Mark: Points to Ponder

MESSIANIC SECRET – The preaching of Jesus in Mark has nothing to do with His own identity. In fact, He is strongly reluctant on this point. He even silences demons who recognize Him (1:23-26), and ordering those healed to keep quiet (1:40-43), only allowing the truth when it is spoken by Peter (8:29) “… Thou art the Christ…”, and He quickly commands them to tell no man (8:30). He then reveals only to the disciples the truth of His rejection and death.

SPIRITUAL WARFARE – As soon as Jesus is baptized by John, and the Holy Spirit descends upon Him, He is driven into the wilderness to engage Satan in warfare of the spirit concerning temptations Satan offers Him, prevailing in the battle by the use of scripture from Deuteronomy.

Jesus cleanses the Temple courtyard of buyers and sellers, beginning the warfare with the Temple masters (Pharisees, Sadducees, & scribes) in chapter 11. The chief priests and scribes then resolve to kill Him. Jesus predicts the Temple destruction in chapter 13, and Jesus predicts His own resurrection in chapter 14.

Jesus is in continual spiritual warfare against the Temple masters in Mark’s gospel with strong conflicts in many areas of Jewish life:

• Healing on the Sabbath (2:1-12 & 3:1-6)

• Dining in questionable company meaning sinners & tax collectors (2:15)

• Not fasting when others do fast to show obedience (2:18-20)

• Observance of the Sabbath (2:23-28)

• Washing of hands, purifying, tithes, & oath taking, clean food (7:1-23)

• The Pharisees meet with those loyal to Herod to plan Jesus’ destruction (3:6)

• Jesus clearly names His opponents as elders, chief priests, & scribes (8-9-10)

After Jesus teaches on the two greatest commandments, even a scribe must agree that these two are “… more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”, a direct admission that Jesus is greater than the Law. (12:32-33)

BAPTISM – John preached baptism was a washing that cleansed away sins of those who repented (1:4), the baptism of Jesus by John transformed the ordinance into a far greater level of an external expression of an inward possession of Christ Himself. Romans 6:3-6 teaches us that we are buried with Him in death and are risen with Him in newness of life. To be fulfilled by each who are saved, full immersion is the only means of baptism that truly expresses oneness in Christ.

Mark: Miracles & Healings

HEALINGS:

Man in Capernaum Synagogue           1:21-28                 Exorcism

Peter’s mother-in-law                        1:29-31                 Fever

Leper touched by Jesus                      1:40-45                 Leprosy

Paralytic healed and forgiven             2:1-12                   Paralysis

Man with withered hand                    3:1-6                     Deformity

Gerasene demoniac                            5:1-20                   Exorcism

Jarius’ daughter                                 5:21-43                 Death

Woman with hemorrhage                   5:24-34                 Hemorrhage of blood

Canaanite woman’s daughter             7-24-30                Exorcism

Deaf mute in Decapolis                      7:31-37                 Deafness

Blind man of Bethsaida                      8:22-26                 Blindness

Boy unhealed by disciples                  9:14-29                 Exorcism

Blind Bartimaeus                               10:46-52               Blindness

OTHER:

Calming the storm                             4:35-41                 Sea

Feeding of 5,000                                6:35-44                 Multitude feeding

Walking on water                              6:45-52                 Sea

Feeding of 4,000                                8:1-10                   Multitude feeding

Cursing the fig tree                            11:12-23               Curse

GENERAL HEALINGS:

By Jesus:

Peter’s door at sundown                1:32-34               Diseases/Demons

Crowd by the sea                            3:7-12                 Diseases

Crowd at Gennesaret                      6:53-56               Sicknesses

By the twelve:

Preaching mission in Galilee         6:7-13                 Diseases/Demons

By the Father & Spirit:

Resurrection of Jesus                     16:1-8                 Death

Mark: Intro

THE DOORWAY TO UNDERSTANDING

The second gospel, written for the Gentiles around 50-52 A.D. is short by comparison to the other gospels, but is most powerful in its teachings.

The four gospels deal with the earthly life and ministry of the Savior, but each presents Him in an entirely different way. Matthew presents the Lord Jesus as the Son of David, the heir of Israel's throne, the King of the Jews. Luke teaches of the humanity of the Lord, presenting Him as the perfect man, in contrast to the sinful sons of men. John views Him as the heavenly One come down to earth, the eternal Son of the Father made flesh and living among men to demonstrate the final revelation to mankind from above.

In Mark Christ is seen as the servant of Jehovah, the perfect Workman of God, focusing upon His service and the manner of that service during His ministry.

Revelation 4:7 describes the cherubim around God's throne as beings with four faces: a lion, a calf, a man, and an eagle. By long tradition, the creature that represents the gospel of Mark is the calf or sometimes known as the ox, a creature of work and service. Mark's gospel shows Jesus as the servant of God, His Workman.

For this reason, Mark is known as a “busy” book. Jesus is almost always busy, working and moving quickly from one event to another. The word “immediately” is found 40 times in Mark. The emphasis is on the deeds of Jesus, more even than His words. Christ in Mark is a man of action.

Tradition says the Apostle Peter is the main source of Mark's writings as Mark was not an disciple nor was sent as an apostle. Peter speaks of Mark as “my son” in 1st Peter 5:13. Mark, also called John Mark in passages like Acts 12:25, was a failure in ministry with Paul (as taught in Acts 15) but his relation with Paul was restored in 2nd Timothy 4. Peter also was somewhat of a failure at times but he too was restored in the end.

Peter's influence in Mark's writing is also seen in the language. Peter spoke Aramaic, and we see Aramaic words used by Mark such as Boanarges (3:17),  Talitha Cumi (5:41), Korban (7:11), Ephphatha (7:34), and Abba (14:36).

The early church met in Mark's mother's home in Jerusalem (Acts 12:12).

Since Jesus was presented as a servant, and no one generally cares about the pedigree of a servant, no family history of Jesus is given (as in Matthew & Luke).

Mark is the only gospel to introduce itself as such and it is intended to bear witness to Jesus Christ as the proclaimer of the Kingdom of God, and to challenge readers to follow the Lord. John the Baptist is introduced to prepare the way. Jesus is introduced to be baptized of John and this scene establishes His identity and authority. The Kingdom announced by Jesus is both for the individual and the community.

The themes of Mark all converge around the death of Jesus and they are:

• The rejection of Jesus by His enemies

• The failure of His friends

• The unfolding revelation of His mission

• The prophecies fulfilled

• His mocking and killing by the authorities

• His betrayal by Judas and His being denied by Peter

• His burial with a stone sealing the tomb

• The stone removed by the angel

• The new beginning when He arose

There are several phrases used to depict Jesus and they are:

• Christ, the Son of David (Jesus never called himself Christ in Mark)

• Son of God (The Father says so at His baptism and even the demons recognize His Sonship in chapters 1, 3, & 5.)

• Son of Man (Jesus uses this term in chapters 8, 9, & 10.) (This term is taken from the book of Daniel)

A major focus in this gospel is the matter of discipleship. The relation between Jesus and His disciples is the foundation of the book. While the term Son of man appears 14 times, the word “disciple” appears over 40 times. The first five disciples are chosen by Jesus and immediately cast their entire lives away and follow Him simply by His word of calling.

His disciples fail in both understanding and action more than a few times, which is a type of the modern believer who continually does exactly the same.

The good news of the gospel is that in spite of all their failures (and all ours), He still keeps His invitation open and renews His call daily for those who believe to follow.

Mark - Chapter 1

1:1

The title:

The title names the central character of the gospel: Jesus Christ. It attributes to Him the divine description “Son of God”.

1:2-8

The Preaching of John:

The first eight verses begin the gospel of Jesus Christ with a clear announcement of the coming of the Lord. The passage addresses us with a message that almost seems to say   “NOW HEAR THIS”.

Three major themes correspond in the passage: scriptural promises, repentance (what the hearers will do), and the coming One (what God will do).

The phrase “preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” seems simple enough. The context makes it plain that John preaches and baptizes, the hearers sin and repent, and God forgives.

In verses 6-8 John, dressed as a prophet foretells God's intervention in the immediate future. He proclaims the coming of the King. This is the major focus of the mission of John. He affirms two things: first that the coming One is greater than the one who speaks of him, and second, John announces what the One to come will do. He will “baptize you with the Holy Spirit”.

1:9-11 

The Baptism of Jesus:

Why does this baptism matter? 

It is not placed within the ministry of Jesus but at the beginning. Along with the temptation to come next, it establishes the identity and authority of Jesus of Nazareth.

As Jesus came up out of the water, He saw the heavens opened. The original language here uses the same word that described the ripping of the Temple veil from top to bottom later when Jesus died. In both cases, what had long been sealed away from the access of man has now been opened. The Spirit descends upon Jesus and a voice from heaven announces that Jesus is the Son of God. In Mark, unlike Matthew and John, this message from the voice is intended for Jesus alone. Nothing in this passage reveals to us that the voice was heard by anyone else.

1:12-13

The Temptation of Jesus:

As soon as Jesus was attested to be Son of God at His baptism, “... the Spirit immediately drove Him out into the wilderness...”. The temptation time tells us something about God, about Jesus, and about ourselves.

About God: The verb used here is extremely harsh. Jesus was not led of the Spirit, not drawn of the Spirit, but was driven of the Spirit. God Himself drove Jesus out in order that temptation would occur and would arrive with the presence of Satan himself, not some demon or evil spirit but by the bringer of evil in person.

About Jesus: He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan. Jesus was in the wilderness for the same reason that the Hebrew people were in the wilderness for forty years, to assure they were dependent only upon God for deliverance. The single combat with Satan is the ordeal which shows us Jesus as the bearer of God's banner throughout the ages to come. Through our identification with the Son of God we are children of God, so with Him we are driven into the wilderness of sin and are expected to gain deliverance in the same way, through His Holy Word by our faith in it. His Holy Word was Jesus (John 1:1).

1:14-15 

The Gospel of God:

While Mark as a whole presents the gospel about Jesus, this passage presents  the gospel Jesus preached. Verse 14 tells us Jesus came into Galilee, giving us the geographic location for the first half of Mark. He came preaching and proclaiming the Kingdom of God.

