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This Personal Study Guide was created by FBC JAX with permission from LifeWay as a part of a paid licensing agreement.

Walking with the Lord in His Word is a true treasure! This quarter we will study the

Gospel of Mark. Like each Gospel, Mark gives an account of the life, death, burial,

resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Our study of Mark’s Gospel over the next

thirteen weeks will afford us the opportunity to grow in our understanding of who Jesus

is and what He has done. By God’s grace, we will end this study with fresh and deepened

affections for the Lord of Glory.

While the focus of each Gospel is the person and work of Christ, each Gospel has

different emphases and viewpoints. Mark’s Gospel focuses on Jesus as the Son of God. He

begins his gospel with this declaration: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the

Son of God” (Mark 1:1). He concludes it in the same way: “And when the centurion, who

stood facing Him, saw that in this way He breathed His last, he said, ‘Truly this man was

the Son of God!’” (Mark 15:39). As the Son of God, Jesus came to deliver the gospel of

the kingdom of God: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and

believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). In addition to Christ, Mark focuses on the disciples.

Mark explores what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, the Son of God. As you read and

study, it is our prayer that you might grow to become a more devoted follower of Jesus

Christ, submitting your life to Him as Lord and responding to His gospel in faith and

repentance.

As we open Mark’s Gospel and begin to have our hearts and lives transformed by it, and

as we continue seeking to Reach Jacksonville with the gospel of Jesus Christ, may we turn

our eyes outward and respond in obedience to the commission He has placed on our

lives: “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15).

Who are you seeking to see saved within your circle of influence? Let us all commit anew

and afresh to take the gospel to all of creation.

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Sunday Lesson Title Scripture

LIST OF LESSONS

March 3 Calls Mark 1:9-20March 10 Forgives Mark 2:1-12March 17 Unites Mark 3:23-35March 24 Restores Mark 5:21-24, 35-43March 31 Sends Mark 6:7-13, 30-32

April 7 Includes Mark 7:25-37April 14 Commands Mark 9:14-27April 21 Saves Mark 15:27-39April 28 Serves Mark 10:35-45

May 5 Purifies Mark 11:15-19; 12:41-44May 12 Promises Mark 13:24-37May 19 Prepares Mark 14:3-11, 32-36May 26 Lives Mark 15:42-47; 16:1-8

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Week of February 25, 2019

Mark 1:1

Mark begins his Gospel by stating its purpose: “The gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

And a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son;with You I am well pleased.”

Mark 1:11

MAIN IDEA

WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE

MondayFebruary

25

Mark begins his Gospel with a thematic sentence that describes his work as a whole: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” The word “gospel” means “announcement of good news.” It was used in the ancient world to describe a messenger who would run from the battlefield back to the city with the announcement of victory. Mark heralds good news, not of victory in battle per se, but of the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises of salvation and redemption. God made these promises to His people Israel, but they also stretch out to all the nations of the earth. This good news of salvation and redemption is specifically connected to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus is the promised Messiah, the only begotten Son of God, who entered the world to live the perfect life we could not live, to die the death that we deserved to die, and to rise again on the third day in glory and power. In these acts Jesus Christ accomplishes our salvation and redemption, thus fulfilling the promises of God. In short, Mark confronts us with the person and work of Jesus Christ. He confronts us with the second person of the Trinity–having in Himself the very authority of God–and challenges us to consider how we relate to this Sovereign Lord. As we enter into our study of the Gospel of Mark, let us consider this Jesus who is both Lord (God) and Christ (Messiah), and let us be compelled to follow Him and love Him and serve Him all our days.

• What is the definition of the word “gospel”? What is the content of the “gospel” Mark proclaims?

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• How would you characterize your relationship with Jesus Christ? How does the gospel of Jesus Christ that Mark presents intersect with you and your life?

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Ask that God would give you eyes to see and ears to hear as you begin this study of Mark. Ask specifically that He would help you to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

PRAY

5

Mark 1:2-8

John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus the Messiah.MAIN IDEA

Even if you have never heard the name Michael Buffer before, you probably know who he is. An icon in the professional boxing and MMA community, he is known as the “hype man” par excellence for boxers and fighters. Surely you are familiar with his trademark phrase, “Let’s get ready to rumble!” While Michael Buffer himself is not a star boxer or fighter, his claim to cultural glory is that he paves the way for star boxers and fighters before worldwide audiences. John the Baptist played a similar role in the history of redemption. While he himself was not the Messiah, God appointed him to pave the way for the Messiah. Mark helps us to understand John’s role by citing from Isaiah 40, which prophesies about the one who would “prepare the way of the Lord [and] make straight his paths.” John accomplished this in his ministry by calling the people of Israel to repentance–to turn away from sinful ways and to turn toward God for forgiveness of sin. While John played an incredibly important role in God’s Kingdom purposes, he humbly acknowledged that he was not the one who would usher in God’s Kingdom and pointed those who came to him to the One who would. In fact, the primary message of John’s preaching was that One was coming who was mightier than he, so mighty that John wasn’t even worthy to be His lowliest servant (Mark 1:7). When this One comes, John said, He will fulfill all the promises of God, including the bestowal of the Spirit of God prophesied in Ezekiel 11:18-19 (Mark 1:8). Tomorrow we will read about the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. For today, do your best to submit your own heart to the message of John the Baptist. Confess your sin, ask God for forgiveness, and look to the Messiah who accomplished your forgiveness according to the perfect plan of God.

• What was the role of John the Baptist? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• What does repentance look like in your life? In what areas of your life do you need to turn away from sin and turn toward God for forgiveness? How does your repentance connect to the person and work of Jesus Christ?

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Praise God today for His perfect plan of salvation. Thank Him for the ministry of John the Baptist, which prepared the way for the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ask God that He would help you submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

PRAY

TuesdayFebruary

26

6

The baptism of Jesus gives us rich insight into the identity of Jesus of Nazareth.MAIN IDEA

Mark’s account of the baptism of Jesus gives us rich insight into the person of Christ in both His humanity and in His deity. In His humanity, Jesus comes from His hometown of Nazareth and participates in the “baptism of repentance,” in which His fellow Jews were participating. We get immediate confirmation, though, that the baptism of Jesus is very much different from that of His fellow Jews. As soon as He is baptized, the heavens split open and the Spirit descends onto Him like a dove. Then, the booming voice of the Father from heaven says, “You are My beloved Son; with You I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11). Though Jesus participates in John’s “baptism of repentance,” He has no need of repentance. He is the sinless, beloved Son of God, and God is well pleased with Him. In His humanity, Jesus identifies with His people and fulfills all the righteous requirements of the law, including John’s baptism (Matthew 3:15). In His deity, Jesus transcends above His people in His identity as God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. Moreover, the anointing of the Spirit identifies Him as the prophesied Servant of the Lord, who would save Israel from their sins (Isaiah 11:2; 42:1; 61:1). Amazingly, this account of the baptism of Jesus gives us a picture of all three persons of the Trinity: the Father speaks from heaven, the Son participates in baptism, and the Spirit descends upon the Son.

• What is the significance of Jesus participating in John’s baptism? What is the significance of the Spirit descending upon Jesus?

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• What claim is this passage making about the identity of Jesus? How does this claim confirm or challenge your understanding of the identity of Jesus?

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Thank God for sending His Son as the Righteous Servant who would save His people from their sins. Praise Jesus today as God the Son, the second person of the Trinity.

PRAY

Mark 1:9-11Wednesday

February27

7

Jesus resists the temptations of Satan in the wilderness.

MAIN IDEA

All great heroes are tested, and one of the marks of true heroes is that they stand up to the test. In fiction, the hero always stands up to the test: Frodo Baggins resists the power of the ring, Luke Skywalker stands up to the Dark Side, and Odysseus resists the song of the Sirens. In reality, we oftentimes fail the test. It is very human to fail the test. A fitting example is the people of Israel in the wilderness. God saved them from slavery in Egypt, but in the wilderness they succumbed to temptation again and again. It is against this backdrop of human failure, and particularly the failure of the Israelites in the wilderness, that the account of the temptation of Jesus is set. Where Israel fails, Christ prevails. Israel could not stand up to the temptations of the enemy, but Jesus perfectly resisted his temptations. While the temptation in the wilderness highlights the victory of Jesus over the temptations of the enemy, Jesus continued to resist temptation all His life, all the way to the Garden of Gethsemane on the eve of His arrest. Brothers and sisters, are you tempted, tried, and wearied? Certainly, you are. Entrust yourself today to the One who, though tempted, tried, and wearied, perfectly resisted temptation every single moment of His entire life. Do this knowing that His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead has purchased forgiveness for your past failures and has given you everything you need to resist temptations today, tomorrow, and for the rest of your days.

• Why does Jesus go into the wilderness for 40 days? What is the purpose of His being tempted?

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• How does knowing that Jesus perfectly resisted temptation change the way that you fight temptation today?

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Praise God today for the perfection of His Son, Jesus Christ. Ask that He would give you the power you need to resist temptation today.

PRAY

Mark 1:12-13Thursday

February28

8

Mark summarizes the primary message of the preaching ministry of Jesus.

MAIN IDEA

What was the ministry of Jesus all about? In today’s passage, Mark provides us a short summary of the content of Jesus’ public preaching ministry. It is interesting to note that Jesus came into Galilee (the locus of his ministry) after John was arrested. John was the precursor to Jesus; he was the prophet who made the way ready for the Great Prophet. Mark describes Jesus’ ministry, for which John prepared the way, as “proclaiming the gospel of God” (Mark 1:14). This is what Jesus did in His earthly ministry. He proclaimed the good news that “the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15). What does this mean? In Judaism in that day, the Kingdom of God was believed to refer to a future ruling of the nation by God through Israel. Here in these verses, the Kingdom of God refers to God’s sovereign provision of our King, His sinless Son, Jesus, who calls all people to respond to Him in repentance and faith, turning away from their allegiance to sin and toward an allegiance to Him. Over the coming weeks, as we study Mark’s Gospel, we will begin to unpack what this Kingdom looks like and how it is that Jesus establishes it. For now, it is important that each of us take seriously the prophetic call of this passage. Repent and believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Turn away from your own kingdom and embrace His glorious Kingdom and the glorious King who rules over all.

• What was the primary message of the preaching ministry of Jesus? ________________________________________________________

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• In what specific ways do you need to turn from your allegiance to sin and toward allegiance to Christ?

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Thank God for establishing the rule and reign of Jesus Christ. Ask that He would help you to live as a member of His Kingdom.

PRAY

Mark 1:14-15Friday

march1

9

As you reflect on your personal study throughout the week, choose one verse or passage that particularly stood out to you.

• Why was this verse or passage so meaningful to you? ________________________________________________________

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• In what areas of your life do these truths apply? ________________________________________________________

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• In what ways do you plan to put the truths you’ve observed this week into practice?

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Family Focus: Now take the verse or passage that stood out to you and think about how you can share it with your family. How does it apply to your husband, wife, son, or daughter? For singles or students, think about how it applies to your friends or parents. Commit to share this passage with a family member or friend today.

Tomorrow our lesson is Calls from Mark 1:9-20. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

Saturdaymarch

2

10

SUNDAY SCHOOL GROUP NOTES _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

List 2-3 ways you plan to respond to the truths you have learned this week:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CALLSSunday

march3

11

Week of MARCH 4, 2019

Mark 1:16-20

Jesus calls His first disciples.

And Jesus said to them,“Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

Mark 1:17

MAIN IDEA

WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE

mondaymarch

4

Jesus begins His ministry by gathering disciples. In today’s narrative, we see Him gathering Simon (Peter), Andrew, James, and John. The picture that this narrative paints is a wonderful illustration of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. He calls on these men to follow Him, and they drop what they are doing to follow Him. The explicit purpose of following Jesus is so that He can make them “fishers of men” (Mark 1:17). This “make” means that Jesus will change or transform them, and us as well, into “fishers of men.” Jesus pulls this imagery from Jeremiah 17, where the Lord prophesies that He will one day send fishers and hunters to call back the people of God from idolatry and to bring them to purification in God’s Kingdom. This prophecy is now fulfilled in Christ, as He gathers His disciples who will one day take the message of the gospel to all the nations through making disciples of others. We shouldn’t miss the practicality of this passage, either. For we too are disciples of Christ, and we too have been called to be fishers of men, makers of disciples of Christ. This is the commission our Lord gave us (Mathew 28:19-20).

• Based on this passage, what does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? ________________________________________________________

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• In what practical ways can you live out your discipleship in Christ today? How is Christ changing you to be a fisher of men?

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Thank God for His infinite wisdom, in that He sovereignly arranged these few disciples to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth through discipleship. Ask that He would help you to be a disciple of Christ today by being a disciple-maker of others.

PRAY

12

Mark 1:21-34Mark 1:21-34

Jesus teaches in the synagogue with authority and further displays His authority by healing the sick and exorcising demons.

MAIN IDEA

Today’s narrative gives us a kind of “Sabbath day in the life of Jesus.” Jesus begins the Sabbath by teaching in the synagogue and healing a man with an unclean spirit. Then, He goes to the house of Simon and Andrew to heal Simon’s mother and thereafter (after the end of the Sabbath at sundown) to heal many others and cast out other demons. From the sheer number of verses that are devoted to detailing Jesus’ actions of healing and casting out demons, we might conclude these things are at the core of Jesus’ ministry. But the way that this narrative is structured shows us something different. While most of the verses are taken up by the narratives of healings and exorcisms, all these things take place to validate the authority of Jesus and His teaching. The people of the synagogue note that Jesus taught “as one who had authority” (Mark 1:22). Then, after He heals the man with the unclean spirit, they conclude again, “A new teaching with authority!” The purpose of Jesus’ healings and exorcisms is to visibly display the authority that He carries in His teaching about the Kingdom of God. This is an authority that is not a borrowed authority, but one that is inherently His as the Son of God. When Jesus speaks, His words carry the authority of God, for He Himself is God. Let us remember this as we sit under Jesus’ teaching in our study of Mark.

