In the concluding comments of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus commissioned the disciples to take the gospel into all the world. If we continue to follow Jesus, He will lead us to people and places that need to hear the gospel. Options for Mark’s Ending Why is the ending of Mark so uncommon from the rest of his book and missing in …
As the women came on Sunday morning to anoint the deceased body of Jesus, they were shocked to realize that the tomb was empty. All of our faith and purpose in life is wrapped up in the belief that the tomb is still empty today. Our lives will be determined based upon what we believe about the resurrection of Jesus. …
When followers of Jesus sought to care for the body of Jesus, Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus died so early in the process. Scripture teaches us not only why He died so early but also why He died so willingly. Mark 15:40-47 40 There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary …
As Jesus hung upon the sinner’s cross, people ridiculed His inability to perform one more miracle and escape His death. The greatest miracle of Jesus’ ministry was His commitment to forsake salvation from the cross so that we could experience salvation by the cross. Mark 15:21-39 21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the …
Intending to rid himself of the responsibility of Jesus’ death, Pilate assumed the people would choose Jesus over Barabbas to be the one prisoner released at that year’s Passover. Instead, the people chose to free a sinful criminal and condemn the sinless Messiah. Mark 15:1-20 15 And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the …
Judas betrayed, the disciples fled, the people accused, and Peter denied. After all Jesus had done for this world, the world abandoned Him. Mark 14:43-72 43 And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.44 Now the betrayer had …
Jesus gathered His disciples to celebrate the Passover and to institute the Lord’s Supper. The head of the table not only recalled the Passover sacrifice, but He showed them that He was the true Passover sacrifice. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows (Psalm 23:5). Mark …
As Jesus prepares for His sacrificial offering on the cross, Mary prepared a sacrificial offering for Him through an alabaster jar. As followers of Jesus, there is no gift too extravagant to lay before our Savior. Mark 14:1-11 14:1 It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were …
People have attempted to predict the end times, but Jesus assured that no one will know the precise time. While we don’t have the exact details of Christ’s return, we can hold the certain reality of His return by faith. Mark 13:24-37 24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give …
Providing the people with signs of the times, Jesus prepared them for coming persecution. Jesus taught on the coming end times, not to increase our anxiety in the future, but to increase our activity in the present. Mark 13:1-23 13 And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and …