What was the content of His preaching?

Announcement:

The time is fulfilled. The Kingdom of God is at hand.

Appeal:

Repent. Believe in the gospel.

When Jesus appeared the time is fulfilled. The proper response to this great change in the relationship between God and man is to repent of our sin and to welcome the good news.

1:16-20 

The Call of the First Disciples:

As soon as Jesus announces the Kingdom of God, He calls people to enter it (“... follow me...”) and they will invite others to enter it also ( … I will make you become fishers of men...”). In Mark this is the first encounter with these men. No prior contact is revealed to serve as a reason for their immediate response to Jesus. Here are two of the basic focuses of the entire work of Jesus. The presence and word of Jesus on one hand and the response to His call to discipleship on the other.

Jesus Himself offers the best example of what he calls these disciples to do. He acts here as the fisherman and the four men by the sea are the fish. He casts His word, and they are caught up into the Kingdom of God. The story about the beginning of discipleship is not only about four fishermen, but is also about us here and now. For us, as for them, the heart of discipleship and the Kingdom of God in our lives lies in the following of Jesus.

1:21-28  

Exorcism:

Jesus begins teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. He first publicly confronted and defeated the powers of evil in the place of worship of the chosen people of God. The scribes belonged there (verse 22) and the unclean spirit did not. In this passage Jesus is in battle against both.

Scribes were more than secretaries. These were spiritual descendants of Ezra the scribe as shown in Neh 8:1. These were the doctors of the law, the assigned scripture scholars of their time. Mark 1:22 distances Jesus from the scribes in a way that will later become full conflict.

The “Holy One of God” is what the unclean spirit, speaking through the man, calls Jesus. We are expected to remember the title of this gospel and to understand that this Holy One of God is Christ, the Son of God. The primary emphasis is on the positive but there is scripture here that shows all were astonished and amazed. At once His fame spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

1:29-39  Preaching in Galilee:

• The complete story consists of four episodes and a summary.

• Jesus at Capernaum 21-29

• Exorcism in the Synagogue 21-28

• Healing Peter's Mother-In-Law 29-31

• The Sick Healed at Evening 32-34

• Departing to a Lonely Place 35-38

• Summary & Preaching in Galilee 39

The first two of these incidents are miracle stories and the next is an ordinary fever healing. The point is that Jesus heals all sorts of issues.

1:40-45 

The Leper Touched by Jesus:

On His first preaching tour throughout Galilee, Jesus meets and heals a leper. This account includes a striking exchange between Jesus and the diseased man.

The leper says that “if you will you can make me clean”. Jesus then says, “I will, be clean”. The sequence of healing narratives at the beginning of Mark's gospel shows a growing emphasis on faith.

The text gives us a rare glimpse into the motivation of Jesus. We are told Jesus was moved with pity. This seems to satisfy our desire to know how Jesus felt and why He acted as He did. This healing of the leper confirms the impression given throughout Mark that Jesus is the great physician. Human experience makes it evident that God does not always will healing, at least not at the time or in the way that we beg for it.

The stern command of Jesus for the leper not to tell anyone is significant. Though Jesus does perform a miracle, he wishes to be known as more than a miracle worker.   

Mark - Chapter 2

2:1-12

Forgiveness and Healing:

Is there a relationship between sickness and sin, or between forgiveness and healing? Why should anyone be upset if Jesus forgives the sins of another?

These are the questions raised by the story in chapter two, which includes the first use of the term Son of Man in this gospel, and the first rumblings of a conflict whose climax will be the crucifixion. Here also we begin to see the scribes start an active role and the first mention of faith as a noun.

A crowd packs a room and spills out onto the street. A paralytic man is carried by four men who make an opening in the roof to lower the man to the attention of Jesus. We are told in the original language that they had to “dig through” the roof to lower him in his stretcher bed to the Lord.

Jesus, the healer, sees the problem and recognizes the faith of those who come to Him. Jesus says, “... my son your sins are forgiven...”. This word of forgiveness provides the setting for a controversy which brings an authoritative moment from Jesus when He says “... the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...”. Jesus then pronounces the healing which was sought and the directs the man to rise and pickup your bed and go home. The man, now healed, does as Jesus commanded and the people were amazed.

A fascinating element of the passage is the relation of sin to the paralysis of the man, of forgiveness to healing, and of faith to both healing and forgiveness. The text does not settle the question of whether the man himself had faith but it makes clear that the four friends did and their faith played an important role in his healing.

Jesus here fulfills the Old Testament teaching of Isaiah 43:18-25 which speaks of the gracious forgiveness of Yahweh which does not depend on the worthiness of those forgiven. 

“I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake”

The relationship to Mark 2 is clear. The scribes, who knew well the scripture, did not ignore this connection and they accused Jesus of blasphemy, which was a capital crime, punishable by death. Jesus understands the cost of forgiveness. He later will speak of the Son of Man coming “... to give his life for many...” (10:45). To claim authority to forgive sins is no small matter and to forgive them is not cheap.

2:13-22

The Call of Levi:

The call Jesus makes to Levi raises the controversy of His association of outcasts. While walking along Jesus sees Levi at his place of business as a tax collector for Rome.

The text gives no other details. Jesus calls and Levi follows. Later in 3:13-19 when Mark lists the Twelve, this man is not included, nor is his name mentioned again in the gospel. This is a lean and direct call which makes two points:

First, the person called was a tax collector and therefore seen as a sinner.

Second, He became a follower simply by the basis of two words spoken by the Lord, having no stated faith that we are shown.

Mark presents the calling of Levi as an act of forgiveness and a crossing of the boundary  that has before separated each sinner from God. Tax collection and sin are linked three times in verses 15-17. Jesus also eats with outcasts and this table fellowship foretells the same concern of Galatians 2:12, when Peter himself was fearful to be seen doing the same. For the pious Jews, who only kept a kosher table such mixing was unthinkable. Jesus concludes this passage with a common sense proverb about who it is that needs a doctor and then says “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners”.

2:23-28

Questions About the Sabbath:

Jesus taught about the Sabbath in two areas of Mark's gospel, 2:23-28 and 3:1-6.

According to Mark, this argument about the Sabbath played a critical role in the life of Jesus and it played a crucial role in his death. Sabbath observation was a burning question to the Jews, and became more important when the Christian movement began separation themselves from the synagogues.

In this setting the place is a grain field which those following Jesus walk through on the Sabbath, and they were seen plucking grain and eating it as well as rubbing it between their hands to separate the grain from husks. The Jews knew well the teaching of Deut. 5 which would consider this activity unlawful. The question asked of Jesus focused on why do His followers not keep the Law of Moses? 

Jesus gives an answer in three parts. He reminds them of their own scripture in 1st Samuel 21 when  hunger overshadowed the Law. He then said that the Sabbath was created for man, not man for the Sabbath. Finally he further said that the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath, confirming that by His word alone, the Sabbath still belongs to God, expressing His willingness to meet human needs as well as His authority to say how the day of rest is to be used.

Mark - Chapter 3

3:1-6

Healing a Withered Hand:

Jesus enters the synagogue again on the Sabbath and there sees a man whose hand is withered. The scribes and Pharisees are present in the scene and they watched Jesus closely to see whether He would bring a work of healing inside the place of worship, contrary to their perception of the Law. Jesus looked upon these men with anger and was most displeased by the hardness of their hearts. These men knew ABOUT Jesus, but the did not KNOW Jesus for if they had known Him they would have already been assured that he would address the need of suffering.

Jesus begins by asking a question which basically was whether there is a wrong day to do something right. According to Jewish traditional interpretation if one cuts his finger on the Sabbath, one could stop the bleeding but could not apply medicine, meaning one could stop an injury from getting worse, but one could do nothing to make it better. They were unwilling to respond and thereby clearly showed their rejection of the Lord. Jesus chose to use this moment to make His statement because He could surely have waited one more day to heal the man but decided not to wait. 

Jesus commanded the man to come forward in full sight of all within the synagogue and told the man to stretch out his hand. As the man made the effort to move the withered hand, it became healed. We should notice that Jesus could certainly heal the hand while it hung from the man's arm at his side but Jesus required the man to respond to His command in full sight so that all could see the event in full. We should also note that this was not a moment that Jesus commanded every eye closed or every head bowed for the work of God does not need hiding.

Now the religious men of power, the Pharisees and the Herodians, immediately began to plot to kill Jesus. (Herodians were not a formal group like the Pharisees but were several Jews who supported King Herod and his rule).

3:7-12

Multitudes Come to Jesus:

Crowds came to Jesus along the sea of Galilee from many different places in such numbers that Jesus asked for a boat to be made available so He could teach the crowd without them crushing around Him. Many healings were done. Very importantly, those demon possessed fell down before Jesus and announced that “...  you are the Son of God...”. But Jesus sternly warned them to not make that known. Here is the beginning of what is known as the Messianic Secret, meaning Jesus was unwilling to fully reveal Himself as to who He truly was because He knew His hour had not yet come.

By using the specific phrase, the demons hoped to gain mastery over Jesus as we see later in several exorcisms performed by Jesus and in these He demanded to demon speak it's name before it was cast out.

3:13-15

Jesus Chooses the Twelve:

Jesus retires to a mountain and spent the entire night in prayer. He also called to himself those He wanted to be His chosen disciples, appointing them and granting them power to heal as well as to cast away demons from those possessed. They were to be physicians both of the body and the soul.

3:16-19 The Twelve Are Named:

Simon Peter, James and John (sons of Zebedee to whom Jesus gave the Aramaic name of Boanerges, the “Sons of Thunder”), Andrew, Phillip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddeus, Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot.   

These were some brothers, some fishermen, some political opponents such as a tax collector, and last mentioned, a betrayer from Judea.

3:20-21

Jesus Accused By His Own Family:

His own family members came to see Jesus and to removed Him from these crowds who sought to be near Him. His family said He was out of His mind.

His own half brothers did not believe in him until after His resurrection (John 7:3-5), and while he ministered on earth, they challenged Him to prove Himself.

