Mark

Mark

Book Outhne

Key theme: Jesus Christ the Servant

Key verse:

I. The Presentation of the Servant ()

II. The Servant’s Ministry in Galilee ()

A. Period of popularity ()

B. Period of withdrawal ()

C. Period of completion ()

III. The Servant’s Journey to Jerusalem ()

IV. The Servant’s Ministry in Jerusalem ()

A. Public teaching and controversy ()

B. Private teaching and ministry ()

C. Arrest, trial, and crucifixion ()

D. Resurrection and ascension ()

Book Overview

Mark wasted no time giving the announcement of the purpose and theme of his gospel, for it is found in the opening words of his book. Matthew, who wrote primarily for the Jews, opened his book with a genealogy. After all, he had to prove to his readers that Jesus Christ is indeed the rightful Heir to David’s throne. Since Luke focused mainly on the sympathetic ministry of the Son of Man, he devoted the early chapters of his book to a record of the Savior’s birth. Luke emphasized Christ’s humanity, for he knew that his Greek readers would identify with the perfect Child who grew up to be the perfect Man. John’s gospel begins with a statement about eternity! Why? Because John wrote to prove to the whole world that Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the Son of God (). The subject of John’s gospel is the deity of Christ, but the object of his gospel is to encourage his readers to believe on this Savior and receive the gift of eternal life.

Where does Mark’s gospel fit in? Mark wrote for the Romans, which helps us understand his style and approach. The emphasis in this gospel is on activity. Mark describes Jesus as He moves from place to place and meets the physical and spiritual needs of all kinds of people. One of Mark’s favorite words is “immediately.” He uses it forty-one times. Mark does not record many of our Lord’s sermons, because his emphasis is on what Jesus did rather than what Jesus said. He reveals Jesus as God’s Servant, sent to minister to suffering people and to die for the sins of the world. Mark gives us no account of our Lord’s birth, nor does he record a genealogy, unnecessary in regard to a servant.

“Be Transformed”

The Gospels share a special quality as the accounts of eyewitnesses to the life of Jesus. Each of these collected accounts includes various people whose lives were transformed in one way or another by Jesus. Even those who conspired together to kill Jesus had their lives changed by their encounter with Him. When a hardened Roman soldier watched Jesus die, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!” (). Those who came to know and love Jesus experienced eternal transformation with radical changes in the way they lived their lives. One young man in the middle of the events during history’s greatest moment was John Mark. As the author of the book that bears his name, he is the first witness, even before many of the familiar names he mentions. He states boldly that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And his account unfolds rapidly, evidence of an eager, young storyteller who could hardly wait to get his news out.

Mark likely was an eyewitness of some of the events that he wrote about. Other descriptions he received firsthand from those who spent the most time with Jesus. He lived in Jerusalem with his mother, Mary, and their home was a meeting place for believers in the city (). Several scholars believe that Mark was the young man described in , . Since Peter called Mark “my son” (), it was probably Peter who led Mark to faith in Jesus Christ. Church tradition states that Mark was Peter’s interpreter, so that the gospel of Mark reflects the personal experiences and witness of Simon Peter. John Mark was also Barnabas’s cousin, and sometimes a traveling associate of the apostle Paul. John Mark grew up in the company of the central figures in the early church, and yet he had to actually grow up. If he was the young man who ran on the night of Jesus’ arrest, that characteristic squares with his decision to leave Barnabas and Paul during the first missionary journey when the going got tough (, ). But later, the existence of his gospel as well as mentions we find in the letters of Paul (see ; ; ) reveal his development into a reliable and appreciated member of the wider circle of early Christian leaders.

Transformation is most often experienced as painstaking growth in a Christian’s life. The process John Mark had to grow through is the same one God is using in your life.

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You.”

3“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.’ ”

5Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

6Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

7And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.

8“I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

John Baptizes Jesus

9It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

11Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Satan Tempts Jesus

13And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry

15and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Four Fishermen Called as Disciples

18They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

19When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.

20And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.

Jesus Casts Out an Unclean Spirit

22And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

23Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,

24saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

26And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.

27Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.”

28And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

Peter’s Mother-in-Law Healed

30But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once.

31So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.

Many Healed After Sabbath Sunset

33And the whole city was gathered together at the door.

34Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.

Preaching in Galilee

35Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

36And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him.

37When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.”

38But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.”

39And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.

Jesus Cleanses a Leper

41Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”

42As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.

43And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once,

45However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic

2Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them.

3Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men.

6And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,

7“Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

8But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts?

11“I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

12Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Matthew the Tax Collector

14As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.

16And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”

17When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting

20“But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.

21“No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse.

22“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

24And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

25But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:

26“how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?”

27And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

28“Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

Healing on the Sabbath

1And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand.

2So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.

3And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.”

6Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

A Great Multitude Follows Jesus

8and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him.

9So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him.

10For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him.

11And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, “You are the Son of God.”

12But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.

The Twelve Apostles

14Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach,

15and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:

17James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”;

18Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite;

19and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.

A House Divided Cannot Stand

20Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

21But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.”

22And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”

23So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan?

25“And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

26“And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.

27“No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.

The Unpardonable Sin

28“Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter;

30because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Send for Him

31Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.

32And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.”

33But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?”

34And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!

35“For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”

The Parable of the Sower

1And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.

6“But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.

9And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

The Purpose of Parables

10But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.

11And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables,

12“so that

‘Seeing they may see and not perceive,

And hearing they may hear and not understand;

Lest they should turn,

And their sins be forgiven them.’ ”

The Parable of the Sower Explained

13And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?

14“The sower sows the word.

15“And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.

16“These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

17“and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.

18“Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word,

19“and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

20“But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

Light Under a Basket

22“For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.

23“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

25“For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

The Parable of the Growing Seed

27“and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how.

28“For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.

29“But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

30Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?

31“It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth;

32“but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”

Jesus’ Use of Parables

33And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.

34But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.

Wind and Wave Obey Jesus

36Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him.

37And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling.

39Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

41And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

A Demon-Possessed Man Healed

2And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,

4because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him.

5And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.

7And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.”

8For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!”

9Then He asked him, “What is your name?” And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.”

10Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.

11Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains.

14So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened.

15Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid.

16And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.

17Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.

18And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him.

20And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

22And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet

23and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.”

24So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.

25Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years,

26and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.

27When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.

28For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

29Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.

30And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”

32And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.

33But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.

36As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”

37And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James.

38Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly.

39When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.”

40And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying.

41Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”

42Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement.

43But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

2And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!

4But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.”

Sending Out the Twelve

7And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.

8He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts—

9but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.

10Also He said to them, “In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.

11“And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”

12So they went out and preached that people should repent.

13And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

John the Baptist Beheaded

15Others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is the Prophet, or like one of the prophets.”

16But when Herod heard, he said, “This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!”

17For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her.

18Because John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

19Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not;

20for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

21Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.

22And when Herodias’ daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.”

23He also swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”

24So she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist!”

25Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

27Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison,

28brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.

29When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

Feeding the Five Thousand

31And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

32So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.

33But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him.

34And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.

35When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.

36“Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.”

37But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?”

38But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.”

39Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.

40So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.

41And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.

42So they all ate and were filled.

43And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.

44Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.

Jesus Walks on the Sea

46And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.

47Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.

48Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.

49And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out;

51Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.

52For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.

Many Touch Him and Are Made Well

53When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.

54And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him,

55ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.

56Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.

Defilement Comes from Within

2Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.

3For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.

4When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.

5Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”

‘This people honors Me with their lips,

But their heart is far from Me.

7And in vain they worship Me,

Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

8“For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”

9He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

10“For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’

11“But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God),

12“then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother,

13“making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

15“There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.

16“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”

18So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him,

19“because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?”

20And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.

21“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

22“thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.

23“All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

A Gentile Shows Her Faith

25For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet.

26The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.

27But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

28And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”

29Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”

30And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.

Jesus Heals a Deaf-Mute

32Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him.

33And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.

35Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.

36Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.

37And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

Feeding the Four Thousand

2“I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.

3“And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.”

4Then His disciples answered Him, “How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?”

5He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.”

6So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.

7They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them.

8So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments.

9Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away,

10immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

The Pharisees Seek a Sign

12But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.”

Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod

13And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.

16And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”

17But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened?

18“Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?

20“Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?” And they said, “Seven.”

21So He said to them, “How is it you do not understand?”

A Blind Man Healed at Bethsaida

23So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.

24And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.”

25Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.

26Then He sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.”

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ

28So they answered, “John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”

30Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection

32He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.

Take Up the Cross and Follow Him

36“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

37“Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

38“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

1And He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.”

Jesus Transfigured on the Mount

3His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.

4And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.

6because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.

8Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.

9Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

10So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.

11And they asked Him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

12Then He answered and told them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?

13“But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him.”

A Boy Is Healed

15Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.

16And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?”

17Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit.

18“And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”

19He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.”

20Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.

21So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.

22“And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

23Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

24Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

25When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!”

26Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.”

27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

28And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”

Jesus Again Predicts His Death and Resurrection

31For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.”

32But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

Who Is the Greatest?

33Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?”

34But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.

35And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”

36Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them,

Jesus Forbids Sectarianism

39But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.

40“For he who is not against us is on our side.

Jesus Warns of Offenses

42“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.

43“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—

44“where

‘Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.’

45“And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—

46“where

‘Their worm does not die

And the fire is not quenched.’

47And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire—

48“where

‘Their worm does not die,

And the fire is not quenched.’

Tasteless Salt Is Worthless

49“For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.

Marriage and Divorce

2The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him.

3And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?”

4They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.”

7‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,

8‘and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.

9“Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

10In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.

11So He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.

12“And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Jesus Blesses Little Children

14But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.

16And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler

18So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.

20And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”

21Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

22But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

With God All Things Are Possible

24And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!

25“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

26And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?”

27But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

28Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.”

29So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s,

30“who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.

31“But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Jesus a Third Time Predicts His Death and Resurrection

33“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles;

34“and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”

Greatness Is Serving

36And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

37They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.”

38But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

39They said to Him, “We are able.” So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized;

40“but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.”

41And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.

43“Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.

44“And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.

45“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

47And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

48Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49So 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.”

50And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus.

51So 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.”

52Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.

The Triumphal Entry

2and He said to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it.

3“And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and immediately he will send it here.”

4So they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it.

5But some of those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, loosing the colt?”

6And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go.

7Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it.

“Hosanna!

‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’

10Blessed is the kingdom of our father David

That comes in the name of the Lord!

Hosanna in the highest!”

11And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

The Fig Tree Withered

13And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

14In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

16And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.

18And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching.

19When evening had come, He went out of the city.

The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree

20Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

21And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

22So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.

23“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

24“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Forgiveness and Prayer

25“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.

26“But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Jesus’ Authority Questioned

28And they said to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?”

29But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:

30“The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.”

32“But if we say, ‘From men’ ”—they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.

33So they answered and said to Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers

3“And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

4“Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.

5“And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.

6“Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

7“But those vinedressers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’

8“So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.

9“Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.

‘The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone.

11This was the LORD’s doing,

And it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

12And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away.

The Pharisees: Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes to Caesar?

14When they had come, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?

15“Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it.”

16So they brought it. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”

17And Jesus answered and said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at Him.

The Sadducees: What About the Resurrection?

19“Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.

20“Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring.

21“And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring. And the third likewise.

22“So the seven had her and left no offspring. Last of all the woman died also.

23“Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For all seven had her as wife.”

24Jesus answered and said to them, “Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?

25“For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

26“But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?

27“He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken.”

The Scribes: Which Is the First Commandment of All?

29Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.

30‘And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

31“And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

33“And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Jesus: How Can David Call His Descendant Lord?

36“For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:

‘The LORD said to my Lord,

“Sit at My right hand,

Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’

37“Therefore David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; how is He then his Son?” And the common people heard Him gladly.

Beware of the Scribes

38Then He said to them in His teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces,

39“the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts,

40“who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

The Widow’s Two Mites

41Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much.

42Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.

43So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury;

44“for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”

Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple

2And Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age

4“Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”

5And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you.

6“For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many.

7“But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet.

8“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.

9“But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.

10“And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.

11“But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

12“Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.

13“And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

The Great Tribulation

14“So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

15“Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.

16“And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.

17“But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

18“And pray that your flight may not be in winter.

19“For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.

20“And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

21“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it.

22“For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

23“But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.

The Coming of the Son of Man

24“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;

25“the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

26“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

27“And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.

The Parable of the Fig Tree

29“So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near—at the doors!

30“Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.

31“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

No One Knows the Day or Hour

32“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

34“It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.

36“lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.

