against Rome."?Jesus' response to Pilate's question regarding his kingship "is best understood as a yes answer but with a qualification attached. As Messiah, Jesus is the King of the Jews but His concept of kingship differed from that implied in Pilate's question (cf.?John 18:33-38)."?Jesus "wasn't claiming kingship in any way that would threaten Pilate, Caesar, or the Empire. Jesus' kingship was spiritual; a charge of treason required it to be political. The religious leaders were attempting to build a case on this political twist - their only and best chance of winning Pilate's approval for a crucifixion. But ... Pilate could sense that the solemn rabbi standing before him was unlikely to lead a revolt against Rome. In Jesus' eyes, Pilate did not see the hardened glare of a zealot. Jesus was no revolutionary." ?Many crimes ... all these charges (Mark 15:3, 4)The charge of blasphemy would have meant nothing to Pilate. And so, as detailed in Luke's gospel (see?Luke 23:2), the religious leaders accused Jesus of no less than three very serious crimes: "(1) encouraging the people to not pay their taxes to Rome, (2) claiming he was a king - 'the King of the Jews,' and (3) causing riots all over the countryside. Tax evasion, treason, and terrorism - all these would be cause for Pilate's concern. These accusations were false, but the religious leaders were determined to have Jesus killed." As one Bible commentator explains: "In reality these three charges amounted to one: 'This man is a revolutionary, a seditionist, a politically dangerous person.'" It is more than a little ironic that "Jesus, who disappointed the crowds for failing to lead a political revolution, was now being charged with that very crime." ?"Pilate's low regard for the Jewish leadership sank even lower as their frenzied testimony continued. Pilate knew the charges were preposterous, and he obviously expected Jesus to defend himself against the false accusations. "?For their part, the religious leaders knew that crucifixion would place Jesus in the same league as rebels and slaves, and thus publicly and (hopefully) permanently disgrace him, his teachings, and his followers. It would also shift the blame for his death from the religious leaders to the Roman government. ?Jesus said nothing (Mark 15:5)Any other man would have begged Pilate to spare his life. Why didn't Jesus?Just exactly why it was that Jesus remained silent has not been revealed. The following possible reasons, however, deserve consideration:He "opened not his mouth" in fulfilment of prophecy (Isaiah 42:1-4;?53:7;?57:15;?Zechariah 9:9). See also?1 Kings 19:11-12;?Matthew 5:7-9;?12:18-21;?21:5.Pilate did not deserve an answer, for he knew very well that Jesus was innocent. The governor had declared this openly (John 18:38; cf.?Luke 23:4). He should have acquitted Jesus.The Jewish leaders knew very well that they were lying. Not once during his ministry had Jesus spoken or acted as a political rebel. Rather, the very opposite (Mark 12:17;?John 6:15). In short, "It would have been futile [for Jesus] to answer [Pilate's questions], and the time had come to give his life to save the world." ?"Learning that Jesus was a Galilean and hoping to avoid making a judgment against Him, Pilate sent Him to Herod Antipas, governor of Galilee (cf.?Mark 6:14), also in Jerusalem at the time. But Herod soon returned Him to Pilate. Only Luke recorded this middle phase of the civil trial (cf.?Luke 23:6-12)."?(These events occur between verses 5 and 6 in Mark's gospel.)Barabbas (Mark 15:7)It was an annual custom for the governor to grant clemency to one prisoner. Many within the crowd that morning saw Barabbas as a hero for daring to stand up against the oppressive Roman government, and they had gathered specifically to ask for his release. Pilate fully realized that Jesus was innocent; if he had thought Jesus' kingship in any way posed a threat to Rome, he would have acted immediately. Pilate did, however, perceive a very real threat to his political career:There is no interest in justice here; only politics are at work. Pilate probably knew that Jesus was popular. He was not about to risk offending the populace, especially at Passover season, and so instigate a riot, the very thing he wished to avoid. ... Pilate is happy to accommodate the ruling priests' recommendation that Jesus be put to death - as long as in doing so he incurs no political risks. His only concern is that his condemnation of Jesus not provoke the Jewish people or be seen as yet another example of Roman brutality. Pilate is not about to create a problem for himself; he wishes only to extricate himself from responsibility. Pilate "had placed Jesus beside a murderer [= Barabbas] - the man whom he himself had pronounced innocent beside the man whose bloody guilt was beyond a doubt. The flagrant injustice to Jesus is glaring." In the final analysis, Pilate chose to murder the Savior and save the murderer. Of course we must keep in mind that Pilate's actions, including his declaration of Jesus' innocence, were part of God's plan: Behind "Pilate stood God himself. The responsibility for the sinful act, to be sure, remained with Pilate and with those who pressured him into delivering Jesus to be crucified. But the actions of all these sinners were included in the all-comprehensive, eternal decree of God: 'This man, having been handed over (to you) by the predetermined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you, by the hand of lawless men, have crucified and slain' (Acts 2:23)."?In Pilate we see "the impossibility of evading Jesus. Pilate had tried again and again to bypass Jesus. He discovered that this was entirely impossible. He was forced to take a stand, and he took the wrong stand." There is no such thing as neutrality toward Jesus Christ: We are either for him or we are against him.In Barabbas we find a divinely orchestrated object lesson: "Barabbas was released, though guilty and condemned, because the Lord Jesus took his place. Christ was his substitute." The point is worth repeating: "Barabbas represents yet another example of the purpose of Jesus' death: to take the place, not just of one condemned man, but of all who stand condemned before God's perfect standard of justice. ... God commutes your sentence and sets you free. Because of Jesus." We can easily imagine Barabbas, having been set free, making his way to the crucifixion site and, looking up at Jesus, declaring, "He died for me; He paid my penalty." ?The crowd (Mark 15:8, 11)"[Pilate] did not want to sentence Jesus to death. Yet, it was becoming more and more clear to him that this by now had become the desire of the fickle multitude. When the prophet of Galilee was still healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing the lepers, holding the multitudes spellbound by means of his marvelous discourses, he was popular. When he rode into Jerusalem, he was applauded. But now that he is seemingly helpless, and the leaders have used their strongest arguments to persuade the people to demand his crucifixion, they turn their backs on him." "All the Gospels stress that it was actually the leaders more than the people who were guilty. Here we have the first time in Mark that the crowds turned against Jesus, and Mark stressed that they were incited to do so by the leaders." "[I]n the end Jesus did not prove to be the kind of Messiah the people desired and were expecting." It is no different today, as scores of people profess admiration for Jesus' miracles and/or teachings but refuse to accept him as their king. For most people, the image of Jesus as some sort of miracle-working holy man is fine; Jesus as the King of kings and Lord of lords, however, is too much to bear.The tipping point came when the crowd uttered a semi-veiled threat against Pilate himself:[W]hat turned the scale so that Pilate finally decided to yield to the mob's clamor was the frightening and diabolical outcry, "If you release this man [Jesus], you are no friend of the emperor. Whoever makes himself king rebels against the emperor" (John 19:12). It was this outcry that floored the governor. In his feverish imagination he saw how he was about to lose his prestige, position, possessions, freedom, even his life perhaps.Pilate understood immediately that the people's angry statement implied much more than it expressed. It implied: "We will lodge a complaint against you. We will tell the emperor that you condone high treason against the government; that you have released a man who was guilty of continuous sedition, and who allowed himself to be called king. We will accuse you of 'softness toward rebels.' Then where will you be?" The Roman government pressured Pilate "to do whatever was necessary to maintain peace. We know from historical records that Pilate had already been warned about other uprisings in his region. Although he may have seen no guilt in Jesus and no reason to condemn him to death, Pilate wavered when the Jews in the crowd threatened to report him to Caesar (John 19:12). Such a report, accompanied by a riot, could cost him his position and hopes for advancement. Pilate became afraid. His job was in jeopardy. The last thing Pilate needed was a riot in Jerusalem at Passover time, when the city was crowded with Jews from all over the Empire." Flogged with a lead-tipped whip (Mark 15:15)Pilate ordered for Jesus to be severely beaten and crucified. Scourging/flogging "was standard pre-crucifixion procedure,"?although "it could also be a separate punishment."?Regarding this hideous practice, one source notes: "Slaves or non-Romans could be punished with whips made of leather straps or knotted cords often weighted with pieces of metal or bone. Roman law allowed their use in four situations: as a torture to promote the questioning of a prisoner, as a self-standing punishment, as a capital punishment (people were sentenced to death by beating), or as a preparation for execution. On some occasions these beatings were so severe that bones and organs were left exposed." And another source tells us: "A Roman flogging (traditionally, 'scourging') was an excruciating punishment. The victim was stripped of his clothes and bound to a post with his hands fastened above him (or sometimes he was thrown to the ground). Guards standing on either side of the victim would incessantly beat him with a whip (flagellum) made out of leather with pieces of lead and bone inserted into its ends. While the Jews only allowed 39 lashes, the Romans had no such limit; many people who received such a beating died as a result."HEAR?(heart)Pilate's SinPilate had the ethics of his class, and obviously tried to act up to the standard which he had formed. There was in him, however, no deep moral basis of character, as is shown by the utter skepticism of his question, "What is truth?" When he found that the doing of strict justice threatened to endanger his position, he reluctantly and with a great deal of shame gave way to the demands of the Jews. He sent Jesus to the cross, but not before he had exhausted every expedient for saving Him, except the simple and straightforward one of dismissing the case. He had the haughtiness of the dominant race, and a profound contempt for the people over which he ruled. This contempt ... continually brought him into trouble. He felt deeply humiliated at having to give way to those whom he utterly despised, and, in the manner of a small mind, revenged himself on them by calling Christ their king, and by refusing to alter the mocking inscription on the cross. It is certain that Pilate, in condemning Jesus, acted, and knew that he acted against his conscience. He knew what was right, but for selfish and cowardly reasons refused to do it. He was faced by a great moral emergency, and he failed. Pilate is a striking instance of the danger of trifling with conscientious convictions, and not acting at once upon the principle of plain duty. Fear of man, the Jews' accusations, and the emperor's frown, and consequent loss of place and power, led him to condemn Him whom he knew to be innocent and desired to deliver. His compromises and delays were vain when once the determined Jews saw him vacillating. Fixed principle alone could have saved him from pronouncing that unrighteous sentence which brands his name forever (Psalm 82). His sense of justice, compassion, and involuntary respect for the Holy Sufferer yielded to his selfishness, worldly policy, and cynical unbelief.DO?