3:22

Jesus Accused By Religious Leaders:

The scribes from Jerusalem came to accuse Him and said that Jesus was filled with Beelzebub, a favorite name for Satan. They did not say Jesus was possessed by a demon but rather that he was filled with Satan himself. This was the first of several such accusations toward the Lord, especially seen in John 7-8-10.

3:23-27

Jesus Answers:

Jesus said that he was working constantly against the demons of Satan so if He was an agent of Satan, that must mean there was a civil war in Hell (He said a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand).

3:28-30

The Unforgivable Sin:

Jesus uses this moment to warn these religious leaders against conducting the unforgivable sin, which is blaspheming the Holy Ghost, which means denying the divinity of the Messiah God has sent. Jesus makes sure the lesson is made clear by saying those who sin in this way are subject to eternal condemnation. We notice Jesus does not yet feel these men had already committed this sin , for if they had, there would be no need for a warning not to do so.

It is worth saying that no saved person can commit such a sin. By definition when we are saved we accept Jesus as the Messiah and Savior sent by God.

3:31-35

Jesus Reveals His true Family:

Mary and children came looking for Jesus and they sent word in to where He was and some told Jesus that they were present and were asking for Him. At this moment Jesus broke the human family relations in favor of the relations to His new spiritual family by saying that those who do the will of God are now His primary family.

From this moment forward, Jesus treated His followers, disciples, and faithful believers as family. This one fact has not changed in 2,000 years as even now, all saved believers reside in the body of Christ and are His family for eternity.

Mark - Chapter 4

4:1-9

The Parable of the Soils:

Using a boat as His pulpit allowed Jesus to teach without the press of the crowd on Him. It also made His voice carry better when He was on the water and the crowd was on the land nearby. Here this setting begins our chapter and quickly we are told Jesus taught them many things in parables. The word parable literally means “to set along side” meaning here that a spiritual truth was set along side a daily truth of life.

The first parable was of the sower. A man sowing seed went out to do his work and in spreading the seed, some fell on soil beside the sowing area (the wayside),

some fell on rocky ground, and some on thorny areas while some of the seed fell on good ground for growing. This parable might better be known as the parable of the sower, for the seeds were all good, just sown on different ground. Of the seed that fell on good ground some bore more growth than other seed. All the good ground seed produced, but some more than others.

4:10-12

The Purpose of Parables:

The twelve ask Jesus about His teaching in parables as the true meaning of this type of teaching was not yet understood by them. Jesus told them that they had been chosen to have the mystery of the kingdom to come but others needed to be taught by the use of parable stories that related to their everyday lives. Even in this simple initial parable, there was not understanding among the twelve. Jesus explains that to those who are “outside” their group the use of parables was so that they see but do not perceive. So Jesus now explains the parable to the twelve to begin their instruction, saying the sower sows the word and thereby gave them the key to understanding. He quotes from Isaiah 6:9 to explain that those who came to understanding had to seriously use insight to grasp the meanings of his teachings, luring those who are serious toward His truth.

4:13-20

The Sower Explained:

The word given is like the seed that was sown. Some people have beaten down hearts, hardened like the wayside, and therefore not able to see the word take root.  Satan comes quickly to remove the seed (word) from their hearts. Hard hearts must be plowed to allow the word to germinate and grow. Satan works hard to assure that process does not happen.

Some hearts hear the word and are glad but their hearts also reject and these are like stony ground. Satan is not directly working but tribulation overcomes their insight and no seed roots for long. Some hearts are like thorny ground, accepting the seed of the word but then choking it out with spiritual thorns that overwhelm it. Those with good hearts of fertile ground accept the seed (word) and it germinates, grows and pays many times over in filling the fertile ground of the heart. The Pharisees were good examples of this parable. They heard His teaching but their hearts were stony ground at best and the word could not find a place to root and grow.

4:21-23

The Responsibility of Those Who Understood:

These whose hearts understood the true meaning of the parable seed, the word, are responsible to publish the truth by their lives and teaching. A lamp that is lit is for light, not to be hidden away. If you have the truth, there is a solemn responsibility to share it and to pass it onward to those who have not yet received it.

4:24-25

Who Is Accountable:

When we hear the word and are given it with insight, understanding through our own discerning, we are to take heed and understand that God will respond to us just as we have responded to Him. Those who come to have will have more desire to hear and more understanding. Spiritual growth is a habit of momentum.

4:26-29

Parable of Growing Seed:

Man is to plant the seed of the word, and God will give the increase.  God had promised in Isaiah 55:11 that His word will not return to Him void. When man sows and works, and God grants the increase, the harvest will come. This is the glory of the work of Jesus in each saved person.

4:30-34

The Mustard Seed:

Jesus here reminds us that size and status are not the factors that determine results. The seed of the mustard is among the smallest of all seeds  but it can grow and provide shelter and home to many birds in its branches.

When Jesus and the disciples were alone, He explained the parable to them.

This did not necessarily mean some of those taught missed the meaning, but the Lord wanted to be sure His chosen twelve did understand it.

4:35-39

Jesus Rebukes the Storm:

After all these teachings, Jesus and the disciples set out by boat to cross the sea of Galilee when a large windstorm arose. Jesus had taken the moment to rest and was asleep in the boat when the storm arrived and was raging. The disciples became frightened, even though at least three were professional fishermen. They woke the Lord asking Him if he did not care if they perished. He quickly stilled the storm by commanding, “Peace, be still”. The wind ceased and a great calm was seen.  

4:40-41

Jesus Rebukes His Disciples:

He asks why they are fearful and how is it you have no faith? Remember they had shown little faith when they awoke Him asking Him “Do you not care that we are perishing”? When we think the Lord does not care about us, we show lack of faith. This was the point of the rebuke. They had feared exceedingly and had seen Him perform great miracles before and yet were in question of Him and His power. Now they asked who is this that even the wind and sea obey Him? In the span of only a few moments, the disciples saw both the complete humanity of Jesus as well as the fullness of his deity. They saw Jesus for who he truly is, both man and God.

Mark - Chapter 5

5:1-20

The Gadarene Demoniac:

This story appears at first to be about one tormented individual but quickly turns to include a large number of demons. One way to approach this message is to view the amazing power of Jesus. This passage is the longest and most detailed of the exorcism stories in this gospel. It tells us how Jesus healed a demon possessed man in the country of the Gadarenes. We see that His authority extends over the realm of the unclean hostile spirits and he brings healing to people troubled by their evil work.

The first voice heard in the story is that of the unclean spirit, speaking through the man, addressing Jesus as “Son of the Most High God”. The demon's confession is the main message of the passage and it is that Jesus can heal because He is the Son of God. In verses 10-13 Jesus seems to bargain with the demons, but regardless of the conversation, His power prevails.

A new element is introduced in this passage for the gospel, which is that this healing is in gentile country. In gentile areas, nothing is kosher, and everything is unclean here: the spirits, the tombs, the pigs, and the territory. But in this alien place, Jesus' authority and healing power is just as great as in a Jewish synagogue. His power knows no bounds and His exercise of His power belongs only to His own choice on when to use it. We see in this passage that no one asked Jesus to heal the man possessed.

As a matter of fact, the man simply wants to be left alone, as do those watching. Jesus takes all the initiative as He shows His sovereign power over all areas of life. The people in His day, nor the people in our day, have no control over His use of His great power. Just as the Father told Moses that he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, so does the Son act in the very same way.

An added element to the passage is that the demons ask to be sent into swine and Jesus so commands, and when the people all heard what had happened they beg Jesus to leave the area. They value the pigs more than their neighbor. Jesus prepares to leave as requested, but the man healed wanted to stay with the Lord. Jesus, however, instructs him to go home and tell how much the Lord has done for you and how mercy has been given to you. He obeys. His assignment is difficult as proven by the fact that his neighbors want nothing more to do with Jesus or the healing. The call of this man is the first gentile call to service in Mark. His assignment shows that the work and witness of the Lord is not limited to Israel or Judea.

The contrast between the man possessed and the man healed is sharp. Freed of his demons, the man sits quietly, fully clothed, and in his right mind. In the middle of a disorderly world in this area, alienated from God, Jesus bring order and peace to a tormented individual. His work through His Holy Spirit still brings the same today.

5:21-43

The Daughter of Jarius and the Woman With a Hemorrhage:

The setting is now Jewish, on the other side of the sea and contains a request from the synagogue leader named Jarius. 

A request is made for Jesus to come and heal the daughter of Jarius, who is said to be very ill. With many people in the surrounding crowd, Jesus begins to make His way to the home of Jarius. Along the way, a woman with a many year affliction of bleeding approaches and wants simply to touch Jesus, knowing in absolute faith that to do so will bring healing. Her affliction is described as beyond human help. In faith she presses forward into the crowd and does touch the garment of the Lord and is immediately healed. Jesus felt her touch by virtue leaving Him and he insists on finding out who touched Him. The woman, who had been considered unclean because of her issue of blood, shows courage and comes forward trembling to confess her touching. He gives her His saving word, both for her health and for her to now know peace. The healing is complete and her faith had made her whole.

Jesus now returns to His way toward the house of Jarius to confront death itself. A messenger arrives to announce the girl has now died and there is no reason to further trouble Jesus to come. But Jesus has a different idea and says that the people in need should “only believe”. In this account in the other gospels, there is no mention of the girl dying, only being very ill. He takes Peter, James, and John into the home and tells all there the girl is only sleeping and is met with scorn from those in the house who know she is dead. Jesus heals the girl, returning her to life and her family by speaking the Aramaic words, “Talitha Cumi”, which means girl arise. 

He asks that she be helped by being given something to eat and then commands all there to say nothing of the matter 

We must remember that the crowd (and the disciples) heard the plea of Jarius, and knew the illness was severe and that Jarius was most anxious but still Jesus permits an interruption along the way which surely took valuable time as he healed the woman with blood. All there were likely worried about the time used being taken from the young girl's need. But Jesus showed no worry. All time is His time and all power is His. His sensitivity to both needs should help us to be more patient and to do what he commanded, “... do not fear, only believe...”.