The Plot to Kill Jesus

1After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death.

2But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.”

The Anointing at Bethany

4But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted?

5“For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply.

7“For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always.

8“She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.

9“Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

10Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them.

11And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.

Jesus Celebrates the Passover with His Disciples

13And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him.

14“Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ’

15“Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us.”

19And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, “Is it I?” And another said, “Is it I?”

20He answered and said to them, “It is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish.

21“The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born.”

Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper

23Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

24And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.

25“Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

26And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

‘I will strike the Shepherd,

And the sheep will be scattered.’

28“But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.”

29Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.”

30Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”

31But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all said likewise.

The Prayer in the Garden

33And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed.

34Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.”

35He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.

37Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour?

38“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

39Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words.

40And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.

41Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

42“Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane

44Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely.”

45As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, “Rabbi, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

46Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him.

47And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

48Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me?

49“I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize Me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”

50Then they all forsook Him and fled.

A Young Man Flees Naked

52and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.

Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin

54But Peter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.

55Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none.

56For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.

57Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying,

58“We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’ ”

59But not even then did their testimony agree.

60And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, “Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?”

61But He kept silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”

62Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

63Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses?

64“You have heard the blasphemy! What do you think?” And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.

65Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to beat Him, and to say to Him, “Prophesy!” And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands.

Peter Denies Jesus, and Weeps

66Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came.

67And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.”

68But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.

69And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.”

70But he denied it again. And a little later those who stood by said to Peter again, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Galilean, and your speech shows it.”

71Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”

72A second time the rooster crowed. Then Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept.

Jesus Faces Pilate

2Then Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” He answered and said to him, “It is as you say.”

3And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.

4Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, “Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against You!”

5But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.

Taking the Place of Barabbas

7And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had committed murder in the rebellion.

8Then the multitude, crying aloud, began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them.

9But Pilate answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

10For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.

11But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them.

12Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”

13So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!”

14Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

17And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head,

18and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

19Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him.

20And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

The King on a Cross

23Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it.

24And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take.

26And the inscription of His accusation was written above:

THE KING OF THE JEWS.

27With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left.

28So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors.”

29And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days,

30“save Yourself, and come down from the cross!”

31Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save.

32“Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.

Jesus Dies on the Cross

34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

35Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, “Look, He is calling for Elijah!”

36Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.”

37And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.

38Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

39So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”

40There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome,

Jesus Buried in Joseph’s Tomb

43Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

44Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time.

45So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.

46Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.

47And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.

He Is Risen

1Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him.

2Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen.

3And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?”

4But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large.

5And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.

8So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Mary Magdalene Sees the Risen Lord

10She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.

11And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

Jesus Appears to Two Disciples

12After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.

13And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

The Great Commission

14Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

16“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

18“they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Christ Ascends to God’s Right Hand

20And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

Annotations for Mark

From the very beginning of his Gospel, Mark is a witness to the “Good News about Jesus the Messiah.” The word “gospel” means “good news.” To the Romans, Mark’s special target audience, “gospel” meant “joyful news about the emperor.” The “Good News about Jesus Christ” is that God’s Son has come into the world and died for our sins. It is the good news that our sins can be forgiven, that we can belong to the family of God and one day go to live with God in heaven. It is the announcement of victory over sin, death, and hell.

, The second witness is that of the prophets. Mark cites two quotations from the Old Testament prophets, and (see also ). The words “messenger” and “voice” refer to John the Baptist, the prophet God sent to prepare the way for his Son (; ; ). In ancient times, before a king visited any part of his realm, a messenger was sent before him to prepare the way. This included both repairing the roads and preparing the people. By calling the nation to repentance, John the Baptist prepared the way for the Lord Jesus Christ.

John the Baptist is the next witness. Jesus said that He was the greatest of the prophets (). In his dress, manner of life, and message of repentance, John identified with Elijah (; ).

, The Father and the Holy Spirit are Mark’s final witnesses to the identity of God’s Servant. When Jesus was baptized, the Spirit came on Him as a dove, and the Father spoke from heaven and identified His dearly loved Son. The people who were there did not hear the voice or see the dove, but Jesus and John did (see ). The word translated “beloved” not only declares affection, but it also carries the meaning of “the only one.” The Father’s announcement from heaven reminds us of and .

, In concise form, Mark presents us with two symbolic pictures. Our Lord’s forty days in the wilderness remind us of Israel’s forty years in the wilderness. Israel failed when they were tested, but our Lord succeeded victoriously. Having triumphed over the enemy, Jesus could now go forth and call a new people who would enter into their spiritual inheritance. Since the name “Jesus” is the Greek form of “Joshua,” we can see the parallel.

The first Adam was tested in a beautiful garden and failed, but Jesus was tempted in a dangerous wilderness and won the victory. Adam lost his “authority” over creation because of his sin (; ), but in Christ, that authority has been restored for all who trust Him (). Jesus was with the wild animals and they did not harm Him. He gave a demonstration of that future time of peace and righteousness, when the Lord shall return and establish His kingdom (; ).

Our Lord’s message was the “good news” of the “kingdom of God,” or “the gospel of God” as some texts read. No doubt most of the Jews read “political revolution” into the phrase “kingdom of God,” but that was not what Jesus had in mind at all. His kingdom has to do with His reign in the lives of His people; it is a spiritual realm and not a political organization. The only way to enter God’s kingdom is by believing the good news and being born again ().

, Jesus preached that people should repent (change their minds) and believe (see ). Repentance alone is not enough to save us, even though God expects believers to turn from their sins. We must also put positive faith in Jesus Christ and believe His promise of salvation. Repentance without faith could become remorse, and remorse can destroy people who carry a burden of guilt (see ; ).

This was not their call to faith and salvation; it was an initial call to discipleship. The fact that Zebedee had “hired servants” (v. ) suggests that his fishing business was successful and that he was a man of means. It also assures us that James and John did not mistreat their father when they heeded Christ’s call. With the help of his servants, Zebedee could still manage the business.

Jesus did not invent the term “fishers of men.” In that day, it was a common description of philosophers and other teachers who captured people’s minds through teaching and persuasion. They would “bait the hook” with their teachings and “catch” disciples. Probably as many as seven of our Lord’s disciples were fishermen (). Surely the good qualities of successful fishermen would make for success in the difficult ministry of winning lost souls: courage, the ability to work together, patience, energy, stamina, faith, and tenacity.

We expect a servant to be under authority and to take orders, but God’s Servant exercises authority and gives orders—even to demons—and His orders are obeyed. In this section, Mark describes scenes that reveal our Lord’s authority as the Servant of God.

, The synagogue was not a place of sacrifice—that was done at the temple—but of reading the Scriptures, praying, and worshiping God. The services were led, not by priests, but by laymen, and the ministry was supervised by a board of elders that was presided over by a “leader” (). Often visiting rabbis would be asked to read the Scriptures and teach, which explains why Jesus had such freedom to minister in the synagogues. The apostle Paul also took advantage of this privilege (; ; ).

“Be quiet!” is from the same word Jesus would use when stilling the storm (). The demon tried one last convulsive attack, but then had to submit to the authority of God’s Servant and come out of the man. The people in the synagogue were amazed and afraid. They realized that something new had appeared on the scene—a new doctrine and a new power. Our Lord’s words and works must always go together ().

The miracles of healing described in this section reveal the compassion of the Savior for those in need. In fact, so great was His love for the needy that the Savior ministered to great crowds of people after the Sabbath had ended, when it was lawful for them to come for help. It would appear that God’s Servant was at the beck and call of all kinds of people, including demoniacs and lepers, and He lovingly ministered to them all.

What was the result of the miracle of healing Peter’s mother-in-law? When the Sabbath ended at sundown, the whole city showed up at Peter’s door! They brought their sick and afflicted, and the Lord (who was no doubt weary) healed them all. The Greek verb indicates that they “kept on bringing” people to Him, so that He must have gone to sleep at a very late hour. Note in this verse the clear distinction made between the diseased and the demonized. While Satan can cause physical affliction, not all sickness is caused by demonic power.

Catalyst

We should learn some important lessons about service from the first chapter of Mark. To begin with, since the Son of God came as a Servant, we learn that being a servant is the highest of all callings. We are never more like the Lord Jesus than when we are serving others.

Second, we see that God shares His authority with His servants. Only those who are under authority have the right to exercise authority.

Finally, if we are going to be a servant, we see that we must have compassion, because people will come to us for help and rarely ask if it is convenient! Yet, what a privilege it is to follow in the steps of Jesus Christ and meet the needs of others by being one of God’s compassionate servants.

Go to the

Perhaps we can understand our Lord’s concern for a feverish woman, but that He would meet and touch a leper is somewhat beyond our understanding. Lepers were supposed to keep their distance and warn everyone that they were coming, lest others would be defiled (, ). This man knew that Jesus was able to heal him, but he was not sure the Master was willing to heal him. Lost sinners today have the same unnecessary concern, for God has made it abundantly clear that He is not willing that sinners perish () and that He is willing that all men be saved ().

The ceremony described in presents a beautiful picture in type of the work of redemption. The two birds represent two different aspects of our Lord’s ministry: His incarnation and death (the bird killed over a pot of water), and His resurrection and ascension (the bird stained with the blood and then set free). The blood of a male lamb was applied to the man’s right ear (God’s Word), right thumb (God’s work), and right big toe (God’s walk). Then the oil was put on the blood, symbolizing the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit cannot come on human flesh until first the blood has been applied.

Whether this event took place in Jesus’ own house or Peter’s house is not made clear. Since hospitality is one of the basic laws of the East, the people of Capernaum did not wait for an invitation but simply came to the house in droves. This meant that some of the truly needy people could not get close enough to Jesus to receive His help; however, four friends of a paralyzed man decided to lower their friend through the roof, trusting that Jesus would heal him, and Jesus did. This miracle of healing gave our Lord the opportunity to teach an important lesson about forgiveness.

The men were deeply concerned about their friend and wanted to see him helped. They had the faith to believe that Jesus could and would meet his need. They did not simply “pray about it,” but they put some feet to their prayers, and they did not permit the difficult circumstances to discourage them. They worked together and dared to do something different, and Jesus rewarded their efforts. How easy it would have been for them to say, “Well, there is no sense trying to get to Jesus today! Maybe we can come back tomorrow.”

Jesus saw the paralyzed man lying on his mat, and immediately Jesus went to the heart of the man’s problem—sin. Not all sickness is caused by sin (see ), but evidently this man’s condition was the result of his disobedience to God. Even before He healed the man’s body, Jesus spoke peace to the man’s heart and announced that his sins were forgiven! Forgiveness is the greatest miracle that Jesus ever performs. It meets the greatest need; it costs the greatest price; and it brings the greatest blessing and the most lasting results.

Obviously, saying, “Your sins are forgiven!” would seem to be easier than healing him, because nobody can prove whether or not the forgiveness has really taken place. So, to back up His words, Jesus immediately healed the man and sent him home. The healing of the man’s body was but an illustration and demonstration of the healing of his soul (). The scribes and Pharisees, of course, could neither heal the man nor forgive his sins, so they were caught in their own trap and condemned by their own thoughts.

Jesus affirmed His deity not only by forgiving the man’s sins and healing his body, but also by applying to Himself the title “Son of Man.” This title is used fourteen times in Mark’s Gospel, and twelve of these references are found after , when Peter confessed Jesus as the Messiah (, ; , ; , , ; , ; , ; , , ). It was definitely a messianic title (, ), and the Jews would have interpreted it that way. Jesus used this title about eighty times in the Gospels.

, It soon became evident that Jesus was deliberately associating Himself with the outcasts of Jewish society. He even called a tax collector to become one of His disciples! We do not know that Levi was a dishonest man, though most of the tax collectors were, but the fact that he worked for Herod Antipas and the Romans was enough to disgrace him among loyal Jews. However, when Jesus called him, Levi did not argue or delay. He got up and followed Jesus, even though he knew that Rome would never give him back his job.

Jesus did not consider Matthew’s friends “scum,” even though they had been excommunicated by the religious leaders. These people were patients who needed a physician, and Jesus was that Physician. We have already seen that sin may be compared to sickness and forgiveness to having your health restored. Now we see that our Savior may be compared to a physician: He comes to us in our need; He makes a perfect diagnosis; He provides a final and complete cure.

But there are three kinds of “patients” whom Jesus cannot heal of their sin sickness: (1) those who do not know about Him; (2) those who know about Him but refuse to trust Him; and (3) those who will not admit that they need Him. The scribes and Pharisees were in that third category, as are all self-righteous sinners today. Unless we admit that we are sinners, deserving of God’s judgment, we cannot be saved. Jesus saves only sinners ().