• What is the purpose of Jesus’ ministry of healing and exorcisms? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• How does the knowledge that the words of Jesus carry the authority of God change the way that you read the Bible? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Praise Jesus today for His authority in heaven and on earth. Ask that God would help you to sit under the teaching of His Word in a way that recognizes its divine authority over your life.

PRAY

tuesdaymarch

5

13

Jesus went out to pray to His Father and came back to do His Father’s will.MAIN IDEA

Are you a coffee drinker? For many, a morning cup of coffee is a non-negotiable. With it, they can function; without it, beware! When (or if) you rise early in the morning, what is it that you need? What is it that your heart longs for? In today’s narrative we see Jesus rising very early in the morning for a very specific purpose: to have fellowship with His Father, to spend time in prayer. Isn’t it humbling to think that the King of the Universe would depend upon His Father in prayer; and yet we, mere creatures, so often struggle to do so? This text ought to lead us to repentance. It ought to lead us to abandon our own will and to faithfully and regularly seek the will of our Father. Jesus was very clear in His knowledge and proclamation of His purpose for coming to earth. After His time with the Father, He says, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out” (Mark 1:38). Jesus sought the will of the Father, and then He did the will of the Father; His prayer led to action. This too is humbling, for so often even when we know the will of the Father we fail to do it. Thus, this text ultimately points us to our need for Christ, who ultimately did the will of the Father by dying on a cursed tree to save us from the curse we deserved for not doing the will of the Father.

• Why did Jesus rise early in the morning? ________________________________________________________

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• In what ways can you apply the patterns of Jesus’ life shown in this passage to your life? In what way does this text point you to your need for Jesus?

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Thank Jesus for His perfect obedience to the Father that He accomplished on your behalf. Ask Him to help you follow after His example of obedience to the Father. Ask Him to help you depend upon the Father in prayer just as He did.

PRAY

Mark 1:35-39Wednesdaymarch

6

14

Jesus has compassion on a leper and heals him.MAIN IDEA

Are you a compassionate person? What happens in your heart when you encounter a sick or troubled person? Most of us do feel compassion when we see the plight of others. But we oftentimes feel helpless, questioning what it is that we can do for the afflicted. God has more compassion than all of us combined. Lamentations 3:22: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.” But unlike us, God has the power to meet people in their affliction and bring about decisive change in their lives. This infinite compassion and power of God is on display in today’s narrative. Jesus encounters an unclean leper, and the leper falls on his knees and implores Him, “If You will, You can make me clean” (Mark 1:40). At this entreaty, the text tells us that Jesus was “moved with pity” (Mark 1:41). The word translated “pity” indicates an eruption of deep, sharp emotion–Jesus was deeply moved by the state of this destitute leper. So, Jesus says, “I will, be clean,” and then heals the leper of his malady. Such is the power of Jesus that when He touches this unclean leper Jesus doesn’t become unclean, but instead the leper becomes clean. Jesus has the compassion to desire this leper to be clean, and the power to bring about His cleanness. He truly is the Son of God; He truly is the Lord whose steadfast love never ceases and whose mercies never end. He has shown it to us, too, at the cross, where He took on the malady of sin for us so that we could be cleansed by His righteous blood. May we stand in awe of His compassion today.

• In what way does Jesus show the compassion of God in this passage? ________________________________________________________

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• In what way has Jesus shown you the compassion of God and what effect does that have upon you today?

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Thank God today for showing you His compassion in the person and work of His Son, Jesus Christ. Ask that He would create compassion in your heart also, and that you would show this compassion to announce the good news of the gospel to everyone you know.

PRAY

Mark 1:40-45Thursdaymarch

7

15

Jesus heals a paralytic and shows that He has authority to forgive sins.

MAIN IDEA

If you have spent much time making disciples, surely you have heard some variation of the following: “Well sure, Jesus was a great moral teacher. His teachings are very applicable today. His parables are the stuff of Plato and Socrates and Aristotle. But this business about Him being the God of the Universe, the Lord of my life, well that is just nonsense.” Is this approach to Jesus a viable one? Is it possible for us to embrace Jesus as a good moral teacher and to reject Him as Lord? Based on the narrative before us today, one would have to conclude that this is not a viable option. As C. S. Lewis famously reasoned, there are only three options: either Jesus is a liar, a lunatic, or He is Lord. He either lied about being Lord for some ulterior motive, or He was deceived into thinking that He was Lord when He was not, or He was truly Lord. Think about it in terms of today’s passage. Jesus tells this paralytic: “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5). The scribes don’t miss the implication of this statement. They know that by saying this, Jesus is stepping into a role that only God can fill: “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7). Then Jesus confirms what they have already observed: “The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sin.” (Mark 2:11). One thing that we cannot say is that Jesus taught good moral teachings but did not teach that He was Lord. Jesus assuredly taught that He was Lord! He claimed to have the authority to forgive sins! So then, there are three possibilities: either He is crazy and believes He can forgive sins when He cannot; or He is a liar and is teaching that He can forgive sins when He knows He cannot; or He is the Lord of the Universe and carries the authority of God because He is God, and therefore He does actually have the authority to forgive sins. The entire message of Mark, and the entirety of God’s Word for that matter, argues that Jesus truly is the Son of God, and that He not only has the authority to forgive sins, but that He exercised His authority in His person and work on our behalf. Come to terms with these claims today, brothers and sisters, and share them with as many people as you can!

• Why do the scribes react so strongly when Jesus tells the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven?”

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• Have you responded to the claim that Jesus makes in this passage? Do you believe that He truly is the Son of God, and that He truly does have the authority to forgive sins? If Jesus truly is Lord, how does that impact your life?

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Fall on your knees and worship your King Jesus today, who is Lord of all. Thank Him for accomplishing the forgiveness of your sins through His work on the cross. Ask that He would give you boldness to proclaim this glorious gospel to everyone you know.

PRAY

Mark 2:1-12Friday

march8

16



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Tomorrow our lesson is Forgives from Mark 2:1-12. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

saturdaymarch

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FORGIVESsunday

march10

18

Week of march 11, 2019

Mark 2:13-17

Jesus calls Levi the tax collector to follow Him.

And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even

of the Sabbath.”Mark 2:27-28

MAIN IDEA

WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE

mondaymarch

11

What kind of person must you be to follow Jesus? If you were to take to the streets with this question, surely you would get several different answers: “You have to be a good person”; “you have to be a religious person”; “you have to be a churchgoer”; “you have to follow all the rules”; and the list could go on. In today’s passage, though, Jesus gives us a different answer. In this passage we see Jesus calling Levi (or Matthew), a tax collector, to follow Him and we see Levi saying yes. This alone would have been shocking to the religious leaders–“Jesus is calling a tax collector–a swindler and a cheat–to follow Him!” But Jesus goes even further than that: He goes to Levi’s house and spends time with other tax collectors and “sinners” (Mark 2:15). This prompts the Pharisees to question the disciples: “Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Mark 2:16). And then Jesus gives them His answer: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). So, what kind of person must you be to follow Him? Jesus says, “I have come for those who are sick, for those who are sinners, for those who know that they have not met the requirements of God’s law and are desperately looking for a Savior to redeem them.” Do you count yourself a follower of Jesus? If so, then why? Let us realize our own sinfulness and unworthiness to stand before the presence of God and focus on Jesus, whose very purpose in calling us to Himself is to reconcile us to the God against whom we have sinned so gravely.

• Why were the Pharisees so shocked that Jesus would recline with tax collectors and sinners?

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• How might today’s passage redefine in your life what it means to be a disciple of Jesus? What does this passage lead you to trust in and not trust in?

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Praise God today that He sent Jesus to call sinners to repentance. Ask Him to help you follow Jesus by trusting in Him alone for your salvation and forsake any efforts to save yourself by human works of righteousness.

PRAY

19

Mark 2:18-22

Jesus answers the Pharisees’ question about fasting.MAIN IDEA

In today’s text, Mark continues the pattern of Jesus responding to the questions about His ministry raised by the religious leaders. The Pharisees raise a question about why the disciples of Jesus do not fast, like the disciples of John and the Pharisees themselves. The answer that Jesus provides continues to establish the point that He has all authority and that He is indeed Lord. He tells them, “The reason that My disciples do not fast is because when I am with them there is no reason to fast. I am the Lord, the Son of God, the Bridegroom; and in My presence, there is joy and celebration. When I depart, then fasting will be appropriate.” Jesus is making a big claim here. He is saying that all the fasting commands and traditions of the Old Testament are ultimately fulfilled in Him. People fasted in the Old Testament to seek the presence of the Lord and to set their hearts toward the coming of His Kingdom. Jesus is saying that in Him they are experiencing these realities first-hand. Jesus takes this question about fasting–which the Pharisees were asking to undermine His authority–and He uses it to teach us that He is indeed the Son of God. As Christians in this age, we know that His Kingdom has arrived and that it will be fully established when He comes again. So, let us look forward to that day with hope and expectation.

• Why did the disciples of Jesus not fast when He was with them? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• How does this passage change your perspective about who Jesus is and what He came to do?

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Praise God today that He has made His Kingdom to arrive on earth in the person and work of His Son Jesus Christ. Ask that He would help you to live as a member of His Kingdom. Ask that He would help you to anticipate and long for the final establishment of His Kingdom in the new heavens and new earth.

PRAY

tuesdaymarch

12

20

Jesus teaches on the Sabbath and identifies Himself as Lord of the Sabbath.MAIN IDEA

The questioning of the Pharisees now turns to the topic of the Sabbath. In two separate but related episodes, Jesus accomplishes two things in relation to His teaching on the Sabbath: 1) He properly defines what the Mosaic Law teaches about the Sabbath versus the traditional teaching of the Pharisees about the Sabbath; and 2) He shows how He, as the Son of God and the divine author of the Mosaic Law, is the Master of the Sabbath. In the first episode, the Pharisees call out Jesus’ disciples for picking grain on the Sabbath. Jesus brings up a narrative from the Old Testament that challenges their understanding of Sabbath restrictions: David, when he was hungry and in need, ate bread from the altar even on the Sabbath. Then Jesus turns to the definition of the Sabbath itself: the Sabbath is not meant to be a restriction on man, but rather a benefit to man. And as the Son of Man, the God who created the Sabbath and man, Jesus rules over the Sabbath and directs it for the good of mankind. In the second episode, Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath to show that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. This functions as both an illustration of how the Sabbath works under the framework of God’s law and as evidence of the fact that Jesus truly is Lord of the Sabbath, since He has the power to work miracles even on the Sabbath. While there are several different perspectives regarding how we as Christians should relate to the Sabbath today, one thing is clear from this text: Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath, and ultimately the rest, refreshment, and healing that God intended the Sabbath to produce in man is found in the person and work of Christ. So, look to Jesus today as the Lord of the Sabbath and find rest and refreshment in Him!

• In what ways does Jesus challenge the Pharisees’ understanding of the Sabbath? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• In practical terms, what does it look like for you to look to Jesus as the Lord of the Sabbath? How might you find rest and refreshment in Him today?

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Thank God today for His infinite wisdom and mercy. Thank Him for ordering creation in such a way that you would require rest and refreshment in your day-to-day life. Praise Him that this pattern of living ultimately points you to your greatest need for rest and refreshment in Christ, the Lord of the Sabbath.

PRAY

Mark 2:23–3:6wednesdaymarch

13

21

A great crowd gathers around Jesus at the sea, primarily because of His miracles.

MAIN IDEA

Over the past week or so we have gotten a taste of what Jesus’ ministry was like. The primary task of His ministry was to proclaim “the gospel of God,” which centers around the following message: “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15). Jesus’ ministry was about the coming of the Kingdom of God in the event of His own coming, and it consisted of a calling of people to repentance and faith in Him as the authoritative King of kings and Lord of lords. In today’s text, we see how the people of Galilee and the surrounding regions responded. Mark observes the way that the people respond to Jesus and places the emphasis on the actions of Jesus, specifically on His miracles. He says that the crowd gathered around Him when they “heard all that He was doing” (Mark 3:8) and that it was “all who had diseases” that pressed around Him to touch Him (Mark 3:10). While this was certainly an element of the ministry of Jesus meant to confirm His Divine Sonship, it wasn’t the main point. Interestingly, it appears that the demons got the main point better than the crowds did: “You are the Son of God,” the demons cried out (Mark 3:11). This focus on the miracles of Jesus among the crowd points to a widespread misunderstanding about the identity of the Messiah and the way in which God’s Kingdom would unfold on earth. They were expecting the Messiah to come and to establish His physical rule on earth immediately, but that day has not yet come. Jesus came to proclaim the good news of the gospel, and then He died and rose again to accomplish that good news. He ascended into heaven and will one day come again to culminate His reign by judging sin, redeeming His people, and establishing the new heavens and new earth. May we look to that day with eager expectation!

• Based on evidence from the text, what was the reason the crowds gathered around Jesus at the sea?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• The crowds gathered around Jesus were placing much emphasis on the immediate physical benefits they could receive from Jesus, as opposed to focusing on His main message about the Kingdom of God. How might you similarly be tempted to place the immediate benefits of following Jesus above God’s Kingdom purposes and mission for your life?

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Ask God to help you set your focus on His Kingdom and His mission for you in this world. Ask Him to help you to eagerly anticipate the day of His return.