(hands)????Believers today face the same pressure from the crowd to deny Jesus' claims and to give him no place in our life - in effect, to crucify him all over again. What can Pilate's negative example teach us about what it takes to stand up for Jesus? [[@Bible:Mark 15:16-24]]Mark 15:16-24The Soldiers Mock Jesus16?The soldiers took Jesus into the courtyard of the governor's headquarters (called the Praetorium) and called out the entire regiment. 17?They dressed him in a purple robe, and they wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head. 18?Then they saluted him and taunted, "Hail! King of the Jews!" 19?And they struck him on the head with a reed stick, spit on him, and dropped to their knees in mock worship. 20?When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified. The Crucifixion21?A passerby named Simon, who was from Cyrene,?? was coming in from the countryside just then, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus' cross. (Simon was the father of Alexander and Rufus.) 22?And they brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which means "Place of the Skull"). 23?They offered him wine drugged with myrrh, but he refused it.24?Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They divided his clothes and threw dice?? to decide who would get each piece.SEE?(head)The soldiers take Jesus and, after calling out the entire regiment, dress him in a robe and a crown of thorns. Then they ridicule and beat him. Finally, when they grow tired of their sadistic sport, they dress Jesus in his own clothes again and lead him away to be crucified. Along the way, a man named Simon is forced to carry Jesus' cross to the execution site. Once there, Jesus is nailed to the cross, and soldiers gamble for his clothing.A purple robe ... a crown ... saluted him ... a reed stick ... mock worship (Mark 15:17-19)Taking advantage of their superior numbers and his weakened condition, the soldiers subjected Jesus to both verbal and physical abuse. (While "[a] Roman 'cohort' [NASB; Greek?speiran] was a tenth of a legion, about 500-600 soldiers,"?"in this case it may have been an auxiliary battalion of 200-300 soldiers that had accompanied Pilate to Jerusalem from Caesarea.") The soldiers' "mockery mimics aspects of the Roman triumph, whereby Caesar is hailed as memperor and receives homage. The purple cloak ["probably a discarded and faded soldier's mantle of a 'purple' hue"], the crown of thorns (resembling the crown of ivy), the reed, with which Jesus is struck on the head, and the bowing in mock homage are all components of the apparel worn and homage received by the Roman emperor, who at the triumph wore a purple robe and laurel wreath and held a scepter." (Some see in the crown of thorns a symbol of "God's curse on humanity (cf.?Genesis 3:18) being placed on Jesus"?- thus delivering nature, including humanity, from God's curse.) "All of this had been prophesied. Isaiah had written, 'I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting' (Isaiah 50:6)." Little did the soldiers realize that the one they were mocking was far superior to Caesar, for whom any Roman soldier would have laid down his life. Not only did Jesus endure punishment from them, he also endured death for them. "Now they would lead Him outside the city and nail him to a cross, and the Servant would die for the sins of the very people who were crucifying Him."Crucified (Mark 15:20)Following his humiliating abuse at the hands of the Roman soldiers, Jesus was "led ... away to be crucified" (v. 20). "In being led out to be crucified, condemned prisoners would carry the crossbeam of their own cross, which weighed about one hundred pounds. It was carried across the shoulders. Carrying the crossbeam was intended to break the prisoner's will to live. It said to the prisoner, 'You are already dead.' Like flogging, it caused the prisoner to die more quickly. The heavy crossbeam was placed on Jesus' already bleeding shoulders (John 19:17), and he began the long walk out of Jerusalem." ?Without a doubt, "[d]eath by crucifixion was one of the cruelest forms of capital punishment ever devised." Originating as an upright wooden stake, with time the cross (Greek?stauros) evolved into a vertical pole with a horizontal beam attached. Although several ancient nations employed crucifixion, it was the Romans who turned it into a macabre art form of public humiliation, torture, and death. It was reserved for the lowest and worst criminals, and "Roman citizens could be punished in this way only for the crime of high treason." "The victim was forced to carry his cross along the longest possible route to the crucifixion site as a warning to bystanders. There were several shapes for crosses and several different methods of crucifixion. Jesus was nailed to the cross; condemned men were sometimes tied to their cross with ropes. In either case, death came by suffocation as the person lost strength and the weight of the body made breathing more and more difficult." (See?Cross?in Mark 8.) The practice was done away with by Emperor Constantine (ruled A.D. 306-337). ?Simon (Mark 15:21).Customarily a condemned man carried the patibulum of his own cross, that is, the crossbeam weighing about 100 pounds, through the city streets out to the place of crucifixion."?(It is debatable as to whether it was the crossbeam or the entire cross that Jesus carried.?) Although Jesus started out carrying his cross (see?John 19:17), he was too "weak from trauma and loss of blood" to continue doing so. And so Simon of Cyrene, who doubtless had traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, was pressed into service by the Romans and made to carry Jesus' crossbeam along the narrow, winding streets and then outside the city to Golgotha. The soldiers would have taken "not the shortest but the longest way to the place of execution," following "every possible street and lane so that as many as possible should see and take warning." ("The condemned were generally led through the most populous streets, and the place of execution would be near a highway, where many people would congregate.") Merely touching the cross - a bloodied instrument of death - would have rendered Simon ceremonially unclean and thus "unable to participate in the important religious festival for which he came 'in from the country.'" There is good reason to believe that eventually Simon came to realize the true and full significance of the cross which he had helped to carry, as he and his family became devoted Christians (see?Acts 19:33;?Romans 16:13).?Wine ... soldiers (Mark 15:23, 24)After being nailed to the cross, Jesus was offered the customary drugged wine. He refused it, choosing instead to remain fully conscious for what lay ahead. Meanwhile, the soldiers there gambled for his last remaining earthly possession: his clothes. "The division of the crucifixion victim's property, including his clothing, was apparently customary." HEAR?(heart)Return the Cross to GolgothaI simply argue that the cross be raised again at the center of the market place as well as on the steeple of the church, I am recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles:But on a cross between two thieves; on a town garbage heap; at a crossroad of politics so cosmopolitan that they had to write His title in Hebrew and in Latin and in Greek ...And at the kind of place where cynics talk smut, and thieves curse and soldiers gamble.Because that is where He died, and that is what He died about. And that is where Christ's men ought to be, and what church people ought to be about. - George MacLeod DO?(hands)????How can the courage with which Christ faced the cross help us in our efforts at living out the Gospel before an always-watching world? [[@Bible:Mark 15:25-32]]Mark 15:25-32(The Crucifixion)25?It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26?A sign was fastened to the cross, announcing the charge against him. It read, "The King of the Jews." 27?Two revolutionaries?? were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.?? 29?The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. "Ha! Look at you now!" they yelled at him. "You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. 30?Well then, save yourself and come down from the cross!"31?The leading priests and teachers of religious law also mocked Jesus. "He saved others," they scoffed, "but he can't save himself! 32?Let this Messiah, this King of Israel, come down from the cross so we can see it and believe him!" Even the men who were crucified with Jesus ridiculed him.SEE?(head)It is 9:00 in the morning and Jesus is hanging on the cross. On either side of him are two criminals who have been crucified for their crimes against the state. Passersby stop long enough to mock Jesus, daring him to save himself by coming down from the cross. The religious leaders mock Jesus, declaring that they will believe in him if he comes down from the cross. And "even the men who were crucified with Jesus ridiculed him."A sign ... King of the Jews (Mark 15:26)"A?written notice or sign stating the condemned man's crime was placed on his cross as a warning. Pilate wrote this notice in three languages (Aramaic, Latin, and Greek, see?John 19:20) so that anyone going to and from the city would be able to read it. Because Jesus was never found guilty, the only accusation placed on his sign was the 'crime' of calling himself king of the Jews." Most likely Pilate intended that the official charge against Jesus - "The King of the Jews" - serve "as an insult to Jewish aspirations for independence (cf.?John 19:21-22)."?As one Bible commentator has it: "Why did the governor word it thus? ... Although we cannot be sure, perhaps the true answer is as follows: Pilate hated the Jews, especially their leaders. He was keenly aware that just now they had won a victory over him; for, as he probably saw it, they had forced him to sentence Jesus to be crucified. So, now he is mocking them. By means of the superscription he is saying, 'Here is Jesus, the King of the Jews, the only king they have been able to produce, a king crucified at their own urgent request!'" We know, of course, that the "charge" was/is true: "Jesus, who turns the world's wisdom upside down, was just coming into his kingdom. His death and resurrection would strike the deathblow to Satan's rule and would establish Christ's eternal authority over the earth. Few people reading the sign that bleak day understood its real meaning, but the sign was absolutely true. All was not lost." (We also know that Christ's kingdom encompasses the entire world - Jews and Gentiles alike.)Two revolutionaries (Mark 15:27)"When James and John had asked Jesus for the places of honor next to him in his kingdom, Jesus had told them that they didn't know what they were asking?