Mark - Chapter 6

6:1-6

Rejection By His Own People:

The consistent witness of the New Testament is that Jesus was rejected by His own people. John 1:11 is our most clear passage of proof. Paul wrestles with the rejection of Jesus Christ by His own people, the Jews, as a serious theological problem. As Mark 6 begins we see the same theme but the actual people are different. Here those who reject are not the Jews as a whole but friends and relatives in His home town. There are astonished questions about Him as he teaches in the Nazareth synagogue. They reflect on who He is by what they remember Him to be, the son of Mary, a carpenter, and a neighbor to many. They take offense at Him. The passage begins with the unbelief of those in his home town but it ends with the amazement of Jesus because of their unbelief.

A second theme appears in Mark not in the sayings of Jesus Himself but in a small passage that tells us in verses 5-6 that he could do no mighty work there, except for a few healings by laying on His hands as He marveled at the unbelief. So it seems that the rejection and the unbelief of His own had a dampening effect on His work while He was among them. Rather than stay and try to convince His own, he chooses to move onward.

Our unbelief does not make God powerless, but when it is dominant in a congregation or town there is in many cases less evidence of His power in that place consumed by lack of faith and outright unbelief.

6:7-13

The Sending of the Twelve:

Mark details well the stages of the ministry of the Lord by His dealing with the intimate group of chosen disciples, from the calling of the first four (1:16-20), the naming of twelve (3:13-19), and now the sending of those twelve to extend His own work. Those whom He has called and set apart have not yet fully understood Him (4:10/13/41). Even less do they share His way of obedience to the will of God, as chapters 8 & 10 will reveal. They seem always on the way to understanding but up to the end of the writing of Mark, they never fully understand. 

Jesus does not await full understanding. As flawed as they are, He sends them out. Their situation is the same as every church in every age. They go two by two, to assure the truth of their witness (Deut. 17:6). They are agents of Jesus Christ who sends them out, just as He Himself has come out, to announce the gospel of God. He instructs them to travel light as a sign of reliance only upon God for their needs. He tells them how to respond when their message is rejected. They are to shake off the dust of that place and move onward. The passage closes by their obedient response as they went out preaching (repentance like John the Baptist), exorcising, and healing.

6:14-29

The Death of John the Baptist:

Mark's account of the death of John, with its flashback to a birthday feast in Herod's honor, has all the elements of a good story: direct style, dramatic details, an adulterous king, a scheming woman, a dancing girl, and a violent death. In this writing the episode is linked with the return of the disciples from their journey.

Mark's account seems to foreshadow the death of Jesus to come, and is seen in this manner in chapter 15 near the end of his writing. John preaches and is offered up (chapters 1 & 6), Jesus preaches and heals and is offered up (chapters 1 & 9+10), the disciples preach and are offered up (chapters 6 & 13). This pattern is a key element in the relationship between those who bring God's message and those who wish to protect their own power.

6:30-44

The Feeding of the Five Thousand:

This miracle work is the only miracle reported in all four gospels. Of the several levels of meaning that can be found in this miracle, Mark offers us three to consider.

First, there is the Good Shepherd. At an important moment in the story, Jesus had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd (verse 34). The disciples wanted Jesus to send the crowd away but instead Jesus instructs them to give the crowd food and the disciples seem confused because they have none to give.

So Jesus asks what do they have and they indicate they have found a few morsels. Jesus multiplies the food to create enough to fill all there with twelve baskets of leftovers, exactly one basket for each disciple (a fact we cannot overlook). Jesus, as a good shepherd sits the people down on the grass, and meets their physical need and then after they are filled, teaches them with further compassion to meet their spiritual need as well. We should recall what Jesus had said to Satan at the temptation time which was that man does not live by bread alone. Here he proves it.

Second, there is the blindness of the disciples. The first half of this gospel is dominated by one thought which is who is Jesus? Miracles like this feeding are the answer to that question but only to those who have eyes open to see. We will see in chapter 8 that Jesus tells His disciples that both of his multitude feedings were signs which the disciples should have understood but did not. They, like the Pharisees also in chapter 8, seemed to need a further sign and were blind as to what was happening in front of their own eyes.

Third, there is the bread in the wilderness thought suggested by a series of action phrases such as “   he looked up...” , “... blessed...”, “... broke...”, and “... gave...”.

Viewed in this light the story becomes a sacrament story with each there receiving the miracle of the bread sent by God, representing His work for those He loves, just as the Lord's table still represents the same thing today in all churches. It also harkens back to the manna sent by God to sustain His chosen people when they also were hungry and in need.

6:45-52

Walking on Water:

After the feeding Jesus sends His disciples across the sea in a boat without Himself and they were to meet Him on the other side, with the intention of alone time for the Lord for prayer. He, of course, fully knew He was sending them into danger and used this teaching moment to test their faith. A storm arrives with much wind and the disciples are frightened as their boat is tossed by the waves. We are told that Jesus walked on the water and perhaps wanted to simply pass by them to show them a divine presence. But when they saw Him, they were much afraid and thought they were seeing a ghostly being. But Jesus speaks to them with instruction that they should not fear and identifies Himself to them. He gets into the boat with them and the storm is calmed. Here the twelve are granted once more the physical proof of the divinity of Jesus for who could do what He does in their sight? These lessons given one by one are designed to strengthen their faith and acceptance of the true fact that God was among them.

6:53-56

Healings at Gennesaret:

As a contrast to the disciples who had trouble with believing their own eyes, the boat reaches the other side and many people come forth bringing sick and afflicted to the place they heard He was. His power and authority was clear and there was ready acceptance by the crowd of Him, contrasted by the continued shallow belief of His own disciples and in chapter 7 we will see that same unbelief in the Pharisees.

This passage speaks to fearful disciples of any time in the last 2,000 years. The attitude most addressed by Jesus when he walked on the water was fear. The good news is that Jesus knows and cares for our troubled hearts and stands ready at all times to relieve our trouble. Those who remain gripped by spiritual fear simply do not understand yet or have chosen to remain willingly in rejection.   

Mark - Chapter 7

7:1-23

Controversy About Tradition:

This passage, in which Jesus dismisses all Jewish dietary regulations is a major controversy with the Jewish leaders of His time. His adversaries did not agree with His teaching about what is clean and unclean in the sight of God. Strict portions of the Jewish faith still do not agree even to this day. Even His own disciples did not understand His teaching (verse 17).

These verses are the final encounter with His Jewish adversaries in Galilee. Their opposition and the lack of understanding of even His chosen followers stand in sharp contrast to the first glimmers of faith in a Gentile woman we will meet in verses 24-30. The good news begins to spread in the Gentile area of Decapolis  in verses 31-37.

The issue was that the Jewish leaders had wrapped their own tradition around the true meaning of the Torah (first five books)  and this tradition teaching had become a heavy burden which Jesus described in Matthew 23:4 and Peter so clearly describes in Acts 15:10 later. Jesus opposes this “tradition of the elders”. He does not abolish the concept of defilement but redefines its meaning. He Himself fulfilled the law while teaching against the fence placed around it by the Pharisees in their secondary regulations. We see this teaching clearly later in Acts 10 & 11 where Cornelius is converted after Peter received his vision from heaven concerning what is clean.

Jesus says there is nothing outside us that can defile us by entering into us because we are defiled by what comes out of us as opposed to what goes into us. This interpretation in verses 14-23 focuses on what comes from within. The word “tradition” is used in certain places to speak of basic teaching of the gospel message (1st Cor 11:2 7 15:3 & 2nd Thes 2:15). Here Jesus makes a pointed reference to “your” tradition which are considered rules, as not in line with God's intent. This teaching calls us to look beyond what is old and what is new to understand what is vital.

We see in this passage that these with whom Jesus took exception had “come from Jerusalem”. That was the center of opposition to Jesus. In every religious community since there are those who “come from Jerusalem” and these verses challenge us to consider if we ourselves may have “come from Jerusalem” at times and if so perhaps we should reconsider as we study the Lord's teaching here.

7:24-30

The Gentile Woman:

Jesus continues to teach against taboos of tradition in His time with a gentile woman in a pagan city. The woman was Greek and the structure of the story is an exorcism and includes a conversation about whether it is proper for Jesus to use His powers to work among those who are not of the Jewish people.

In verse 27 Jesus initially rebuffs the woman but her response  is to persistently ask for His attention to the non Jewish needs as well. Jesus approves her response in verse 29 and allows the first consideration of the message moving out to the Gentile world. 

7:31-37

The Deaf Mute:

This story seems expanded while the one just before it was brief and more concise. The circumstances here of the healing gestures of Jesus (thrusting fingers into ears, touching tongue with saliva, casting eyes upward, and sighing) and the mysterious word “ephpatha” in Aramaic all seem to heighten the sense of the miracle shown. 

The word given in the original language (mogilalon) to describe the man's affliction  (verse 32) is used only twice in the entire Bible, here and Isaiah 35:6. The word means literally that the man did not speak distinctly, not that he was actually mute, which is a convenient description of him but is incomplete. This healing is not supposed to become public knowledge (verse 36) which has come to be common in Mark where Jesus seems intent on working quietly before His hour has come (known in this writing of Mark as the Messianic Secret).

Both these last stories lean upon the issue of clean and unclean. We are to understand all the miracles of Jesus as witness to the extraordinary power at work in Him and as evidence that the Kingdom of God is at hand. Both stories are about Him and they tell of the reign and power of God in Him. We see full proof of that fact in the conversation Jesus held with Nicodemus in John 3 when Nicodemus admits he knows Jesus is a teacher come from God. 

Mark - Chapter 8

8:1-21

The Feeding of the Four Thousand:

“Do you not yet understand?”

Our chapter begins with the remarkable question by the disciples saying how can one feed these men with bread here in the desert? It is remarkable because these same disciples had recently seen an almost identical situation in the feeding of the five thousand in another desert place. The dullness of the disciples creates a difficult instance of faith. The placement of this story just after the incidents at Tyre and Sidon and also at Decapolis points us toward a Gentile setting for this present story. The Lord's Table element observed at the previous miracle feeding (6:30-44) in made more pointed by the term used here of having given thanks before the distribution of the bread. Once more Jesus sustains those around Him both by the physical bread of man and the bread of life.