PRAY

Mark 3:7-12thursdaymarch

14

22

Jesus calls His disciples to Himself.MAIN IDEA

Following the events of 9/11, George W. Bush, in an address to the Joint Session of Congress, addressed the nations of the world at large and said, “Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” 1 In the passage before us today, Mark seems to draw an equally clear line between those who are with Jesus and those who are against Jesus. First, Jesus “called to Him those whom He desired, and they came to Him” (Mark 3:13). From this group of His followers, He specifically appointed the twelve apostles, to whom He gave authority to preach the gospel and cast out demons. Yet, even within this group we find those who were not for Him, such as Judas, “who betrayed Him” (Mark 3:19). Then we move to the next scene: Jesus comes back to His hometown and crowds gather around Him, and yet there is another group who is not with Him. This time, it is His own family who attempts to seize Him and who declares that “He is out of His mind” (Mark 3:20-21). The next group is the scribes from Jerusalem, who take things a step further by claiming that Jesus is from Satan, not from God (Mark 3:22). They receive perhaps one of the strongest rebukes in the entire Bible (Mark 3:28-30). Finally, Jesus clarifies that the ones who are truly with Him, the ones who are His “brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:35), are the ones who do “the will of God (Mark 3:35). In this passage we begin to see that there are really only two kinds of people: those who embrace Jesus as Lord and follow Him in obedience, and those who reject Him and live in disobedience against Him. Those who embrace Him as Lord are adopted into the family of God, and those who reject Him remain children of the world. The demand that this passage makes on our lives is a strong and striking one: Are we for Jesus or against Jesus? How we respond to this call determines whether we can call ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ.

• What does this passage teach about what it means to be a disciple of Christ? ________________________________________________________

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• Have you personally responded to the demand of this passage? In what ways does your life need to change as a response to the call of discipleship?

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Thank God for adopting you into His family through repentance and faith in Christ. Ask Him to help you continue living in repentant faith today.

PRAY

Mark 3:13-35friday

march15

23



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Tomorrow our lesson is Unites from Mark 3:23-35. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

saturdaymarch

16

24



UNITESsunday

march17

25

And they were filled with great fear and said to one another,“Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

Mark 4:41

Week of march 18, 2019

Mark 4:1-25

Jesus tells the parable of the sower and explains it.MAIN IDEA

WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE

mondaymarch

18

Jacksonville Beach hosts a thriving surfing community. It is a very exclusive community, and you have to meet certain requirements to be in. There are all sorts of people who are associated with the community, but not really a part of it. The surfers have names for them. For instance, there is the kind of person who dresses and talks like a surfer but doesn’t really know how to surf. That person they call a “poser.” There is the kind of person who gets out there to surf but makes a fool of himself doing it. That person they call a “kook.” Then there is the kind of person who really is a surfer but comes from a different surf community (such as California). That person they call a “transplant.” There are varying degrees of association with the surf group, but only a very specific sort is actually in it. Jesus communicates something similar in the parable of the sower. There are all sorts of people who meet with the Word of God, but only one kind of person really embraces it. One sort hears the Word, but then Satan comes and snatches it away (Mark 4:15). Others hear and receive the Word with joy, but because they have no roots the trials of the world cause them to fall away (Mark 4:16-17). Another hears the Word but then gets torn away by the cares and concerns of the world (Mark 4:18-19). And, finally, there is the one who hears the Word, embraces it, and bears a multiplicity of fruit as he grows in it (Mark 4:20). The only one that has really “gotten in” is the last one. How have you responded to the Word of God sown into your life? What are the conditions of the soil of your heart? Let us cry out to God today and ask for soft, receptive hearts. Let us cry out to the One who holds the secrets of the Kingdom and reveals them to whom He wills (Mark 4:11-12), and let us ask Him for understanding and for the grace to respond in faith and obedience to the Word He has given to us.

• In your own words, summarize the meaning of the parable of the sower. ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

• What soil best identifies your own heart? How might this parable change the way you relate and respond to God’s Word?

________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

Ask God to give you a receptive heart toward His Word. Ask Him to help you bear much fruit. Ask Him specifically to multiply your affections for Him and your obedience to Him.

PRAY

26

Mark 4:26-34

Jesus gives two more parables of the Kingdom.MAIN IDEA

After giving much attention to the parable of the sower, Mark gives two more of Jesus’ Kingdom parables for us to consider. These parables share the agricultural motif of the parable of the sower but communicate something a bit different. Both parables focus on the expansive nature of the Kingdom of God. Just as a scattered seed grows gradually on its own until it is eventually a crop ready for harvest, and just as a small mustard seed grows into a large bush, so also the Kingdom of God starts inconspicuously and small but gradually expands to encompass all of reality. These parables immediately challenge the belief that the Kingdom of God would reach its full physical culmination at the coming of the Messiah. Jesus describes the coming and culmination of the Kingdom of God as a gradual but sure expansion. In a sense, we can view the story of these seeds (little and inconspicuous and agrarian as it may be) as the story of all history. God began His plan to establish His Kingdom before He even created the world. He knew it would ultimately be brought to completion through the person and work of His Son Jesus Christ, who would come to live on earth, teaching about the Kingdom and fulfilling the righteous requirement; die a death for sin on the cross; rise again on the third day and ascend into heaven; and come again one day to judge the living and the dead. In this way, the story of these seeds reflects the story of God’s redemptive purposes throughout all of history. Let us stand in awe of this perfect, beautiful Kingdom plan today, and let us pray fervently for its final arrival!

• What is the main point of the two parables in today’s passage? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• If you are in the process of God’s gradually expanding and developing Kingdom, what is your role in it? How would God have you live in His Kingdom today and prepare for its culmination?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Praise God for His infinite wisdom and glory in ordering the events of redemption according to His perfect timing. Ask that He would help you to live for His Kingdom today and prepare for its coming.

PRAY

tuesdaymarch

19

27

Jesus reveals His divine authority by calming a storm.MAIN IDEA

One of the clearest passages in the Bible describing God’s complete power over the forces of nature is Job 38. In that passage, God asks Job a series of rhetorical questions that highlight Job’s utter finiteness and powerlessness and God’s infinite power over all things. He says to Job, “Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that a flood of waters may cover you? Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go and say to you, ‘Here we are?’” (Job 38:34-35). The obvious answer for Job is, “No way!” But in today’s passage we see that the answer for Jesus is, “Yes, I can.” Jesus reveals His divine authority by calling the wind and waves into submission to His sovereign will. Jesus can rebuke the wind and say to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” because He is the God who created them. Brothers and sisters, isn’t it a comfort beyond measure that this same God who exhorts the wind and commands the waves has your life squarely in the palm of His hand? Isn’t it a supreme relief to know that because of what Christ has done for you on the cross, this sovereign God is on your side? At the time of this episode, the disciples didn’t believe it, so they responded to their adversity with an anxious spirit and with doubt that God would help them. But after Jesus revealed His authority, their doubting hearts turned to godly awe, as they took in the infinite power and majesty and authority of this Jesus whom they had followed. Let us turn to Him today in reverence and in trust.

• How do the disciples initially respond to the adversity that they face during the storm? How do they respond once Jesus calms the storm?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• If you were to examine your life and consider how you relate to Christ, to what degree are you trusting in Him as the sovereign and divine Lord of all creation? What steps can you take to deepen your trust in Him?

________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

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Spend some time today in adoration of Jesus for His supreme power over all things. Ask that God would help you to trust in Him more deeply.

PRAY

Mark 4:35-41wednesdaymarch

20

28

Jesus shows His divine authority by casting out a legion of demons.

MAIN IDEA

One of the fascinating aspects of Mark’s Gospel is the belief of demons. In this Scripture we hear from the mouths of demons greater truths about the identity of Jesus than even from the mouths of the disciples. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why James, the brother of Jesus, says, “Even the demons believe–and shudder!” (James 2:19). James’ description about the relationship that demons have to the truths of the faith fits well with what we see in today’s passage. Jesus arrives in the country of the Gerasenes and is immediately met by a demon-possessed man. And just as the man sees Jesus, the demon says, “What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” (Mark 5:7). This demon knew the identity of Jesus! But now see the trembling: “‘I adjure you by God, do not torment me’…And he begged Him earnestly not to send them out of the country” (Mark 5:8, 10). Because this demon knew who Jesus was, he also knew that Jesus had power over Satanic forces and had come ultimately to bring them to their knees. Jesus once again reveals His divine power by forcing this demon and the legion of demons with him into submission and ultimately to destruction. The response of the people was mixed. Some feared greatly and others, who the healed man told, marveled greatly. From what you have read and experienced so far, is this Man truly the Son of God? If so, the only proper response is to fall on your knees and worship Him.

• What do the demons believe about the identity of Jesus? _____________________________________________________________

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• How does this passage challenge you to turn to Jesus more fully, not just with your intellect, but also with your affections and actions?

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Spend some time simply marveling at the supreme power and authority of Jesus. Ask that God would help you love Him and follow Him with everything that you are.

PRAY


21

29

Jesus shows His divine authority by healing an unclean woman and bringing Jairus’s daughter back to life.

MAIN IDEA

Our final passage for this week completes a trilogy of episodes in which Jesus reveals His divine authority through miraculous works. Jesus reveals His authority over nature by calming the storm (Mark 4:35-41), His authority over demons and the Satanic by casting out the Legion (Mark 5:1-20), and now His authority over sickness and death by healing the woman in the street and bringing Jairus’s daughter back to life (Mark 5:21-43). Another striking element of today’s passage is how Jesus overcomes uncleanness. According to Jewish law, Jesus should have become unclean as soon as He encountered the woman with a discharge and Jairus’s dead daughter. But in both cases Jesus remains clean by overcoming their uncleanness. He heals the woman of her discharge and gives Jairus’s daughter new life. The implications of this are nothing less than staggering. The God who wrote the purity laws of Old Testament Israel has the authority to take what is ceremonially unclean and make it clean. And here we see this God, in flesh and blood, walking about Galilee revealing His authority to heal and His authority to resurrect. Brothers and sisters, this truly is the Son of God! As we enter the weekend and prepare for Sunday worship, may the cry of our hearts be, “Jesus is Lord!”

• How does Jesus show His divine authority in this passage? _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ • If Jesus truly does have divine authority over all things, how does this change

the way you think, the way you feel, and the way you live your life? _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________

Ask God to raise your affections for Jesus Christ this weekend so that you may worship Him wholeheartedly this Sunday. Ask Him to help you submit yourself to His divine authority.

PRAY

Mark 5:21-43friday

march22

30



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Tomorrow our lesson is Restores from Mark 5:21-24, 35-43. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

saturdaymarch

23

31



RESTORESsunday

march24

32

So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent.Mark 6:12

Week of March 25, 2019

Mark 6:1-6

Jesus is rejected at Nazareth.MAIN IDEA

WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE

mondaymarch

25

This narrative tells us something about Jesus and something about the people of Nazareth. It tells us that Jesus fulfills the role of prophet of God (Mark 6:4). In fact, Jesus falls into a long line of prophets that were rejected for bringing God’s Word to God’s people (2 Chronicles 36:16; Jeremiah 11:21; Matthew 5:11). The story of Jesus’ rejection also shows us that the people of Nazareth are committing the sin of unbelief. Before them stands the Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity, the Messiah for whom they have been waiting for millennia. Yet all they can find in their hearts to do is mock Him for His humble human origins (Mark 6:2-3). So how does the Son of God, the One who will come again to judge the living and the dead, respond to such unbelief? He responds in effect by saying, “If you want nothing of Me, you will have nothing of Me.” Because of their unbelief (Mark 6:6a), Jesus does few miracles among them (Mark 6:5). Though He continues to teach among them about the Kingdom of God (Mark 6:6b), He does almost nothing to help them see the glory and majesty of His divinity and His Messiahship. And yet, while we understand that rejecting Jesus Christ results in the direst of divine consequences, we must also marvel at God’s kind sovereign hand in their unbelief. For the rejection at Nazareth ultimately leads to the rejection at the cross; and through the rejection at the cross, Christ accomplishes salvation for all those who would turn from their unbelief and trust in Him. Oh, the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! (Romans 11:33).

• What does this narrative teach about Jesus? What does it teach about the people at Nazareth?

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• How might this narrative challenge or even transform the way you have been approaching your relationship with Jesus?

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Praise God today for His kind sovereign hand. Praise Him that at the peak of human atrocity, when we nailed the Son of God to a Roman cross, He was accomplishing the greatest act of love in all of eternity. Stand in awe of Him today and embrace Him as your God and King.

PRAY

33

Mark 6:1-6

Flee from the sin of unbelief.MAIN IDEA

With whom do you most relate in the narrative of Jesus’ rejection at Nazareth? Perhaps a few of us relate in some ways to Jesus. Perhaps you have been made an outcast in your family because of your faith in Christ; perhaps your closest friends have mocked you when you shared the gospel with them. Mark’s audience, though, and most of us as well, would have identified with the people of Nazareth who rejected Jesus. The questions they asked are also the questions of our day. “Jesus is just a man, flesh and blood. He had brothers and sisters and a mother just like us. What gives Him the right to speak with such authority, to carry Himself as a representative of the Kingdom of God, to call us toward repentance and faith?” These questions contain the kernel of unbelief and the tone of the mocker. They reveal a heart that is hard and cold toward the Word of God and the Son of God. And the harrowing reality about these people is this: they were the people of God, those who gathered in the synagogue Saturday by Saturday. The sin of unbelief, of rejecting Jesus as the Son of God, is as much a danger for us now as it was for them then. You can go to church, teach a Sunday School class, give faithfully, participate in evangelism, and still commit the sin of unbelief. You can do all these things and still have a cold, hard heart toward God’s Word and God’s Messiah. Jesus preached this: Repent and believe, for the Kingdom of God is at hand (Mark 1:15). Jesus Himself is the King of that Kingdom, and He came and died and rose again so that you could be freed from the punishment for sin. Turn to Him today, believe in Him, embrace Him, and pursue Him for the rest of your days. He demands your allegiance; and when you give it, you get the greatest thing in the whole universe: You get Him.