(10:35-39). Here, as Jesus was preparing to inaugurate his kingdom through his death, the places on his right and on his left were taken by dying men - robbers. ... Luke records that one of these robbers repented before his death, and Jesus promised this robber that he would be with him in paradise (Luke 23:39-43). ... The way to the kingdom is the way of the cross. If we want the glory of the kingdom, we must be willing to be united with the crucified Christ." ?The two men crucified with Jesus were extremely violent criminals. The same Greek word (lestes) is used for both Barabbas and the two "robbers" crucified with Christ (cf.?John 18:40?and?Matthew 27:38;?Mark 15:27), which leads to the conclusion that "these two men were probably colleagues of Barabbas and were originally meant to be executed with him that day." The Jewish historian "Josephus uses the term for the Zealots ... For many Jews the Zealots [were] patriots rather than bandits, even though they often [took] what they need[ed] from their own people." (The Zealots were "a Jewish political group that sought to throw off the yoke of Rome by violence.") This association of lestes with the Zealots, as well as Mark's comment regarding "the insurrection"/"an uprising" (NASB/NLT) (Mark 15:7) leads to the possibility that Barabbas and the two "robbers"/"revolutionaries" (NASB/NLT) (Mark 15:27) were members of the Zealots. It also explains why one source says "[t]he lestes, as in the case of the penitent one on a cross near Jesus, may have been a person who turned insurgent for some presumed righteous cause, thus seeking by the wrath of man to work out what he presumes to be God's righteousness." ?We should be very careful to bear in mind, however, that in general this particular class of criminal possessed anything but noble motives. Drawn "primarily from among runaway slaves, bankrupt peasants, and military deserters," they lived in caves, banded together in armed groups, routinely (and violently) robbed travelers, and stole sheep. Hence after clearing out the court of the Gentiles in the temple, Jesus declared that God's house had been made into "a robbers' [lestes] den" (Mark 11:17,?NASB). To the mob that had come to arrest him at Gethsemane, Jesus complained that they were treating him like "a robber [lestes]" (Mark 14:48,?NASB). And in crucifying Jesus between the two robbers, Pilate's intended message may have been that Jesus was "a king of bandits." ?Shouted abuse (Mark 15:29)The insults of the passersby reflect their "glee, scorn, and sense of victory." ("Woe to us!" would have been a much more appropriate response.) They accused Jesus of uttering a false claim regarding destroying and rebuilding the temple in three days, and they dared him to save himself by coming down from the cross. In fact, Jesus had predicted that he would lay down his life (the temple of his body) and raise it up again three days later (see John 2:18-22). Thus while they had misinterpreted him, the mockers were nonetheless testifying to the fact Jesus had prophetically predicted his own resurrection. While the passersby implied that it was weakness that kept Jesus on the cross, in truth "it was strength, the strength of his love for sinners." ?One Bible commentator explains, and applies, the amazing love that kept Jesus on the cross:Jesus could have saved himself, but he endured this suffering because of his love for us. He could have chosen not to take the pain and humiliation; he could have killed those who mocked him. But he suffered through it all because he loved even his enemies. We had a significant part in the drama that afternoon because our sins were on the cross, too. Jesus died on that cross for us, and the penalty for our sins was paid by his death. The only adequate response we can make is to confess our sin and freely accept the fact that Jesus paid for it so we wouldn't have to. Don't insult God with indifference toward the greatest act of genuine love in history. The leading priests and teachers of religious law (Mark 15:31).Apparently the chief priests and scribes had followed the executioners out to Golgotha, eager to see their evil plot finally completed in Jesus' death. Not content to have brought him to an unjust death, they also mocked him as they talked among themselves." The religious leaders added insult to injury by speaking about Jesus rather than to him:[N]ot once in the narrative of Christ's crucifixion - whether in Matthew, Mark, or Luke - do the leaders address Jesus directly. Each time they talk about him, to each other. They never talk to him. So thoroughly do they hate him. Matthew and Mark relate that these Sanhedrists, in their conversation with each other about their enemy mocked him. And so they did indeed! Luke uses a different word, however. He shows that this mockery was of the worst possible kind. Their ridicule was mingled with hatred and envy. Says Luke, "They turned up their noses at him," that is, they sneered, they scoffed (Luke 23:35).The religious leaders also testified to Jesus' mission to save the lost - even as they adamantly ignored the mountain of evidence that he was/is indeed the Son of God and Messiah. For the religious leaders "[t]he issue ... was not lack of evidence but unbelief."?As one Bible commentator has put it:When to the words "Let the Christ, the king of Israel, now come down from the cross" the chief priests and scribes add these others: "that we may see and believe," they are uttering a gross untruth. If healing all kinds of diseases, restoring sight to those born blind, cleansing lepers, and even raising the dead, if these works of power and grace, all of them performed in fulfilment of prophecy!, did not cause them to believe in Jesus, but rather hardened their hearts so that they hated him for it, would a descent from the cross have caused them to accept him as their Lord and Savior? Of course not! We are reminded of the words found in the parable of The Rich Man and Lazarus: "If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead" (Luke 16:31). In the minds of the religious leaders Jesus could not be the true Messiah since he was dying a weak, powerless, disgraceful death of a common criminal. What's more, his inability to save himself from the cross meant that he had no real saving power and hence all his previous mighty miracles amounted to little more than an elaborate con job. ?We know, of course, that while Jesus certainly could have chosen to come down from the cross, to do so would have been to abort his earthly mission of dying for the sins of the world. As one source has it: "If Jesus were going to save humanity from sin, then he could not save himself from the penalty sin deserved." His love for God and humanity kept Jesus on the cross, and his death was (and is) the greatest proof of God's incredible love for humankind.?HEAR?(heart)Criticism AnsweredWhile contending with the manifold problems of geography and climate in the building of the Panama Canal, [Col. George Washington Goethals] had to endure the carping criticism of countless busybodies back home who freely predicted he would never complete his task. But he pressed steadily forward in his work and said nothing."Aren't you going to answer your critics?" a subordinate inquired."In time," Goethals replied."How?"The great engineer smiled, "With the canal," he said.Jesus answered his critics not with words but with his life. He gave his life so that others could live. Anyone willing to investigate rather than insult, to research rather than ridicule, will find that the crucified Christ remains the one and only way to eternal life.DO?(hands)????What can Jesus' example teach us about the proper way to respond the next time we are criticized for our Christian beliefs? [[@Bible:Mark 15:33-41]]Mark 15:33-41The Death of Jesus33?At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o'clock. 34?Then at three o'clock Jesus called out with a loud voice,?"Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?"?which means?"My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?"??35?Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. 36?One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. "Wait!" he said. "Let's see whether Elijah comes to take him down!"37?Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. 38?And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.39?When the Roman officer?? who stood facing him?? saw how he had died, he exclaimed, "This man truly was the Son of God!"40?Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph??), and Salome. 41?They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come with him to Jerusalem were also there.SEE?(head)Three hours after Jesus is nailed to the cross, a thick darkness covers the entire area. Then Jesus cries out to God, quoting from?Psalm 22:1. Some of the bystanders misunderstand him and think he is calling for Elijah to come and rescue him. Jesus dies. The curtain in the temple is torn in two. The Roman soldier in charge of the execution proclaims that Jesus truly was the Son of God. Several women disciples of Jesus witness the scene from a distance.We may wish to note some of the parallels between Jesus' crucifixion and the Passover.Less than 24 hours earlier, Jesus had celebrated the Passover dinner with his disciples. At that time Jesus revealed that his death would open the way to a new covenant - that is, a permanent, personal relationship in which God's people would experience forgiveness and deliverance.The annual Passover lamb was being sacrificed at the same time that Jesus, the perfect and spotless Lamb of God, was offering up his life for the sins of the world.?The first Passover, in Egypt, was preceded by the ninth plague, darkness, and then the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn (Exodus 10:22-11:9). Jesus' death was preceded by darkness and resulted in the death of God's firstborn.The first Passover was followed by the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai, an event marked by an earthquake (Exodus 19:16-18). According to Matthew's account, Jesus' death was followed by an earthquake (Matthew 27:51).?"Climactically Mark recorded five phenomena that accompanied Jesus' death: (a) darkness (Mark 15:33), (b) Jesus' cry, 'My God…' (Mark 15:34), (c) Jesus' loud cry (Mark 15:37), (d) the temple curtain torn from top to bottom (Mark 15:38), and (e) the Roman centurion's confession (Mark 15:39)."Darkness (Mark 15:33)The darkness that covered "Palestine and environs" - most likely "a miraculous solar eclipse" - "was probably a cosmic sign of God's judgment on human sin (cf.?Isaiah 5:25-30;?Amos 8:9-10;?Micah 3:5-7; Zephaniah 1:14-15) which was placed on Jesus (cf.?Isaiah 53:5-6;?2 Corinthians 5:21). Specifically it pictured God's judgment on Israel who rejected His Messiah, the Sin-Bearer (cf.?John 1:29). The darkness visualized what Jesus' cry (Mark 15:34) expressed." The darkness can also be understood as a period of mourning: "The darkness on that Friday afternoon was both physical and spiritual. All nature seemed to mourn over the stark tragedy of the death of God's Son." ?One Bible commentator has noted how darkness is a key concept in Scripture (verses from?NET):Darkness represents the power of God's presence. "The people kept their distance, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was." (Exodus 20:21).Darkness stands for God's judgment. "So Moses extended his hand toward heaven, and there was absolute darkness throughout the land of Egypt for three days" (Exodus 10:22).Darkness is controlled by God. "I am the one who forms light and creates darkness" (Isaiah 45:7).Darkness represents people's sinful rebellion against God. "The way of the wicked is like gloomy darkness" (Proverbs 4:19; see also?John 3:19;?Romans 1:21;?Ephesians 5:8).Darkness represents people's ignorance of God. "the people who sit in darkness have seen a great light" (Matthew 4:16; see also?John 1:5;?Ephesians 4:18).Darkness represents people's condition without hope in God. "My God illuminates the darkness around me." (Psalm 18:28; see also?1 Peter 2:9). Abandoned (Mark 15:34)Shortly before his death, Jesus cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34,?NASB). Both this and other scenes from the crucifixion - including the mocking of the passersby, the guards' gambling for his clothing, and his cry of thirst - were a fulfillment of Psalm 22. "Some have felt that Jesus' cry of dereliction shows his utter agony in tasting for us the very essence of hell, which is separation from God." Up to this point, Jesus had experienced everything common to our humanity except for one thing - the consequence of sin. "Now if there is one thing sin does, it separates us from God. It puts between us and God a barrier like an unscalable wall. That was the one human experience through which Jesus had never passed, because he was without sin." As "God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin" (2 Corinthians 5:21), for the first time ever Jesus was separated from his Heavenly Father. It was this separation that led to his outcry. However, "Jesus has not lost his faith in God, as the two-fold address, 'My God, my God,' implies, but he feels utterly abandoned." ("This is the only one of Jesus' recorded prayers in which He did not use the address 'Abba.'")"Commentators sometimes combine the forsaking with the death, yet the two are quite distinct. The forsaking had passed when the death set in. When Jesus died he placed his soul into the hands of his Father and was thus certainly not forsaken. But while they are distinct, the forsaking and the death occurred side by side. The death was the penalty for the sins of the world, and thus there had to come this forsaking of the dying Savior in connection with it. When this had been endured, Jesus could cry, 'It is finished!' and then yield his soul into his Father's hands as a ransom for many." ?A comparison with the other gospel records shows that Jesus made a total of seven statements while on the cross: ?"Jesus said,?'Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing.'??And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice." (Luke 23:34)"And Jesus replied,?'I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.'" (Luke 23:43)"When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her,?"Dear woman, here is your son."?And he said to this disciple,?'Here is your mother.'?And from then on this disciple took her into his home." (John 19:26-27)"Then at three o'clock Jesus called out with a loud voice,?'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?'?which means?'My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?'" (Mark 15:34)"Jesus knew that his mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture he said, 'I am thirsty.'" (John 19:28)"When Jesus had tasted it, he said,?'It is finished!'?Then he bowed his head and released his spirit." (John 19:30)"Then Jesus shouted,?'Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!'?And with those words he breathed his last." (Luke 23:46)Elijah (Mark 15:35-36)It is a debated point whether or not the remark regarding Elijah was intended as a further mockery of Jesus. "Popular Jewish belief held that Elijah came in times of distress to deliver righteous sufferers.?And of course it was "a Jewish belief that Elijah would introduce the Messiah and live beside him for a while as his assistant." "At their annual Passover feast, each family would set an extra place for Elijah in expectation of his return." ?Loud cry (Mark 15:37)"Jesus' loud cry (Luke 23:46) before He breathed His last indicated that He did not die the ordinary death of one who was crucified (cf.?Mark 15:39). Normally such a person suffered extreme exhaustion for a long period (often two or three days) and then lapsed into a coma before dying. But Jesus was fully conscious to the end; His death came voluntarily and suddenly. This accounts for Pilate's surprise (cf.?Mark 15:44)."The curtain (Mark 15:38)Immediately following Jesus' death, inside the temple in Jerusalem, as the priests "were conducting the Jewish evening sacrifice,"?the large, thick curtain separating the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was ripped in two from top to bottom. The curtain was ripped from the top, indicating that God himself had torn it in two. "God's rending the veil meant that he was now available apart from the temple system and that the old temple order stood judged and abolished." It is also possible to see in the tearing of the temple's curtain the declaration that Jesus' ministry had ended: "Just as the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus at his baptism tore the heavens (cf.?Mark 1:10), so now the loud exhalation of Jesus' spirit has torn the veil?of the temple." ?The Roman officer (Mark 15:39)"The Roman officer" in charge of Jesus' crucifixion was a centurion - that is, "a noncommissioned officer in the Roman army or one of the auxiliary territorial armies, commanding a centuria of (nominally) 100 men. The responsibilities of centurions were broadly similar to modern junior officers, but there was a wide gap in social status between them and officers, and relatively few were promoted beyond the rank of senior centurion." It is more than coincidental that, following Jesus' death, a pagan Gentile is the first person to openly confess Jesus as the Son of God. This was a very serious thing indeed, as "the Roman centurio confesses of Jesus what he should only confess of the Roman emperor." As another source explains: "Because of his pagan background [the centurion] probably viewed Jesus as an extraordinary 'divine man' much like the Roman emperor who was acclaimed 'son of God.' Consequently some interpreters translate the phrase with an indefinite article, 'a son of God' (NIV marg.). However, Mark regarded the declaration in its distinctive Christian sense; the centurion unwittingly said more than he knew." (A similar example might be when the rich young man called Jesus a "good" teacher.) And so "Mark used this centurion's words to highlight the central truth of all his Gospel." Some women (Mark 15:40)The women had been bold disciples of Jesus, risking public scandal in order to travel with and minister to him. They had watched closely and listened intently as Jesus preached the Gospel and healed the multitudes. Now they could do little but look on from a distance as their Master died an ignoble death at the hands of his enemies. (It may well be that Mark notes the women's faithfulness as a way to encourage "faithful discipleship among women in the church at Rome.")While "many" women were there, Mark notes three in particular. As one source explains:Mark, like Matthew, names three of these women. As Peter was the leader among the Twelve, the men, so "Mary the Magdalene" was the foremost among the women. The Mary who was the mother of James and Joses was the wife of Cleopas and a sister of the mother of Jesus. These two women were with Jesus' mother and John beneath the cross. Mary's son James is distinguished from others of this name by being called "the little." The third woman is Salome, who is by Matthew called the mother of the sons of Zebedee (James and John), whose husband it seems was dead at this time. The name is enough; it needs no addition to identify her. HEAR?(heart)Alive ForeverThe famed evangelist, Dwight L. Moody, once remarked in a sermon: "Some day you will read in the papers that D. L. Moody of East Northfield is dead. Don't you believe a word of it. At that moment I shall be more alive than now. I shall have gone up higher, that is all-out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal; a body that death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint, a body fashioned like unto His glorious body. That which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the spirit will live forever." To friends and enemies alike, it appeared that Jesus had been conquered by death. But, as we know from the rest of the story, the grave could not hold him. And just as Jesus arose from the dead to spend eternity with his Father, so we his followers shall do the same.DO?(hands)????Think of a funeral service for a non-Christian that you attended. Now think of a funeral service for a born-again believer that you attended. How were they similar? How were they different? What does that say about the hope we have in Christ? [[@Bible:Mark 15:42-47]]Mark 15:42-47The Burial of Jesus42?This all happened on Friday, the day of preparation,?? the day before the Sabbath. As evening approached, 43?Joseph of Arimathea took a risk and went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. (Joseph was an honored member of the high council, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.) 44?Pilate couldn't believe that Jesus was already dead, so he called for the Roman officer and asked if he had died yet. 45?The officer confirmed that Jesus was dead, so Pilate told Joseph he could have the body. 46?Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth. Then he took Jesus' body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance. 47?Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus' body was laid.SEE?(head)Jesus' crucifixion has taken place on Friday, the day before the Sabbath. It is now evening and the Sabbath is about to begin. Joseph, a secret follower of Jesus and a member of the Jewish high council, goes to Pilate and asks for the right to bury Jesus. Pilate calls for the Roman officer, who testifies that Jesus is actually dead. Pilate then gives Joseph permission to bury Jesus. Joseph wraps the body in a linen cloth, places it in a cave-tomb, and then rolls a rock in front of the entrance. Two of Jesus' female followers see where he has been buried.Joseph of Arimathea (Mark 15:43)Because the Sanhedrin "had condemned Jesus and because his disciples had fled, the onus falls on the members of the council to arrange for Jesus' burial. Refusal to bury Jesus would have been provocative to the Jewish public. The sooner the corpse of Jesus was out of public view, the better. The task of burial is assigned to Joseph." (While the Sanhedrin's role/responsibility in Jesus' burial makes sense, none of the gospel writers mention it specifically.) Jewish law required that a crucified person be taken down and buried prior to sunset (see?Deuteronomy 21:23), and of course the fact that the Sabbath - a day when no work was allowed - was fast approaching only added to the need for haste.?"If Jesus had died on the Sabbath when Joseph was unavailable, his body would have been taken down by the Romans. An executed man lost all dignity - it was common to simply leave the body to rot away. Remains would be thrown into a common grave. Had the Romans taken Jesus' body, no Jews could have confirmed his death, and opponents could have disputed his resurrection." ?Why did Joseph need permission to bury Jesus' body? As one source explains: "Taking down a crucifixion victim required permission; to do so before the victim was dead was a serious offense, comparable to aiding an escape from prison." Obtaining the required permission required much courage on Joseph's part. While "the Romans quite generally allowed the relatives and friends of men who had been executed to bury their bodies if they so desired," nonetheless Joseph's "interest in giving Jesus a decent burial could be interpreted as support for Jesus' cause" - which, in turn, would put him at odds with the authorities both Roman and Jewish. ("Only Mark recorded Pilate's questioning of the centurion, perhaps to show his Roman readers that Jesus' death had been verified by a Roman military officer.")While they did not apply to Jesus (because he was resurrected), nonetheless it is interesting to note Jewish burial practices in general:Jews of the NT period buried their dead promptly, as soon as possible after death and almost always on the same day. Preparations began at the moment of death: the eyes of the deceased were closed, the corpse was washed with perfumes and ointments (Acts 9:37), its bodily orifices were stopped and strips of cloth were wound tightly around the body - binding the jaw closed, the feet together and the hands to the sides of the body (John 11:44). The corpse was then placed on a bier and carried in a procession to the family tomb (Luke 7:12). Eulogies were spoken, and the corpse was placed inside the tomb, along with items of jewelry or other personal effects. The funeral was thus conducted without delay, and most bodies were interred by sunset on the day of death. But Jewish burial rituals did not conclude with this first, or primary, burial. A year after the death, members of the immediate family returned to the tomb for a private ceremony in which the bones were reburied after the body had decayed. Sheet of linen cloth ... a tomb (Mark 15:46)The apostle John's parallel account reveals that Joseph was assisted by another secret disciple, "Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night" (John 19:39). Knowing that their actions - that is, the touching of a dead body - would render them ceremonially unclean, nonetheless together they wrapped Jesus' body in a linen cloth which, according to custom, would have included about one-hundred pounds "of a gummy, sticky resinous mixture of myrrh and aloes" (see?John 19:40) used both to help slow decay and to mask the odor associated with a decaying body.?Joseph and Nicodemus laid Jesus' body inside a cave-tomb. Typically the stone used to cover the opening of such a tomb was no more "than three or four feet in diameter, since tomb openings were not usually as tall as doorways. In fact,?John 20:5?plainly says that one had to stoop down to peer in." The stone covering the entrance "fit into a sunken groove," making it "difficult to remove." Jewish burial customs dictated that family members be buried in the same tomb. The body of the deceased would be allowed to decompose for one year, after which "the eldest son or other closest family member would return, gather the bones for burial in a box and deposit them in a slot on the tomb wall."