Inside this miracle story is contained further evidence of the conflict with the Pharisees. While the scene has shifted from the previous feeding, and the Pharisees may not have been currently present, we are told that they continue to ask for a sign. The rigid Jewish leaders have repeatedly been in the presence of His mighty works and yet they still ask for a sign. A sign from heaven required by the Pharisees seems to mean some proof that Jesus is the Messiah. The point here is that for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, there has already been sufficient evidence given that He is God's anointed one. We are told that the Pharisees come to argue with Him and to test Him. They seek a sign not to teach them for they think they alone already know how God works. They only want to judge Jesus against their own false preconceived notions. In sadness and in anger at their stubborn blindness, Jesus refuses their demand and moves on.

The next discussion concerning what has just taken place brings a warning to the disciples concerning the leaven of the Pharisees appearing to mean the failure of these Temple leaders to repent and respond in faith to the message Jesus brings. The misunderstanding of the disciples is in focus by the repeated question of Jesus.

“Do you not yet understand?”

They had discussed that they had no bread. Like the Pharisees, they fail to discern who Jesus is and what He is about. Their dullness, like the rejection by the Pharisees, is a form of blindness. This portion of the passage harkens us back to Jeremiah 5 where this question begins: “... having eyes do you not see...” This blindness will be further highlighted shortly in another miracle moment. 

On the one hand, the disciples should have understood more than they did on the basis of their previous experience. On the other hand, they cannot really understand who Jesus is until they have followed from this place to Jerusalem, to the cross, and to the empty tomb.

“... do you not understand...” is an invitation for us to read on in Mark's gospel, and in our own lives to stay with Jesus until we do understand.

8:22-26

The Blind Man of Bethsaida:

In Mark, for once, the miracle work by Jesus to heal someone seems not to be immediately successful. The need for a second touch to complete the healing may be the reason we do not see this story in Matthew or Luke. Yet, this two stage moment is precisely the point of this moment, tying is closely and clearly to disciples today.

In the initial healing gesture, Jesus uses saliva by spitting on the man's eyes and laying His hands upon him. In light of the word “again” in verse 25 Jesus does not use a healing command but rather asks a question.  This question gives the man a chance to confirm a partial cure, preparing him for the next step in the healing. Jesus lays hands upon the man's eyes again and then made him look up and sight was restored. Jesus then commands him not to even enter the village (possibly to maintain secrecy for the time being). 

“Seeing” in this passage brings two levels of meaning. At the first level, seeing refers to physical vision. The passage once more confirms Jesus has the authority and power to heal physical needs. At a second, and symbolic, level seeing refers to inner perception or understanding. So far, Mark's writing has assured us of the wonder working power of Jesus, His authority to forgive sins, and His enormous growing popularity with common people. But this represents only a partial view (or sight) of who He is. Just as the disciples, we as readers today are invited  to look again and more intently to how this story in unfolding before our own eyes.

This portion of Mark begins a transition from now until the end of chapter 10 to explain that Jesus now confronts His disciples with a different Christ. This different Messiah must must be rejected, must suffer, and must die, and only then will be raised again. He speaks of discipleship which will contain not only power and glory but also lowly service and loss of life here. The way of Jesus leads to a cross at Golgotha, not to worldly glory of sitting in seats beside a throne. The goal of the “second touch” is really to properly see those things (by looking up) and thereby to see all things clearly.

8:27-30

Peter's Confession:

Jesus and His disciples are moving toward the villages around Caesarea Philippi. Jesus invites the chosen ones to look back across the ministry in Galilee and to reflect on who He is and to look ahead and understand that they are now fully “on the way” not only to Caesarea Philippi but also to Jerusalem, to suffering, to death, and to the resurrection.

Removed from Galilee and Jerusalem for now but with both in view, it seems a good time to reflect as Jesus asks “Who do men say that I am?” and then for personal confrontation “Who do you say that I am?”. In this moment of withdrawal  Peter, speaking for all the chosen men, says what we as readers have known from the start, “You are the Christ”. 

Like the blind man whom Jesus asked “... do you see anything...?” He knows the disciples do not yet see clearly. What does being Christ mean?

His teaching takes on a new meaning. Up to now, His teaching has been by signs and wonders and healings. Now he will focus upon His rejection and death. This change is seen in verse 31 where Jesus substitutes the phrase Son of Man for the word Peter spoke, which was Christ. In Mark this is the only title Jesus uses for Himself. He now redefines Christ in more human terms.

Obedient to God, Jesus is on a collision course with the religious leaders but they are not the only ones who seem not to accept His truth. So does Peter, and he speaks for all disciples.

8:32-33

Conflict with Peter:

Peter took Him and began to rebuke Him. These words imply turning Jesus aside and trying to verbally show authority.  Jesus will not allow Himself to be patronized. His very sharp reply “Get thee behind me Satan...” cuts Peter in two ways. First, the use of “Satan” recalls the temptation of Jesus where Jesus was tempted to think that God's anointed one could avoid suffering and rejection and gain the world without the way of the cross and its humiliation. This is Peter's human way of thinking and Jesus identifies it as a devil of an idea. Second, the rebuke of Jesus reminds Peter where disciples belong, “behind me”. Disciples are not to guide, protect, or possess Jesus. They  are to follow Him.

Our lesson here is clear. Who are we? We are to be disciples, learners who follow Him to gain the lessons He has for us. What we must learn above all is to follow His obedience to the will of God and it will mean suffering through the death of ourselves, in ego, heart, and spirit. We are not to be ashamed of him or of His lowly way for if we are, we will later be shamed by Him as He comes in glory.

Mark 8:38:

“Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation: of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels”

Mark - Chapter 9

9:1-13

The Kingdom of God and the Transfiguration:

The Jesus we meet in Mark, for all of His power of miracles, remains intensely human. He feels pity, anger, hunger, and weariness. Even in a miracle scene such as walking on the water, He shows a human concern for the disciples who are rowing in the wind. In the transfiguration Jesus expresses no emotion, takes no action, and on this mountain speaks no words to His chosen inner circle of disciples until after the vision ends. He appears in glory in a passive revealing of His inner nature to the small innermost group. 

What are we who want to be disciples now to make of this vision?

The first half of the text shows an experience of transformation and the second half reflects on its meaning. We see that in the first portion of the vision Jesus is seen with two of the early most powerful men of God's choosing, Moses and Elijah. In the last portion of the vision Jesus is seen alone, reflecting that in Him alone will be found true glory. (Why these two? Matthew 22:35-40).

The first portion is filled with clues for us to gain some understanding of meaning. The high mountain is a place nearer to heaven, from which comes all revelation. The cloud is a symbol of the divine presence, (as in Exodus 13 & 19 & 33 and Numbers 9). The voice from the cloud is of God, (as in Exodus 24 & 25). The brightness of the garments of Jesus reflects back to the brightness of the glory of God (called the Shekinah glory)  as seen in the cloud that guided the Hebrews daily and became a pillar of fire to brighten their nights. That same radiance was seen in the face of Moses when he returned from his own mountain meeting with the Lord on Sinai (as seen in Exodus 34). The “listen to him” language from above hints to the Lord speaking directly to Elijah in the still small voice of instruction (as in 1st Kings 19).

Two themes of Mark are seen here. The command to silence (verse 9)  once more brings out the Messianic Secret theme all through this gospel. Only here, a time limit is set, “... until the Son of man shall have risen from the dead...”. This detail offers us finally the reason for the secret to be kept. There is no way to rightly understand who Jesus is until one has seen Him suffer, die, and rise again.

The transfiguration of Jesus in view of His death and resurrection should enable us to accept the path of suffering as the way of true glory.  Here also we are given  the words of Jesus as He and His three followers return the truth that the prophecy of the return of Elijah (as seen in Malachi 4) is fulfilled in the appearance of John the Baptist (as explained in Matthew 17).  This vision is the visual proof to these chosen three (and to us) that all things are made full by the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord.

9:14-29

The Boy the Disciples Could Not Heal:

This story about a boy who suffers from seizures caused by an unclean spirit appears in each of the first three gospels. It speaks of powerless disciples and suggests two channels for tapping into the power of God. In each of the first three gospels this story immediately follows the story of the transfiguration., The glory of the Master is in contrast to the lack of power and faith of His chosen followers. In healing the boy, Jesus rebukes not only the unclean spirit (verse 25) but also the disciples who should have been able to bring the cure but clearly could not (verses 19 & 28). Here Jesus offers His words on the cause and the cure of powerlessness.

In verse 14 it is clear that while Jesus and three disciples were on the mountain, the scribes had been arguing with the remaining disciples about their inability to heal this boy. The disciples are being made to look very bad in the eyes of the crowd. The miracle needed is an exorcism and the boy's affliction seems to be a deaf and dumb spirit. The symptoms described here seem close to what we now call epilepsy. But there is a spirit involved and we see in verse 25 that it is subject to the power of Jesus.

Two stories are seen here. One in verses 14-19 contrast the faithlessness and impotence of the disciples to the power and authority of the Lord. The other one shows the compassion of the response of Jesus even to the unbelieving faith of the boy's father. This story is about faith and lack of faith. By accusing His own disciples of faithlessness, Jesus indicates the cause of it. He says the failure to heal is because of their unbelief. He contrasts the father's attitude, which while imperfect is subject to growth. The doubt of the father is seen in his first words to Jesus of “...if you can...”. The reply of the Lord is powerful and strong, and He teaches the father that “... all things are possible to him who believes...”.  This is a direct challenge to the father's lack of faith.

First, these words include the faith of Jesus because He firmly believes in the power of God to heal the boy, and because of that the healing is possible and the father is invited to believe that this is so. Second, these words allow the father's potential for growing faith to be shown. Third, the words of Jesus carry the father's heart to more general faith as Jesus does not mention faith only in this healing alone. Nowhere in Mark does Jesus explicitly invite faith in Himself. Yet here, the appeal to believe in Him is here implicitly stated.

The father's reply gives us insight into the nature of faith: “I believe, help my unbelief”. The statement is not actually contradictory. He has shown initial faithful hope in bringing the boy to Jesus and has made a desperate plea for help in verse 22, yet also brings his doubt forward by his words, “if you can”. He shows both unbelief and faith in one conversation and here is the lesson for us. He asks for help for his tormented son as well as for his own feeble faith. Jesus answers the plea by healing the boy and giving both kinds of help requested.