• Who were the people who rejected Jesus at Nazareth? What were their religious affiliations? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• What call is this passage placing on your life? What actions–whether of the mind, the heart, or the will–must you take because of the message of this passage?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ask God today to help you place your faith in Christ. Ask Him to help you to love Jesus supremely, and to pursue Him fervently for all of your days.

PRAY

tuesdaymarch

26

34

Jesus calls the disciples to take part in advancing His Kingdom.MAIN IDEA

Most people want to be part of a movement. There is something thrilling and satisfying about being on the cutting edge, working toward the progress of the next big thing. Our Founding Fathers felt this as they embarked on the democracy project in America; small business owners feel this as they strive to impact their community with their own brand. While it is oftentimes right and good to strive to be a part of a significant economic, social, cultural, or political movement, as Christians we must not forget that we are part of the greatest movement the universe will ever see: the movement of God’s Kingdom. In today’s passage, we begin to see how Jesus invites those whom He has chosen to be a part of that movement. Jesus calls the disciples and gives “them authority over the unclean spirits” (Mark 6:7). He commissions them to go out and proclaim “that people should repent” and to show the authority of their message by casting out demons and healing the sick (Mark 6:12-13). In other words, He commissions them to further advance the message which He Himself came to proclaim (Mark 1:14-15). He gives them the spectacular privilege of taking part in the establishment and advancement of God’s Kingdom rule upon earth. Brothers and sisters, did you know that He has given to us, His church, a similar commission? Have you responded to His gracious call to take part in advancing His Kingdom?

• What does Jesus call the disciples to do? ________________________________________________________

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• What action does this passage call you to as a disciple of Christ? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

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Praise God today for the spectacular privilege of taking part in advancing His Kingdom through the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

PRAY

Mark 6:7-13wednesdaymarch

27

35

Jesus calls us to take part in advancing His Kingdom.

MAIN IDEA

Yesterday we talked about the thrill and exhilaration that comes from being a part of a significant movement. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we as the church have the privilege to take part in the most significant movement in all human history. Jesus Christ has chosen us and commissioned us to be the agents by which He advances His Messianic Kingdom rule upon earth. The kernel for how He has called us to do that is contained in this passage: the disciples went out and “proclaimed that people should repent” (Mark 6:12). Just as we were confronted with the good news of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and responded to that good news in faith and repentance, so now Christ has commissioned us to spread that good news throughout all the earth and to call everyone we know to repentance and faith in Him (Mark 16:15). Paul goes at this another way in 2 Corinthians: “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (Mark 5:20). What a truly spectacular privilege! We are emissaries, representatives of the King of kings and Lord of lords. He has called us to go out into the world and proclaim the good news of reconciliation to God through faith in Christ to everyone we can. May we be faithful to answer the call today! May we respond in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ, and “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

• What does Jesus call us, as His disciples, to do? ________________________________________________________

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• How do you need to change the way you think and/or live to be a better ambassador for Christ?

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Ask God to help you grow and mature as a disciple of Christ. Ask that He would give you an abundance of opportunities to reach and make disciples in your neighborhood, workplace, school, and community.

PRAY


28

36

The death of Jesus is greater than the death of John the Baptist.

MAIN IDEA

Thus far in Mark’s Gospel, we have seen Jesus’ teaching begin to stir up some serious resistance among some of the Jewish leaders. King Herod’s choice to put John the Baptist to death is remarkably like Pilate’s choice to put Jesus to death. Herod faced external pressure from Herodias, through the agency of her daughter, to put John the Baptist to death. Though this was something that Herod was “exceedingly sorry” to do, the political and social ramifications of breaking his oath proved a greater impetus than his desire to keep John the Baptist alive. And thus, he ordered John’s beheading right there at the party. This narrative, in conjunction with the murderous plan among the Pharisees and Herodians already revealed, as well as the similarities between the choice of Herod and Pilot, casts a dark and telling shadow over the earthly future of Jesus. Even at this point in Mark’s Gospel, we can reasonably expect that Jesus will follow John the Baptist in dying at the hands of His opponents. And yet, what will also become clear as we continue to study Mark’s Gospel is that Jesus’ death will be infinitely greater than John’s death. John’s disciples buried him in a tomb and there he remained; Jesus’ disciples also buried Him in a tomb, but there He did not remain. No, the tomb in which Jesus was laid was insufficient to hold Him. He burst forth from it alive on the third day, and by so doing set the precedent for all His disciples to walk in resurrection life with Him for ever and ever. May we rejoice today at the greater death and the glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

• What similarities and differences exist between the death of John and the death of Jesus?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Why is it so important that Jesus, unlike John, came out of the tomb in which

He was laid? ________________________________________________________

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Praise God today for the resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. Ask that you would walk in the newness of life that He accomplished for you in His resurrection.

PRAY

Mark 6:14-29friday

march29

37



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Tomorrow our lesson is Sends from Mark 6:7-13, 30-32. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

saturdaymarch

30

38



SENDSsunday

march31

39

When He went ashore He saw a great crowd, and He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.

And He began to teach them many things.Mark 6:34

Week of April 1, 2019

Mark 6:30-56

Jesus reveals His divine identity through miracles by the sea, but the hearts of the disciples are hardened.MAIN IDEA

WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE

mondayapril

1

In 1930s Detroit, three rowdy young men jump on a bus and try to pick a fight with a man sitting in the back. The man doesn’t budge, so they dig in harder. Their insults become more severe, their voices become louder, and heads begin to turn toward the commotion. Finally, this man stands up. He is much bigger, much more imposing, than the young men perceived while he was sitting down. He simply places his hand into his pocket and pulls out a business card. The young men take it and read, Joe Louis, Boxer. These young men had just tried to scuffle with the Heavyweight Champion of the World. They had no idea who they were messing with. 2 Something very similar can be said about the disciples in relation to the identity of Jesus. Not only had they witnessed Jesus feed a crowd of five thousand men (and probably their families) with five loaves of bread and two fish, but then a little later that evening, while they were on the boat, He went walking by them on the water. And yet, even after these magnificent revelations of divine identity, Mark tells us that the disciples were afraid and “utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened” (Mark 6:51-52). In other words, due to their hardness of heart, the disciples still didn’t quite get who exactly Jesus was. They hadn’t really understood yet that He truly is the Son of God. Let us pray that our hearts would not be similarly hardened! Let us fervently seek the face of Jesus and strive to know Him and love Him and see Him in all His splendor and majesty!

• What was it that the disciples did not understand about Jesus? ___________________________________________________________________

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• In what specific ways do you need to guard your heart against hardening? In other words, what obstacles exist in your life that draw your eyes away from Jesus?

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Ask God to give you a soft, receptive heart to His Word. Ask that He would enlighten your mind and affect your heart. Ask that He would help you to see Jesus for who He is.

PRAY

40

Mark 7:1-13

Jesus calls the Pharisees hypocrites for focusing on external obedience while having cold, dead hearts.MAIN IDEA

How do you relate to the commands of God’s law? This was a very important question in the historical context of Jesus’ ministry, and it continues to be an important question in our day. Concerning the Pharisees, with whom Jesus interacts in today’s passage, they believed that a right relationship with God could only come through external obedience to God’s law. Yet they took it even further: they went on to create additional standards outside of God’s law that had to be met to be right with God. This is why they were so concerned that the disciples were “defiled” due to their unwashed hands (Mark 7:2-5). Yet what the Pharisees missed in all this, and the reason why Jesus calls them hypocrites, is that a right relationship with God requires not external acts of obedience, but an internal heart of obedience. In this regard, Jesus rightly concludes that the Pharisees had hearts far from God. Their obedience to God was superficial–it existed on their hands and on their lips, but not in their hearts (Mark 7:6-8). In fact, one of the chief evidences of their hypocrisy and hardheartedness was that they fashioned loopholes in God’s law for their own personal gain (Mark 7:9-13). More than likely, most of us aren’t tempted to hold to the same tradition of the elders that the Pharisees did. But, within our culture, there is a kind of tradition of elders. While the Pharisees looked to purity laws and handwashing techniques for evidence of their right standing before God, our culture tends to look at church attendance, quiet time frequency, giving percentages, etc. If we look to such external actions alone, we fall under the same condemnation that Jesus lays upon the Pharisees. So then, what does it take to be made right with God? How does a person obtain an internal heart of obedience? Tomorrow we will look at this question and how the gospel fits into it.

• Why did Jesus call the Pharisees hypocrites? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Think about the things in your life that you tend to look to as an indicator of the health of your relationship with God. Would you fall under a similar condemnation that Jesus laid upon the Pharisees?

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Ask God to help you cultivate a heart of love for Him, and to not merely look to external actions as an indicator of your relationship with Him. Ask Him to fix your eyes on Jesus, whose person and work on the cross is the only sufficient basis for our right standing before a Holy God.

PRAY

tuesdayapril

2

41

Though we are inherently defiled, Jesus cleanses our sin by His blood.MAIN IDEA

Yesterday we asked the question: What does it take to be made right with God? How does a person obtain an internal heart of obedience? Here is Jesus’ answer to that question: “On your own, you cannot be made right with God, and you cannot have an internal heart of obedience.” In and of ourselves, these are not attainable goals. Jesus teaches that we are inherently defiled, inherently unclean before God; read what He says in verses 20-23. The Pharisees thought the disciples were unclean because of touching something dirty. But Jesus turns that notion on its head and responds, “You are the dirty ones. The defilement that really matters is the defilement that is within, in your own heart.” This means that no matter how many external good works we do, we still have hearts that are unclean and that cannot be right with God. So, is all hope gone? No, this is where hope begins. When we realize that there is nothing we can do to make ourselves clean, we can turn to the One who does have the power to make us clean. His name is Jesus Christ. Let the sweet words of 1 John 1 be as a balm to the sting of Jesus’ rebuke: “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin…If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7, 9). By the shedding of His blood upon the cross, our Lord Jesus Christ cleansed the defiled, dirty hearts of all who would trust in Him. If you are keenly aware of your defiled heart today, turn to Christ and embrace Him anew, and experience the sweet cleansing that comes to all who are covered by His blood!

• Where does defilement come from? How does the person and work of Jesus relate to your defilement?

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• In what areas of your life do you most see the defilement of your heart? How does the truth of the gospel–that Jesus’ blood covers your sin and makes you clean–change the way you think about those areas of your life and motivate you to change them?

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Praise God today for the unfathomable sacrifice He made for you in sending Christ to cover your sin by His blood. Ask that He would help you to respond in love, worship, and obedience to the great gift of your salvation.

PRAY

Mark 7:14-23wednesday

april 3

42

Jesus starts to bring His gospel to the Gentiles.MAIN IDEA

It is important to note that so far in our study of Mark’s Gospel Jesus has primarily ministered among the people of Israel. Yet in today’s passage we begin to see indications that the gospel of the coming Kingdom of God He is preaching (Mark 1:14) is not meant only for the Jews, but for all the peoples of the world. In Jesus’ conversation with the Syrophoenician woman, who was not a Jew, He uses an analogy that might strike us as offensive. Responding to this Gentile woman’s request that He would cast a demon from her daughter, He says that the children should be fed the bread first, before the dogs. In the context, it is clear that the children are the Jews, the bread is the gospel that Jesus preaches, and the dogs are the Gentiles. However, the meaning of this analogy is simply this: In God’s plan, the gospel would first come to the Jews, and then thereafter to the Gentiles. As a result of this woman’s persistent faith, in fact, the power of God’s Kingdom begins to spread to the Gentiles right then, as Jesus casts out the demon from the woman’s daughter. The mustard seed of the Kingdom is beginning to grow, to branch out, and the glorious hope of eternity is that one day it will be all encompassing: a new heaven and new earth in which God reigns over all and all submit to His rule. Let us pray fervently for that day and look to the day when John’s vision in Revelation 7:9-10 will come to pass.

• What is the meaning of the analogy that Jesus uses in this passage? _____________________________________________________________

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• How might this narrative about Jesus spreading His gospel to a Gentile woman impact your approach to sharing the gospel with others?

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Praise God for the majesty of His Kingdom. Pray fervently for the day when you will join the assembly of the nations to sing praise to God alongside a multitude that no one could number.

PRAY

Mark 7:24-30thursday

april 4

43

Jesus shows His Messiahship by healing a deaf man.MAIN IDEA

As Jesus’ ministry progresses in Mark’s Gospel, the reality of His Messiahship becomes clearer and clearer. Yet, we also see that at this point, hard-heartedness still abounded among His disciples, the crowds, and the Jewish leaders who opposed Him. The passage before us today is a great example of the clarity of His Messiahship set against the hard-heartedness of the people. Jesus’ healing of the deaf man is a direct fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy about the coming Kingdom of God: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy” (Isaiah 35:5-6). It even seems like those who witnessed Jesus’ healing of the deaf man had this passage in mind: “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak” (Mark 7:37). And yet, if they were convinced of this in their hearts, if they truly knew that Jesus was the Messiah of God who was establishing God’s Kingdom rule upon earth, then they would have responded by falling on their faces and worshiping Him. Instead, the text tells us they “were astonished beyond measure” (Mark 7:37). In other words, they were still confused about whether He was the Messiah! Considering the clear evidence of His Messiahship, the only plausible cause for their confusion is the hardness of their hearts. Brothers and sisters, the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick (Jeremiah 17:9). We must pray that God would soften our hearts and the hearts of those we share the gospel with, so that our eyes and their eyes can be opened to see the glory and the majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ.

• What is the connection between Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 35:5-6) and what Jesus does in this passage?

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• What truth about the human heart do you learn from this passage? How might that truth change the way you think about evangelism and discipleship?

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Ask God to open the eyes of your heart to see the glory and majesty of Jesus Christ. As you have opportunity to share the gospel with others and to disciple others, ask God to transform their hearts as well.