?Mary ... Mary (Mark 15:47)Mark notes that two Mary's "saw where Jesus' body was laid." "[S]imply to say that these two women 'saw' where Jesus was laid fails to bring out the full picturesque description. They were watching, were observing ... carefully, intently, devoutly." Their careful observation anticipates their return on Sunday morning: because they saw where Jesus was buried, they knew exactly where to go. At a time and place where women were not allowed to testify in court, God nonetheless chose two women to be witnesses to the most significant event in history: the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For their part, the women were doing all they could do. While they could not testify before the high council, or appeal to Pilate, or overpower the Roman guards, they did stay at the cross, follow Jesus' body to the tomb, and prepare spices for his body. As a reward for their devotion and diligence, they were the first witnesses to the resurrection.?THE DEATH OF JESUS: A PARALLEL ACCOUNTBetrayal & ArrestJesus betrayed, arrested, and forsaken?(Matthew 26:47–56;?Mark 14:43–52;?Luke 22:47–53;?John 18:2–12)TrialFirst Jewish phase, before Anna?(John 18:13–24)Second Jewish phase, before?Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin?(Matthew 26:57–68;?Mark 14:53–65; Luke 22:54)Peter's denials?(Matthew 26:69–75;?Mark 14:66–72;?Luke 22:55–65;?John 18:25–27)Third Jewish phase, before the Sanhedrin?(Matthew 27:1;?Mark 15:1a;?Luke 22:66–71)Remorse and suicide of Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:18–19)?(Matthew 27:3–10)First Roman phase, before Pilate?(Matthew 27:2, 11–14;?Mark 15:1b–5;?Luke 23:1–5;?John 18:28–38)Second Roman phase, before Herod Antipas?(Luke 23:6–12)Third Roman phase, before Pilate?(Matthew 27:15–26;?Mark 15:6–15;?Luke 23:13–25;?John 18:39–19:16)CrucifixionMockery by the Roman soldiers?(Matthew 27:27–30;?Mark 15:16–19)Journey to Golgotha?(Matthew 27:31–34;?Mark 15:20–23;?Luke 23:26–33a; John 19:17)First 3 hours of crucifixion?(Matthew 27:35–44;?Mark 15:24–32;?Luke 23:33b–43;?John 19:18–27)Last 3 hours of crucifixion?(Matthew 27:45–50;?Mark 15:33–37;?Luke 23:44–45a,?46;?John 19:28–30)Witnesses of Jesus' death?(Matthew 27:51–56;?Mark 15:38–41;?Luke 23:45b,?47–49)BurialCertification of death and procurement of the body?(Matthew 27:57–58;?Mark 15:42–45;?Luke 23:50–52;?John 19:31–38)Jesus' body placed in a tomb?(Matthew 27:59–60;?Mark 15:46;?Luke 23:53–54;?John 19:39–42)Tomb watched by the women and guarded by the soldiers?(Matthew 27:61–66;?Mark 15:47;?Luke 23:55–56)HEAR?(heart)Only Three Showed UpLate one evening in mid-September of 1898 a traveling Christian businessman named John Nicholson checked into a hotel in Boscobel, Wisconsin. Because there were no vacancies, he wound up sharing a room with a fellow believer named Samuel Hill.When he was only a boy John had promised his dying mother that he would read from the Bible every evening at bedtime. As he began reading to himself, Sam asked him to read aloud. And so he John read John 15, and then the two men knelt for prayer. After that, they stayed awake until 2:00 in the morning discussing the spiritual needs of traveling Christians.After running into each other again some eight months later, John and Sam decided to start an association of Christian salesmen, and their first meeting would be on July 1, 1899. Their first meeting consisted of a grand total of three people: John, Sam, and a fellow named Will Knights. Despite the embarrassingly low turnout, the men proceeded with their plans to launch an "organization to mobilize Christian commercial travelers for encouragement, evangelism, and service." After mulling it over, they decided to name their organization the Gideons."The Gideons have since distributed over seven hundred fifty million copies of Scripture in over one hundred seventy nations." Jesus' powerful life and ministry ended with two disappointed men seeking to be true to their faith by giving Jesus a decent burial. But because he did not remain in the grave, today there are millions of people around the world who know the love, joy, and peace that comes only through following Jesus. Faithfulness to a mundane task on the part of two seemingly insignificant men helped to make this a reality.DO?(hands)????How can our faithfulness to ordinary, everyday tasks bring glory to God and help to further his kingdom on this earth? Mark 16[[@Bible:Mark 16:1-8]]Mark 16:1-8The Resurrection1 Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus' body. 2?Very early on Sunday morning,?? just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3?On the way they were asking each other, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" 4?But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.5?When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, 6?but the angel said, "Don't be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth,?? who was crucified. He isn't here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. 7?Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died."8?The women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened.??[Shorter Ending of Mark]Then they briefly reported all this to Peter and his companions. Afterward Jesus himself sent them out from east to west with the sacred and unfailing message of salvation that gives eternal life. Amen.SEE?(head)Following the end of the Sabbath on Saturday evening, the three female followers of Jesus who had witnessed both his crucifixion and his burial purchase "burial spices" to place on his dead body. At first light the next morning they go to Jesus' tomb - only to find that the tomb is now empty. They go in to investigate and are greeted by an angelic messenger who tells them that Jesus is now alive and that he will meet his disciples in Galilee. Completely stunned, the women run from the tomb, not saying anything to anyone as they make their way back to the disciples to report what has happened. The end result is that Jesus himself sends his disciples out to spread "the sacred and unfailing message of salvation that gives eternal life."Mary ... Mary ... Salome ... burial spices (Mark 16:1)We should begin by noting the fact that none of the gospel writers record precisely the same thing regarding post-resurrection events. This should come as no surprise, as it is in keeping with each writer's primary audience, overall purpose, etc. As one Bible commentator puts it, the individual writers "were free (within veritable limits) to summarize, particularize, and emphasize different aspects of the same event. The various recorded differences reflect the natural effect of this unique event on different eyewitnesses."The Sabbath ended at 6:00 PM on Saturday. That's when "the three women mentioned at the Crucifixion (15:40), two of whom were also present at Jesus' burial (15:47), bought aromatic oils to anoint the body of Jesus. These were apparently in addition to the spices and perfumes that were prepared before the Sabbath began (cf. Luke 23:56). The anointing was not for the purpose of preserving the body (embalming was not practiced by the Jews) but was a single act of love and devotion probably meant to reduce the stench of the decomposing body."?"The spices [Greek?aroma: "aromatic oils or salves used especially in embalming the dead"] were bought on Saturday after sunset, when the Sabbath was past and the bazars opened for a few hours. It was impossible to go out to the tomb so late, so everything was prepared in order to go as early as possible the next morning. ... To anoint the body for its burial in this way was part of the honor bestowed upon it by loving friends like all the other provisions for the burial. The essences bought for this purpose were quite costly as were the fine linen and the powdered spices." ?The biggest concern of the women as they made their way to Jesus' tomb was the stone that had been placed in front of the entrance. Who would move it? (The wheel-shaped stones used to seal tombs were "typically four to five feet in diameter and a foot or so thick, weighing hundreds of pounds.") "They perhaps blame themselves for not having thought of the stone before and thus having insisted that some of the men come with them." They were not aware of the Roman guard assigned to guard the tomb (which must have been posted after the women had hurried off to prepare for the Sabbath on Friday evening). The women's actions not only demonstrated their love for and devotion to Jesus, but they are also of significant apologetic value. The fact that the women had every intention of preparing Jesus' dead body offers strong proof that even Jesus' closest followers did not expect him to rise from the dead. If they had, the women would not have bothered with the burial spices or been worried about moving the stone. As has often been noted, the stone was rolled away not to let Jesus out, but to let his followers in. ?A young man (Mark 16:5)The "young man" who greeted them was an angel. The women would not automatically have known this, however,, as angels consistently took on human form when appearing before people, and white was a color worn by "the priests in the temple and some others," One source notes how "[t]he white robe pictured [the young man's] heavenly origin and splendor (cf. Mark 9:3)."?It is possible to see here a contrast between "the radiant, faithful, and angelic witness" of the young man at the tomb and the failure of the young man "clothed only in a linen nightshirt" (Mark 14:51) who fled in fear when the mob came to arrest Jesus on the eve of his crucifixion. ("Luke [Luke 24:3-4] and John [John 20:12] mentioned the presence of two angels, the number necessary for a valid witness [cf. Deuteronomy 17:6]; but Matthew [Matthew 28:5] and Mark referred to only one, presumably the spokesman.")By definition, an angel is "a member of an order of heavenly beings who are superior to human beings in power and intelligence. By nature angels are spiritual beings (Hebrews 1:14). Their nature is superior to human nature (Hebrews. 