Catalyst

In Jesus teaches three important lessons about His ministry. First (vv. , ), He makes it clear that He has come to convert the sinners, not to compliment the self-righteous. Second (vv. ), He says that He has come to bring gladness, not sadness. The third lesson (vv. , ) is this: He came to introduce the new, not to patch up the old.

Salvation is not a partial patching up of one’s life; it is a whole new robe of righteousness (; ). The Christian life is not a mixing of the old and the new; rather, it is a fulfillment of the old in the new. There are two ways to destroy a thing: You can smash it, or you can permit it to fulfill itself. An acorn, for example, can be smashed with a hammer, or it can be planted and allowed to grow into an oak. In both instances, the destruction of the acorn is accomplished, but in the second instance, the acorn is “destroyed” by being fulfilled.

Jesus fulfilled the prophecies, types, and demands of the Law of Moses. The law was ended at Calvary when the perfect sacrifice was once offered for the sins of the world (). When you trust Jesus Christ, you become part of a new creation (), and there are always new experiences of grace and glory. How tragic when people hold on to dead religious tradition when they could lay hold of living spiritual truth. Why cherish the shadows, when the reality has come (.)? In Jesus Christ we have the fulfillment of all that God promised ().

Go to the

Thanks to the legalism imposed by the scribes and Pharisees, the Jewish religion had become a burdensome thing. The poor people were weighed down by rules and regulations that were impossible to obey (). Today people often equate Christianity with legalism and lifelessness. But if we are introducing people to Jesus, they are discovering the One who is the Author of life. He will set them free!

, The Jews knew that marriage was one of the pictures used in the Old Testament to help explain Israel’s relationship to the Lord. They had been “married to Jehovah” and they belonged only to Him (; ). When the nation turned to foreign gods, as they often did, they committed “spiritual adultery.” They were unfaithful to their Husband, and they had to be disciplined. The major theme of Hosea is God’s love for His adulterous wife and His desire to restore the nation to his favor once again.

Salvation from sin involves much more than a person knowing about Christ, or even having “good feelings” toward Christ. Salvation comes when the sinner commits himself or herself to Jesus Christ and says, “I do!” Then the believer immediately enters into the joys of this spiritual marriage relationship: bearing His name, sharing His wealth and power, enjoying His love and protection, and one day living in His glorious home in heaven. When you are “married to Christ,” life becomes a wedding feast, in spite of trials and difficulties.

The Sabbath was cherished by the Jews as a sacred institution. God gave the people of Israel the Sabbath after they came out of Egypt (; ), and it was a special sign between Israel and Jehovah (). There is no record in Scripture that God ever gave the Sabbath to any other nation. So, when Jesus began openly to violate the Sabbath traditions, it was like declaring war against the religious establishment.

Reading Matthew’s account of this event, Jesus gave three arguments to defend His disciples: what David did (, ), what the priests did (, ), and what the prophet Hosea said (, ). Mark’s Roman readers would not have been interested in Jewish prophets and priests, so Mark focused on David, whom the Romans would recognize as a great hero and king.

Jesus went into the synagogue to worship, and while He was there, He deliberately healed a man. Certainly He could have waited one more day, but He wanted to challenge the pharisaical legalistic traditions. This time the Pharisees () were expecting Him to heal, so they kept their eyes wide open. Our Lord’s questions in were never answered by His enemies. Since evil is at work every day, including the Sabbath day, why should good not be at work as well? Death is always at work, but that should not hinder us from seeking to save life.

Jesus could see “the hardness of their hearts,” and their sin made Him angry and sad. Our Lord never became angry at the publicans and sinners, but He did express anger toward the self-righteous Pharisees (). They would rather protect their traditions than see a man healed! The man, of course, knew little about this spiritual conflict. He simply obeyed our Lord’s command, stretched out his hand, and was healed.

Great crowds were following Jesus, but their interest was not in things spiritual. The religious leaders wanted to destroy Him, and even some of Herod’s friends were getting involved. His next step would be to spend a night in prayer (), call twelve men to assist Him as His apostles, and preach a sermon—the Sermon on the Mount—explaining the spiritual basis of His kingdom. He offered them forgiveness, fulfillment, and freedom, but they refused His offer.

, Jesus spent all night in prayer before choosing these twelve men (). When He selected them, He had three purposes in mind: (1) training them by personal example and teaching, (2) sending them out to preach the gospel, and (3) giving them authority to heal and cast out demons (see , , , ; ).

Mark tells us that Jesus gave the disciples the special name “apostles” (v. ). A “disciple” is one who learns by doing; our modern equivalent might be an “apprentice.” An “apostle” is one who is sent on official service with a commission. Jesus had many disciples but only twelve apostles, His special “ambassadors.”

Simon’s name was changed to Peter, “the rock” (), and Levi’s was changed to Matthew, “the gift of God.” James and John were given the nicknames “the Sons of Thunder.” We commonly think of John as the apostle of love, but he certainly did not begin with that kind of reputation, nor did James his brother (; ; , ). It is encouraging to see what Jesus was able to do with such a diversified group of unlikely candidates for Christian service. There is still hope for us!

Catalyst

indicates that our Lord’s family members were sure that Jesus was confused, and possibly deranged! The great crowds they saw following Him and the amazing reports they heard about Him convinced them that He desperately needed help. He simply was not living a normal life, so they traveled thirty miles from Nazareth to plead with Him to come home and get some rest. However, even they were unable to get near Him (v. ).

Instead of giving in to His family’s wishes, Jesus used this crisis as an opportunity to teach a spiritual lesson: His “family” is made up of all those who do the will of God (v. ). Our Lord’s half-brothers were not believers (), and Jesus felt closer to the believing publicans and sinners than He did to James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon, His half-brothers ().

Jesus redefines “family” in . He is not suggesting that believers ignore or abandon their families in order to serve God, but only that they put God’s will above everything else in life. Our love for God should be so great that our love for family would seem like hatred in comparison (). Certainly it is God’s will that we care for our families and provide for them (see ), but we must not permit even our dearest loved ones to influence us away from the will of God. When you consider the importance of the family in the Jewish society, you can imagine how radical Christ’s words must have sounded to those who heard them.

Go to the

Jesus exposed both His opponents’ bad theology and their faulty logic. If it was by the power of Satan that He had cast out the demon, then Satan was actually fighting against himself! This meant that Satan’s house and kingdom were divided and therefore on the verge of collapse. Satan had been guarding that man carefully because the devil does not want to lose any of his territory. The fact that Jesus delivered the man was proof that He was stronger than Satan and that Satan could not stop Him.

Jesus made it clear that God would forgive all sin and all blasphemy, including blasphemy against the very Son of God Himself ()! Does this mean that God the Son is less important than the Holy Spirit? Why would a sin against God the Son be forgivable and yet a sin against the Holy Spirit be unforgivable?

The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost and demonstrated God’s power in many convicting ways. How did these same religious leaders respond? By arresting the apostles, ordering them to keep silent, and then killing Stephen! Stephen told them what their sin was: “You always resist the Holy Spirit” (). They had sinned against the Father and the Son, but had been graciously forgiven. When they sinned against the Holy Spirit, they had reached “the end of the line,” and there could be no more forgiveness.

People today cannot commit the “unpardonable sin” in the same way the Jewish religious leaders did when Jesus was ministering on earth. The only sin today that God cannot forgive is rejection of His Son (, ). When the Spirit of God convicts the sinner and reveals the Savior, the sinner may resist the Spirit and reject the witness of the Word of God, but that does not mean he has forfeited all his opportunities to be saved. If he will repent and believe, God can still forgive him. Even if the sinner so hardens his heart that he seems to be insensitive to the pleadings of God, so long as there is life, there is hope. Only God knows if and when any “deadline” has been crossed.

Mark introduced a new word—“parables” (see vv. , , , , ). Jesus explained the kingdom, not by giving a lecture on theology, but by painting pictures that captured the attention of the people and forced them to use their imaginations and think. Our English word “parable” comes from two Greek words that mean “to cast alongside” (para—alongside; ballo—to throw or cast). A parable is a story or figure placed alongside a teaching to help us understand its meaning. A parable begins innocently as a picture that arrests our attention and arouses our interest. But as we study the picture, it becomes a mirror in which we suddenly see ourselves. If we continue to look by faith, the mirror becomes a window through which we see God and His truth. How we respond to that truth will determine what further truth God will teach us.

The seed represents God’s Word (), and the farmer is the servant of God who shares that Word with others (see ). The human heart is like soil: It must be prepared to receive the seed before that seed can take root and produce a harvest. Like seed, the Word is alive and able to produce spiritual fruit, but the seed must be planted and cultivated before that harvest will come.

The hard heart (vv. , ) resists the Word of God and makes it easy for Satan (the birds) to snatch it away. Soil becomes hard when too many feet tread on it.

, The shallow heart (vv. , , , ) is like thin soil on a rock, very typical to Palestine. Since there is no depth, whatever is planted cannot last because it has no roots. This represents the “emotional hearer” who joyfully accepts God’s Word but does not really understand the price that must be paid to become a genuine Christian.

The crowded heart (vv. , , ) pictures the person who receives the Word but does not truly repent and remove the “weeds” out of his or her heart. This hearer has too many thorny plants growing in the soil—worldly cares, a desire for riches, a lust for things—and the good seed of the Word has no room in which to grow.

The fruitful heart (vv. , ) pictures the true believer, because fruit—a changed life—is the evidence of true salvation (; ). The other three hearts produced no fruit, so we conclude that they belong to persons who have never been born again. Not all true believers are equally productive, but from every genuine Christian’s life, there will be some evidence of spiritual fruit.

In this parable, our Lord used a common object (a lamp) in a familiar scene (a home). The lamp was a clay dish filled with oil, with a wick put into the oil. In order to give light, the lamp had to “use itself up”; and the oil had to be replenished. If the lamp was not lit, or if it was covered up, it did the home no good.

, The more we hear the Word of God, the better we are able to share it with others. The moment we think that we know it all, what we think we know will be taken from us. We must pay close attention to what we hear (v. ) as well as to how we hear (). Our spiritual hearing determines how much we have to give to others. There is no sense trying to “cover things up” because God will one day reveal all things.

The parable of the growing seed reminds us that we cannot make the seed grow; in fact, we cannot even explain how it grows. There is a mystery to the growth of the seed and the development of the harvest. It takes a good deal of faith to be a farmer, and also a good deal of patience. In the parable of the farmer and the soils, the Lord suggested that much of the seed scattered would fall on unproductive soil.

Jesus had been teaching His disciples the Word, and now he would give them a practical test to see how much they had really learned. After all, the hearing of God’s Word is intended to produce faith (), and faith must always be tested. It is not enough for us merely to learn a lesson or be able to repeat a teaching. We must also be able to practice that lesson by faith, and that is one reason why God permits trials to come to our lives.

The storm described here must have been especially fierce if it frightened experienced fishermen like the disciples.

Jesus did not stop with the calming of the elements, for the greatest danger was not the wind or the waves: It was the unbelief in the hearts of the disciples. Our greatest problems are within us, not around us. This explains why Jesus gently rebuked them and asked them, “Do you still have no faith?” They had heard Him teach the Word and had even seen Him perform miracles, and yet they still had no faith. It was their unbelief that caused their fear, and their fear made them question whether Jesus really cared. We must beware of “an evil heart of unbelief” ().

Here we see what Satan can do to people. Satan is a thief whose ultimate purpose is to destroy (; and see ). We are not told how the demons entered these men and took control, but possibly it was the result of their yielding to sin. Demons are “unclean spirits” and can easily get a foothold in the lives of people who cultivate sinful practices. Never underestimate the destructive power of Satan. He is our enemy and would destroy all of us if he could. Like a roaring lion, he seeks to devour us (, ). It is Satan who is at work in the lives of unbelievers, making them “sons of disobedience” ().

, About all a society can do for “problem people” is to isolate them, put them under guard and, if necessary, bind them (). Often this man had been chained, but the demons had given him strength to break the chains. Even the attempts to tame this man had failed. With all of its wonderful scientific achievements, society still cannot cope with the problems caused by Satan and sin. While we thank God that society does offer a limited amount of restraint and protection, we must confess that society cannot permanently solve these problems and deliver Satan’s terrorized victims.

