Mark 1-14

Jesus According to Mark 1

1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
         "BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU,
         WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY;
    3THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS,
         'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD,
         MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.'"
45But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere.

Mark covered a lot of territory in the first chapter of His gospel story. In verse one, He introduced Jesus and quoted an Old Testament passage concerning both John the Baptist and Jesus. By the end of the chapter, John's ministry was finished and Jesus' ministry had grown to the point that He could no longer teach in cities, but had to stay in unpopulated areas because so many people were coming to Him. Mark reveals a lot about Jesus in these 45 verses.

Praise Jesus from the list:

Son of God

Introduced by John the Baptist

Mightier than John the Baptist

Baptized with the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove at His baptism

God's announced that Jesus was His beloved Son with whom He was well pleased

Called men to be fishers of men who immediately followed Him

People were amazed at His teaching as One with authority

Cast out unclean spirits

Healed the sicknesses

Withdrew by Himself to pray early in the morning

Felt compassion and healed a leper

Became so well known that He could no longer stay in the cities

 

Constantly Under Scrutiny [Mark 2]

"6But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7"Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?"
8Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were reasoning that way within themselves, said to them, "Why are you reasoning about these things in your hearts?9"Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven'; or to say, 'Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk'? 10"But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"--He said to the paralytic, 11"I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home." 12And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this."

Already in Mark 2, Jesus is beginning to be questioned by the religious rulers of the day. They found fault with just about everything He did in chapter 2. Jesus did not fit the religious mold of the day and many of these leaders couldn't adjust to His new way of teaching and doing things. So they criticized Him and looked for ways to discredit Him.

I love how Jesus answers their questions with questions that get to the heart of the matter.  He also doesn’t let their questions stop Him even when He knew He was going to be criticized. 

We praise You, Jesus, for showing that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins in spite of the criticism. May we live our lives boldly before men that they will see Christ in us.  By Your grace cause us not to fear what others may think of us.
 

They Said He Had Lost His Senses [Mark 3]

21When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, "He has lost His senses." 22The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons."
 23And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan?24"If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25"If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.26"If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but he is finished!

I can imagine the religious leaders attacking Jesus, but when His own people began to say He has lost His mind, how hard that must have been for Him. Family is supposed to be the one place you can find hope and refuge, acceptance and encouragement. Sadly, it wasn't that way for Jesus at this point in His life when He was pouring His life into so many and knowingly heading for a cruel death. And sadly, some of our families don't understand us and support us as we take a stand for Jesus. In my family, I (Beth) get ridiculed at times for my faith. Thankfully, no one has told me I have lost my senses yet. But what a privilege to suffer for the sake of the gospel. If you are facing attacks or just some joking about your faith, take heart and know that you are in good company with the Son of God and talk to Him about how to be a light among those who would ridicule you. Who knows, perhaps those are the very ones that God would use you to lead them to salvation.

We praise You, Jesus, for suffering the ridicule from your family and friends without losing heart. You continued to answer them with truth and compassion. May we find joy in suffering for the sake of the gospel and comfort in the company of our real family (the family of God) and in our Lord Jesus. Thank You that we are loved and well graced today!

 

So You Still Have No Faith? [Mark 4]

35On that day, when evening came, He said to them, "Let us go over to the other side."36Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him.37And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. 38Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing? 39And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.40And He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" 41They became very much afraid and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"

Fear undoes faith. The disciples witnessed Jesus healing the sick, making the blind see, feeding thousands of people, casting out demons and constantly showing compassion for people. And yet, when a storm reared its ugly head, they forgot all that they had seen and actually accused Jesus of not caring that they were perishing. Earlier in the chapter, Jesus told a parable of the soils.

18"And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 19but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Fear makes you unfruitful. It chokes out spiritual growth when you let it run its course. And it can even make you question whether God cares about you.

9And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.40And He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

All Jesus said was, "Hush, be still" and "it became perfectly calm." It must have been quite a storm to scare seasoned fishermen on a lake they had fished all of their lives. But all Jesus had to say was "Hush, be still."

I don't know about you, but fear is a constant companion to most of us on the face of this earth. Storms come and go and sometimes with devastating damage. If you keep your eyes on the storm, you will not only lose your faith, but you will end up wondering if God even cares about you. The key is to keep your eyes on Jesus exchanging your fear for His peace in the midst of the storm. He is right there with you caring about your life and allowing trials to grow your faith if you will let them.

Remember that when you are afraid, if you don't look to Him, He is asking you, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

We praise You, Jesus, that we can take all of our fears to You, the one who calms the storms, and You exchange our fears for Your peace. You love and care about our faith. Thank You that You grow our faith through the storms of life.

