Journey through the Book of Mark

The resurrection of Jesus is the central part of this message. We have a living Saviour who has conquered death and the grave. His victory is our victory. Let’s keep our eyes focused on Jesus.

There are two things Jesus says that are vital for us to know: the Scriptures and the power of God. But to have one without the other is dangerous.

During the years of His ministry, Jesus has largely avoided Judaea and its capital Jerusalem in particular. It’s here where His enemies are: the ones who are out to kill Him. So now, in His final week, right here in Jerusalem, He is walking on dangerous ground. Jesus is surrounded by those who hate Him, and by the traps they set. Here is one of those traps.

Jesus explained why He had cleansed the temple by saying: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have made it a den of robbers.” The church should be a welcoming place for everyone, where they can connect with God. We turn the church into a den of robbers when we push our own agendas instead of God’s. It’s all about the attitude of our hearts and that’s something to t...

To some people, what Jesus did in cursing the fig tree might seem petty and unreasonable. But Jesus did nothing out of spite or malice. Everything he did, he did for a purpose. Jesus was acting out what would happen to Jerusalem, for having the appearance of righteousness, but not its fruits: for rejecting him. Without Jesus, there can be no fruit. Fig trees exist to bear figs. We – you and I – ex...

Hosanna! Around 550 years earlier, the prophet Zechariah had prophesied: “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” By entering Jerusalem in this way, Jesus fulfilled this prophecy, and He fulfilled the people’s expectation of how the Messiah would enter Jerusalem...

“And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, `And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and...

“So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.” And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has mad...

“Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” So Jesus stood still and...

James and John have just come up to Jesus and asked Him to give them the leading positions in His kingdom. Jesus tells them that the notions of authority and hierarchy that we find everywhere in the world don’t apply in the kingdom of God. Instead, greatness is measured through humble, selfless, sacrificial service. What is He saying? He’s telling them that greatness is measured only in love.

What Jesus is telling His disciples is that the path to greatness in the kingdom of God is the path of suffering. But naively, they don’t understand. They assure Jesus that they can go through whatever Jesus himself goes through in order to get the promotions they’re after.

Jesus is no genie-in-a-bottle. You can’t just rub the religious lamp and ask Jesus to grant you whatever you wish for. It doesn’t work that way. He who knows the end from the beginning. He knows what we need even when we don’t. And He knows how to work in every situation, so that goodwill triumph in the end. Think about an unanswered prayer of yours. Could the reason be that you didn’t know what y...

“And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him, Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall de...

Jesus had just asked a rich man to leave everything he had and follow him. That’s why Peter says to Jesus, “We have left everything to follow you. ”Jesus’ answer is a powerful one. He assures the disciples that there will never be any loss in following him. He says that whatever apparent value anyone leaves behind to follow him will be repaid a hundred times in this present age. And then you shoul...

The issue for the disciples wasn’t so much that they were concerned about the salvation of others. They were worried for themselves. They had just seen a man who seemed to meet all the requirements for heaven, according to their religion, be turned away by Jesus. He kept the commandments, and he was rich. The way they understood it, to be rich meant that God approved of you, which is why he blesse...

Jesus has just asked a wealthy young man to sell everything he has, give it to the poor, and then come and follow him. Jesus loves this man, but the man has turned his back on Him and he’s returned sadly to his comfortable home. As Jesus and the disciples are watching in amazement, the man leaves, then Jesus says something even more amazing! “And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his discip...

“Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.” – Mark 10:21-22 Jesus wasn’t saying that in order to be saved that you have to sell everyt...

A man has just come running up to Jesus, and he’s fallen on his knees before Him. And what he’s said to Jesus is revealing. He’s said, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life.”It’s a good question, but it’s wrongly phrased. It contains some false assumptions – assumptions that we often make too – and Jesus is about to unpack them for him.“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No...

In our last episode, in welcoming the children, Jesus gave an important lesson in what God is like. In today’s episode, Jesus is going to give us an important lesson in how to be saved. As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”This seems to be a pretty straightforward question, doesn’t it?...

“And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therei...

“What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” – Mark 10:9 God intended that marriage to be forever. It was to be a lifelong union between one man and one woman in which the two would complement each other and would contribute to the well-being of each other. Now, to his disciples, Jesus reinforces the permanence of marriage.