Jesus graciously came to the man in love, and He even went through a storm to do it. Some think that the storm itself may have been satanic in origin, since Jesus used the same words to calm the sea as He did to cast out demons (compare and ). Perhaps Satan was trying to destroy Jesus, or at least to prevent Him from coming to the man who needed Him. But nothing could stop the Lord from coming to that graveyard and bringing deliverance to that man.

, Satan tried to destroy this man, but Jesus came to deliver him. By the power of His word, He cast out the demons and set the man free. Demons even believe in prayer, for they begged Jesus not to send them into the abyss, the place of torment (v. ; ). It is encouraging to note that the demons did not know what Jesus planned to do. This suggests that Satan can know God’s plans only if God reveals them. In fact, there is no evidence in Scripture that Satan can read the mind of a believer, let alone the mind of God.

In this action, Jesus gave proof to all the spectators that a miracle of deliverance had really taken place. The destruction of the pigs also gave assurance to the man that the unclean spirits were actually gone. But more than anything else, the drowning of the two thousand pigs was a vivid object lesson to this Christ-rejecting crowd that, to Satan, a pig is as good as a man! In fact, Satan will make a man into a pig! The Lord was warning the citizens against the powers of sin and Satan. It was a dramatic sermon before their very eyes: “The wages of sin is death” ().

Jesus knew that the man’s place was in his own home, with his loved ones, where he could bear witness to the Savior. After all, effective Christian living must begin at home, where people know us the best. If we honor God there, then we can consider offering ourselves for service elsewhere. This man became one of the earliest missionaries to the Gentiles. Jesus had to leave, but the man remained and bore faithful witness to the grace and power of Jesus Christ.

The contrast between the two needy people in this section is striking and reveals the wideness of Christ’s love and mercy. Jairus was an important synagogue officer, and the woman was an anonymous “nobody,” yet Jesus welcomed and helped both of them. Jairus was about to lose a daughter who had given him twelve years of happiness (v. ), and the woman was about to lose an affliction that had brought her twelve years of sorrow. Being a synagogue officer, Jairus was no doubt wealthy, but his wealth could not save his dying daughter. The woman was already bankrupt! She had given the doctors all of her money, and yet none of them could cure her. Both Jairus and the poor woman found the answers to their needs at the feet of Jesus (vv. , ).

Jesus dealt with this woman publicly not only for her sake, but also for the sake of Jairus. His daughter was close to death, and he needed all the encouragement he could get. It was bad enough that the crowd was impeding their progress, but now this woman had to interfere and stop Jesus! When one of Jairus’s friends arrived and announced that the girl had died, no doubt Jairus felt that the end had come. The Lord’s words to the woman about faith and peace must have encouraged Jairus as much as they encouraged her.

Not everybody has the same degree of faith, but Jesus responds to faith no matter how feeble it might be. When we believe, He shares His power with us and something happens in our lives. There were many others in that crowd who were close to Jesus and even pressing against Him, but they experienced no miracles. Why? Because they did not have faith. It is one thing to throng Him and quite something else to trust Him.

It was not easy for Jairus to come to Jesus publicly and ask for His help. The religious leaders who were opposed to Jesus would certainly not approve, nor would some of the other synagogue leaders. The things that Jesus had done and taught in the synagogues had aroused the anger of the scribes and Pharisees, some of whom were probably Jairus’s friends. But Jairus was desperate, as many people are when they come to Jesus. He would rather lose his friends and save his beloved daughter.

, It was easier for Jairus to trust the Lord while his daughter was still alive and while Jesus was still walking with him to his house. But when Jesus stopped to heal the woman, and when the friend came with the bad news, Jairus just about lost his faith. Let’s not be too hard on him. We have probably given way to doubts when circumstances and feelings have overwhelmed us. Sometimes God has delayed, and we have wondered why. That is when we need that special “word of faith” from the Lord, and we receive it as we spend time in His Word.

Jesus returned to Nazareth, where a year before He had been rejected by the people and evicted from the synagogue (). It was certainly an act of grace on His part to give the people another opportunity to hear His Word, believe, and be saved, and yet their hearts were still hard. This time, they did not evict Him—they simply did not take Him seriously.

A carpenter was a respected artisan in that day, but nobody expected a carpenter to do miracles or teach profound truths in the synagogue. Where did He get all this power and wisdom? From God or from Satan (see )? And why did His brothers and sisters not possess this same power and wisdom? Even more, why did His brothers and sisters not believe in Him? The people who called Him “the son of Mary” were actually insulting Him, because in that day you identified a man by calling him the son of his father, not the son of his mother.

Two things about Jesus astonished these people: His mighty works and His wonderful wisdom. Actually, Jesus did not do any mighty works while He was there, so the people must have been referring to the reports they had heard about His miracles. Their unbelief hindered Jesus from having a greater ministry among them. They thought that they really knew Him. After all, He had been their neighbor for nearly thirty years, they had seen Him at work in the carpenter’s shop, and He appeared to be just another Nazarene. He was a “commoner,” and the people saw no reason to commit themselves to him!

Twice in the gospel record you find Jesus amazed. As this passage reveals, He was amazed at the unbelief of the Jews, and He was also amazed at the great faith of a Roman centurion, a Gentile ().

Instead of remaining at Nazareth, Jesus departed and made another circuit of the towns and villages in Galilee. His heart was broken as He saw the desperate plight of the people (), so He decided to send out His disciples to minister with His authority and power.

The disciples went out and did what Jesus told them to do. It is remarkable that a band of ordinary men could go out in this way to represent Almighty God, and that they could demonstrate His authority by performing miracles. God’s commandments always include His enablements (, ). They proclaimed the good news of the kingdom, called on sinners to repent, and healed many who were sick (, ; ).

The reports of Christ’s ministry, augmented by that of His disciples (), even reached into the palace of Herod Antipas. Mark called him “the king,” which is what Herod wanted to be called, but in reality, godless Herod was only a tetrarch, the ruler of a fourth part of the nation. When Herod the Great died, the Romans divided his territory among his three sons, and Antipas was made tetrarch of Perea and Galilee.

Herod Antipas had married the daughter of King Aretas IV and then had divorced her so he could marry Herodias, the wife of his half-brother, Herod Philip. It was a wicked alliance that was contrary to the Law of Moses (; ), and the fearless John the Baptist had denounced the king for his sins.

It is remarkable that there is no evidence that any of the Jewish leaders did anything to rescue John the Baptist after he had been arrested. The common people considered John a prophet sent from God, but the religious leaders did not obey John’s message ().

John also records this miracle () and then tells us that Jesus used this miracle as the basis for a sermon on “the bread of life” (.). Jesus did not perform miracles just to meet human needs, though that was important. He wanted each miracle to be a revelation of Himself, a sermon in action. For the most part, the people were amazed at the miracles, appreciated the help He gave them, but failed to get the spiritual message (). They wanted the gift but not the Giver, the enjoyment of physical blessings but not the enrichment of spiritual blessings.

Jesus took His disciples to a secluded place so that they might rest after their labors. He wanted to discuss their ministry with them and prepare them for their next mission. Even God’s Servant-Son needed time to rest, fellowship with His friends, and find renewal from the Father.

Jesus sent His disciples ahead of Him. He wanted to teach them a lesson on faith that would help prepare them for the work that lay ahead of them after He was gone. The disciples had just completed a very successful mission, healing the sick and preaching the gospel. They had shared in the miraculous feeding of five thousand people. Perhaps later while they were in prison, the apostles recalled the storm that followed the feeding of the five thousand, and they may have been encouraged with the assurance that Jesus would come to them and see them through.

The disciples had failed their test because they lacked spiritual insight and receptive hearts. The miracle of the loaves and fishes had made no lasting impression on them. After all, if Jesus could multiply food and feed thousands of people, then surely He could protect them in the storm. Even a disciple of Jesus Christ can develop a hard heart if he fails to respond to the spiritual lessons that must be learned in the course of life and ministry.

There are four stages in this drama, and the first is accusation (vv. ). The Jewish religious leaders were now openly hostile toward the Lord and His ministry. It was not unusual for them to follow Him from place to place simply to watch for something to criticize. In this case, they accused the disciples of failing to practice the Jewish ceremonial washing. These washings had nothing to do with personal hygiene, nor were they commanded in the law. They were a part of the tradition that the scribes and Pharisees had given to the people to add to their burdens (). These washings not only indicated a wrong attitude toward people, but they also conveyed a wrong idea of the nature of sin and personal holiness. Jesus made it clear in the Sermon on the Mount that true holiness is a matter of inward affection and attitude and not just outward actions and associations.

The next stage can be labeled condemnation. Jesus defended His disciples and exposed the hypocrisy of their accusers. The first thing He did was to quote from the prophet Isaiah (), and then He brought in the Law of Moses (; ; ). How could the Pharisees argue with the law and the prophets? In defending their tradition, the Pharisees eroded their own characters and also the character of the Word of God. They were hypocrites, “play-actors,” whose religious worship was practiced in vain. True worship must come from the heart, and it must be directed by God’s truth, not man’s personal ideas. What a tragedy that religious people would ignorantly practice their religion and become the worse for doing it!

The third stage is declaration. Jesus announced to the whole crowd that the source of holy living is from within, not from without. Actually, He was declaring null and void the entire Mosaic system of “clean and unclean” foods, but at that time, He did not explain this radical truth to the crowd. Later, He did explain it in private to His own disciples.

Finally came our Lord’s explanation. This was given privately to His disciples when they asked Him “concerning the parable.” His explanation seems obvious to us, but we must remember that these twelve men had been brought up under the strict Jewish dietary code that categorized all foods as either “clean” or “unclean” (). In fact, suggests that Peter kept a kosher household for years even after he had heard this truth. It is not easy to change our religious traditions.

Jesus performed miracles as He ministered to the Gentiles in the region of Tyre and Sidon. This is the only recorded instance of our Lord actually leaving Palestine. He was practicing what He had just taught the disciples: There is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, for all are sinners and need the Savior.

Catalyst

There was resistance in this story of the Gentile woman (). It must have seemed to her like everything was against her. First, her nationality was against her: She was a Gentile, and Jesus was a Jew. Besides that, she was a woman, and society in that day was dominated by the men. Satan was against her, for one of his demons had taken control in her daughter’s life. The disciples were against her; they wanted Jesus to send her away and let Him (and them) have some rest. For a time, it looked as though even Jesus was against her! It was not an easy situation, and yet she triumphed because of her great faith.

Her reply revealed that faith had triumphed. She did not deny the special place of the “children” (Jews) in God’s plan, nor did she want to usurp it. All she wanted were a few crumbs of blessing from the table, for, after all, “salvation comes through the Jews” (). It must have made Jesus’ heart rejoice when she took His very words and used them as a basis for her plea! She accepted her place, she believed His Word, and she persisted in her plea, and Jesus not only met her need, but commended her for her faith.

Go to the

The region of “Ten Towns” was also Gentile territory, but before Jesus left the region, the people were glorifying the God of Israel (, ). The man they brought to Jesus was handicapped both by deafness and an impediment in his speech, and Jesus healed him. This miracle is recorded only by Mark and would have been especially appreciated by his Roman readers, since this region was like a “Rome away from Rome.”

Jesus’ word “Ephphatha” is an Aramaic word that means “be opened, be released.” The man did not hear Jesus speak, but the creation heard the command of the Creator, and the man was healed. Both the tongue and the ears functioned normally again.

This is another feeding of a crowd alongside the feeding of the 5,000 in . Once again, we are encouraged by our Lord’s compassion and His complete control over the situation. However, we are discouraged by the blindness and unbelief of the disciples. Had they completely forgotten the previous miracle?

Let’s not be too hard on them. How many times have we forgotten the mercies of the Lord? We need to remind ourselves that Jesus Christ is still the same and has the solution to every problem. All we need do is trust Him, give Him our all, and obey.

The disciples would learn some valuable lessons through the experiences in this passage, lessons that they would need to remember and apply in later years of ministry. We today need to learn these same lessons: (1) Don’t seek after signs, but live by faith in His Word (vv. , ); (2) trust Jesus to meet needs (vv. ); (3) avoid the leaven of false doctrine (v. ); and (4) let Jesus work as He wills, and expect variety in His working (vv. ).

The Pharisees tempted Jesus to prove His divine authority by giving them a sign from heaven. They did not want an earthly miracle, such as the healing of a sick person. They wanted Him to do something spectacular, like bring fire from heaven or bread from heaven (, ). This would prove He was indeed sent from God. Our Lord’s response was one of deep grief and disappointment (). How tragic that the religious leaders of God’s chosen people should be so hardhearted and spiritually blind! Their desire for a sign from heaven was but another evidence of their unbelief, for faith does not ask for signs. True faith takes God at His Word and is satisfied with the inward witness of the Spirit.