The body of the story is about faith but the conclusion is about prayer. Prayer in Mark is not a manipulation of God to get our way but is a communing with God to submit our will to His. Jesus also teaches that fasting is a helpful doorway to overcome our own lack of faith and power.

9:30-50

Prediction:

What does it mean to follow Jesus?

This is the last scene in Galilee according to Mark. Galilee as mentioned here is a symbol for the place from which Jesus calls people to follow Him (as seen in 1:16-20) and the place to which He asks them to meet Him after he arose (14:28 & 16:7). His prediction here in these verses is wide ranging as to what must happen in the later days of the earthly life of the Lord. The disciples did not understand the words of Jesus about death and resurrection and they were afraid to ask Him to explain. This must truly have been a hard teaching to grasp for it seemed contrary to all they hoped for their ministry.

Rather than the disciples asking Jesus for an explanation, He asks them what they have been discussing among themselves as they followed Him. The group is struck with embarrassment for they recognize the distance between their desire for greatness and the teaching of Jesus of denial of self. They have been talking about who among them is the greatest and in this moment their following of Jesus is outward only. The Lord's idea of greatness is far different from theirs. He uses an acted out parable of a child among them to make His point.

Now John interrupts the teaching to mention a man who is casting out devils in the name of Jesus but who is not a member of their group. Jesus commands that they not forbid the work and the point here seems to be that the issue is not that the man was not following Jesus but that he was not following the twelve. The teaching is that true followers do not have to belong to some special group to act properly in His name.

Jesus now warns of becoming a cause of sin to others. The language is harsh as he teaches about hands and feet and eyes any of which can be indicators of sin and must be removed. “Cut it off” is not a command to be taken literally but to be taken seriously. The value of entering the kingdom of God makes every other value expendable. Disciples whose lives are not examples of lowly service or by caring and love for others are like salt which has lost its flavor. Jesus measures greatness not by success in worldly things but by service.

As we read these words today, we see them from a far different perspective and it helps us to remember that the disciples felt clearly the bite and sharpness of this teaching. They saw Jesus live out this important teaching in all He did and they got His point which was directed at their own lives but still they did not yet fully understand its full meaning. Understanding would come later.

Mark - Chapter 10

10:1-16

Teaching on Marriage and Children:

The form of this passage is controversy between Jesus and His adversaries. The opponents to Jesus here are the Pharisees. The question about marriage was apparently a strong issue in these days. The text states that the Pharisees put the question to Jesus not to learn from Him, but to put Him to the test. Twice they speak about what is “lawful” or “allowed”. Jesus speaks twice about what is “commanded”. Jesus is concerned about the will of God while His adversaries care only about their own rights and how much they can get away with.

What His adversaries design as a trap, Jesus seizes upon as an occasion to teach God's will. He says that Moses wrote the divorce law “for your hardness of heart”. The expression used by Moses in Deut. 10:16, where in the original Hebrew language speaks of “uncircumcision of heart”, to refer to the stubbornness of the chosen people. The teaching here also recognizes that the divine purpose of marriage is not always achieved. The word of the Lord in response to this question is clear and shows no compromise. If remarriage follows divorce, it is an act of adultery against the abandoned first partner, and therefore would require confession, repentance, and prayer for forgiveness.

The gospel material on Jesus and children appears in few places, Luke 9 & Matthew 18, and here in Mark in teaching to the disciples. Only in Mark is Jesus seen to be indignant with His disciples for hindering the approach of children to Him. Also, only in Mark do we see that Jesus blesses the children. The setting involves people bringing children for Jesus to touch and the disciples seem to rebuke them. Jesus, in turn, rebukes the disciples. Verse 16 is the conclusion, showing that Jesus finds joy in gathering and blessing children and is a warm reminder that He also blesses those of us who may be children in faith. The text in the first three gospels all speak for marriage and fidelity as the will of God, and all speak against divorce and legalism.

10:17-31

Teaching on Riches:

This story of the encounter of Jesus with one who is known as the “rich young ruler” speaks to a world of “haves” and “have-nots”. It teaches of the struggle of those who have possessions to keep them and of those who lack possessions and try to get them. The word of the Lord cuts deep into such a world in an unexpected way. He expresses no outrage and no rebuke. Rather, He feels love for the man who loves his possessions. In love, Jesus calls him, and in calling him, makes a radical demand. Only Matthew says the man was young and only Luke says he was a ruler. All three gospels say he was rich. The point of the story is the relationship to riches.

The rich man's concern is to “inherit eternal life”. Jesus' first reply is surprising. He challenges the man's unusual form of address toward Him as “good teacher”. Jesus says none are good but God alone. The second reply of Jesus is more profound. It consists of five commands which fall on the ears of the man as hammer blows. The commands are: go, sell, give, come, follow. These are also framed around the  treasure to be found in heaven. Jesus comments that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom, teaching that with men it is not possible, but with God, all things are possible.

Entrance to the kingdom of God, or eternal life (salvation) is far from being easy, and it demands our best obedience and all we have. Yet, all we can do by ourselves, is not enough to achieve the life we seek, Such life eternal and wholeness in God, is possible only for God, and we can receive it only through His grace as a gift.

The rich man's reaction to the commands of Jesus was shock, gloom, and sorrow, and the reaction of the disciples was first amazement and then astonishment.

Peter (as was his way) speaks for all the disciples, seeking assurance to them that those who have answered the call of Jesus and have given up much will find reward. Jesus does not rebuke their insecurity or pride, but addresses it with His eternal promise of great rewards for those who have given of themselves to follow Him. He reveals a “hundredfold” granting of all that had been given up to those faithful ones who open their hearts and accept and follow.

Jesus looks intently at us and quietly teaches us that life is to be gained not by accumulating things but by our removing them as our primary focus of our existence here.

10:32-45

Prediction:

Jesus and His disciples are on the road to Jerusalem. Jesus is walking ahead knowing where He is going and what awaits Him there, suffering, death, and resurrection. He is determined. The disciples seem to be filled with amazement and fear. There is continued misunderstanding of His suffering to come as well as their own.

 Jesus had set a child before them as a model of trust. Now, instead of following Jesus in childlike trust and lowliness, James and John use a childish strategy to try and manipulate Jesus to their own advantage. James and John are still in fantasy about the coming glory and they scheme for positions of privilege. Even though the request is inappropriate, Jesus does not rebuke them. He invites them to become more like Him.

If Jesus was a servant, how much more should His disciples be servants also?

Although the disciples are depicted here as slow learners, ambitious, and selfish, they do indeed continue to follow Him. Their relationship to Him is imperfect but is also unbroken thus far. Here is our lesson for us today as we see in this example both what we are and what we can become. To be great in His eyes we must first become humble and serve. This was the message to the rich young ruler, to His disciples, and still to us in our own time.

10:46-52

Healing Blind Bartimaeus:

The restoration of sight to this blind beggar is the last healing story in the writing of Mark. The story includes a problem (blindness in verses 46-51), a solution (the word of Jesus that “thy faith hath made thee whole”), and evidence of cure (receiving sight and following Jesus). Bartimaeus offers us a vivid case study of faith. His crying out to Jesus, even with his likely imperfect understanding of who Jesus truly is, his persistent refusal to be silenced, his bold and eager response to the call of Jesus, and his clear focus on the one thing he wanted more than anything else, all together with his anticipation that Jesus could and would grant it, are the attitudes and actions that Jesus calls faith. That his faith was genuine is seen by his desire to follow Jesus after he was healed.

This lesson is a living example of the Old Testament foretelling of it in Jeremiah 31 where the Lord promises to gather His people from the far parts of the earth and that “... among them are the blind and the lame...”. Now the new covenant is open not only to Israel and Judea but also to all who knowing their blindness, want to see, and to all who, seeing Jesus, follow Him on the way.

Mark - Chapter 11

11:1-11

The Entry Into Jerusalem:

John provides the only account of this entry in which palm branches are laid before Jesus as he enters the Holy city. Mark makes no mention of this fact on which Christians celebrate as “Palm Sunday”.  Mark simply brings to our attention that Jesus and His disciples are now drawing near to Jerusalem. Here is a preview of the setting at the Mount of Olives where Zechariah 14:4 foretells that the Lord would appear at that place on what the prophet calls “that day” on His second coming.

Jesus tells the disciples that a colt is needed for a sacred purpose, which seems to be a filling of several OT passages as well as Zechariah 9:9 which tells of a messianic king to come in that way. The main point of this portion of the story is that Jesus took the initiative to arrange every step of the preparation to assure it fit within the plan foretold. Mark shows us an entry into the city that is according to scripture but also is one where His disciples have not yet understood His destiny as Son of Man. For Jesus, it is an entry into suffering and death and in Mark's writing He seems to make no response to a royal entry into the city gate. His disciples are right to hold hope that He is the Messiah, but the kingdom He brings is both other and more than they can possibly imagine at this point.

11:12-26

The Temple and the Fig Tree:

The story of the cleansing of the Temple appears in all four gospels, with the fig tree story appearing in two. In Mark these two are woven together to bring added meaning to each. This story comes just after the entry into the city and it introduces the theme of conflict that will remain for the entire week in Jerusalem.

The fig tree is a symbol for Israel noting the Temple and its leaders. Both the Temple and the tree appear to be thriving but neither is bearing the desired fruit and both are condemned by Jesus. The first part of this story is directed against a sterile religion and the last part is directed to His disciples to instruct them further on faith, prayer, and forgiveness. 

Jesus attacks the use of the place of prayer for commercial purposes.

He does not attack the Temple itself, but the Temple leaders understand His attack is on their way of running it, their leadership and teaching. They have established a temple currency in which money changers overcharge those who need to purchase animals for sacrifice and the overcharge is seen as profit to the Temple leaders. There is corruption and poor spiritual leadership at the root of the Temple worship. The leaders react to the words and actions of Jesus with fearful anger and intend to destroy Him. But the crowd around Jesus is astonished at His teaching.

