In this passage, we have a determined Jesus and ineffective disciples. Let's look at both, starting with Jesus.
Read moreThe Hero Christ (Mark 14:27-52)
The Hero Christ
Mark 14:27-52
Christ’s Betrayal (Mark 14:27-52)
Christ’s Betrayal
Mark 14:27-52
The passage before us is raw. It feels too intimate for our eyes to behold. We shouldn't get such an honest glimpse into Jesus, into God, or into the disciples, we think.
Read moreWhy Should We Take Communion? Part 2 (Mark 14:22-25)
Why Should We Take Communion? Part 2
Mark 14:22-25
Communion offers us so much as believers in Christ. Last week, we began looking at some of the many reasons taking communion blesses and benefits the church – it reminds us of the incarnation, centers us on the atonement, emphasizes the importance of our personal faith, and communicates the unity of the church. Let’s continue looking at six more today.
Read moreWhy Should We Take Communion? Part 1 (Mark 14:22-25)
Why Should We Take Communion? Part 1
Mark 14:22-25
Mark tells us that Jesus and the disciples **were eating** the Passover meal when Jesus did something out of the ordinary (22). The customary Passover ceremony would have begun with a blessing over the group. Then, they would drink from the first cup of wine. Next, the youngest child in the group, perhaps John in this upper room, would ask, "Why is this night different from other nights?" The host or father of the group -- Jesus in this instance -- would then retell the events of the original Passover in Exodus.
Read moreThe New Passover Meal (Mark 14:12-25)
The New Passover Meal
Mark 14:12-25
In Exodus, God set Israel free from their Egyptian captivity with the Passover (Exodus 12). Though plague after plague had rained down on Egypt, Pharaoh would not surrender. With a hardened heart, he refused to acknowledge a deity greater than himself. He was the ultimate man, and, like many after him, in his defiance, he would not and could not submit to God.
Read moreMary, an Example of Devotion to Christ (Mark 14:1-11)
Mary, an Example of Devotion to Christ
Mark 14:1-11
Jesus Christ is worthy of our devotion. There is nothing we can give him that would put him in our debt. Though we know this about Jesus, what the woman in this story did for him is still astonishing because of its total lack of moderation. This is what the people present struggled with when they saw her that day. To them, she could have given the money to the poor and thanked Jesus less extravagantly.
Read moreThe Millennial Reign: Part 2 (Mark 13:24-37 & Rev. 20:1-6)
The Millennial Reign: Part 2
Mark 13:24-37 & Rev. 20:1-6
The fourth element of the millennium is that spiritual life will come to the nations. Israel won't be alone in its renewed spiritual life. The prophets clarified that the earth will experience a population explosion during the millennium. With the curse suspended or at least significantly decreased, Isaiah and Jeremiah said infants would no longer die, and everyone would *"fill out their days,"* so that death at age one hundred would be considered young (Isaiah 65:20, Jeremiah 30:20).
Read moreThe Millennial Reign: Part 1 (Mark 13:24-37 & Rev. 20:1-6)
The Millennial Reign: Part 1
Mark 13:24-37 & Rev. 20:1-6
Today, we pick up in Mark 13 with Jesus teaching his disciples about the end times. Last week, we studied his second coming, which takes place before his millennial reign. Now, we will look to the book of Revelation to learn more about the time of his 1,000-year reign.
Read moreThe Second Coming of Christ (Mark 13:24-27)
The Second Coming of Christ
Mark 13:24-27
On the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem's temple, a few days before his crucifixion, Jesus explained the end times to his disciples.
Read moreThe Great Tribulation: The End of the Age -- Mark 13:15-23
The Great Tribulation: The End of the Age
Mark 13:15-23
All these exhortations Jesus gave during his teaching about the end of the age have a Jewish bent. Housetops were used in that region as a place for leisure in the cool of the evening. You could dine, relax, sleep, store goods, and pray on your home's flat roof. And Jesus had already said it was the citizens of Judea who should flee when the abomination of desolation occurs. Many Christians, when the armies of Titus began arriving at Jerusalem, did flee the city before the greatest destruction came.
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