Jesus left the Pharisees and crossed to the east side of the Sea of Galilee, and en route taught His disciples an important spiritual lesson. It appears that they were almost as blind as the Pharisees! The men were having a private discussion about their food supply, because somebody had forgotten to pack bread. It must have grieved Jesus that His handpicked helpers were so spiritually obtuse. The fact that He had multiplied bread on two occasions and fed over ten thousand people had apparently made little impression on them! Why worry and argue over one loaf of bread when you have Jesus in the boat with you? Their minds were dull, their hearts were hard (see ), their eyes were blind, and their ears were deaf (see , ).

In the Bible, leaven is consistently a symbol of evil. Each Passover season, the Jews had to remove all leaven from their dwellings (), and leaven was not allowed with the offerings (; ; ; ). Evil, like leaven, is small and hidden, but it spreads and soon infects the whole (). The Bible uses leaven as a picture of false doctrine (), unjudged sin in the church (), and hypocrisy (). We can never be too careful about detecting and avoiding false doctrine. Only a small deviation from the Word may get into an individual or a church, but before long it will grow and infect everything.

God’s people often have a tendency to forget His blessings (, ). He meets our needs, but then when the next problem arises, we complain or become frightened. As long as we are with Him, we can be sure He will care for us. It would do us all good to pause occasionally and remind ourselves of His goodness and faithfulness.

The unique thing about this miracle of healing is that it occurred gradually and not instantly. The Gospels record the healing of at least seven blind men, and they show that our Lord used a variety of approaches. Perhaps it was the atmosphere of unbelief in Bethsaida that hindered Him (see , ), or it may have been the spiritual condition of the man himself. For some reason not given, the man was not ready for instant sight, so Jesus restored it gradually. The fact that the man recognized men and trees suggests that he had not been born blind but had been blinded by accident or disease.

If you were to go around asking your friends, “What do people say about me?” they would take it as an evidence of pride. What difference does it really make what people think or say about us? We are not that important! But what people believe and say about Jesus Christ is important, for He is the Son of God and the only Savior of sinners. Your confession concerning Jesus Christ is a matter of life or death (, ; ; ).

, In His words and His works, Jesus gave every evidence to the people that He was the Son of God, the Messiah, and yet they did not get the message. Instead of diligently seeking for the truth, the people listened to popular opinion and followed it, just as many people do today. They had opinions instead of convictions, and this is what led them astray.

Jesus’ announcement stunned the disciples. If He is indeed the Christ of God, as they had confessed, then why would He be rejected by the religious leaders? Why would these leaders crucify Him? Did not the Old Testament Scriptures promise that Messiah would defeat all their enemies and establish a glorious kingdom for Israel? There was something wrong somewhere and the disciples were confused. True to character, it was Peter who expressed their concern. One minute Peter was led by God to confess his faith in Jesus Christ (), and the next minute he was thinking like an unbelieving man and expressing the thoughts of Satan! This is a warning to us that when we argue with God’s Word, we open the door for Satan’s lies.

The problem these men faced was more than theological; it was very practical. Jesus had called them to follow Him, and they knew that whatever happened to Him would happen to them as well. If there was a cross in His future, there would be one in their future. That would be reason enough to disagree with him! In spite of their devotion to Him, the disciples were still ignorant of the true relationship between the cross and the crown. They were following Satan’s philosophy (glory without suffering) instead of God’s philosophy (suffering transformed into glory).

Jesus laid down three conditions for true discipleship: (1) We must surrender ourselves completely to him; (2) we must identify with Him in suffering and death; and (3) we must follow Him obediently, wherever He leads. If we live for ourselves, we will lose ourselves, but if we lose ourselves for His sake and the gospel’s, we will find ourselves.

The motivation for true discipleship: “Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” To lose yourself is not an act of desperation; it is an act of devotion. But we do not stop there: Personal devotion should lead to practical duty, the sharing of the gospel with a lost world. “For My sake” could lead to selfish religious isolationism, so it must be balanced with the gospel’s sake. Because we live for Him, we live for others.

Moses represented the law and Elijah the prophets, both of which find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ (; , ). Moses had died and his body was buried, but Elijah had been raptured to heaven (). When Jesus returns, He will raise the bodies of the saints who died and will rapture the living saints (). Jesus will one day establish His glorious kingdom and fulfill the many promises made through the prophets. Christ’s sufferings and death would not prevent God from establishing His kingdom; rather, by solving the sin problem in God’s world, the cross would help to make the kingdom possible.

, The three disciples had gone to sleep while Jesus was praying (, ), a failure they would repeat in the garden of Gethsemane (). They almost missed seeing Moses and Elijah and Jesus in His glory! Peter’s suggestion again reflects human thinking and not divine wisdom. How wonderful it would be to stay on the mountaintop and bask in divine glory! But discipleship means denying self, taking up a cross, and following Christ, and you cannot do that and selfishly stay on the mount of glory.

, The memory of visions will fade, but the unchanging Word abides forever. The glorious vision was not an end in itself; it was God’s way of confirming the Word (see ). Discipleship is not built on spectacular visions but on the inspired, unchanging Word of God. Nor do we put Moses, Elijah, and Jesus on the same level, as Peter hinted. It is “Jesus only”—His Word, His will, His kingdom, and His glory.

The Christian life is “a land of hills and valleys” (). In one day, a disciple can move from the glory of heaven to the attacks of hell. When our Lord and His three friends returned to the other nine disciples, they found them involved in a dual problem: They were unable to deliver a boy from demonic control, and the scribes were debating with them and perhaps even taunting them because of their failure. As always, it was Jesus who stepped in to solve the problem.

Why had the nine disciples failed? Because they had been careless in their personal spiritual walk and had neglected prayer and fasting. The authority that Jesus had given them was effective only if exercised by faith, but faith must be cultivated through spiritual discipline and devotion. It may be that the absence of their Lord, or His taking the three disciples with Him and leaving them behind, had dampened their spiritual fervor and diminished their faith. Our own level of maturity is often revealed by how much we are affected by the environment around us and by life’s setbacks.

Jesus was still leading His disciples to Jerusalem, and as they went, He reminded them of what would happen to Him there. Note that He also reminded them of His resurrection, but they were unable to understand what He was saying (see ). They were “exceedingly sorrowful” (). However, they were not grieved enough to set aside their personal dispute over which of them was the greatest! After they heard what Jesus had said about His own suffering and death, you would think they would have forgotten their own selfish plans and concentrated on Him. Perhaps the fact that Peter, James, and John had gone on the mount with Jesus had added some fuel to the fires of competition.

The world’s philosophy is that you are “great” if others are working for you, but Christ’s message is that greatness comes from our serving others. Since the words “child” and “servant” are the same in the Aramaic language, it is easy to see why Jesus connected the two. If we have the heart of a child, we will have little difficulty being servants, and if we have the attitude of servants, we will welcome the children as representatives of Jesus Christ and the Father.

This solemn message about hell carries a warning to all of us to deal drastically with sin. Whatever in our lives makes us stumble, and therefore causes others to stumble, must be removed as if by surgery. The hand, foot, and eye would be considered valuable parts of the body, yet they must be removed if they are causing sin. Of course, the Lord is not commanding literal physical surgery, since He had already made it clear that sin comes from the heart (). What He is teaching is that sin is to the inner person what a cancerous tumor is to the body, and it must be dealt with drastically.

It is not necessary to perform great miracles to prove our love for Christ. When we lovingly receive a child or compassionately share a cup of cold water, we are giving evidence that we have the humble heart of a servant. After all, we are serving Christ, and that is the highest service in the world ().

Salt speaks of purity and preservation. It was used in Old Testament days in the establishing of covenants. The disciples were God’s “salt” (), but they were in danger of losing their flavor and becoming worthless. Our salt today is purified and does not lose its taste, but the salt of that day contained impurities and could lose its flavor.

In that day there were two conflicting views on divorce, and which view you espoused depended on how you interpreted the phrase “something wrong with her” in . The followers of Rabbi Hillel were quite lenient in their interpretation and permitted a man to divorce his wife for any reason, even the burning of his food. But the school of Rabbi Shammai was much more strict and taught that the critical words “something wrong” referred only to premarital sin. If a newly married husband discovered that his wife was not a virgin, then he could put her away.

Jesus explained that Moses gave the divorce law because of the sinfulness of the human heart. The law protected the wife by restraining the husband from impulsively divorcing her and abusing her like an unwanted piece of furniture, instead of treating her like a human being. Without a bill of divorcement, a woman could easily become a social outcast and be treated like a harlot. No man would want to marry her, and she would be left defenseless and destitute.

By giving this commandment to Israel, God was not putting His approval on divorce or even encouraging it. Rather, He was seeking to restrain it and make it more difficult for men to dismiss their wives. He put sufficient regulations around divorce so that the wives would not become victims of their husbands’ whims.

It was customary for parents to bring their children to the rabbis for a blessing, and so it was reasonable that they would bring the little ones to Jesus. Some were infants in arms (), while others were young children able to walk, and He welcomed them all.

, The disciples probably thought they were doing Jesus a favor by helping Him protect His time and conserve His strength. In other words, they did not consider the children to be important! Their attitude was strange, because Jesus had already taught them to receive the children in His name and to be careful not to cause any of them to stumble (.). Once again, they forgot what He had taught them.

In what ways are children a pattern for believers? In their humble dependence on others, their receptivity, their acceptance of themselves and their position in life. Of course, Jesus was speaking about an unspoiled child, not one who was trying to act like an adult. A child enjoys much but can explain very little. Children live by faith. By faith they accept their lot, trusting others to care for them and see them through.

Of all the people who ever came to the feet of Jesus, this man is the only one who went away worse than when he came. And yet he had so much in his favor! He was a young man () with great potential. He was respected by others, for he held some ruling office, perhaps in a local court (). Certainly he had manners and morals, and there was enough desire in his heart for spiritual things that he ran up to Jesus and bowed at his feet. In every way, he was an ideal young man, and when Jesus beheld him, he loved him.

, With all of his fine qualities, the young man was very superficial in his views of spiritual things. He certainly had a shallow view of salvation, for he thought that he could do something to earn or merit eternal life. This was a common belief in that day among the Jews (), and it is very common today. Most unsaved people think that God will one day add up their good works and their bad works, and if their good works exceed their bad works, they will get into heaven.

The young man had a superficial view of Jesus Christ. He called Him “Good Teacher” (Master), but we get the impression that he was trying to flatter the Lord, for the Jewish rabbis did not allow the word “good” to be applied to them. Only God was good, and the word must be reserved for Him alone. Jesus was not denying that He was God; rather, He was affirming it. He just wanted to be sure that the young man really knew what He was saying and that he was willing to accept the responsibilities involved.

, Jesus wanted this young man to see himself as a sinner bowed before the holy God. We cannot be saved from sin by keeping the law (; ). The law is a mirror that shows us how dirty we are, but the mirror cannot wash us. One purpose of the law is to bring the sinner to Christ (), which is what it did in this man’s case. The law can bring the sinner to Christ, but the law cannot make the sinner like Christ. Only grace can do that.

The disciples were shocked at the Lord’s declaration about wealth, because most Jews thought that the possession of great wealth was the evidence of God’s special blessing. Many people today still cling to this error, in spite of the message of Job, the example of Christ and the apostles, and the clear teaching of the New Testament. In the case of this young man, his wealth robbed him of God’s greatest blessing, eternal life. Today, wealth continues to make rich people poor and the first last (see ).

We must try to understand the bewilderment and fear of Jesus’ followers, for this was a difficult experience for them and not at all what they had planned or expected. Each new announcement of His death only added to their perplexity. In the first two announcements (; ), Jesus had told them what would occur, but now He told them where His passion would take place—in the Holy City of Jerusalem! In this third announcement, He also included the part that the Gentiles would play in His trial and death, and for the fourth time, He promised that He would rise again (see ). He told His disciples the truth, but they were in no condition to understand it.

Because their request was motivated by earthly wisdom, not heavenly wisdom, James and John aroused the anger of the other disciples and brought disunity to the group (see ). No doubt the other men were unhappy because they had not thought of asking first! Once again, Jesus tried to teach them all what it means to be an “important person” in the kingdom of God (see ).