PRAY

Mark 7:31-37fridayapril

5

44



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Tomorrow our lesson is Includes from Mark 7:25-37. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

saturdayapril

6

45



INCLUDESsundayapril

7

46

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

Mark 9:24

Week of april 8, 2019

Mark 8:1-21

Jesus reveals His divine identity by feeding thousands with seven loaves of bread.MAIN IDEA

WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE

mondayapril

8

Have you ever tried to make bread? It is a long and difficult process, especially for the inexperienced baker. Yet, throughout Scripture, and particularly in the passage before us today, we see that one of the most common expressions of God’s provision for His people is the giving of bread. In the wilderness, when the people complained about the lack of food, God made bread called manna rain down from heaven. In today’s passage, Jesus takes seven loaves of bread and uses them to feed thousands. And yet, just as the Israelites hardened their hearts against God even as He was miraculously providing for them, so also the Pharisees and even the disciples harden their hearts against Jesus. They do not have eyes to see that Jesus is Himself God, and that He is doing just what He did for the Israelites in the wilderness thousands of years before. Brothers and sisters, do you see the divine identity of this Jesus? Do you understand that only Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel, rains bread down from heaven and takes seven loaves to feed thousands? This Jesus Christ, about whom we are reading, is God Himself, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. He is your provider, even today. Let us worship Him!

• What miracle does Jesus perform in this passage? What does it tell us about Him?

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• If Jesus Christ is your divine provider, what should you do when you have needs?

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Praise the Lord Jesus Christ today for being your divine provider. Ask Him to help you trust and depend upon Him in all circumstances.

PRAY

47

Mark 8:22-26

Jesus’ healing of the blind man at Bethsaida helps us understand the process of discipleship.MAIN IDEA

This account of the healing of the blind man at Bethsaida is one of the more curious accounts recorded in the Gospels. Why is it that Jesus first partially heals the man, only to heal him fully thereafter? This is the only miracle of Jesus wherein healing did not occur immediately and completely. It is interesting that this account immediately follows the feeding of the four thousand narrative, in which it becomes clear that Jesus’ disciples did not yet fully understand His identity. The blind man’s experience of partial sight teaches us something about the disciples of Jesus, and discipleship in general. Although the disciples had come into contact with Jesus and had dropped everything to follow Him, they still did not yet grasp that He was the Messiah. They certainly did not yet understand that His purpose was to die upon a Roman cross for the forgiveness of their sins, and then rise again on the third day. As disciples of Christ, we are undergoing a continual process of growing in our understanding and knowledge of Christ. It begins at the point of our salvation and continues in our walk with Him on this earth, but is not fully consummated until the final day of redemption. For truly, “Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Brothers and sisters, pursue Jesus today with all your might, and look forward to the glorious day when you will see Him face to face.

• What makes Jesus’ healing of the blind man at Bethsaida distinct? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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• If discipleship is a process of growing to be more like Christ, what practical steps should you take toward the goal of discipleship today?

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Praise God that He opened your eyes to see the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Ask that you would continue to grow in that knowledge as you eagerly await the day you will see Him face to face.

PRAY

tuesdayapril

9

48

True discipleship is following Jesus by dying to self for the sake of the gospel, just as He died on the cross for the sake of the church.

MAIN IDEA

As Jesus leads His disciples closer and closer to Jerusalem, He begins to speak more plainly to them about who He is and what He was sent to do. The disciples have now come to the point where they confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God, the one who will establish God’s kingdom upon earth. However, they still have plenty of misconceptions about how He will do that and what it will mean for them. Instead of an immediate physical consummation of the kingdom of God upon earth (which is what they expected), Jesus came to be crucified upon a Roman cross and rise again on the third day. Moreover, what it means for them to be disciples is to follow Him in this cross-bearing, forsaking the comforts of self and the world for the sake of the gospel. Counterintuitively, the kingdom of God will be established by death: the death of Christ for the sake of the church, and then the death of self within the disciples for the sake of the gospel. The application for us: we must die to self–forsake our own self-will and exaltation–for the sake of following Jesus and advancing His gospel to the ends of the earth. Let us live and die for what truly matters today.

• What misconceptions did the disciples have about the identity and work of the Messiah?

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• In what ways do you need to die to self today? What exists in your life that draws you away from your focus on following Jesus and advancing His gospel?

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Pray in thanksgiving to Christ today for His work on the cross on your behalf. Ask that He would help you to take up your cross and follow Him.

PRAY

Mark 8:27–9:1wednesday

april 10

49

Jesus reveals His divine glory on the Mount of Transfiguration.

MAIN IDEA

The trend of Jesus’ revelation of His true identity to the disciples continues in this passage. He takes His inner circle–Peter, James, and John–high up on a mountain, where He reveals to them His divine glory. This account contrasts with the Old Testament narrative of Moses ascending Mount Sinai to experience the presence of God. In that account, Moses sees God’s glory and radiates it as he comes down. Here, though, the divine glory is not coming upon Jesus from the outside, but rather coming out of Jesus from the inside. Jesus, the greater Moses, is Himself the Holy God of Israel whose glory Moses saw on the mountain. Even in light of such a majestic revelation of the glory of Christ, Peter and the other disciples still don’t seem to quite get the gravity of it all. Peter, in an outburst of fear, suggests that they should set up tents for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. He didn’t know what he was saying, because he didn’t really understand what he was seeing. However, the voice of God from heaven makes it clear exactly who Jesus is and how His disciples should relate to Him: “This is My beloved Son; listen to Him” (Mark 9:7). Brothers and sisters, may we heed that command today, tomorrow, and for the rest of our days. May we look upon Jesus and see the perfect, holy, infinite, eternally begotten Son of God; may we stand in awe of His radiant glory; and may we listen to His words and follow them with all our heart.

• What happened on the Mount of Transfiguration? __________________________________________________________

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• In what ways can you heed the command of the Father given in this passage to listen to the Son?

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Pray in adoration to the radiantly glorious Son of God–your Lord Jesus Christ.PRAY

Mark 9:2-13thursday

april 11

50

Jesus reveals His identity as the Son of God by casting out an evil spirit from a small boy, in response to the true but broken faith of the boy’s father.

MAIN IDEA

In today’s passage, Jesus continues to display His identity as the Son of God. Jesus has power over forces of evil. The father, in our reading today, is desperate to get help for his son. He first went to Jesus’ disciples, but because of faithlessness and a lack of prayer they were unable to cast out the demon. So, he goes to Jesus, and pleads with Him: “If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Even in this statement, we see that this man has faith in Jesus, but not a complete faith. He knows that he should go to Jesus for help, that Jesus has been revealing power through His miracles; yet, he does not see the full extent of it. He does not see that Jesus is the Messiah who upholds the whole universe by the word of His power. This father wonders if Jesus “can” do anything for him, but the truth is that Jesus “can” do anything He pleases. Jesus responds to this misconception: “If you can? All things are possible for one who believes.” Then comes the father’s humble response: “I believe; help my unbelief.” He recognizes that even though he is entrusting himself and his son to Jesus, his faith is weak and lacking. Perhaps you find yourself in a similar position today. You are trusting in Jesus, clinging to Him for dear life, but your faith is battered and weak. If that is you, go to Jesus with all the faith you have and cry out to Him: “I believe; help my unbelief!”

• Why couldn’t the disciples cast out the demon? ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ • In what ways do you struggle with unbelief? What are the greatest challenges

to your faith in Christ? How might this passage show you what you should do with your unbelief and struggles with faith?

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Praise Jesus Christ today for His mercy and compassion. Praise Him that He receives your weak, broken, poor expressions of faith in Him and invites you into a relationship with Him.

PRAY


12

51



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Tomorrow our lesson is Commands from Mark 9:14-27. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

saturdayapril

13

52



COMMANDSsundayapril

14

53

And when the centurion, who stood facing Him, saw that in this way He breathed His last, he said, “Truly, this man was the Son of God!”

Mark 15:38


April 15

Our joy on resurrection Sunday can be increased by experiencing the sorrow of Passion Week.MAIN IDEA

WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE

mondayapril

15

This coming Sunday will be glorious. You will go to church and celebrate the best news the world has ever known: Jesus is risen and He is alive! While we are well practiced in celebrating the glory of the resurrection, our hearts are less trained in walking with Jesus through the gloom of Passion Week. Over one-third of Mark’s Gospel covers the period after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem in Mark 11. Thereafter, the darkness of Passion Week begins to creep and crawl around the Light of the World. Today, as you read Mark 14 and 15 and prepare to study these chapters in more depth for the rest of the week, you will be confronted with two of the gloomiest passages in all the Bible. Our encouragement to you over the coming week is to walk with Jesus into the darkness and to feel it; it will not be pleasant; and, Lord-willing, it will weigh heavily on your heart. Why would you endure such an exercise? Because while “Weeping may tarry for the night…joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5). The gloom of Passion Week is deep and dark; but the gloom of Passion Week gives way to the glory of the resurrection on Sunday morning. As we plunge into the depths of Monday through Saturday, our hearts will be preparing to soar on the heights of Sunday morning! May God bless you as you walk with Jesus this week.

• What is happening to Jesus in these chapters? How are the disciples responding?

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• What is the state of your heart after today’s reading? How can the gloom of Passion Week help your heart to turn toward Jesus?

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Thank God for the gloom of the Passion Week. Thank Him that He sent Jesus to suffer in every way, yet without sin, so that He could be your great High Priest and sympathize with your sufferings! Ask God to help you walk with Jesus through the gloom of Passion Week.

PRAY

54

Mark 14

Jesus faces betrayal, scorn, and suffering for the sake of our souls.MAIN IDEA

Today’s reading covers a series of dark events in the life of Jesus, from the Garden of Gethsemane, to His betrayal, arrest, and trial. Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend have written the following lyrics describing the gloom of Gethsemane:

To see the King of heaven fallIn anguish to His kneesThe Light and Hope of all the worldNow overwhelmed with griefWhat nameless horrors must He seeTo cry out in the gardenOh, take this cup away from MeYet not My will but Yours.

What was it that compelled the King of Glory to stoop so low, to face the betrayal of His friends, the scorn of His enemies, and the wrath of His Father upon the cross? Getty and Townsend tell us in the final verse:

What took Him to this wretched placeWhat kept Him on this roadHis love for Adam’s cursed raceFor every broken soulNo sin too slight to overlookNo crime too great to carryAll mingled in this poisoned cupAnd yet He drank it allThe Saviour drank it allThe Saviour drank it all.3

• What kind of things does Jesus experience in this chapter of Scripture? How does Mark describe these events? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Where can you find hope in such a dark passage of Scripture? How can this passage, which is primarily a sorrowful one, help you to experience the joy of the resurrection?

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Thank God for His Suffering Servant. Thank Him that He was betrayed and scorned for you. Thank Him that He took upon Himself the wrath of God so that you wouldn’t have to! Thank Him that He was willing to drink the cup of God’s wrath down to the very dregs.

PRAY

tuesdayapril

16

55

Jesus is delivered up to be crucified.MAIN IDEA

In C. J. Mahaney’s book Living the Cross Centered Life, he asks a very important question about today’s passage: “With whom do you most identify in the events of this dark day? Of the many onlookers and participants in these scenes, whose actions are most like your own, if somehow you were also there?” He also supplies his personal answer to this question: “I identify most with the angry mob screaming, ‘Crucify Him!’” 4 Mahaney is getting at a very important point with this question and answer: It is for our sin that Jesus went to the cross; He was crucified in order that our sin might be forgiven! This is a glorious truth, but it is also a heavy truth. The glory of it is that the eternal Son of God, God in the flesh, took our sin upon Himself and took it to the cross, where it no longer hangs over our heads or condemns us to hell. The weight of this truth is that you and I were complicit in the crucifixion of the Lord of Glory; our face was in the crowd, yelling “Crucify Him!” and mocking Him as the “King of the Jews.” This truth should humble us and lead us to worship Jesus all the more. Take time to meditate on the following hymn lyrics from Horatius Bonar:

‘Twas I that shed that sacred Blood,I that nailed Him to the Tree,I crucified the Christ of God,I joined the mockery. 5

• How does the crowd relate to Jesus? How does Jesus relate to the crowd? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ • Who do you most identify with in this passage? How can the scene described

in today’s passage lead you to humility before the Lord and worship of the Lord?

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Thank God for sending His only Beloved Son to die on a tree for you. Thank Jesus that He was willing to drink the cup of God’s wrath on your behalf. Thank Him that He was willing to be the ultimate fulfillment of God’s suffering servant, who was crushed for the transgressions of His people.

PRAY


april 17

56

Jesus Christ was crushed on the cross for our transgressions.

MAIN IDEA

Psalm 22 is one of the clearest Messianic passages in all of Scripture. Many of its verses point us to the physical pain and interpersonal humiliation that Jesus endured on the cross:

I am poured out like water,and all my bones are out of joint;my heart is like wax;it is melted within my breast;my strength is dried up like a potsherd,and my tongue sticks to my jaws;you lay me in the dust of death.For dogs encompass me;a company of evildoers encircles me;they have pierced my hands and feet–I can count all my bones–they stare and gloat over me;they divide my garments among them,and for my clothing they cast lots (Psalm 22:14-18).

Psalm 22 also reveals the infinitely greater spiritual agony that Jesus experienced on the cross: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1). The most glorious, and the gloomiest, reality of the cross is that Jesus Christ faced the full, fierce wrath of God that we deserved. On the cross He experienced His Father’s wrath for the first and only time in all of eternity, and He did so for us! Cry out to Him in broken, humble thanksgiving today.

• What is the relationship between Psalm 22 and today’s passage? How does the crucifixion of Jesus fulfill the prophecy of Psalm 22?

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• In what ways do you plan to express your thankfulness to Jesus today? Plan at least three ways.