2:7), and they have superhuman power and knowledge (2 Samuel 14:17, 20; 2 Peter 2:11). They are not, however, all-powerful and all-knowing (Psalms 103:20; 2 Thessalonians 1:7). ... Angels are never known to appear to wicked people - only to those whom the Bible views as good, such as Abraham, Moses, David, Daniel, Jesus, Peter, and Paul." Angels exist for at least three reasons: 1) to worship and glorify God, 2) to minister to human beings, and 3) to serve as mediators of God's revelation.?Shocked (Mark 16:5)Mark recorded that in response to the presence of the "young man" the women were "shocked" (NLT) or "alarmed" (ESV,?NKJV), meaning "they were utterly amazed and struck with terror" (AMP). "This compound verb of strong emotion (used only by Mark in the NT), expresses overwhelming distress at what is highly unusual (cf. Mark 6:8)."?"Their feeling is easier to imagine than to put into words. Where they had expected to find the dead body, hoping that it had not yet advanced too far in decomposing, they stumble upon angels from heaven. No wonder they were completely overwhelmed." ?He is risen from the dead (Mark 16:6)No human being witnessed Jesus' resurrection. "But angels, as witnesses of God's actions, could report what happened." "What happened to Jesus' body?" would be the first and most natural question that occurred to the women and, later, to other disciples, as well. "There had to be a word from God to interpret the meaning of the empty tomb, and the angel was God's gracious provision. The explanation is Resurrection!" (See the?Key Terms?section for more detail regarding Jesus' resurrection.)Why did God choose the women to announce Jesus' resurrection? "It is asked why the Eleven were informed in this way, through the women; why angels did not appear to them, or perhaps Jesus himself. ... The women alone went to the tomb on Sunday morning, the women, none of the men, not even John. Thus they were honored by being made the messengers to the men. If the Eleven had also gone out, the story would have been different. The love of these women receives its fitting reward."?What makes the resurrection of Jesus so important?The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the central fact of Christian history. On it, the church is built; without it, there would be no Christian church today. Jesus' resurrection is unique. Other religions have strong ethical systems, concepts about paradise and afterlife, and various holy scriptures. Only Christianity has a God who became human, literally died for his people, and was raised again in power and glory to rule his church forever. Why is the Resurrection so important?Because Christ was raised from the dead, we know that the kingdom of heaven has broken into earth's history. Our world is now headed for redemption, not disaster. God's mighty power is at work destroying sin, creating new lives, and preparing us for Jesus' second coming.Because of the Resurrection, we know that death has been conquered and that we, too, will be raised from the dead to live forever with Christ.The Resurrection gives authority to the church's witness in the world. Look at the early evangelistic sermons in the book of Acts: The apostles' most important message was the proclamation that Jesus Christ had been raised from the dead!The Resurrection gives meaning to the church's regular feast, the Lord's Supper. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we break bread with our risen Lord.The Resurrection helps us find meaning even in great tragedy. No matter what happens to us as we walk with the Lord, the Resurrection gives us hope for the future.The Resurrection assures us that Christ is alive and ruling his kingdom. He is not legend; he is alive and real.God's power that brought Jesus back from the dead is available to us so that we can live for him in an evil world.The power of God that brought Christ's body back from the dead is available to us to bring our morally and spiritually dead selves back to life so that we can change and grow (1 Corinthians 15:12-19).Christians can look very different from one another, and they can hold widely varying beliefs about politics, lifestyle, and even theology. But one central belief unites and inspires all true Christians - Jesus Christ rose from the dead! Including Peter (Mark 16:7)The angel commanded the women ("Now go" and "and tell" are both imperative) to go back and give Jesus' message to both the disciples and Peter. "The disciples had deserted Jesus in the hour of trial, but the angel's words held hope of renewal and forgiveness. The disciples had deserted, but they were invited to meet Jesus in Galilee - there was work to do." ?Why was Peter singled out? Was it due to his preeminence among the apostles? "If that were the intention of Mark's record and of the angel's words, the order should be reversed: 'say to Peter and to the disciples.'" Was it because Peter was no longer considered a part of the group? "We are not to infer, because the angel said, 'Tell his disciples and Peter,' that Peter was not still a disciple. The meaning is, 'Tell his disciples, and especially Peter,' sending to him a particular message. Peter was still a disciple." Jesus knew that Peter, after having so vehemently denied him, would need a special word of assurance that he was still included in Jesus' plans and that Jesus had not "disowned or deserted him." Just the opposite: "Jesus had great responsibilities for Peter to fulfill in the church that was not yet in existence." ?The women's news of Jesus' resurrection was greeted with extreme skepticism (see Mark 16:11). It was not until Jesus appeared before the group of now eleven disciples, including Thomas in a separate episode, that they believed. "Jesus' additional appearances to them in the Jerusalem vicinity were necessary to convince them of the reality of His resurrection (cf. John 20:19-29)."?The disciples' experience reaffirms some timeless truths regarding the nature of faith. As one Bible commentator puts it: "[The disciples] were told that Jesus would appear to them, but going to Galilee would take a lot of faith. Unfortunately, they lacked that faith and remained huddled in Jerusalem. Yet even there, in a locked room, Jesus came to them (see?John 20:19). Today we find Jesus not in ironclad certainties of logic, not by astronomical survey, nor by sitting still. Faith is a moment-by-moment commitment to act on what God says - acting, trusting, and expecting to find Christ when we arrive. We take a step of faith, and Jesus comes closer, another step and Jesus becomes clearer, another step and Jesus becomes dearer. Each time we seek in faith, we find. That's God's promise." ?Trembling and bewildered .. they said nothing (Mark 16:8)"The women responded to the angelic proclamation with great joy and could not wait to tell the whole world that Jesus was alive!" Although that may be what we would expect to read, the text actually says that they fled the scene, "trembling and bewildered ... too frightened to talk." Or, as the?NASB?has it, "trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid." Moreover, this appears to be the original way Mark's gospel concluded. Various other endings were added early on, the most common two of which are included in the NLT. "In tracing these texts back, scholars believe the longer ending appeared in the first half of the 2nd century." In the final analysis, "the most satisfactory explanation of all the textual evidence is that the original ended at 16:8." ?One source provides a bit more detail:Several MSS have marginal comments noting that earlier Greek MSS lacked the verses [after v. 8], while others mark the text with asterisks or obeli (symbols that scribes used to indicate that the portion of text being copied was spurious). Internal evidence strongly suggests the secondary nature of both the short and the long endings. Their vocabulary and style are decidedly non-Markan (for further details, see TCGNT 102-6). All of this evidence strongly suggests that as time went on scribes added the longer ending, either for the richness of its material or because of the abruptness of the ending at Mark 16:8. (Indeed, the strange variety of dissimilar endings attests to the probability that early copyists had a copy of Mark that ended at Mark 16:8, and they filled out the text with what seemed to be an appropriate conclusion. All of the witnesses for alternative endings to Mark 16:9-20 thus indirectly confirm the Gospel as ending at Mark 16:8.) Because of such problems regarding the authenticity of these alternative endings, Mark 16:88 is usually regarded as the last verse of the Gospel of Mark. There are three possible explanations for Mark ending [at] Mark 16:8: (1) The author intentionally ended the Gospel here in an open-ended fashion; (2) the Gospel was never finished; or (3) the last leaf of the MS was lost prior to copying. This first explanation is the most likely due to several factors ...?It should be noted that predicting and foreshadowing "events certain to come after the narrative itself had closed" was a common rhetorical device, employed by authors of books, speeches, and essays. Thus Mark was not obligated to include reports of Jesus' resurrection appearances. This is not to imply, however, that what follows Mark 16:8 is of no value, since the material is historically accurate (as verified by the other gospel accounts and the book of Acts) and reflects "the beliefs of the early church." We should also note that "they [= the women] said nothing to anyone" should not be taken in an absolute sense. What the text means is that "[t]hese women did not rush in and blurt out what they had seen and heard. ... The news was too great, filled with too much awe, to be blurted out generally. They told it to those whom the angel and the Lord had designated as soon as these could be reached." ?Assuming Mark's gospel ends here, "[t]he reader is left to ponder with awe the meaning of the empty tomb as interpreted by the angel's revelatory message."?One common explanation for Mark's choosing to end his gospel so abruptly is that he wanted his readers, who were themselves being persecuted and put to death for their Christian faith, to see the blend of faith and fear that accompanies discipleship. This same theme, in fact, can be found throughout Mark's gospel. Authentic discipleship means a total surrender of self and a total commitment to Christ. But because we are still fallen people living in a fallen world, we will repeatedly find ourselves vacillating between faith-filled obedience (= action) and fear-filled silence (= inaction). The solution to this dilemma is given time and again in Mark's Gospel: Die to self in order to live for Christ.HEAR?(heart)Not A CowardA young soldier who was showing signs of panic on the eve of his first battle was chaffed by a veteran. "Why, sonny," he said, "you're shaking with fear. Don't be such a coward.""I'm not a coward," hotly retorted the youth. "If you felt half as scared as I do, you'd run away!"He was right. That young man was not a coward because he felt fear, but he would have been a coward if he had allowed that fear to master him and thus prevent him from doing his duty. As we know from the rest of the story, the women at the empty tomb overcame their fear and reported to the disciples what they had seen and heard. As contemporary disciples of Jesus trying to take the Gospel to literally the entire world we face many formidable obstacles, any single one of which appears devastating: "human stubbornness, disease, danger, loneliness, sin, greed, and even church strife and corruption." What can a few Christians possibly hope to accomplish against so many overwhelming problems? And yet, just like the women who visited Jesus' grave that Sunday morning: we proceed from a sense of love, devotion, and gratitude; we face our fears; and we tell others the good news. ?DO?