Like many people today, the disciples were making the mistake of following the wrong examples. Instead of modeling themselves after Jesus, they were admiring the glory and authority of the Roman rulers, men who loved position and authority. While there is nothing wrong with aspiring to greatness, we must be careful how we define “greatness” and why we want to achieve it.

According to Matthew, there were two blind beggars sitting by the road (), and Mark gives the name of one of them—“Bartimaeus.” Both Mark and Luke () focus attention on him since he was the more vocal of the two. The beggars heard that Jesus of Nazareth, the Healer, was passing by; they did their best to get His attention so that they might receive His merciful help and be healed. Matthew tells us that Jesus was moved with compassion and touched their eyes (), and immediately they were healed. Out of gratitude to Jesus, the men joined the pilgrim band and started toward Jerusalem, following Jesus. This is the last healing miracle recorded in Mark, and it certainly fits into Mark’s “Servant” theme. We see Jesus Christ, God’s Suffering Servant, on His way to the cross, and yet He stops to serve two blind beggars! What love, what mercy, and what grace!

Jesus sent two of His disciples to Bethphage to get the donkey that He needed for the event. Most people today think of a donkey as nothing but a humble beast of burden, but in that day, it was looked on as an animal fit for a king to use (). Our Lord needed this beast so that He might fulfill the messianic prophecy found in . Mark does not quote this verse or refer to it because he was writing primarily for Gentile readers.

Jerusalem at Passover season was the delight of the Jews and the despair of the Romans. Thousands of devout Jews from all over the world arrived in the Holy City, their hearts filled with excitement and nationalistic fervor. The population of Jerusalem more than tripled during the festival, making it necessary for the Roman military units to be on special alert. They lived with the possibility that some enthusiastic Jewish Zealot might try to kill a Roman official or incite a riot, and there was always potential for disputes among the various Jewish religious groups.

Our Lord’s “triumphal entry” was nothing like that of a Roman triumphal entry, but it was a triumph just the same. He was God’s anointed King and Savior, but His conquest would be spiritual and not military. A Roman general had to kill at least five thousand enemy soldiers to merit a Triumph, but in a few weeks, the gospel would “conquer” some five thousand Jews and transform their lives (). Christ’s “triumph” would be the victory of love over hatred, truth over error, and life over death.

, In fulfilling the words of , , Jesus accomplished two purposes: (1) He declared Himself to be Israel’s King and Messiah; and (2) He deliberately challenged the religious leaders. This set in motion the official plot that led to His arrest, trial, and crucifixion. The Jewish leaders had decided not to arrest Him during the feast, but God had determined otherwise. The Lamb of God must die at Passover.

Our Lord’s condemning of the tree and clearing of the temple were both symbolic acts that illustrated the sad spiritual condition of the nation of Israel. In spite of its many privileges and opportunities, Israel was outwardly fruitless (the tree) and inwardly corrupt (the temple). It was unusual for Jesus to act in judgment (), yet there comes a time when this is the only thing God can do ().

Jesus had cleared the temple during His first Passover visit (), but the results had been temporary. It was not long before the religious leaders permitted the money changers and the merchants to return. The priests received their share of the profits, and, after all, these services were a convenience to the Jews who traveled to Jerusalem to worship.

Mark especially mentioned the people who sold doves. The dove was one of the few sacrifices that the poor people could afford (). It was the sacrifice Joseph and Mary brought when they dedicated Jesus in the temple (). Even the poor people were victimized by the merchants in the temple, and this in itself must have grieved the Lord Jesus, for He was always sensitive to the poor (see ).

This “religious market” was set up in the Court of the Gentiles, the one place where the Jews should have been busy doing serious missionary work. If a Gentile visited the temple and saw what the Jews were doing in the name of the true God, he would never want to believe what they taught. The Jews might not have permitted idols of wood and stone in their temple, but there were idols there just the same. The Court of the Gentiles should have been a place for praying, but it was instead a place for preying and paying.

Catalyst

If Jesus had power to kill the tree, why didn’t He use that power to restore the tree and make it produce fruit? Apart from the drowning of the pigs (), this is the only instance of our Lord using His miraculous power to destroy something in nature. He did it because He wanted to teach us two important lessons.

First, there is a lesson on failure: Israel had failed to be fruitful for God. In the Old Testament, the fig tree is associated with the nation of Israel (; ; ). Like the fig tree our Lord cursed, Israel had withered from the roots up ().

The disciples would probably connect this miracle with the parable that Jesus gave some months before (), and they would see in the miracle a vivid picture of God’s judgment on Israel. They might also recall , where the prophet is seeking “a single early fig” from God’s people. Christ is still seeking fruit from His people, and for us to be fruitless is sin (). We must carefully cultivate our spiritual roots and not settle for “leaves.”

Jesus also used this miracle to teach us a lesson on faith. The next morning, when the disciples noticed the dead tree, Jesus said, “Have faith in God,” meaning, “Constantly be trusting God; live in an attitude of dependence on Him.” In Jewish imagery, a mountain () signifies something strong and immovable, a problem that stands in the way (). We can move these mountains only by trusting God.

Go to the

, As the official guardians of the law, the members of the Sanhedrin had both the right and the responsibility to investigate anyone who claimed to be sent by God, and that included Jesus (see ). However, these men did not have open minds or sincere motives. They were not seeking truth; they were looking for evidence to use to destroy Jesus (). Jesus knew what they were doing, so He countered their question with another question and exposed their hypocrisy.

The Jewish leaders were caught in a dilemma of their own making. They were not asking “What is true?” or “What is right?” but “What is safe?” This is always the approach of the hypocrite and the crowd-pleaser. It certainly was not the approach of either Jesus () or John the Baptist (). Jesus did not refuse to answer their question; He only refused to accept and endorse their hypocrisy. He was not being evasive; He was being honest.

The vineyard was a familiar image of Israel (; ). According to , a farmer would not use the fruit until the fifth year, though we are not sure the Jews were obeying this regulation at that time. In order to retain his legal rights to the property, the owner had to receive produce from the tenants, even if it was only some of the vegetables that grew between the rows of trees or vines. This explains why the tenants refused to give him anything: They wanted to claim the vineyard for themselves. It also explains why the owner continued to send agents to them; it was purely a question of authority and ownership.

If these verses cover the three years when the fruit was not used, then it was in the fourth year that the beloved Son was sent. This is the year when the fruit was devoted to the Lord (), and it makes the sending of the Son even more meaningful. If the tenants could do away with the heir, they would have a clear claim to the property, so they cast him out (see , ) and killed him. They wanted to preserve their own position and were willing even to kill to accomplish their evil purpose ().

, “The stone” was a well-known symbol for the Messiah (; ; ; , ; ; ). The Servant-Judge announced a double verdict: They had not only rejected the Son, but they had also refused the Stone! There could be only one consequence—judgment ().

The temporary alliance between these two enemy groups (the Pharisees and the supporters of Herod) was a subtle trap, for no matter how Jesus replied to their question, He was in trouble with either Rome or Herod! But Jesus moved the discussion from politics to principle and caught the hypocrites in their own trap.

We might state our Lord’s reply something like this: “Caesar’s image is on his coins, so they must be minted by his authority. The fact that you possess these coins and use them indicates that you think they are worth something. Therefore, you are already accepting Caesar’s authority, or you would not use his money! But don’t forget that you were created in the image of God and therefore must live under God’s authority as well.”

This is the only place in Mark where the Sadducees are mentioned. This group accepted only the Law of Moses as their religious authority; so, if a doctrine could not be defended from the first five books of the Old Testament, they would not accept it. They did not believe in the existence of the soul, life after death, resurrection, final judgment, angels, or demons (see ). Most of the Sadducees were priests and were wealthy. They considered themselves the “religious aristocrats” of Judaism and tended to look down on everybody else.

The next challenger was a scribe who was also a Pharisee (see , ). The scribes had determined that the Jews were obligated to obey 613 precepts in the law—365 negative precepts and 248 positive. One of their favorite exercises was discussing which of these divine commandments was the greatest.

When he started this conversation, the scribe was only the tool of the Pharisees who were trying to get evidence against Jesus (see ). But after he heard our Lord’s answer, the scribe dared to commend the Lord for His reply. The Word had spoken to the man’s heart, and he was beginning to get a deeper spiritual understanding of the faith he thought he understood.

What does it mean when a person is “not far from the kingdom of God”? It means he or she is facing truth honestly and is not interested in defending a “party line” or even personal prejudices. It means the person is testing his or her faith by what the Word of God says and not by what some religious group demands. People close to the kingdom have the courage to stand up for what is true even if they lose some friends and make some new enemies.

This section of Mark closes with two warnings from the Lord: a warning against the pride of the scribes (vv. ) and a warning against the pride of the rich (vv. ). If a person is “important” only because of the uniform he wears, the title he bears, or the office he holds, then his “importance” is artificial. It is character that makes a person valuable, and nobody can give you character: You must develop it yourself as you walk with God.

Jesus quoted and asked the religious leaders to explain how David’s son could also be David’s Lord. The Jews believed that the Messiah would be David’s son (, ), but the only way David’s son could also be David’s Lord would be if Messiah were God come in human flesh. The answer, of course, is our Lord’s miraculous conception and virgin birth (; ; ).

, The Jews were proud of their temple, in spite of the fact that it had been built by the Herod family in order to placate the Jews. Jesus had already given His estimate of the temple (), but His disciples were fascinated by the magnificence of the structure. Imagine how shocked they were when Jesus informed them that the building they admired so much would one day be demolished. The Jewish leaders had defiled it; Jesus would depart from it and leave it desolate (); and the Romans would destroy it.

, Once away from the crowds, Jesus’ disciples asked Him when this momentous event would take place and what would happen to indicate it was soon to occur. Their questions revealed that their understanding of prophecy was still quite confused. They thought that the destruction of the temple would coincide with the end of the age and the return of their Lord (). But their questions gave Jesus the opportunity to deliver a prophetic message that is generally called “The Olivet Discourse” (; see also ; ).

Catalyst

As we study this important sermon in , we must follow some practical guidelines. To begin with, we must study this discourse in the light of the rest of Scripture, especially the Book of Daniel. The prophetic Scriptures harmonize if we consider all that God has revealed.

Second, we must see the practical application of the discourse. Jesus did not preach this sermon to satisfy the curiosity of His disciples, or even to straighten out their confused thinking. At least four times He warned, “Watch out!” or “Take heed that no one deceives you” (vv. , , , ), and He closed the address with the admonition, “Watch!” While studying this address can help us better understand future events, we must not make the mistake of setting dates (v. ).

Third, as we study, we must keep in mind the Jewish atmosphere of the discourse. The Olivet Discourse grew out of some questions asked of a Jewish rabbi by four Jewish men, about the future of the Jewish temple. The warnings about false “messiahs” would especially concern Jews (vv. , , , ), as would the warning about Jewish courts and trials (v. ). The Jews would especially appreciate the reference to “Daniel the prophet” and the admonition to flee from Judea (v. ).

Finally, we must remember that this chapter describes a period of time known as “the tribulation” (vv. , ; also see , ). The Old Testament prophets wrote about this period and called it “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (), a time of “trouble and distress,” “devastation and desolation” (), and a time of indignation and punishment (, ). Daniel the prophet gives us the key, resulting in a better understanding of the sequence of events.

Go to the

Jesus did not want His disciples to get so involved in the prophecies of the future that they would neglect the responsibilities of the present, so He closed the Olivet Discourse with two parables. ( adds three other parables—the bridesmaids, the talents, and the sheep and goats.) Note that the first parable () emphasizes knowing that His coming is near, while the second parable emphasizes not knowing the time of His return. Is this a contradiction? No, because they were addressed to two different groups of people—the first, to the tribulation saints, and the second, to all believers of every age.

To be “alert” means to stay at one’s best, to stay awake. Why must we stay alert? Because nobody knows when Jesus Christ will return. When He was on earth in His humiliation, Jesus did not know the day or hour of His coming again. Even the angels do not know. The unsaved world scoffs at us because we continue to cling to this “blessed hope,” but He will return as He promised (). Our task is to be faithful and to be busy, not to speculate or debate about the hidden details of prophecy.

Watchfulness has nothing to do with going to heaven. It is purely a matter of pleasing Him, hearing His loving commendation, and receiving His reward (). This passage does not suggest that when Jesus returns, He will take only the watchful to heaven and leave the others on earth to suffer the tribulation. His family is one, and He is now preparing a home for all of them, even the least worthy (). We go to heaven because of His grace, not because of our faithfulness or good works ().