In our own time, this same story may be seen in the spiritual barren way that certain mega churches seem to dwell on profit rather than the truth of the Word and its primary purpose.  But the Lord teaches in this story His disciples to believe, pray, and to forgive which is as valid for us today as it was the day Jesus taught it. The power of God that withered a fig tree can also bring new life to a church and its leaders, even if they seem to be dry from the roots up as was the case in the Temple. Our text here calls for us to believe that and to pray for it in faith.

11:27-33

The Question About Authority:

Now comes a question about Jesus Himself:

By what authority are you doing these things?

The question posed to Jesus by the Temple leaders brings Him to return a question instead of giving them a direct answer. He asks them if the baptism by John was of God or of man? Their verbal trap is reversed on them by the Lord. If they say it was of God, then why did they not believe it and embrace it? If they say of man will the people see Jesus as the man John was foretelling and that John was indeed a prophet. So they decide not to answer Jesus and therefore He responds that he will not answer them.

If those who are rejecting Jesus did not recognize John, what good would it do to give them another testimony? The entrance to the kingdom is by faith and  the Jesus we see in Mark continually teaches of faith. This story is also our story. Jesus says to those without faith that he will not answer and he moves onward to the week of His suffering, the week of His cross, His tomb, and His rising. His silence to those without faith is more eloquent than any answer they demand. It is by His actions that He expresses His authority over all lives. Each of us must decide to accept His authority by faith, for without faith He provides no answers.

Mark - Chapter 12

12:1-12

Parable of the Wicked Tenants:

This passage is closely linked to the preceding story in 11:27-33 in which the question of authority is put to Jesus by a hostile group of chief priests, scribes,and elders. Now Jesus takes the offensive against them. He acknowledges their authority but charges them with abuse of it and warns them that as a result their authority will be stripped from them and given to others. (This teaching was a similar retelling of the OT story of Ezekiel 34).

The characters of the parable are:

• Owner of the vineyard - God

• Vineyard - Israel

• Tenants - Religious Leaders

• Servants - Prophets

• Son - Jesus

The story unfolds in four stages:

In the first stage the tenants rebel against the owner by rejecting, beating, and killing a series of servants sent to gain some fruit of the vineyard.

The second stage depicts God's initiative of grace in Jesus Christ. It is not the normal response to a rebellion, nor is it the normally expected action of a property owner who has been wronged.

The third stage shows the rejection of God's grace in Jesus Christ by Israel's leaders. The reasoning of the tenants about gaining the inheritance by killing the Son is less logical than the first stage action by them.

The fourth stage tells of God's rejection of Israel's leaders and of God's giving the vineyard to others. Israel (the vineyard) is not rejected in this story but it's leaders are.

The positive thrust of the parable is to call religious leaders and all Christians away from their behavior as wicked tenants to that of good stewards.

12:13-17

Paying Taxes to Caesar:

Pharisees (whose name means “separated ones”) were a party within Judaism known for their strict observance of the law and they also insisted in the same strict observance of the oral traditions of the Temple. They pose a question to Jesus concerning the paying of taxes to Caesar, “Is is lawful?”. The issue is whether or not one ought to obey a law imposed by an army or government of occupation. Jesus asks for a coin which would be a Roman coin for that is the currency of the land at that time. The picture on it was of Caesar and Jesus instructs to give to Caesar the things that are his and to give to God those things that are His.

The object lesson was to use an everyday item to teach a lesson of life. While we owe some duty to the state (even to an oppressive one), our primary loyalty is to be to God.

12:18-27

Question About the Resurrection:

The opponents in this story are the Sadducees, an aristocratic group of priestly families from whom the high priest of the Temple was normally chosen. They accepted as scriptural authority only the first five books (known as the Books of Moses) and did not view the writings of prophets or other books as scripture. They also rejected the entire area of oral law. Further they did not believe in either angels or in any resurrection.

The pose a question to Jesus about a woman who was childless, and who became a widow, then marrying her husband's brothers one by one as each also died while she always remained childless. The question was “... in the resurrection whose wife will she be...”? They knew the OT (first five books) very well. They knew that Exodus 3:6 teaches that God is God of the living, not the dead. So in one sentence Jesus corrects both their strongly held, but false, beliefs, and teaches that in the next life none are given in marriage but are likened to the angels. 

12:28-34

The Great Commandment:

Jesus is asked which of the commandments is most important of all. He replies by combining Deut. 6:4-5 & Lev. 19:18. Only the writing by Mark contains His inclusion of the daily confession of all Jews, known as the Shema, prayed morning and evening from Deut. 6. The answer given by Jesus to the scribe establishes love as the greatest command. He says we are to love God with all our being, and to love our neighbor as ourself. His challenge reply is disturbing because none of us measures up to His standard of love. Only as we see the gift of His life and how He loved us to give Himself for us in His obedience to His father, can we begin to understand this teaching.

12:35-44

Scribes and Widows:

Jesus is now teaching a crowd at the Temple. On the home ground of the scribes, He challenges their understanding of the Messiah as found in scripture. All Jews believed the Messiah would be a son of David. Jesus points out that David calls one of his own descendants his Lord (Psalm 110) and Jesus is asking these learned men how can the Messiah be a son to David as well as his Lord? The crowd He taught heard Him gladly but Jesus then warns them to beware of scribes who pretend to know much but actually know very little about the plan of God, and who devour the houses of widows. Jesus then provides one of His greatest teachings on hell, stating that these false ones will receive “greater damnation” showing there is greater punishment for those who commit greater sin. Next Jesus continues when a poor widow came to make an offering and gave two mites, a small amount but all she had. Jesus said that in the eyes of God, she had given more than all others who gave more in money but not in faith.

Mark - Chapter 13

13:1-37

The Temple and the End Times:

The thirteenth chapter of Mark is a happy hunting ground for those who are fascinated by the end of the world, those who may be more interested in the next world than this one. This chapter displays several characteristics of end times thought. The symbols of the chapter are taken from passages in the OT, especially from Daniel, which is quoted three times (verses 14, 19, & 26). Mark also draws similar thoughts from II Thessalonians 2 and we see passages in Revelation that bear on the same topic.

The setting of the story is the prediction by Jesus of the destruction of the Temple in response to the admiration by His disciples of the beauty of the building. Here we see the end of the Jerusalem ministry and the final disqualification of the Temple as the focal point of the kingdom of God.

Andrew is now seen among the inner three disciples (Peter/James/John) and now Jesus adds a one word command to the original command He had given of “follow”. Now he says “watch”. These four are much in question of the Lord as to when the destruction predicted will occur and what will be the signs of the coming event. The teaching starts at verse 5 and falls into two major sections. Verses 

5-23 are a series of three warnings against deceptive signs of the end times, the appearance of deceivers, wars, and natural calamities, plus the persecution of the disciples, plus the appearance of sacrilege of desolation with false Christs evident. But the main point is that the end is not yet.

The second major section of the teaching is begun with the phrase of “those days after that tribulation” and this section also includes three parts: the coming of the Son of Man (24-27) with the need to watch, the fig tree (28-31), and the absent master (32-36) and another concluding word of “watch” (37). The phrases in verses 

24-27 are borrowed from the OT (Joel 2:10 & Isaiah 13:10 & 34:4 & Daniel 7:13 & Deut. 30:3 & Zech 2:10). The main point is that the end is in fact coming when the Son of Man comes. The event is certain (verses 30-31) but the timing is not (verse 32). The proper stance for the disciples is therefore to watch. This proper stance still exists for each of us still today.

This is the farewell message to His disciples. The central thought of His last will and testament here is to be alert and to watch for His coming. This chapter therefore provides urgency for the mission to spread the gospel message.

We know now that the destruction of the Temple (by the Romans in 70 A.D.) was not the last sign of His coming but rather was a major turning point in Jewish and Christian history. From then on, for Christians, the coming of the Son of Man in glory replaces the Temple as the focus of hope for the arrival of the kingdom.

The parable of the fig tree with its sayings in verses 28-31 is designed to underscore hope in His coming with His solemn assurance that the event is certain. The parable of the absent master with its sayings in verses 32-36 makes the point that the time of the coming of the Son of Man is unknown to all but the Father so our hope must be alert and cautious and remain true to our faith in His plan.

To Christians who face troubles, just as to those who faced the destruction of their nation and its Holy Temple, God's word here has several thoughts:

ENDURE, BE FAITHFUL FOR HIS WORD IS SURE AND TRUE.

WATCH, FOR HE IS COMING AGAIN.

Mark - Chapter 14

14:1-11

Preparations for the Death of Jesus:

This passage leads readers on this side of the cross to think about their own response to God's costly gift.

The plot of the priests and scribes displays the growing conflict that began in chapter two. Judas is presented clearly as one of the twelve in verse 10. The verb “betray” is used about him twice in verses 10 & 11. The opponents of Jesus needed the failed disciple to accomplish their purpose, not to identify Jesus who was widely known, but to arrange His arrest quietly and with little notice. The behavior of both was surely horrid. 

The first setting is the house of Simon, a former leper. The woman who anoints the head of Jesus is not identified. She is anonymous bringing an alabaster jar of nard, an ointment of pungent perfume. Such a luxury was expensive, said to be worth as much as the annual wage of a worker. The observers contrast the use of the ointment on Jesus with giving the value of the gift to the poor. The beauty of her gesture is due to the particular situation seen in which Jesus is about to die. Her act is beautiful because she gave the best she had to Him who was soon to give His life for her.

14:12-26

The Last Supper:

In Mark's account of this frequently preached scene, things come together and things fall apart. The themes of communion, passion (suffering), atonement, covenant, and return all come together. At this same moment Jesus's predicts His betrayal, and from this point forward He will experience growing abandonment and isolation. The passage provides three smaller units, the preparation for the Passover (12-16), prediction of betrayal (17-21), and the covenant meal (22-25). These three prepare us for the scene of the arrest of Jesus coming shortly, but it also prepares the disciples for the shattering discovery of their own faithfulness showing them all failing. The supper was to prepare the disciples for their lives without Jesus.

Nothing is out of place within the scene. All that occurs is by divine appointment along with careful preparation of the moment.