 

Tender Mercy for a Man, a Woman and a Child [Mark 5]

18As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him. 19And He did not let him, but He said to him, "Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you." 20And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.
30Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My garments?" 31And His disciples said to Him, "You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'" 32And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. 33But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction."

40They began laughing at Him. But putting them all out, He took along the child's father and mother and His own companions, and entered the room where the child was. 41Taking the child by the hand, He said to her, "Talitha kum!" (which translated means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"). 42Immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded. 43And He gave them strict orders that no one should know about this, and He said that something should be given her to eat.

In this chapter three lives are changed drastically - a man, a woman and a child. The man was living in the tombs because "no one was strong enough to subdue him. And always, night and day, he was crying out among the tombs an in the mountains and cutting himself with stones." When the people saw him after Jesus has healed him, he "was dressed and in his right mind: and they were afraid."  What an incredible change for this man.  Jesus told him he could tell everyone "how much the Lord has done for you and that He has had mercy on you." (Holman, CSB).

On the other side of the sea, "One of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at His feet and kept begging Him, 'My little daughter is at death's door. Come and lay Your hands on her so she can get well and live.'" As Jesus was going with Jairus, "a woman suffering from bleeding for 12 years had incurred much under many doctors…, having heard about Jesus, she came behind Him and touched His robe. "(v.27) "Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was cured of her affliction."  Jesus told her that her faith had made her well and that she could go in peace and be free from her affliction.  If you have ever been sick for a long period, exhausted your resources trying to get well and was just getting worse, you can imagine how this mercy would change your life.

While He was still speaking people came saying that Jairus' daughter had died.  Jesus went anyway and said to them "The child is not dead but asleep." (v.39).  Here was a twelve year old who had been very sick, had died and Jesus tenderly offers her mercy by bringing her back to life. Not just laying there, still sick, but life where she began walking and was ready to eat.  Utterly astonishing! This child's life was changed and so was her family's. But He gave them strict orders not let others know about this event.

We praise You, Jesus, for your tender mercy. May we see how Your love and mercy has changed our lives and go tell everyone You ask us to tell.

 

Compassion for the Sheep Without a Shepherd [Mark 6]

30The apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught. 31And He said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while." (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.) 32They went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves.
  33The people saw them going, and many recognized them and ran there together on foot from all the cities, and got there ahead of them.  34When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.

Jesus had sent the twelve disciples out in pairs, "so they went out and preached that people should repent. And they were driving out many demons, anointing many sick people with oil, and healing." v. 12. When they came back to report all they had done and taught, He invited them to get away and rest for awhile.  So they headed out by boat to a remote place. "So as He stepped ashore, He saw a huge crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd."  (Holman CSB)

If you read the rest of the chapter you know what happened next.  After teaching them all day, the disciples approached Him and said, "This place is a wilderness, and it is already late! Send them away, so they can go into the surrounding countryside and villages to buy themselves something to eat."  But instead Jesus fed 5,000 men with five loaves of bread and two fish.

Do you sense the disciples’ frustration? Didn't they come here to rest and get away from the many people? But instead they had to deal with the crowds all day and now they were hungry.  So Jesus fed them, along with all the crowd and then "immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He dismissed the crowd. After He said good-bye to them, He went away to the mountain to pray." vs. 45-46.

He knew what the people needed and He knew what His disciples needed.  They all need a shepherd.  One that will take care of their physical needs so that they have a chance to be ministered to spiritually. Later He walked across the water to meet the disciples' physical needs again - causing the winds to cease and offering them courage when their emotions were raw.

We praise You, Shepherd, for all the ways You are meeting our needs physically, emotionally and mentally preparing us to receive  how Holy Spirit is ministering to our soul.

 

He Does All Things Well! [Mark 7]

32They brought to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty, and they implored Him to lay His hand on him. 33Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva; 34and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He said to him, "Ephphatha!" that is, "Be opened!" 35And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he began speaking plainly. 36And He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it. 37They were utterly astonished, saying, "He has done all things well; He makes even the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."

I can understand the utter astonishment that the people felt.  I have a grandson who was born deaf.  I wondered how we would tell him about Jesus and God's love?  At two, he was able to get a cochlear implant and immediately could hear.   I am often reminded of this miracle when he comes into my house with a big grin and says in an enthusiastic voice, "Hi grandma!" What great joy I feel that he can understand when we tell him about Jesus.

He has done everything well.  I would love to be able to see all the miracles God is doing around me with the same eyes.  Am I aware of how well He does everything?

May we be utterly astonished today as we see the things God is doing around us and proclaim in our hearts, "He has done everything well."