While Christians today will not experience the terrible sufferings described in this chapter, we will have our share of persecution and tribulation in this world before the Lord returns (; ). But the warning of this message in may be applied to our own lives: “Take heed that no one deceives you” ().

This event took place six days before Passover, which would put it on the Friday before the triumphal entry (). By placing this story between the accounts of the plot to arrest Jesus (, , , ), Mark contrasted the treachery of Judas and the leaders with the love and loyalty of Mary. The ugliness of their sins makes the beauty of her sacrifice even more meaningful. Neither Mark nor Matthew names the woman, but John tells us that it was Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus (). Mary is found three times in the gospel story, and each time she is at the feet of Jesus.

It was an expensive offering that she gave to the Lord. Nard was imported from India, and a whole jar would have cost the equivalent of a common worker’s annual income. Mary gave lavishly and lovingly. She was not ashamed to show her love for Christ openly.

Jesus commended Mary and accepted her gracious gift. He knew the heart of Judas and understood why the other disciples followed his bad example. He also knew Mary’s heart and quickly defended her (). No matter what others may say about our worship and service, the most important thing is that we please the Lord. The fact that others misunderstand and criticize us should not keep us from showing our love to Christ. Our concern should be His approval alone.

The Passover lamb was selected on the tenth day of the month of Nisan (our March–April), examined for blemishes, and then slain on the fourteenth day of the month (). The lamb had to be slain in the temple precincts and the supper eaten within the Jerusalem city limits. For the Jews, the Passover feast was the memorial of a past victory, but Jesus would institute a new supper that would be the memorial of His death.

The original Passover meal consisted of the roasted lamb, the unleavened bread, and the dish of bitter herbs (). The lamb reminded the Jews of the blood that was applied to the doorposts in Egypt to keep the angel of death from slaying their firstborn. The bread reminded them of their haste in leaving Egypt (), and the bitter herbs spoke of their suffering as Pharaoh’s slaves. At some time in the centuries that followed, the Jews had added to the ceremony the drinking of four cups of wine diluted with water.

Between and , are details of the washing of the disciples’ feet and the lesson on humility (). Following that lesson, Jesus became deeply troubled and announced that one of the disciples was a traitor. This announcement stunned all the disciples except Judas, who knew that Jesus was speaking about him. Until the very end, Jesus hid from the other disciples the identity of His betrayer, for He wanted to give Judas every opportunity to turn from sin. He even washed Judas’s feet! Had Peter known the truth about Judas, he might have been tempted to kill him.

Jesus said that His betrayer had even eaten bread with Him at the table! In the East, to break bread with someone means to enter into a pact of friendship and mutual trust. It would be an act of the basest treachery to break bread and then betray your host. However, even this was the fulfillment of the Word of God ().

After Judas left the scene, Jesus instituted what Christians commonly call “the Lord’s Supper” or “the Eucharist.” (The word “Eucharist” comes from a Greek word which means “to give thanks.”) Before the cup, Jesus took one of the unleavened loaves, blessed it, broke it, and told the men, “Take, eat; this is My body.” He then took the Passover cup, blessed it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My blood” (see ).

When Jesus said, “This is My body,” and, “This is My blood,” He did not transform either the bread or the wine into anything different. When the disciples ate the bread, it was still bread; when they drank the wine, it was still wine. However, the Lord gave a new meaning to the bread and the wine, so that, from that hour, they would serve as memorials of His death.

In , , Paul uses the phrase, “in remembrance of Me.” The word “remembrance” carries the idea of a present participation in a past event. Because Jesus is alive, as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, by faith we have communion with Him (, ). This is not some “magical” experience produced by the bread and cup. It is a spiritual experience that comes through our discerning of Christ and the meaning of the Supper ().

On the way to the garden of Gethsemane (“olive grove”), Jesus warned the disciples that they would all forsake Him, but He then assured them that He would meet them again in Galilee after His resurrection. He even quoted —God will “strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered”—to back up His warning. The minds and hearts of the disciples were unable to receive and retain His words, however, for three days later they did not believe the reports of His resurrection! And the angel had to give them a special reminder to meet Him in Galilee (, ).

Our Lord’s struggle in the garden can be understood only in the light of what would happen to Him on the cross: He would be made sin for us () and bear the curse of the law (). It was not the physical suffering that caused Him to be “crushed with grief to the point of death,” but the contemplation of being forsaken by His Father. This was “the cup” that He would drink (). According to , He asked to be saved, not “from death” but out of death—that is, raised from the dead—and the Father granted His request.

“Abba” is an Aramaic word that means “papa” or “daddy.” It reveals the intimate relationship between our Lord and His Father. While believers today would probably not use that term in public, it does belong to us because we belong to Him (; ). Note that Jesus did not tell the Father what to do; He had perfect confidence in God’s will. Three times He prayed about the matter, and each time He yielded to the Father’s will in loving surrender.

The fact that Judas brought such a large group of armed men is evidence that neither he nor the religious leaders really understood Jesus. They thought that Jesus would try to escape, or that His followers would put up a fight, or that perhaps He might do a miracle. Our Lord’s words in verse were proof that He was in control, for they could have arrested Him many times earlier, except that His hour had not yet come.

, At this point, the disciples forsook Jesus and fled, and so did an unknown young man who came into the garden and witnessed the arrest. Was this John Mark? We do not know, but since the gospel of Mark is the only one of the four Gospels that records this event, the author could well have been writing about himself. If the Upper Room was in the home of John Mark, then perhaps Judas led the soldiers there first. John Mark may have hastily put on an outer garment and followed the mob to the garden. The soldiers may have even tried to arrest him, so he fled.

Both the Jewish trial and the Roman trial were in three stages. The Jewish trial was opened by Annas, the former high priest (). It then moved to the full council to hear witnesses (), and then to an early morning session for the final vote of condemnation (). Jesus was then sent to Pilate (; ), who sent Him to Herod (), who returned Him to Pilate (; ). Pilate yielded to the cry of the mob and delivered Jesus to be crucified.

Catalyst

While the Lord was being mocked and abused, Peter was in the courtyard below, trying to escape detection (). Had he heeded the Lord’s warnings, he would have avoided walking into temptation and denying his Master three times.

He is a warning to all of us, for if an apostle who walked with Christ denied his Lord, what might we do in similar circumstances? The Roman believers who read Mark’s gospel no doubt learned from this account, for they would soon be entering the furnace of persecution themselves.

Before we judge Peter too severely, we need to examine our own lives. How many times have we denied the Lord and lost opportunities to share the gospel with others? Do we, like Peter, talk when we should listen, argue when we should obey, sleep when we should pray, and fight when we should submit? Peter at least was sorry for his sins and wept over them, and the Lord did forgive him. After His resurrection, Jesus had a private meeting with Peter (); then Jesus helped Peter make a public confession when He met the disciples in Galilee ().

Go to the

The Jewish council had to convince Pilate that Jesus was guilty of a capital crime and therefore worthy of death (). In spite of their political corruption, many Roman officials had an appreciation for justice and tried to deal fairly with prisoners. Furthermore, Pilate had no great love for the Jews and was not about to do them any favors. He knew that the Jewish leaders were not interested in seeing justice done; what they really wanted was vengeance ().

Pilate thought he could avoid making a decision by sending Jesus to Herod, the ruler of Galilee (), but Herod only sent Jesus back after mocking Him. Then the governor offered the people a choice—Jesus the Nazarene, or Barabbas, the murderer and insurrectionist—thinking that surely sanity would prevail and they would ask to have Jesus released. But the chief priests had prepared the crowd carefully (), and they asked for Barabbas to be set free and Jesus to be crucified.

Pilate then tried a third ruse: He had Jesus scourged, hoping that the sight of the suffering prisoner would somehow arouse the people’s pity (cf. .). But the plan did not work. The governor gave in and delivered Jesus to be crucified. Then followed the disgraceful mockery by the soldiers, as they beat Him, spat on Him, and bowed in mock homage. Roman soldiers would certainly laugh at a Jew who claimed to be a king! “We have no king but Caesar!” (). Our Lord quietly suffered and did not fight back, a lesson that Mark’s readers would need to learn as they faced official persecution (). But men had not yet done their worst to God’s Son. Now they would lead Him outside the city and nail Him to a cross, and the Servant would die for the sins of the very people who were crucifying Him ().

John gives us the most details of the Roman trial, and when you combine the gospel records, you discover that Pilate repeatedly stated that he found no fault in Jesus (; , ; ; ). His problem was that he lacked the courage to stand for what he believed.

Three specific times of day are mentioned in this section of Mark: nine o’clock in the morning (v. ), noon (v. ), and three o’clock (vv. , ).

When you consider all that our Lord had endured since His arrest, it is not surprising that His strength failed. Indeed, he could have called “more than twelve legions of angels” (), yet He willingly bore the suffering on our behalf. There was a higher purpose behind this act: The victim carried the cross because he had been found guilty, but our Lord was not guilty. We are the guilty ones.

“Golgotha” is a Hebrew word that means “skull,” though nowhere does the text explain why the place bore that name. Visitors to the Holy Land today are shown “Gordon’s Calvary,” which does have the appearance of a skull, but guides also point out another possible site in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We do not know the exact place where our Lord was crucified, nor is it important that we know. He was crucified outside the city walls, the place of rejection (, ), and He died for the sins of the world.

Many of their readers had probably witnessed crucifixions, so any details would have been unnecessary. Crucifixion was such a detestable thing that it was not mentioned in decent society, any more than today we would discuss the gas chamber or the electric chair. Suffice it to say, crucifixion is one of the most horrible forms of death ever devised by man. Read for a description of some of our Lord’s agonies as He hung on the cross.

Two remarkable events occurred at His death: There was an earthquake (), and the curtain in the sanctuary of the temple was torn in two. The curtain had separated man from God, but now, through His death, Jesus had opened for the whole world a “new and life-giving way” (; also see ). There had been an earthquake at Sinai when the law was given (), but now the law was fulfilled in Jesus Christ and its curse removed (; ). Through His sacrifice, Jesus had purchased not only freedom from the law, but also freedom from the entire sacrificial system.

At noon, a miraculous darkness came over the land, and all creation sympathized with the Creator as He suffered. This was indeed a miracle and not some natural phenomenon, such as a sand storm or an eclipse. It would not be possible to have an eclipse during full moon at Passover. By means of this darkness, God was saying something to the people.

It is touching to see how the women stood near the cross until the very end. John had also been there, but he had taken Mary, our Lord’s mother, to his own home where he could care for her (). Faithful women were the last at the cross on Friday and the first at the tomb on Sunday. What a contrast to the disciples, who had boasted that they would die for him! The church of Jesus Christ owes much to the sacrifice and devotion of believing women.

John tells us that Joseph of Arimathea was accompanied by Nicodemus (). It seems evident that God prepared these two men and directed them in their activities. Nicodemus had come to Jesus privately () and had even defended Him before the council (). I believe that Joseph and Nicodemus searched the Scriptures together and discovered, led by the Spirit, that the Lamb would die at Passover. It is possible that they were hiding in the new tomb when Jesus died. It was a simple matter for Joseph to go to Pilate for permission to take the body, and for Nicodemus to guard the body until the official release was given. Had these men not acted boldly, the body of Jesus might have been disposed of like rubbish.

Jesus Christ was “delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification” (). A dead Savior cannot save anybody. The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is as much a part of the gospel message as His sacrificial death on the cross (). In fact, in the Book of Acts, the church gave witness primarily to the resurrection (; , ).

The resurrection proves that Jesus Christ is what He claimed to be, the very Son of God (). He had told His disciples that He would be raised from the dead, but they had not grasped the meaning of this truth (, , ; ). Even the women who came early to the tomb did not expect to see Him alive. In fact, they had purchased spices to complete the anointing that Joseph and Nicodemus had so hastily begun.

The emphasis here is on the unbelief of the disciples, who were mourning and weeping instead of rejoicing at the good news. Was it because they were prejudiced against the witness of the women? Perhaps, for the testimony of a woman was not accepted in a Jewish court. But even when the two Emmaus disciples gave their witness, not everybody believed. (Compare with .) Apparently there was division in the Upper Room until Jesus Himself appeared.

, A superficial reading of these verses might suggest that sinners must be baptized to be saved, but this misinterpretation disappears when you note that the emphasis is on believing. If a person does not believe, he is condemned, even if he has been baptized (see , ). It was expected in the early church that believers would be baptized (; ).