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Thank your Lord Jesus Christ once again for drinking the cup of God’s wrath on your behalf. Pray and ask God to help you feel both the horror and the glory of the cross today. Ask Him to help you live in a manner worthy of the gospel!

PRAY


april 18

57

Jesus reveals Himself to be the Son of God when the curtain is torn as a result of His death.

MAIN IDEA

Over the past week we have walked with Jesus down the Calvary Road–the path has been dark and full of pain and sorrow. At the same time, the path has been glorious as we have seen our Lord carry the burden of our sin upon His shoulders so that we wouldn’t have to. In today’s passage Mark describes the death and burial of Jesus. As Jesus dies, one of the most glorious events in all the Bible comes to pass: “the curtain of the temple was torn in two” (Mark 15:38). The curtain, which stood as a barrier between the people of Israel and the presence of God, was torn in two when Jesus bore the wrath of God for our sins. We no longer have to depend on a high priest to enter the Holy of Holies once a year to atone for our sins, because Jesus atoned for our sins once for all in His death on the cross. We now have access to the Holy of Holies, the presence of God, always, whenever we wish! The fact that He accomplished this with His death on the cross shows us, as the centurion concludes, that Jesus truly is “the Son of God” (Mark 15:39). We end today’s passage with Jesus in the grave. We have walked with Him in the darkness of Calvary, now we must prepare our hearts to walk with Him in the light of the resurrection. The gloom of Passion Week will soon give way to the glory of our risen King! May your joy be full and may your worship be fervent, as you celebrate your risen Lord this Sunday. He is risen, He is risen indeed!

• What was it about the death of Jesus that led the centurion to conclude, “Truly this man was the Son of God”?

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________________________________________________________ • How can meditating on the death and burial of Jesus help you prepare your

heart for resurrection Sunday? What are some specific ways you can express your thankfulness for and devotion to the Lord on this special Sunday?

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Thank the Lord Jesus Christ for dying on a tree for you. Thank Him for tearing the temple curtain in two through His death, so that you have unfettered access to God. Ask that He would help you to live in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.

PRAY


19

58



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Tomorrow our lesson is Saves from Mark 15:27-39. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

saturdayapril 20

59



SAVESsundayapril

21

60

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

Mark 10:45


Mark 9:30-50

Jesus teaches that the kingdom of God is for those who humbly and sacrificially serve.MAIN IDEA

WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE

mondayapril

22

The passage before us today is one of the most ironic in Mark’s Gospel. Jesus reveals to His disciples a second time that He is heading toward Jerusalem to die and rise again (Mark 9:30-32). In response to Jesus preparing them for the greatest gesture of humility the world has ever seen (cf. Philippians 2:8), His disciples argue among themselves about who will be the greatest in the kingdom (Mark 9:33-34) and question those who are advancing the gospel but are not part of their group (Mark 9:38). Jesus responds by teaching that the kind of person who receives the kingdom is the one who humbly and sacrificially serves with childlike faith for the glory of God and the good of His people. The disciples should have been following their Lord in humility, but instead they were flexing their pride in attempted self-exaltation. Brothers and sisters, let us learn today from this negative example of the disciples. Let us not walk in pride as we carry the name of Christ, who humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death on a cross–He did this all for our sake (cf. Philippians 2:8). Let us instead take after His example, and sacrificially give of ourselves for the sake of His kingdom and His people.

• What is the disconnect between Jesus’ teaching and the actions of the disciples? __________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ • What are some practical ways you can forsake self-examination and embrace

humble and sacrificial service for the sake of Christ and His kingdom? __________________________________________________________

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Ask God today to create in you a heart and mind of humility. Ask Him to kill pride within you and help you follow after the example of Christ.

PRAY

61

Mark 10:1-12

Jesus teaches that God, in His creation purpose, intends marriage to be permanent.MAIN IDEA

In today’s passage, the Pharisees approach Jesus with one of the most difficult questions yet: “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” This is a question that spurred as much debate in Jesus’ day as it does in ours, even within the Christian community. Jesus points us back to God’s creation purpose: God created us male and female for marriage, which He defines as a one-flesh union between one man and one woman, established by God and inseparable by man (Mark 10:7-8). Though God does provide provisions for sinful circumstances resulting from the Fall, such as an allowance for divorce on the grounds of sexual immorality (cf. Matthew 5:32; 19:9), the bigger picture that Jesus points us to is God’s creation purpose for all mankind. God loves marriage, and He desires the permanence of marriage. He loves marriage so much that He made it the climax of His creation account (Genesis 2:18-24). What is more, He loves it so much that He uses it as the chief metaphor to describe the relationship between Christ and His church (cf. Ephesians 5:25-33). Here is a thought worth wrestling with today: If Christ, our Bridegroom, has eternally committed Himself to His bride the church, despite all our shortcomings and failures and idolatry, should we not also as husbands and wives commit ourselves to one another with the same steadfastness? God loves marriage and hates divorce (cf. Malachi 2:10-16), because marriage points beyond husbands and wives to the eternally greater marriage of Christ and His church (Revelation 19:1-10). So then, today let us fight for what God loves and fight against what God hates.

• How does Jesus respond to the Pharisees’ question about the legality of divorce under God’s law? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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• What are some practical ways that you can fight for your own marriage today? __________________________________________________________

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Praise God for marriage. Praise Him that in His sovereignty, goodness, and wisdom He concluded that it is not good for man to be alone. If you are married, or if you desire to be married, ask Him to help you fight for the purity and permanence of your marriage even now.

PRAY

tuesdayapril

23

62

Jesus embraces the children that come to Him, and teaches that those who come to Him in a like manner to children will enter the kingdom of God.

MAIN IDEA

It is 8:30 pm and the children are finally in bed. It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for. You and your spouse are snuggling on the couch and turning on your favorite show. Then, just as you begin to enjoy the relaxation, your television show is interrupted by crying. One of the children is awake, and is calling for you. Imagine, for a moment, how you would (or do) respond to this interruption. Would (or do) you tend to treat the child as an inconvenience to be dealt with as quickly as possible so that you can get back to relaxation, or as a person to be valued and loved and poured into with joy? When children interrupted Jesus’ teaching, the disciples responded in the former manner–they treated the children as inconveniences and rebuked the parents who brought them. Yet, this was not how Jesus responded. In fact, Jesus was indignant at the disciples’ response and invited the children to interrupt His teaching so that He could love them and spend time with them: “Let the children come to Me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14). While Jesus is teaching His disciples that children should be objects of our love and care and not subjects of our annoyance, His teaching goes even further than that: “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” (Mark 10:15). Children, in a true sense, are an example of the kind of person that enters God’s kingdom. To enter God’s kingdom means to come to Jesus in need, helplessness, and trust, just as the children were coming to Him. Let us not be hindered today by pride or some ill-begotten sense of self-sufficiency. Let us take after these children and come to Jesus with nothing to offer but our trust in Him.

• How do the disciples treat the children? How does Jesus respond to them? ________________________________________________________

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• What does it look like to receive the kingdom of God like a child? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

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Praise God today for His love for children. If you have children, spend time praying for them. If you don’t, spend time praying for children in the church. Ask God to help you receive the kingdom of God like a child.

PRAY


april 24

63

Though the rich young man most likely perished in his idolatry, God can transform our idolatrous hearts to love Jesus supremely and follow Him exclusively.

MAIN IDEA

Gollum from J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings saga is one of the most striking examples of a tragic character in modern literature. Even in Tolkien’s The Hobbit, which is set in an earlier time-period in Middle Earth, the writing is on the wall that Gollum’s life will end in tragedy. Gollum is enslaved by the enticements of the ring of power, and he is willing to go to any lengths necessary to keep his grasp on it. Gollum’s life does come to an end in the final novel, The Return of the King, when he falls into the volcanic pit of Mordor with his fingers wrapped around the ring of power. We can say something very similar about the rich young man. From the information we are given in today’s passage, it is fitting to conclude that this man’s soul entered hell with his cold, dead fingers wrapped around his great possessions. Jesus challenged him in the perfect way to show him the idolatry of his heart: “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me” (Mark 10:21). This was the one thing that the man’s idolatrous heart could not do, because it was enslaved to his possessions. He loved his possessions more than he loved Jesus, and therefore he was unable to sell them for Jesus. Christ demands that we forsake anything that we love more than Him. It is impossible for a person to love Jesus more than self, pleasure, possessions, or a host of other idols. How, then, can we enter the kingdom of God? Jesus tells us: “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27). God, and God alone, can remove a stony heart of idolatry and replace it with a heart that beats for Him. So let us trust Him today. Let us cling to Him as our only hope today. Let us entrust our souls to Him today as our only hope in life and death.

• What was the rich young man’s issue? _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

• As you examine your own heart, what things are you tempted to love more than Jesus? What steps do you need to take to forsake those things?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Praise God today that He is mighty to save. Thank Him that He didn’t leave you enslaved to your idolatrous heart, but that by His Spirit He awakened faith in your heart and empowered you to love Jesus supremely. Ask that He would continue to grow your affections for Him today.

PRAY


april 25

64

God’s kingdom is not about self-exaltation, but service.MAIN IDEA

If you are a parent, at some point (or perhaps at many points) in your life you have asked in exasperation, “How many times have I told you not to…?” Since children are immature, they need to have the rules repeated to them, repeatedly. Even then, sometimes they just don’t get it (or don’t want to get it). The situation here with the disciples is much the same, though Jesus responds more graciously than most parents would have. Jesus tells His disciples that He is going to die and rise again. He tells them about how He is getting ready to perform the greatest act of humility the world has ever seen. The disciples respond by flexing their pride and arguing about their primacy in God’s kingdom. If we are honest with ourselves, we must conclude that this isn’t just a struggle that the disciples faced, but one that we face as well. The disciples were being presented with good news of the gospel–that Christ would humble Himself to the point of death on a cross–and they respond with pride. We also are presented with this good news, but many times we respond in pride. In response to their pride, Jesus teaches the disciples that God’s kingdom is not about self-exaltation, but service. Just as He came not to be served but to serve, so also we should not expect to be served, but instead to give sacrificially of ourselves for the sake of others. This kind of self-sacrificial service brings glory to God and marks those who are a part of His kingdom. In verses 46-52, Jesus shows the disciples an example of serving others rather than seeking to exalt Himself when He heals the blind man, Bartimaeus. So, let us consider how we might serve one another in Christlikeness.

• How did the disciples respond to Jesus sharing about His death and resurrection?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• What are some tangible ways you can turn your focus away from self-exaltation

and toward service? ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Praise God again that the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. Ask that you would follow Him by giving of yourself in service for His glory and the good of His people.

PRAY


26

65



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Tomorrow our lesson is Serves from Mark 10:35-45. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

saturdayapril

27

66



SERVESsundayapril

28

67

And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

Mark 11:9


Mark 11:1-11

King Jesus fulfills several messianic prophecies in His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, even though the people still don’t understand what He came there to do.

MAIN IDEA

WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE

mondayapril

29

The triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem marks Palm Sunday, the beginning of Passion Week. The passage before us today is dripping with prophetic fulfillments: Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9 (Mark 11:1-7), the people bless Him in the messianic words of Psalm 118:25-26 (Mark 11:9-10), and Jesus enters the temple in fulfillment of Malachi 3:1 (Mark 11:11). It is such an encouraging and helpful exercise to go back, read those prophecies, and see how they find their perfect fulfillment in King Jesus. Yet, even though the people were right in recognizing the messianic fulfillment of Jesus’ actions, their concept of the Messiah was still lacking. All indications point to the fact that the people were expecting in the Messiah a revolutionary who would immediately liberate them from Roman rule, re-establish the glory of Solomon’s temple, and re-instate God’s physical rule over the land of Israel. They had no category for a Messiah King who dies on a Roman cross and rises again, although passages such as Isaiah 53 should have pointed them in the right direction. It is harrowing to think that many of the same people who are praising Jesus in this passage will be passive onlookers and perhaps even among those crying “Crucify him!” at His crucifixion in less than a week’s time. We must take care that we worship Jesus for who He truly is according to the Scriptures, and not someone that we have concocted in our own imaginations.

• What did the people of Israel believe Jesus was entering Jerusalem to do? _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• How can you make sure that you are worshiping Jesus for who He truly is? _____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Praise God today for sending His only Son as the Messiah King, who would sacrifice Himself on behalf of His people.

PRAY

68

Mark 11:12-25

Jesus enters the temple as the royal judge and purifier of Israel.MAIN IDEA

On Palm Sunday, Jesus enters Jerusalem as the messianic King to the tune of His people’s praises. On Monday, though, He begins to fulfill His role as the Messianic King in an unexpected way. Instead of revolting against Rome and securing social, political, and economic rights for the Israelites living in Jerusalem, He comes as the judge and purifier of Israel. It is no accident that the curse of the fig tree (Mark 11:12-14, 20-25) bookends the cleansing of the temple (Mark 11:15-19). The point of the curse of the fig tree is that the Israelites had not lived according to God’s purposes for them, according to His Law, and so therefore they deserved the curse of the Law. The state of the temple is a perfect example of their conduct. Instead of using the temple for its intended purpose–as a house of prayer for all nations–they were using it as the center of commerce, and crooked commerce at that! Jesus responds by purifying the temple of these sinful practices. What we see in these verses is the King exercising His authority over His people. This drove the chief priests and scribes to continue making their plots to destroy Jesus, so that they wouldn’t lose their own power, prestige, and profit. King Jesus wants to purify your life. How will you respond to His Lordship over your life? Will you plot and scheme in an attempt to protect your precious idols? Or, will you submit to Him as Lord, forsake your idols, and follow Him for the rest of your days?