(hands)????When did you first hear/feel Jesus calling you by name? How did you respond? What was the end result? [[@Bible:Mark 16:9-14]]Mark 16:9-14[Longer Ending of Mark]9?After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10?She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened. 11?But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn't believe her.12?Afterward he appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. 13?They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them.14?Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead.??SEE?(head)Early on Sunday morning Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene. She rushes back to tell the grief-stricken disciples that Jesus is alive, but they do not believe her. Later Jesus appears to two disciples walking along the road, but their witness is also discounted by the disciples. Finally Jesus appears to the disciples themselves, rebuking them for their refusal to believe.Mary Magdalene ... they didn't believe her (Mark 16:9, 11)This account (in Mark 16:9-11) appears to be a "brief, to the point, comprehensive" summary of the events recorded in John 20:11-18.?It should come as no surprise that the disciples discounted Mary Magdalene's story. After all, at that time and place a woman's witness "was considered unreliable. ... Given this view and the fact that Judaism was not expecting an individual resurrection of the Messiah, it is not surprising that the disciples do not believe" her.?He appeared ... to two of his followers (Mark 16:12)This account (in Mark 16:12-13) appears to be a summary of the events recorded in Luke 24:13-35.? ?It was customary for people headed in the same direction to travel together so as to pass the time by conversing. And so the men at first thought little of Jesus' joining them - until he revealed his true identity. When they recognized Jesus for who he was, they immediately changed their travel plans and returned to Jerusalem to tell the disciples what had happened. The statement that "no one believed them" marks the second time the disciples disbelieved a report of the risen Jesus, apparently "regard[ing] Jesus' post-resurrection appearances as apparitions (cf. Luke 24:37)."He appeared to the eleven disciples (Mark 16:14)This account (in Mark 16:14) appears to be a summary of the events recorded in Luke 24:36-43 and John 20:19-25. Jesus rebuked the disciples for their refusal to believe - for being "hardheaded as well as hardhearted." "Jesus had foretold his own resurrection. Every time he had told them he would die, he had also told them that he would rise again. The Old Testament prophesied all that had happened to Jesus and also spoke of his resurrection. The disciples had no excuse for the stubborn refusal to believe. They should have accepted the news with joy and gone on to Galilee where Jesus had said he would meet them (14:28). Instead, they stayed in Jerusalem, and Jesus had to meet them there." Jesus' words to Mary regarding meeting the disciples in Galilee was a directive from a leader, not a request from an equal. In effect, Jesus had announced that he would be leading the way to Galilee and his disciples were to follow him there. When they refused to obey, Jesus came to them in Jerusalem - not once, but several times - to increase their faith and help them to obey. That is the textbook definition of servant leadership.In a very real sense, the disciples' skepticism actually offers further proof of Jesus' resurrection. "It may be justly asserted that people of so skeptical a turn of mind would never credit anything till they had the fullest evidence of its truth. The unbelief of the disciples is a strong proof of the truth of the gospel of God." What's more, "[b]y hearing about Jesus' resurrection (before seeing Him) they learned what it was like to believe the testimony of eyewitnesses. This would be necessary for all those to whom they would preach in their coming missionary outreach."HEAR?(heart)You Must Be Drunk!At the men's prayer breakfast Tony came under conviction for taking his wife for granted. And so on the way home he stopped off to purchase a dozen roses, a box of candy, and a pair of earrings.He stood at their front door, rang the doorbell, and his wife opened the door. As soon as she saw her husband, however, she burst into tears. Bewildered, Tony asked what was wrong.To which his wife replied: "'It's been the worst day of my life. First, Jimmy tried to flush his diaper down the toilet. Then Eric melted his plastic airplane in the oven. Then the dishwasher got clogged and overflowed all over the kitchen floor. Then Brittany came home from school with a note from the teacher saying that she beat up a boy in her class. And now you come home drunk!'" The wife doubted the sincerity of her husband. His going out of his way to be so nice to her could mean only one thing - he was intoxicated! Jesus' disciples were skeptical regarding his resurrection. They could believe he had lived and ministered among them. They could believe he had died on a cross. They had, after all, seen all this with their own eyes. But to believe that Jesus was now alive? Why, those so-called "witnesses" must have been intoxicated! In point of fact, the witnesses were intoxicated - with the same joy that overtook the disciples once they themselves met the resurrected Jesus. Need it be said? As followers of Jesus Christ, that same resurrection-joy should flow freely in and through our lives.DO?(hands)????How can this passage of Scripture (vv. 9-14) help us when we are tempted to doubt Jesus' presence? [[@Bible:Mark 16:15-20]]Mark 16:15-20([Longer Ending of Mark])15?And then he told them,?"Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.?16?Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.?17?These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages.?? 18?They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won't hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed."19?When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God's right hand. 20?And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.SEE?(head)Having appeared to his disciples, Jesus commissions them to take the Good News to all the world, with belief in him determining one's eternal destiny. Certain signs will be associated with "those who believe." Then Jesus ascends into heaven and sits down "in the place of honor at God's right hand." The disciples are obedient to Jesus' commission, and Jesus confirms the truth of their message with miraculous signs.Preach the good news to everyone (Mark 16:15)"The Gospel of Mark is a record of the gospel (or Good News) from its beginning (1:1). As the book closes, the gospel does not end, but continues in the lives of Jesus' followers. Jesus' command is to go everywhere and preach the Good News." Jesus commissioned his disciples to go forth "into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone," with baptism serving as "an outward sign of the inner faith that saves." Notice "the universality of grace which is expressed so mightily in this command of Jesus': no human being is shut out from the gospel by Jesus; absolutely all are to hear this gospel with the one divine purpose that they all are to believe ... Note that 'the whole creation' cannot mean only the generation of men then living. The expression reaches to the end of time. If it is asked how the apostles could herald the gospel that far, the answer is that they did this through the New Testament and through the voice of every man who preaches and teaches that New Testament." ?The disciples' disciple-making ministry would be centered on the Word and would include preaching, persuading, and proving. "Men become disciples, first, by hearing the Word; second, by believing the Word; and, third, by submitting to the Word. These men, then, were to make disciples by preaching the word that Christ had delivered to them, by persuading men to accept the word that they had preached, and then by exhorting those who believed to submit to the authority of the Word in their lives. The ones who became disciples were those who believed in, and committed themselves to, the Word." ?Believes ... baptized ... saved (Mark 16:16)"Baptism symbolizes submission to Christ, a willingness to live God's way, and identification with God's covenant people." Belief and baptism go together, although we must be careful to note that baptism does not save. What Jesus describes here is "the inward, efficacious reception of the gospel by faith (believing) and the outward, public expression of that faith in water baptism. Though the New Testament writers generally assume that under normal circumstances each believer will be baptized, Mark 16:16 does not mean that baptism is a necessary requirement for personal salvation."?Salvation entails both deliverance from and deliverance to: "In [the word salvation] there lie the ideas of rescue and deliverance from the mortal danger of death and judgment (destruction) and the placing into a state of blessed security (life eternal)" ... making for "one of the greatest, most distinctive, and wonderful concepts of the Scriptures." ?Condemned (Mark 16:16)While belief brings salvation, unbelief brings condemnation or, as noted above, "death and judgment (destruction)." This is something far too few people think about in today's world. Along those lines, one source notes: "Jesus made it clear that belief in him is not a matter of individual preference or personal choice; instead, belief in him is a matter of life or death, a decision with eternal consequences. In our smorgasbord culture where we pick and choose among brands and features, the tendency is to treat Christianity as a life-enhancer or an added feature rather than the source of life itself. Don't treat belief in Christ lightly." ?Miraculous signs (Mark 16:17)Mark 16:17-18 providesa summary of the miracles recorded in the book of Acts. As the disciples fulfilled their commission, and indeed as others believed and went on to spread the gospel, miraculous signs would accompany them. As with Jesus' miracles, these signs would authenticate the source of their power and draw people to belief. Driving out demons was a power already given to the disciples?(3:14-15). This power proved that the believers were not from Satan, but from God. Speaking in tongues was a spiritual gift that enabled people to speak in foreign languages. This occurred at Pentecost when the disciples "began to speak in other languages" (Acts 2:4,?NRSV). The disciples placed their hands on many sick people and healed them (Acts 3:7-8;?5:12-16). ?The new era of salvation predicted by the OT prophets was now being inaugurated. The signs that were to accompany the messianic era included those with mute tongues speaking (Isaiah 35:5-6), and God's people bearing witness for him (Isaiah 43:10). Worth noting, too, is the fact that the powers listed here in Mark are very similar to those associated with the OT prophets. Notice that "Jesus calls these miracles 'signs,' and uses the ethical term for them, which is far higher than 'wonders' or 'power works.' For a sign points beyond itself to something that is far higher, of which it is a specific indication. ... These signs were thus credentials for the apostles and their gospel message, seals that proved their message genuine and exhibited the fact that the living and risen Jesus was present with them and working through them." ?One source offers some very helpful comments regarding these miraculous signs:[Mark 16:17-18] list five kinds of signs (semeia; cf. comments on Mark 8:11) which would attend those who believe. "Signs" are supernatural events attesting the divine origin of the apostolic message (cf. Mark 16:20). The signs authenticated the faith the early believers proclaimed, not the personal faith that any one of them exercised. In light of this and historical evidence it is reasonable to conclude that these authenticating signs were normative only for the apostolic era (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:3-4).In fulfilling their commission (cf. Mark 16:15) believers would be given the ability to do miraculous things in Jesus' name (cf. comments on Mark 6:7, 13; 9:38-40). They would drive out demons, thereby demonstrating Jesus' victory over Satan's realm. The Twelve (cf. Mark 6:13) and the Seventy had already expelled demons, and this ability continued in the apostolic church (cf. Acts 8:7; 16:18; 19:15-16). They would speak in new tongues, presumably a reference to intelligible foreign languages not previously known to the speakers. This was demonstrated at Pentecost (cf. Acts 2:4-11) and later in the life of the early church (cf. Acts 10:46; 19:6; 1 Corinthians 12:10; 14:1-24).In the Greek the first two clauses in Mark 16:18 may be understood as conditional clauses with the third clause as the conclusion. An interpretive rendering would be, "And if they be compelled to pick up snakes with their hands and if they should be compelled to drink deadly poison, it shall by no means (ou mē, emphatic negative; cf. Mark 13:2) harm them." This promise of immunity by divine protection in either situation refers to occasions when persecutors would force believers to do these things. This does not warrant voluntary snake-handling or drinking of poison, practices not attested in the early church. Since Paul's encounter with a snake at Malta was unintentional (cf. Acts 28:3-5), the New Testament records no actual instance of either of the experiences described here.As a final kind of authenticating sign they would put their hands on sick people and they would get well. Healing by this means is mentioned in Acts 28:8 and the gift of healing was exercised in the early church (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:30).?The view that the miraculous sign gifts ceased with the closing of the NT canon has been held by such highly influential Church leaders as:John Chrysostom (c. 347-407). Early Church father.Augustine of Hippo (354-430). Greatest of the Latin Church fathers.Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758). Colonial Congregational minister and theologian.B. B. Warfield (1851-1921). American Presbyterian theologian and educator.Matthew Henry (1662-1714). English non-conformist minister and Bible commentator.George Whitefield (1714-1770). Revivalist and well-known evangelist of the eighteenth century.Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892). Baptist preacher.Robert L. Dabney (1820-1898). American Presbyterian clergyman.Abraham Kuyper, Sr. (1837-1920). Theologian and statesman of the Netherlands.W. G. T. Shedd (1820-1894). American systematic theologian. While the "cessationist" view in no way claims that God has stopped working miracles, it does hold that the "spiritual gifts" of miraculous healing, etc. are no longer in effect. Taken up into heaven (Mark 16:19)This section (Mark 16:19-20) appears to parallel Luke 24:50-53. Jesus' being "taken" into heaven alludes to "the fact that it was the Father who drew his Son to himself, being eager, as it were, to reward him for his accomplished mediatorial work." "The bodily form of Jesus rose visibly toward heaven and was presently enveloped in a cloud. During the forty days the disciples had often seen Jesus leave by disappearing suddenly. He had never left in this way as he was now ascending into heaven. They now knew that he would not appear to them again as he had appeared during the forty days; they had seen him in bodily form here on earth for the last time." While the idea of ascending into heaven was well-known both in the Greco-Roman world and among the Jews, the ascension of Jesus goes beyond these popular beliefs. "Both Jewish and Greek readers could relate to the idea of an ascension of a great hero to heaven, but for Jesus to sit at God's right hand goes beyond this idea - it means that Jesus reigns as God's agent (Psalm 110:1)." ?While Jesus himself has returned to heaven, the "task of proclaiming the gospel still goes on through disciples empowered by the risen Lord."?"While Jesus' work on earth was completed, the disciples' work was just beginning. This verse compacts the book of Acts. These doubting, stubborn disciples turned into powerful preachers who?went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere. God was with them - giving them peace, strength through persecutions, and confirmation of their message with miraculous signs?(16:17-18;?Hebrews 2:4)." Mark 16:9-20As mentioned previously, the available evidence indicates that vv. 9-20 were appended to Mark's Gospel. At the very least, this tells us that the early Church was not satisfied with the way the story ended. Knowing there was much more to it, they wanted future readers of Mark's gospel to know it, as well. These verses also form a commentary on the Church's self-understanding of its mission. The early Church believed that it had several God-given tasks, including preaching the Gospel, healing the sick, triumphing over life's demands and difficulties, and remembering that Christ dwells with his Church.?"Mark's Gospel emphasizes Christ's power as well as his servanthood. Jesus' life and teaching turned the world upside down. The world sees power as a way to gain control over others. But Jesus, with all authority and power in heaven and earth, chose to serve others. He held children in his arms, healed the sick, acted patiently with his hardheaded disciples, and died for the sins of the world. Following Jesus means receiving this same power to serve. As believers, we are called to be servants of Christ. As Christ served, so we are to serve." THE RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION OF CHRIST: A PARALLEL ACCOUNTThe Empty TombThe tomb visited by the women?(Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:1)The stone rolled away?(Matthew 28:2–4)The tomb found to be empty by the women?(Matthew 28:5–8; Mark 16:2–8; Luke 24:1–8; John 20:1)The tomb found the be empty by Peter and John?(Luke 24:9–11, [12]; John 20:2–10)The Post-Resurrection AppearancesAppearance to Mary Magdalene?([Mark 16:9–11]; John 20:11–18)Appearance to the other women?(Matthew 28:9–10)Report of the soldiers to the Jewish authorities?(Matthew 28:11–15)Appearance to two disciples traveling to Emmaus?([Mark 16:12–13]; Luke 24:13–32)Report of the two disciples to the rest (1 Cor. 15:5a)?(Luke 24:33–35)Appearance to the 10 assembled disciples?([Mark 16:14]; Luke 24:36–43; John 20:19–25)Appearance to the 11 assembled disciples (1 Cor. 15:5b)?(John 20:26–31)Appearance to the 7 disciples while fishing?(John 21:1–25)Appearance to the 11 in Galilee (1 Cor. 15:6)?(Matthew 28:16–20; [Mark 16:15–18])Appearance to James, His brother (1 Cor. 15:7)Appearance to the disciples in Jerusalem (Acts 1:3–8)?(Luke 24:44–49)The AscensionChrist's parting blessing and departure (Acts 1:9–12)?([Mark 16:19–20]; Luke 24:50–53HEAR?(heart)Incredible ObedienceThe story is told of how Alexander the Great and a small company of soldiers approached a strongly fortified city and demanded its surrender.The king of the city laughed and asked why he should surrender when it was obvious such a small force could do his city no harm.Then Alexander offered a demonstration. He had his men line up single file and begin marching straight toward a sheer cliff. Ten soldiers marched without hesitation to their death before Alexander ordered the others to halt.The townspeople and the king surrendered immediately, realizing that anyone with that much power was unstoppable.As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to take the Gospel to all the world. While Jesus isn't interested in conquering cities, he is very much interested in conquering hearts. As soldiers in his army, we are called to die to self - self-conceit and self-concern - in order to live for Christ. The world is watching, and how well we obey Jesus will have a profound influence on others' decision whether or not to surrender to him.DO?(hands)????How can personally realizing that Jesus rose from the dead and lives for us today provide the determination to be a true and faithful witness for him? SourcesClick on a title for complete citation info1909 New Catholic Dictionary2,000+ Bible IllustrationsAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleAlbert Barnes' Notes on the BibleThe Apologetics Study BibleBaker Encyclopedia of Christian ApologeticsBaker Encyclopedia of the BibleBaker's New Testament CommentaryBasic TheologyThe Bible Exposition CommentaryThe Bible Knowledge Background CommentaryThe Bible Knowledge CommentaryThe Bible Reader's CompanionA Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole BibleA Commentary of the New Testament from the Talmud and HebraicaCommentary on the New Testament Use of the Old TestamentThe Complete Book of Everyday ChristianityThe Complete Who's Who in the BibleThe Complete Word Study DictionaryThe Cross of ChristThe Daily Study Bible SeriesDictionary of Biblical ImageryDictionary of Jesus and the GospelsDictionary of New Testament BackgroundDraper's Book of Quotations for the Christian WorldEncyclopedia BritannicaAn Encyclopedia of HumorEvangelical Commentary on the BibleEvangelical Dictionary of Biblical TheologyEvangelical Dictionary of TheologyExpositor's Bible CommentaryFausset's Bible DictionaryGaebelein's Concise Commentary on the Whole BibleA General Introduction to the BibleGnomon of the New TestamentGod in the DockGreek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic DomainsHard Sayings of the BibleA Harmony of the GospelsThe Hermeneutical SpiralHolman Bible HandbookHoly Bible, Contemporary English VersionHoly Bible, English Standard VersionHoly Bible, Holman Christian StandardHoly Bible, The MessageHoly Bible, New American StandardHoly Bible, New English Translation (NET)Holy Bible, New Living Translation (3rd ed)Illustrated Bible DictionaryIllustrations of Bible TruthsIllustrations UnlimitedIntegrative TheologyInternational Standard Bible EncyclopediaInternational Standard Bible Encyclopedia, RevisedThe IVP Bible Background Commentary: New TestamentThe IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old TestamentJohn Calvin's CommentariesKeil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old TestamentThe Lexham Greek-English Interlinear New TestamentLenski's New Testament CommentaryLife Application Bible Commentary on the New TestamentLife Application Study BibleThe MacArthur New Testament Commentary: HebrewsThe MacArthur Study BibleMatthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole BibleMcHenry's Quips, Quotes, & Other NotesMerriam-Webster's 11th Collegiate DictionaryNelson's Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and QuotesNelson's New Illustrated Bible CommentaryNelson's New Illustrated Bible DictionaryNET Bible notesNew Bible Commentary: 21st Century EditionNew Bible DictionaryNew Dictionary of Biblical TheologyNew Dictionary of TheologyNew Geneva Study BibleNew International Dictionary of New Testament TheologyThe New International Dictionary of the BibleThe New International Dictionary of the Christian ChurchNew International Encyclopedia of Bible WordsNew Testament IntroductionNew Testament TheologyThe Open BibleThe Oxford Companion to the BiblePulpit Helps Illustration Collection IIQuickVerse Life Application BibleRandom House Webster’s QuotationarySmith's Bible DictionarySomething to Think AboutStrong's Hebrew and Greek DictionariesThe Tale of the Tardy OxcartThayer's Greek DefinitionsTheological Dictionary of the New TestamentTheological Lexicon of the New TestamentA Treasury of HumorThru the BibleTyndale Bible DictionaryVincent's Word StudiesVine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament WordsWho's Who in Christian HistoryThe Word in Life Study BibleWord Pictures in the New TestamentThe Words and Works of Jesus ChristThe Wycliffe Bible CommentaryZondervan Encyclopedia of the BibleZondervan NIV Bible Commentary ................
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