The Essential Jesus as

Revealed in the Gospel of Mark

“Feel good!”

The Bible has its share of “feel-good” passages!

“Anyone who is looking for a safe life

better stay away from Jesus”

David Platt

The Essential Jesus as

Revealed in the Gospel of Mark

Mark 9:33-37 - Jesus confronting prideful ambition

Mark 9:38-41 - Jesus responding to a jealous confession

Mark 9:42-50 - Jesus warning of the horrific consequence of sin

Jesus confronting prideful ambition!

Mark 9:33-34 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.

Jesus confronting prideful ambition!

Mark 9:35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

Jesus confronting prideful ambition!

Mark 9:36-37 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

Today’s Takeaway #1

All of us are very much like the Twelve. Deep inside of us is this leftover remnant of our fallen humanity which craves to be

first --- to have the preeminence!

We need to put off that desire to be first and live by the motif . . . “I AM LAST!”

Jesus responding to a jealous confession

Mark 9:38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”

Jesus responding to a jealous confession

John 3:26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”

Jesus responding to a jealous confession

All of us like to be successful, and we like other to be successful. Just not as successful as we are!

Jesus responding to a jealous confession

Mark 9:39-40 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us.”

Jesus responding to a jealous confession

Mark 9:41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.

Today’s Takeaway #2

Beware of the green-eyed snake of jealousy.

Today’s Takeaway #2

Can I honestly thank God for someone else who is more

gifted than me? Who has more talent than me? Who is more “successful” than

me?

Mark 9:33-37 - Jesus confronting prideful ambition

Mark 9:30-32 - Jesus responding to a jealous confession

Mark 9:42-50 - Jesus warning of the horrific consequence of sin

Jesus warning of the horrific consequence of sin

Mark 9:42 Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.

Jesus warning of the horrific consequence of sin

Mark 9:42 Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.

Jesus warning of the horrific consequence of sin

Mark 9:43-45 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell.

Jesus warning against the danger of sin

Mark 9:47-48 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’

Jesus warning against the danger of sin

- Our hands represent what we DO

- Our feet represent where we GO

- Our eyes represent what we SEE

Jesus warning against the danger of sin

Mark 9:47-48 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’

Jesus warning against the danger of sin

“Gehenna” (a deep ravine just south of Jerusalem)

Evil kings Ahaz and Manneseh sacrificed children to the false god, Molech here Good king Josiah turned area into the city’s garbage dump

Jesus warning against the danger of sin

“Gehenna” (a deep ravine just south of Jerusalem)

Mark 9:48 “where their worm

does not die and the fire is not quenched.”

Jesus warning of the horrific consequence of sin

Mark 9:49-50 For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Today’s Takeaway #3

We must KILL sin before it KILLS us . . . both sin’s penalty and sin’s presence!

Today’s Takeaway #3

Romans 6:23 The wages of sin is death.

Ezekiel 18:4 The soul who sins shall die.

Hebrews 9:27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once … and after that comes judgment.

Today’s Takeaway #3

“Gehenna” (a deep ravine just south of Jerusalem)

Mark 9:48 “where their worm

does not die and the fire is not quenched.”

Today’s Takeaway #3

Rob Bell

Love Wins

Today’s Takeaway #3

Do you know who in the Bible speaks the

most about hell?

“I can only guess the reason for that, but it

may be that we would scarcely believe His

teaching about hell if it came from anyone else. Sadly, we hardly believe

it even when it comes from Jesus.”

Today’s Takeaway #3

R. C. Sproul

Today’s Takeaway #3

Hebrews 9:27-28 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Today’s Takeaway #3

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Today’s Takeaway #3

We must KILL sin before it KILLS us! Both sin’s penalty and sin’s presence!

Today’s Takeaway #3

Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Today’s Takeaway #3

Mark 9:43-45 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell.

Today’s Takeaway #3

Mark 9:47-48 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’