, Most of the signs listed here did take place in the days of the apostles and are recorded in the Book of Acts. The closest thing we have to taking up serpents is Paul’s experience on Malta (), but we have no biblical record of anyone drinking poison and surviving. No doubt God has performed many wonders for His own that we know nothing about, but we shall learn about them in heaven. It is tragic when well-meaning but untaught people claim these signs for themselves and then die because of snake bites or poison. Of course, the excuse is given that they did not have enough faith! But whatever is not of faith is sin (); therefore, they should not have done it in the first place.

Our Lord’s ascension marked the completion of His earthly ministry and the beginning of His new ministry in heaven as High Priest and Advocate for His people (; ). The “right hand” of God is the place of honor and authority (; ). Our Lord is like Melchizedek, King of Righteousness and King of Peace (; ). One of His heavenly ministries is that of enabling His people to do His will (, ). It is fitting that the gospel of the Servant should end with this reference to work, just as it is fitting for Matthew, the gospel of the King, to end with a reference to His great authority. By His Holy Spirit, the Lord wants to work in us (, ), through us (), and for us ().

Mark 1

1:1

1:1

1:2

1:2 NU-Text reads Isaiah the prophet.

1:2

1:3

1:3

1:4

1:5

1:6

1:7

1:8 ;

1:8

1:9

1:10

1:10

1:10 NU-Text reads out of.

1:11 ;

1:12

1:13 ,

1:14

1:14

1:14 NU-Text omits of the kingdom.

1:15 []

1:15 ;

1:16

1:17 ,

1:18 []

1:21

1:21

1:22 , ;

1:23 []

1:24 ,

1:24

1:24

1:25 []

1:26

1:27 NU-Text reads What is this? A new doctrine with authority.

1:28 ;

1:29 ,

1:32 ,

1:34

1:34 ,

1:35 ,

1:35 ; ; ,

1:37 ;

1:37 []

1:38

1:38 [, ]

1:39 ;

1:39 , ; ,

1:40

1:41

1:42

1:44

1:45

1:45 , ;

Mark 2

2:1

2:2 NU-Text omits Immediately.

2:3 ;

2:7

2:9

2:12 []

2:13

2:14

2:14 ; ;

2:14

2:15

2:16 NU-Text reads of the.

2:17 , ;

2:17 NU-Text omits to repentance.

2:18

2:20 ; , ;

2:23

2:23

2:24 ;

2:25

2:26

2:27

2:28

Mark 3

3:1

3:2 ;

3:2

3:5

3:5 NU-Text omits as whole as the other.

3:6

3:6

3:7

3:8

3:10

3:10 ;

3:11

3:11 ;

3:12 ,

3:13

3:14 NU-Text adds whom He also named apostles.

3:15 NU-Text omits to heal sicknesses and.

3:16

3:16 NU-Text reads and He appointed the twelve: Simon . . . .

3:20

3:21

3:21 ;

3:22 ;

3:22 [; ; ]

3:23

3:27 [, ]

3:28

3:30

3:31

3:32 NU-Text and M-Text add and Your sisters.

3:35

Mark 4

4:1

4:2

4:4 NU-Text and M-Text omit of the air.

4:9 NU-Text and M-Text omit to them.

4:10

4:11 []

4:11 []

4:12 , ;

4:12 ,

4:14

4:19

4:19 , ,

4:20 []

4:21

4:22 ,

4:23 ; ,

4:24

4:25 ;

4:26 [, ]

4:27 []

4:28 []

4:29

4:30 ,

4:33 ,

4:34 ,

4:35 ,

4:38 []

4:38

4:39

4:39 ; ; ; ,

4:40 ,

4:40 NU-Text reads Have you still no faith?

Mark 5

5:1

5:1 NU-Text reads Gerasenes.

5:2 ;

5:3 NU-Text adds anymore.

5:7

5:8 ;

5:11

5:13 NU-Text reads And He gave.

5:15 ;

5:15

5:15 []

5:17

5:18 ,

5:20

5:20 ,

5:21

5:22

5:23 ;

5:25 ,

5:27 ,

5:30 ;

5:33 []

5:34

5:34 ;

5:35

5:36 []

5:38

5:39 ,

5:40

5:42 ;

5:43 [; ; ]

Mark 6

6:1

6:2

6:2

6:3

6:3 []

6:4

6:5 ;

6:6

6:6

6:7 ,

6:7 [, ]

6:9 []

6:10

6:11

6:11 ;

6:11 NU-Text reads whatever place.

6:11 NU-Text omits the rest of this verse.

6:13 []

6:14

6:14

6:15

6:15

6:15 NU-Text and M-Text omit or.

6:16

6:18 ;

6:20 ;

6:21

6:21

6:23 , ,

6:26

6:29 ,

6:30

6:31

6:31

6:32

6:33 []

6:33 NU-Text and M-Text read they.

6:34 ;

6:34

6:34

6:35

6:36 NU-Text reads something to eat and omits the rest of this verse.

6:37

6:38

6:39

6:41 ,

6:41 ;

6:44 NU-Text and M-Text omit about.

6:45

6:46

6:48

6:49

6:50

6:50

6:51

6:51 ; ; ;

6:52 ,

6:52 ;

6:53

6:56

6:56 ,

Mark 7

7:1

7:2

7:2 NU-Text omits when and they found fault.

7:3

7:5

7:6

7:6

7:7

7:8 NU-Text omits the rest of this verse.

7:9

7:10 ;

7:10

7:10 ;

7:10

7:11 ;

7:14

7:14 , ,

7:15

7:16

7:16 NU-Text omits this verse.

7:17

7:18 []

7:19 NU-Text ends quotation with eliminated, setting off the final clause as Mark’s comment that Jesus has declared all foods clean.

7:20

7:21 ;

7:21 []

7:21

7:21

7:22

7:22 ,

7:22

7:22

7:22

7:24

7:24 ,

7:24 NU-Text omits and Sidon.

7:25

7:31

7:32

7:33

7:34

7:34 ,

7:35 ,

7:36

7:37 ;

7:37

Mark 8

8:1

8:2 ;

8:5

8:7

8:10

8:11 ;

8:12

8:12

8:14

8:14 NU-Text and M-Text read they.

8:15

8:17 ;

8:17 NU-Text omits still.

8:19

8:20

8:21 []

8:22

8:22

8:23

8:26 ;

8:26 NU-Text reads “Do not even go into the town.”

8:27

8:28

8:28 ,

8:29 ; ; ;

8:30 ;

8:31 ;

8:31

8:31 ;

8:33 []

8:34

8:35

8:38

8:38 , ;

Mark 9

9:1

9:1 []

9:2

9:3

9:7

9:7

9:7

9:9

9:10

9:11

9:12

9:12

9:13

9:14

9:17

9:19

9:20

9:23

9:23 NU-Text reads “ ‘If You can!’ All things . . . .”

9:24

9:25

9:28

9:29 []

9:29 NU-Text omits and fasting.

9:31

9:31 ;

9:31

9:32 ;

9:33

9:34 []

9:34 ; ;

9:35 ,

9:36

9:37

9:38

9:39

9:40 []

9:40 M-Text reads against you is on your side.

9:41

9:42 ,

9:43 , ; ,

9:44

9:44 NU-Text omits this verse.

9:46

9:46 NU-Text omits the last clause of verse and all of verse .

9:48

9:48

9:48

9:49 []

9:49

9:49 NU-Text omits the rest of this verse.

9:50

9:50

9:50 ;

Mark 10

10:1

10:2

10:4

10:6 ;

10:6 ;

10:7

10:8

10:11 [; ]

10:13

10:14 []

10:15 , ;

10:15

10:17

10:17

10:18

10:19 ;

10:19 ;

10:20

10:21 [; ]

10:21 , ;

10:21 []

10:23

10:24 []

10:24 NU-Text omits for those who trust in riches.

10:25 [; ]

10:27

10:28

10:29 NU-Text omits or wife.

10:30 ,

10:30 [, ]

10:31

10:32

10:32 ;

10:35 []

10:38

10:38

10:39

10:40 []

10:41

10:42

10:43

10:45 [, ]

10:45 []

10:46

10:47

10:47

10:52

Mark 11

11:1

11:1 M-Text reads Bethsphage.

11:4 NU-Text and M-Text read a.

11:8

11:9 ,

11:9

11:10

11:10 NU-Text omits in the name of the Lord.

11:11

11:12

11:13

11:15

11:15

11:17

11:17

11:17

11:17

11:18 ,

11:18

11:20

11:23 ;

11:24

11:25 []

11:26 ;

11:26 NU-Text omits this verse.

11:27

11:28

11:30 ,

11:32 ;

Mark 12

12:1

12:4 NU-Text omits and at him they threw stones.

12:5

12:8 []

12:10 ,

12:11 ,

12:12 , ,

12:13

12:14

12:15

12:17 [, ]

12:18

12:18

12:19

12:25 [, , ]

12:26 [, ]

12:26 ,

12:26 ,

12:28

12:28 NU-Text reads seeing.

12:29 ,

12:30 [; ]

12:30 ,

12:30 NU-Text omits this sentence.

12:31

12:31 []

12:31

12:32

12:33 []

12:33 NU-Text omits with all the soul.

12:34

12:35

12:36

12:36

12:36

12:37 []

12:38

12:38

12:38

12:39

12:40

12:41

12:41

12:42 Greek lepta, very small copper coins worth a fraction of a penny

12:43 []

12:44

Mark 13

13:1

13:2

13:3

13:3

13:3

13:3

13:4

13:5

13:8

13:8

13:8 NU-Text omits and troubles.

13:9 , ;

13:9 NU-Text and M-Text read will stand.

13:10

13:11 ;

13:11 ; ,

13:11 NU-Text omits or premeditate.

13:12

13:13

13:13 ;

13:14

13:14 ; ;

13:14

13:14 ;

13:14 NU-Text omits spoken of by Daniel the prophet.

13:17

13:19 ;

13:21 ;

13:22 ,

13:23 []

13:24

13:25 ;

13:26 [, ]

13:28

13:29 Or He

13:31

13:32

13:32

13:33

13:34 ;

13:34 []

13:35 ,

Mark 14

14:1 ,

14:1

14:3

14:5

14:5

14:7

14:7 [; ; , ; , , ]

14:9

14:10

14:12

14:17

14:18 , ;

14:19 NU-Text omits this sentence.

14:21

14:22

14:22 []

14:22 NU-Text omits eat.

14:24 NU-Text omits new.

14:26

14:27

14:27

14:27 NU-Text omits because of Me this night.

14:27

14:28

14:29 ,

14:32

14:33 ; ;

14:34

14:36

14:36 []

14:36 ;

14:38

14:38 [, ]

14:41 ;

14:42 ; ,

14:43

14:44 []

14:48

14:49

14:49

14:50

14:53

14:53

14:53 ; ;

14:54

14:55

14:56

14:58

14:60

14:61

14:61

14:62

14:64 ,

14:64

14:65 ;

14:65 NU-Text reads received Him with slaps.

14:66 ,

14:67

14:69

14:70

14:70

14:70 NU-Text omits and your speech shows it.

14:72

Mark 15

15:1

15:1

15:2

15:3

15:4

15:4 NU-Text reads of which they accuse You.

15:5

15:6

15:8 NU-Text reads going up.

15:11

15:12

15:14

15:15

15:15 []

15:16

15:19 [; ; ]

15:20 ;

15:21

15:22

15:23

15:24

15:25

15:26

15:27

15:28

15:28

15:28 NU-Text omits this verse.

15:29 , ;

15:29

15:29

15:31

15:31 ,

15:32

15:32 M-Text reads believe Him.

15:33

15:34

15:34

15:36

15:36

15:37

15:38

15:39

15:39 NU-Text reads that He thus breathed His last.

15:40

15:40

15:41 ,

15:42

15:43 , ;

15:46 ,

Mark 16

16:1

16:1

16:2

16:5 ,

16:6

16:7 ; ,

16:8

16:8 NU-Text and M-Text omit quickly.

16:9

16:10

16:11 ,

16:12

16:14

16:15

16:15 []

16:16 [, ]

16:16 []

16:17

16:17

16:17 []

16:18

16:18

16:18 NU-Text reads and in their hands they will.

16:19 ,

16:19 ;

16:19 []

16:20 []

16:20 Verses are bracketed in NU-Text as not original. They are lacking in Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, although nearly all other manuscripts of Mark contain them.

↑ Back to top