• What is the connection between the cursing of the fig tree and the cleansing of the temple? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• In what specific ways do you need to submit to the Lordship of Jesus over your life today?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Praise God for His righteousness and goodness. Thank Him that His kingdom is a just kingdom, and that He rules over it with equity and truth. Ask that He would help you submit to the Lordship of His Son Jesus Christ, today.

PRAY

tuesdayapril 30

69

Jesus turns a challenge of His authority back upon the challengers.MAIN IDEA

Jesus came into the temple as an authoritative messianic King, purifying it of iniquity and re-establishing it according to God’s purposes. These actions threatened the chief priests and the scribes, because an authoritative King meant that they would lose their own power, prestige, and profit. So, they attempted to challenge the authority of Jesus: “By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do them?” (Mark 11:28) While the questions sound legitimate at face value, Jesus knew that their motives were impure, and so He asked them a question in return: “Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?” (Mark 11:30) The question put the chief priests and scribes in an impossible position: If they said from heaven, then they would have had to deal with the fact that John identified Jesus as the messianic King of Israel. If they said from man, then they would have had to deal with the fact that they had already publicly identified John as a prophet from God. Either way they answered, they would’ve lost what they were really after: the stifling of Jesus’ authority and the exaltation of themselves. So, they responded rather lamely: “We do not know” (Mark 11:33). Such an ignorant response about John only showed that they had no authority by which to assess the merits of Jesus’ authority.

• In what way did the chief priests and scribes attempt to challenge the authority of Jesus? How did Jesus respond?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• If Jesus is fully authoritative, as the King of kings, how does that change the way you relate to Him?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Praise God for the authority of Jesus. Praise Him that He has established His Son as the King of Righteousness, by whom the whole world will be judged. Ask that He would help you to live under His sovereign authority today.

PRAY


may 1

70

Jesus tells a parable that illustrates His relationship to the Jewish leaders and looks forward to His death and resurrection.

MAIN IDEA

The tension between Jesus and the leaders of Israel continues to mount in today’s passage. Jesus tells a parable about a dispute between a land owner and tenants. The tenants are determined to appropriate the land for themselves, and so when the owner sends servants to collect fruit from the land the tenants reject them. At first, the rejection comes in the form of beating and turning away, but eventually escalates to killing. Finally, the owner sends his own son, whom the tenants also kill. The response of the landlord to this offense is judgment: he will come and destroy the tenants and give the land to another tenant. Jesus then connects this parable to Psalm 118:22-23: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes” (Mark 12:10-11). This messianic psalm reference is the key to understanding the parable. Jesus is the stone that has become the cornerstone, the son whom the landlord sent. The builders are the leaders of Israel, the tenants who rejected the son. The leaders of Israel will reject Jesus, ultimately killing Him. Jesus will be vindicated in His resurrection and will take His place as the cornerstone of Israel. It is Jesus’ doing that His rejection at the hands of the chief priests and scribes, which led to His death, would ultimately lead to His vindication and His establishment as the messianic cornerstone of God’s kingdom. Let us seek this weekend to tell others of our Messiah, Jesus, who has come to save so that we may reach them with the gospel.

• What is the main point of Jesus’ parable? __________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• What are some specific ways today that you can marvel at God’s work in redemption?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Spend time today praying in adoration to God for His mighty work of salvation that He accomplished, through the stone that became the cornerstone–His Son Jesus Christ, on your behalf and for those you are seeking to reach for Him.

PRAY


may 2

71

Jesus responds with absolute authority to questions about Scripture and God’s Law.

MAIN IDEA

To conclude this week of devotions, we see that Mark presents a number of questions that were posed to Jesus concerning the law. Should we pay taxes to Caesar when we are under God’s rule? Whose wife will the woman be who had seven brothers as husbands? What is the greatest commandment? Jesus responds to each of these questions with divine wisdom and insight. We ought to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and unto God what is God’s; in the resurrection, there will be no marriage, for they will be like angels; the greatest commandment is the two-fold injunction to love God and love neighbor. Throughout this section, we see that Jesus truly is the messianic King of Israel who meditates on God’s Law day and night, and who knows exactly how to apply His Word to all situations, for He wrote it! We see that He came not to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17). We see that He has absolute authority to interpret God’s Law in a way that is unmatched by even the chief priests and scribes. This truly is the Son of God. Let us prepare our hearts to worship Him this Sunday and to make much of Him as we share His gospel with others this weekend.

• What kinds of questions do the chief priests and scribes ask Jesus? How does Jesus respond?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

• If Jesus has absolute authority to interpret Scripture and God’s law (since He wrote it), how does that impact the way you read God’s Word?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Praise God for the absolute authority of His Son Jesus Christ. Ask that He would help you to submit to His Word today.

PRAY

Mark 12:13-44Fridaymay 3

72



________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

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Tomorrow our lesson is Purifies from Mark 11:15-19; 12:41-44. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

Saturdaymay 4

73



PURIFIESSunday

may 5

74

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

Mark 13:13

Week of may 6, 2019

Mark 13:1-13

Jesus teaches His disciples the signs of the end of the age.MAIN IDEA

WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE

Mondaymay 6

In the next several passages we will look at, Jesus responds to the disciples’ wonder at the “wonderful stones and…wonderful buildings” in Jerusalem by teaching them about the end of the age, the time when He will return and consummate His kingdom rule (Mark 13:1-2). Jesus begins by answering the disciples’ question, “When will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” (Mark 13:4). Jesus uses the metaphor of “birth pains” to describe the signs of the end of the age (Mark 13:8). As the end of the age draws nearer, disaster and persecution will gradually increase in frequency and severity; but the gospel will also be proclaimed to all the nations (Mark 13:10). As the contractions of the coming kingdom intensify, we must be on our guard and remain steadfast in endurance, for “the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Mark 13:13). Brothers and sisters, let us eagerly await the coming of our Lord as a mother eagerly awaits the coming of her unborn child. Let us run the race with endurance, fixing our eyes firmly on Jesus. Let us be about His kingdom business, advancing His gospel with all the strength and opportunity He gives us. As we wait for the Lord, let us purpose within our hearts to share the gospel with others to reach them for Christ and eternity.

• What signs of the end of the age does Jesus list in this passage? __________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• What should you be doing to prepare for the end of the age? __________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Praise God today for the glorious hope of the second return of Christ. Pray Revelation 22:20–“Come, Lord Jesus!” Ask God to give you strength and endurance to persevere until He comes or takes you home.

PRAY

75

Mark 13:14-23

Jesus teaches that the coming of the abomination of desolation will be marked by severe tribulation, but also by God’s preserving grace.

MAIN IDEA

Jesus continues with His description of the events that will mark the end of the age. While there are several different views on the precise character of the “abomination of desolation” (Mark 13:14), there are several truths we can glean from a careful reading of the passage. First, Jesus is referring to a time of severe tribulation. In fact, it “will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be” (Mark 13:19). And yet, we also see that God’s grace shines through the darkness of this tribulation. For the sake of the elect–their endurance and salvation–God will shorten the time of tribulation. Though the danger of falling away at the hands of false christs and prophets will still be present, God in His faithfulness will preserve His elect. Finally, in response to all these things–the coming tribulation and the grace of God that accompanies it–Jesus’ instruction to us is very simple: we must “be on guard” (Mark 13:23). We must watch out for these things and be ready to respond to them with faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

• What signs will accompany the arrival of the abomination of desolation? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• As a believer who is at least experiencing the “birth pains” of the consummation of all things at the return of Christ, what practical takeaways can you apply from Jesus’ teaching here?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ask God to help you be on guard today. Ask Him to help you be ready to respond to all the circumstances of your life with faith and trust in Him.

PRAY

Tuesdaymay 7

76

Jesus depicts His second coming.MAIN IDEA

What are you looking forward to? Around the holiday season, many of us are looking forward to Thanksgiving meals or Christmas presents. On Sunday morning, perhaps some of us are looking forward to lunch or to the 1:00 pm football game kickoff. Many of us look forward to the next stage of life: the graduation day, the salary raise, the promotion, the wedding day, etc. In Philippians 3, the apostle Paul tells us what it is we should ultimately be looking forward to: “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like His glorious body, by the power that enables Him even to subject all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:20-21). This coming of the Savior, which the apostle Paul instructs us to “await,” is the event that Jesus depicts in today’s passage. Jesus will come, and He will come in power and glory; and on that day, He will subject all things to Himself and transform His elect to be like Him. Brothers and sisters, before we place our hope in any day-to-day events, let us eagerly await the coming of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Let us echo the words of John at the end of Revelation: “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

• What details does Jesus provide about His second coming? __________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• What are some practical things you can do to set your focus on the second coming of Christ?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

Ask God to help you set your mind on the things above, and specifically on Jesus and His coming. Pray with John, “Come, Lord Jesus!”

PRAY


may 8

77

Just as a fig tree’s branches indicate the coming of summer, so also the signs about which Jesus has spoken indicate the coming of the Son of Man.

MAIN IDEA

The seasonal pattern of spring, summer, fall, and winter is very interesting. In this pattern, spring and fall are transitional. Spring marks the end of winter and the beginning of summer with the springing of new life. Fall marks the end of summer and the beginning of winter with the falling of dead leaves. Spring and fall are predictive: when we see new life sprouting, we know summer is coming; when we see dead leaves falling, we know winter is coming. This is the point Jesus makes when He instructs His disciples to learn the fig tree’s lesson. Just as the tender branch and the sprouting leaves mark the coming of summer, so also the signs that Jesus has described mark the coming of the Son of Man. While there are several different interpretations of what it means that “this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Mark 13:30), we know that these events will take place and that He will certainly come. The reality of His coming supersedes even the reality of creation, for heaven and earth will pass away, but the words of Jesus Christ will never pass away (Mark 13:31). Let us place our confidence squarely and firmly in Him today. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. The foundation of our homes, the stability of our paychecks, the integrity of our world’s atmosphere–all these things are passing away. Yet the words of the Christ will never pass away. So, let us trust Him today and eagerly await the day of His coming.

• What is the lesson of the fig tree? __________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• How does the truth that the words of Jesus never pass away impact the way you prioritize your life?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ask God to help you place your confidence in His Word today. Ask Him to help you be on guard and eagerly awaiting the day of the return of Christ.

PRAY


may 9

78

Jesus exhorts His disciples to always be ready for His return.

MAIN IDEA

Martin Luther once said: “Live as though Christ died yesterday, rose this morning, and is coming back tomorrow.” 6 Jonathan Edwards, in his Resolutions, similarly said: “Resolved, never to do anything that I should be afraid to do if I expected it would not be above an hour before I should hear the last trump.” 7 Both Luther and Edwards were striving to live in such a way that they were always prepared for the return of Christ. This is the point that Jesus is making in today’s passage. Consider His commands: “Be on guard, keep awake” (Mark 13:33); “Stay awake” (Mark 13:35); “Stay awake” (Mark 13:36). No one knows the day or the hour that He will return, except the Father (Mark 13:32). While here on earth in His human nature, the Son acknowledged that He did not know the day of His return. Thus, we must live every day, every hour, and every moment as if the next moment will be the moment of His return. No servant wants his master to find him asleep at his post. Neither should we desire for our Lord to find us in a worldly stupor at the hour of His return. Let us then this weekend set our focus on heaven and on the King of Heaven, our Lord Jesus.

• What is the main command that Jesus gives in relation to His teaching about His return? What does He want His disciples to be doing?

__________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________ • What are some practical ways that you can heed Jesus’ exhortations to stay

awake and be on guard in relation to His second coming? __________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ask God to help you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. Ask Him to help you live in such a way that you are always ready for the return of Christ and that you are seeking to reach others with His gospel.

PRAY


79



________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

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Tomorrow our lesson is Promises from Mark 13:24-37. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

Saturdaymay 11

80



PROMISESSunday

may 12

81

Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Mark 14:38

Week of may 13, 2019

Mark 14:1-11

Mary gave of herself for the sake of Jesus, while Judas betrayed Jesus for his own sake.MAIN IDEA

WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE

Mondaymay 13

It is no mistake that Mark gives us the account of Mary anointing Jesus with expensive oil and then directly follows it with the account of Judas betraying Jesus for a little money. How vast is the gulf between Mary and Judas? How great is the contrast? Mary gives sacrificially of her resources and of herself for the sake of her King Jesus, to prepare Him for His coming burial. Judas calculates and exacts, and bitterly executes his plans of betrayal against the Lord of Glory. The actions of Mary have made her famous, but the actions of Judas have resulted in infamy. Mary’s sacrificial actions are spoken of wherever the gospel goes forth (Mark 14:9). Judas will forever be known as the one who delivered the Christ into the hands of His murderers. Mary’s self-denial results in universal exaltation, while Judas’ self-exaltation results in everlasting shame. May we choose the portion of Mary today, brothers and sisters. May we give over our lives to the will of our King Jesus and serve Him with all the strength He provides. May we look forward to the reward of eternal bliss in the presence of Jesus and not be led astray by the feeble and finite trappings of this world. May our love for Jesus abound, and may our love for the world diminish.

• What points of contrast exist in this text between Mary and Judas? __________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• What are some practical ways that you can follow in the footsteps of Mary today? What are some practical ways you can avoid the path of Judas?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ask God to captivate your heart today. Ask Him to raise your affections for Jesus to such an extent that you would forsake all for Him.

PRAY

82

Mark 14:12-21

Jesus reveals His omniscience as He coordinates Passover with His disciples.MAIN IDEA

Perhaps the most striking element of Mark’s account of the Passover events in which Jesus and His disciples partook is the omniscience of Jesus. Jesus knows in advance the minute details of how the Passover events will unfold (Mark 14:12-16). He also knows exactly who it is that will betray Him in just a few hours (Mark 14:17-21). It is simply staggering to think that when God established the Passover 1,500 years before the birth of Jesus (Exodus 12), He knew exactly how this Passover evening would play out. He knew that the blood of the lambs painted on the doorposts would be ultimately fulfilled in the blood of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. He knew that the sacrificial deaths of the lambs in Goshen would only be a small picture of the sacrificial death of the Lamb of God at Golgotha. Let us pour out our hearts in praise to Him today, for before the foundation of the earth He set His affections on us and determined to give Himself as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins.