Verse 17 marks a shift in time and place. Action is focused upon the disciples as they begin their day with the Passover meal. By the time the Sabbath begins at sundown, twenty four hours later, the death of Jesus will be a reality. We see three forms of failure here, betrayal, denial, and the falling away of all. In Mark's scene, Judas completes the supper with the others. 

If it was the plan of God for Jesus to be betrayed why do we see the blame fall on the betrayer? This question has troubled truth seekers for 2,000 years. The text teaches that He would be betrayed by one of the twelve but it does not state that God made him commit the act. We seem to have our strongest scriptural clue as to the choice of Judas for this betrayal in John 13:26-27:

“... And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot … and after the sop Satan entered into him...”.

(John 10:28 + John 17:12)

At the Last Supper, there is blessing and giving thanks. It is not yet known by the disciples that the greatest blessing will come from Jesus gifting His life and he allows the clue of that great gift when he says “... Take, this is my body … this is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many...”. This new covenant is exactly the one described by the Lord's prophet Jeremiah in chapter 31 of his book in the OT. The next statement allows us to see a small glimpse into the coming kingdom when Jesus says he will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until He does so in the new kingdom. A passage that began by preparing the disciples for the death of Jesus ends by pointing them to the glory of His coming kingdom.

14:27-52

The Arrest:

Jesus and His disciples have left the upper room and are now on the Mount of Olives. Three events will take place before they return to the city:

• A prediction of abandonment and Peter's denial (27-31)

• The struggle in Gethsemane (32-42)

• The Arrest (43-52)

Jesus tells His chosen ones that they will all fall away (they all do). He struggles inside the garden with the contention of His own will against the will of His Father who had sent Him here for this very hour.  The arrest brings truth to the fleeing of His disciples and clearly shows His betrayal. Verse 34 warns again that His own followers should watch. This warning stretches down through the centuries to us today. The command is the same for each of us. He is arrested by a mob led by Judas.

The agony in the garden clearly teaches us what this event costs God to arrange as well as a great lesson of the obedience needed to the will of the Father so that the event planned from the foundation of the world should be accomplished.

14:55-65

The Trial:

The trial of Jesus turns upon two charges. First, he had said he would destroy the Temple and in three days rebuild it not made with human hands". Second, He had claimed to be the son of God. What is so crucial here is that both charges are true. He was the Son and His sacrifice forever made Him the Temple of God, no longer to be a building of stone. When Jesus is directly asked by the priest “Art thou the Christ?”, He answers clearly “I am...” The mocking and abuse of Him fulfills the prophecy of such things seen in chapter 10, and at that very moment outside Peter is denying three times that he is with Jesus. The cock crows in verse 68, and Peter remembers the words of Jesus and he wept at his own faithlessness.

The good news for us in this sad moment for Peter is that our salvation is not based upon our consistency after we are converted. We all fall short and some fall short many times. Our salvation is not based upon our poor performance but on the faithfulness of God, who never leaves or forsakes us once we are His. He redeems even those who deny Him and allows us to remain a part of the body of His Son, and brings His strength to prevail over our weaknesses, and remakes us as pure again and again as we humbly confess.

Mark - Chapter 15

15:1-20

Jesus before Pilate:

Jesus' trial before Pilate takes the same path as His trial before the Jewish Temple leaders, interrogation, condemnation, and mocking. This passage draws our attention to the responsibility of both religious and civil authorities for the death of Jesus. He is rejected first by Jerusalem (the Jews) and by Rome (the Gentiles).  This passage also adds a third party which was the crowd. There were no spectators. All present were participants.

The central section of the beginning of this story contains both the interrogation and the condemnation. Pilate immediately asked Jesus if he was the King of the Jews. All four gospels quote this question. Pilate wants to know if Jesus is a revolutionary challenger to the authority of Rome. His prime directive in his rule is to keep order and this is his initial concern. The chief priests accuse Jesus of many things and Pilate quickly notes there are many charges against Jesus. The silence of Jesus is a concern to Pilate. It makes sense to look at the verse in John (19:10-11) that covers this moment:

“Then sayeth Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?

Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.”

Just as we saw in Mark 12:40 where Jesus warns of “greater damnation”, here He specifically teaches us there are some sins that are greater than others, and some damnation that exceeds others due to greater sin.

The condemnation has an added plot twist as Pilate, who says Jesus has done no evil, tries to release Him by offering, as was tradition, to release one prisoner. He likely felt the people would ask for Jesus to be freed. Instead the Temple masters had the people to choose a murderer, Barabbas, instead. When Pilate asked what was to be done with Jesus, the people cried out “crucify him”. It is important that Pilate found Jesus to be innocent. Only by the sacrifice of innocent blood can sin be atoned so the only divine blood of innocence was used to atone for the sin of all. Pilate avoided disorder by setting free Barabbas and turning Jesus over to be scourged and crucified. Pilate knew the truth and said in verse 10 that it was out of envy the chief priests offered Him up. In Acts 3 Peter reminds the people that Pilate wished to release Jesus but the people themselves were responsible for the death of the Holy and Righteous One.

In this drama rival authorities contend to keep and secure their power. The Temple masters have religious power which they exercise by manipulating a Roman governor and the crowd gathered there. Pilate has civil authority but will not act on his own judgment because he fears the crowd will turn into a mob of disorder. The crowd wants blood and gains it.

The one quiet figure in the middle of all this confusion is Jesus. He does not claim His own ultimate authority. In this one quiet figure we, like Mark, find the real power in the one who gives His life for us, and also for those who abuse him so badly. He begs forgiveness for those who do this cruel deed. 

Jesus actually exercises the ultimate authority in this story as He bends His own will to the will of His father and lays down His life to accomplish the eternal plan. In Jesus, God identifies with the unjustly accused and the wretched of the earth. The freeing of the guilty Barabbas by the death of innocence in Jesus foretells the freeing of every sinner from then onward from the penalty rightly due . Jesus exercises His authority through what appeared to be weakness but was actually the greatest of all authority as seen through His act of eternal love.

Mark - Chapter 16

16:1-5

The Resurrection:

The women followers come to the tomb and discover it is empty and meet there a special messenger. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bring spices to the tomb, which would be done to offset and shield the odor of decomposition of the body, which was Jewish tradition. They worry who will roll away the stone from the tomb to allow their entry. They took this task when the Sabbath was past, meaning Saturday night had ended and it was early on the first day of the Jewish week, Sunday.

The stone was not rolled away to let Jesus out. We know from later accounts that in His risen body Jesus passed through walls and doors (John 20:19). The tomb was opened to show all that he had risen from the dead. The women see an angel in the likeness of human form who gives them a contrasting picture between what Jesus was and what he now is. He has been raised from the dead. We have several accounts of humans being returned from death, such as Lazarus and the widow's son raised by Elijah but all who were returned were brought back in the same body they had before death. In Jesus we see true resurrection, which is not just living again, but is living again in a new body, one prepared and ready for eternity, never to die again. The angel tells the women to look at the place where they laid Him. So now the testimony of an angel had added to it the proof of sight to these witnesses that he was truly gone.

Romans 1:4 teaches us now Jesus was the Son of God with power. 1st Thessalonians 4:14 teaches us the promise that we also will return with Him as He became after resurrection. We shall be like Him.

16:7-8

The Message:

The angel says to the women go and tell His disciples and Peter that He has gone into Galilee where you will see Him just as he said to you. What Jesus promises He delivers. The women leave being filled with trembling and amazement. The actual Greek word here is ecstasy. They said nothing among themselves but did report back to the disciples (Mark 16:11 & Luke 24:9).

16:9-20

The End of Mark:

In many early editions of scripture the last 12 verses of Mark did not exist. There remains debate as to whether these verses are proper to be included. 

The two oldest Greek manuscripts existing (dated 325 A.D. & 340 A. D) do not include these verses. Other versions dated after these two show the verses with an asterisk (*) next to them to indicate they were added. Many modern scholars seem to argue that these verses were not in the original writing.

However, more than a few early writers accepted the verses are part of the gospel:

• Papias (wrote in 100 A.D.) quoted Mark 16:18.

• Justin Martyr (wrote in 151 A.D.) quoted Mark 16:20.

• Ireneaus (wrote in 180 A.D.) quoted Mark 16:13.

• Acts of Pilate (written 200 A.D.) contains Mark 16:15-18.

In verses 9-11 we see Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene (out of whom he had cast seven devils) but when she reported the rising to His disciples they did not believe. We cannot fail to note that Jesus considered her a reliable witness while His chosen ones showed their lack of faith even though He had told them it would happen. 

In verses 12-13  we see Jesus appear to two men walking along the road to Emmaus and when they told His disciples, they did not believe them either.

(Luke 24 allows much greater detail and wisdom on this meeting).

In verses 14-18 Jesus appears to the eleven and rebukes them for their hardness of heart and unbelief. They could have and should have done better and they could not escape their own accountability for the failure of their hearts.

Here is a great lesson for us. Unbelief is a high order sin. Hebrews 10:26 teaches us how serious this sin truly is as those who commit it make void His sacrifice that conquered all sin. John 3:19 views it as inexcusable. Galatians 3:23 teaches that the promise of the Lord is only given to those who believe. 

The command of the Great Commission now is given. Every follower is commanded to spread the word. Every follower cannot visit foreign mission fields but every follower can see within his own life many opportunities to share the good news of Jesus. This passage is not a suggestion but is a command. If we believe, we will show it by our obedience to this command. Jesus then gave His disciples His promise of power and protection as they obey His strong instruction.

In verses 19-20 Jesus ascends back to heaven from where He came. This view was important for the disciples to see with their own eyes, as it instilled confidence within them with a final truth that they themselves witnessed. They then began to go out and preach everywhere with the Lord working with them and confirming their words through signs.

These last words teach us that Jesus entrusted His eternal message of salvation to dense, hard hearted, and at times completely unbelieving messengers, who had failed Him and fled from Him in His time of suffering. The one who walked on water with Him denied he even knew Him. To those who the Lord rebukes for unbelief He says “... go … and preach...”. He does not wait for His church or His followers to become perfect. In the act of obedience our faith is born and thrives.      AMEN