• What is the significance of Mark making note of the time of year (i.e., Passover) as Jesus nears His death on the cross? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

• How does the reality of God’s omniscience impact the way you read the Bible? How does it impact the way you live your life?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Praise God today for His infinite grace and wisdom. Thank Him that He so ordered history that He made preparation for the significance of the death of Christ even 1,500 years earlier during the Exodus. Ask Him to help you stand in awe and wonder of Him today.

PRAY

Tuesdaymay 14

83

Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper, focusing on His body the bread and His blood the wine.MAIN IDEA

Even while celebrating an old meal with His disciples, one that was instituted 1,500 years ago (from the time of Christ) at the time of the Exodus, Jesus establishes a new meal for them to continue celebrating. The old meal was the Passover, which once meant to commemorate God’s act of redemption through the blood of lambs in delivering the people of Israel from Egypt. The new meal that Jesus establishes is the Lord’s Supper, in which Jesus as the Lamb of God breaks the bread as a symbol of His broken body and pours out the cup as a symbol of His shed blood. Just as the Passover was a celebration of God’s past redemptive act in the Exodus, so also the Lord’s Supper is a celebration of God’s past redemptive act in the person and work of Christ. Next time you celebrate the Lord’s Supper, set your heart and mind on the fact that His body was broken for you and His blood was poured out to establish a new covenant for the forgiveness of your sins. While the Hebrews had much to celebrate in the Passover, we have infinitely more to celebrate at the Lord’s Supper, for the One we celebrate is indeed the Lamb of God who was slain for our sake!

• What are the elements of the Lord’s Supper? What do they symbolize? __________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Take some time to put together a plan to intentionally set your heart and mind on the body and blood of Christ the next time you participate in the Lord’s Supper.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Pour out your heart in thanksgiving to Christ today for giving up His body and pouring out His blood for the forgiveness of your sins.

PRAY


may 15

84

Peter emphatically denies that he will deny Jesus.MAIN IDEA

Spiritual self-sufficiency is one of the most dangerous traps that Christians can fall into. There is a reason why Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches…apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Peter illustrates just such deluded self-sufficiency in today’s passage. Even in the face of an explicit foretelling from Jesus that Peter and the rest of the disciples would fall away in fulfillment of the prophecy in Zechariah 13:7 (Mark 14:27), Peter remains adamant that he will not deny Jesus (Mark 14:31). Here is Peter trusting in what he can do, not what Jesus says. If he had payed closer attention to Jesus’ words, he would have realized that Jesus was holding out grace and hope that they would be restored to Him after His resurrection when He appears to them again (Mark 14:28). Instead, Peter remains obstinate in his self-sufficiency and leads the other disciples to do the same (Mark 14:31). Brothers and sisters, let us not rely on our own strength and resolve in our relationship with Christ. Let us instead lean on His strength, trust in His work, and depend on His resolve to hold us fast even when our faith is at its weakest.

• What does Jesus foretell in this passage? How does Peter respond? __________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• What are some practical ways that you can rely on Jesus’ words instead of your own ability today?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Praise God today that He has given you His Word to depend upon. Thank Him that He has given you Christ, who will hold you fast and restore you to Him even when your faith is at its weakest.

PRAY


may 16

85

In agony Jesus prays to God in Gethsemane while the disciples slumber.

MAIN IDEA

We have before us today one of the greatest scenes of irony in all the Bible. Jesus is at the eleventh hour. He knows the moment is coming that He will be betrayed into the hands of sinners and delivered up to be crucified, bearing in His death the cup of God’s wrath for sin on our behalf. He is in the hour of agony, of wrestling with the horrid task in front of Him, of seeking His Father’s will even at His own peril. While Jesus is praying in this way, He sets Peter, James, and John to watch. But, as Jesus prays in distress and trouble and sorrow, even unto death, His disciples slumber. He tasked them to keep watch, but they were unable even to keep their eyes open. Indeed, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38). The same disciples who had just emphatically claimed, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you” (Mark 14:31), abandon Jesus for some shuteye during the most distressing hour of His life. Brothers and sisters, this is another reminder of our own spiritual weakness and our great need for the strength of Christ. Jesus did the Father’s will even when it meant that He would experience the greatest agony a man has ever experienced and will ever experience. The disciples could not forgo the comfort of sleep for an hour. Oh, how we need Him every hour!

• What do the disciples’ actions in this passage suggest about the claims they made in the previous passage?

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• What are some ways that you can identify your own weaknesses and respond by relying on the strength of Jesus?

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Praise God that Jesus was willing to do the Father’s will for the sake of those who couldn’t even stay awake while He agonized in the garden. Thank Him for the love of God made manifest in the person and work of Christ.

PRAY


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Tomorrow our lesson is Prepares from Mark 14:3-11, 32-36. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

Saturdaymay 18

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PREPARESSunday

may 19

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And when the centurion, who stood facing Him, saw that in this way He breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

Mark 15:39

Week of may 20, 2019

Mark 14:43-65

Jesus is betrayed, abandoned, and condemned, just as He said He would be.MAIN IDEA

WEEKLY MEMORY VERSE

Mondaymay 20

Last week we left off with Jesus in the darkness of Gethsemane, preparing to drink the cup of God’s wrath. Today, the cross begins to loom large over Jesus as He is betrayed and arrested. The words of Jesus now begin to be fulfilled at a rapid rate. Judas betrays Jesus into the hands of the chief priests and scribes, just as Jesus said one of the twelve would (Mark 14:43-49; cf. Mark 14:18-21). The disciples leave Him and flee, just as He said they would (Mark 14:50; cf. Mark 14:26-31). The chief priests and scribes condemn Jesus to death in a rigged trial, just as He said they would (Mark 14:53-65; cf. Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34). Perhaps the most striking element of Jesus’ trial is the utter lack of evidence. The chief priests and scribes simply cannot produce legitimate evidence of guilt on the account of Jesus; in fact, what evidence they do produce is contradictory and false. In the end, they condemn Jesus to death for being exactly who He is: “the Christ, the son of the Blessed” (Mark 14:61). Brothers and sisters, let us not look at the hard-heartedness of the chief priests and scribes lightly. In their blindness and rebellion, they condemned the Judge of all the earth. Let us heed the words of Hebrews 3:12: “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.”

• How do the events of today’s passage relate to what Jesus foretold would happen to Him?

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• What are some specific ways that you can guard yourself from falling into the same hard-heartedness that the chief priests and scribes displayed in this passage?

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Praise God for the humility of Christ–that the Judge of all the earth submitted to condemnation at the hands of guilty sinners to save you from your guilt.

PRAY

89

Mark 14:66-72

Peter denies Jesus three times, just as Jesus said he would.MAIN IDEA

While the disciples fled from Jesus at the time of His betrayal, Peter’s denial of Him becomes active and explicit in this passage. Certainly, it is no mistake that Mark records Peter’s denial directly after Jesus’ trial before the chief priests and scribes. Peter’s fear of being treated and condemned like Jesus leads him to deny his relationship with Him. The confident Peter who emphatically told Jesus, “If I must die with You, I will not deny You” (Mark 14:31), has given way to the trembling, self-preserving Peter who denies Jesus to his own dismay. What an object lesson for us that denying the Lord, for whatever reason, only leads to sorrow and misery. This was certainly true for Peter. We don’t need to find ourselves bragging about what we will and won’t do. And, yet, it is appropriate that we marvel at the grace of our Lord. For though Peter denied Him, and though Satan tried with all his might to sift Peter like wheat (Luke 22:31-32), Jesus purposed that Peter would be restored to Him again (Mark 14:28; cf. John 21:15-19). Perhaps you have turned away from Christ in some significant way in your life. Take heart! Turn to Him again. Experience the sweet restoration that He offers you!

• How does Peter’s denial relate to what Jesus foretold about Peter beforehand? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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• Are there any ways in which you have turned away from the Lord? How might you turn back to Him today?

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Ask God that He would preserve you from a denial of Christ like Peter’s. Praise Him for His grace that offers restoration even for those who deny Christ in a moment of weakness or fear. If you have turned away from Him in some way, ask that He would help you turn to Him again and experience sweet restoration.

PRAY

Tuesdaymay 21

90

Jesus is delivered to Pilate, and Pilate perceives the injustice of His condemnation.MAIN IDEA

In our reading today, Pilate is flabbergasted that Jesus is not defending Himself against the malicious claims the chief priests and scribes are making against Him (Mark 15:5). This is even more the case since it is clear to see that they are making these claims not based on any variation of truth, but instead on envious hearts (Mark 15:10). The injustice of Jesus’ condemnation leads Pilate to try to secure His release. And, yet, Pilate gives in to fear of upheaval and political trouble, and allows the Jews to condemn the righteous Jesus and release the murderer and criminal Barabbas. Jesus, though just, is condemned as unjust; Barabbas, though unjust, is released as though he is just. Jesus stands in the place of Barabbas and receives at the hands of sinners the condemnation Barabbas deserves. When we consider this exchange, we realize that the picture before us is not one of justice but “un-justice.” Our hearts rise up inside of us and cry out, “Barabbas should be condemned! Jesus should be released!” And yet, this scene of “un-justice” is a fitting picture of what Jesus is about to accomplish on the cross for all those who would trust in Him. For on the cross, the righteous Christ was condemned for unrighteous sinners, who become righteous only through faith in Him and on the basis of His substituting Himself for them on the cross. In this sense, brothers and sisters, we bear a striking resemblance to Barabbas.

• How does Pilate perceive the condemnation of Jesus? __________________________________________________________

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• What should your response be to the truth that Jesus, though just, received the condemnation that you, the unjust, deserved?

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Praise God today for the incredible gift of salvation that is yours in Christ. Thank Him that He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for you, so that in Him you might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

PRAY


may 22

91

Jesus, the Son of God, is crucified and buried.MAIN IDEA

Today we come to the most grotesque and most glorious tragedy in all human history–the crucifixion of the Lord of Glory, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The scene before us in these verses is simultaneously horrifying and happy, for God in the flesh hanged on a tree beside two guilty sinners, but He did so for the sake of guilty sinners, to give us access to God forever. The harrowing reality of it all is summed up in the centurion’s observation: “Truly this man was the Son of God!” The Jews had done just as Jesus foretold (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34)–they had delivered up the Son of God to be crucified. But in their heinous act, God had accomplished the most glorious and loving feat in all reality–the redemption of His people. Our passage ends today in darkness. Jesus is laid in the grave, and common sense tells us that this is the end of the story, that the curtain has closed on a somber tragedy. Spend some time today feeling the weight and darkness of the crucifixion and burial.

• What does the centurion conclude about Jesus? Why does he conclude this? __________________________________________________________

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• How does the crucifixion of Jesus Christ impact the way that you live your life today?

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Praise God today for doing the most loving thing ever–giving over His only begotten Son to be crucified for you. Thank Him that though the Jews meant all these things for evil, He intended them for good.

PRAY


may 23

92

Jesus is raised from the grave in glory and ascended into heaven.

MAIN IDEA

The gloom of the crucifixion gives way to the glory of the resurrection. Jesus, though condemned and crucified, is vindicated when He breaks forth from the grave. Mary is there to witness the climax of history, and she quickly spreads the word to the disciples. Brothers and sisters, let the glory of the resurrection lead your worship this Sunday. Jesus is the Son of God, and He broke forth from the grave on the third day in power and glory and victory. He did this for you, so that your eternal redemption might be accomplished. He did this for the glory of God, so that God’s justice might be displayed in His condemnation of sin, but also that His grace might be displayed in the salvation of sinners. Let us not remain silent about this glorious news today, brothers and sisters. Let us heed the commission our risen Christ has given us. Let us make this news known to everyone we can, so that more and more people can abound in thankfulness for the glorious news of the gospel and so that their hearts might overflow in the eternal worship of the Son of God. Today concludes our study of Mark’s Gospel, but our hope is that its message will continue to dwell in your heart and mind. Jesus is the Son of God–crucified for our sins, raised on the third day, and ascended into glory. He has called us to be His disciples–to follow Him in proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and calling sinners to repentance. May we follow Him all our days, and may we be about the business to which He has commissioned us.

• What does Mary Magdalene witness at the tomb of Jesus? __________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________ • Take time to meditate on the glorious reality of the resurrection of Christ.

Allow this glorious reality to lead you to worship this weekend, especially on Sunday morning.

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Pour out your heart in praises to God today. Worship Jesus, the Son of God, and ask Him to raise your affections for Him to new heights this Sunday morning.

PRAY


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Tomorrow our lesson is Lives from Mark 15:42-47; 16:1-8. Review these verses to prepare your heart and pray for your teacher.

Saturdaymay 25

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LIVESSunday

may 26

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CITATIONS

Page 23 - Friday, March 15 https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/ releases/2001/09/20010920-8.html

2. Page 40 Monday, April 1 https://zondervanacademic.com/blog/the-humility-of-joe-louis/

3. Page 55 - Tuesday, April 16 Getty, Keith and Stuart Townsend. “Gethsemane.”

4. Page 56 - Wednesday, April 17 Mahaney, C. J. Living the Cross Centered Life. New York: Multnomah Books, 2006. Pages 86-87.

5. Page 56 - Wednesday, April 17 Bonar, Horatius. “I See the Crowd in Pilate’s Hall.” 1856.

6. Page 79 - Friday, May 10 Source unknown.

7. Page 79 - Friday, May 10 Edwards, Jonathan. Jonathan Edwards’ Resolutions.

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