Does He Care About Your Needs? [Mark 8]

1In those days, when there was again a large crowd and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples and said to them,  2"I feel compassion for the people because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat. 3"If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; and some of them have come from a great distance." 4And His disciples answered Him, "Where will anyone be able to find enough bread here in this desolate place to satisfy these people?" 5And He was asking them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven." 6And He directed the people to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, He gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve to them, and they served them to the people. 7They also had a few small fish; and after He had blessed them, He ordered these to be served as well. 8And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven large baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces. 9About four thousand were there; and He sent them away.

Jesus felt compassion for the people because they stayed with Him for three days and he knew they were hungry.  He didn't want to send them to their homes (some lived far away) without food in their stomachs because they would faint on the way. What does it mean to feel compassion?  The word translated compassion means "to have bowels that yearn, sympathy, pity."  The idea is that this is an emotion that is felt deeply inside.

 

I am not so sure the disciples felt this compassion for the people yet.  As you read on in this chapter you find that when they get into the boat "they had forgotten to take bread and had only one loaf with them."  They were discussing among themselves that they did not have any bread. (I think they were starting to feel hungry again.)

 

Jesus asked them, "Do you not yet understand?  Is your heart hardened?  Do you have eyes, and not see, and do you have ears, and not hear?  And do you not remember?" (Holman CSB). Then He quizzes them about how many pieces of bread they collected after feeding the 5,000 and again after the 4,000.  They do remember the numbers (12 and 7) but they don't understand the compassion Jesus has when He sees that His people are hungry.

 

Lord, cause us today to remember and understand how You are moved with pity as you see the physical needs of Your people.  Open our eyes and ears to the compassion that you feel for us. As we sense Your compassion, give us that gut-wrenching compassion for others around us and move us to action. Keep us from having a hard heart because we are focused on our own needs and wants. (Oh no, we forgot to bring bread!)

 

I Do Believe - Help My Unbelief! [Mark 9]

 20They brought the boy to Him. When he saw Him, immediately the spirit threw him into a convulsion, and falling to the ground, he began rolling around and foaming at the mouth. 21And He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. 22"It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!"

 23And Jesus said to him, " 'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes."

 24Immediately the boy's father cried out and said, "I do believe; help my unbelief."

 25When Jesus saw that a crowd was rapidly gathering, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him and do not enter him again." 26After crying out and throwing him into terrible convulsions, it came out; and the boy became so much like a corpse that most of them said, "He is dead!" 27But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him; and he got up.

 28When He came into the house, His disciples began questioning Him privately, "Why could we not drive it out?"

 29And He said to them, "This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer."

Here is a father that is so desperate to see his son well that he cries out to Jesus, "'But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!'  And Jesus said to him, 'If You can? All things are possible to him who believes.'"

Does he dare to hope that Jesus can do anything to help his son?  Aren't we just like this father?  We have hoped many times and each time our hopes have been dashed. Do we dare to believe?  But here is the Son of God saying that is is possible.  There is no "if".  He can help, He can heal.

The father wants to believe that ALL things are possible. So he dares to hope again and cries out feebly, "I do believe."  Even as the words come out of his mouth, he realizes the doubt, the fear to hope again.  But then it rings true in his heart that "all things are possible" and that includes giving him belief that he doesn't have.  He can't believe but God can.  He submits to that truth about God and asks God to do it for him, "help me believe!"

May we join this man in recognizing that we can't believe but that God can cause us to believe.  Let's cry out to Him today to give us the faith to believe that all things are possible with Him.

 

He Came to Serve You [Mark 10]

42Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. 43"But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; 44and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. 45"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

James and John had approached Jesus asking Him to allow them to sit on either side of Him in the kingdom.  They were caught up in the hope of being great.  In other passages we know that their mother had this in mind for them as well.  They sensed they were part of something greater than themselves.  They have been with Jesus as he healed the sick, deaf, blind and demon possessed.  They have seen Him perform miracles.  Jesus has taught them about the kingdom of God and how hard it is to enter. "With men it is impossible, but not with God, because all things are possible with God" (v. 27).

Were they so caught up in the greatness of Christ's ministry that they have missed something?  Did they miss what He said about the little children?  "Let the children come to Me.  Don't stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I assure you, whoever does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it"  (vs. 14-15, Holman CSB).

It is the opposite with the kingdom of God than with the kingdom of men.  Whoever wants to be great must be your servant.  And if you want to be first you will be a slave to all.  Can you get a hold of this thinking?  Only as you see Jesus showing what that looks like.  He came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for me.

May we live this truth by letting Him serve us instead of trying so hard to serve Him.  He came not so we could do something for Him but so He could do something for us.  May we be like a little child (knowing that we have nothing to offer) and receive His provision of power and grace that He has for us today.

 

He Experienced Human Emotions [Mark 11]

12On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. 13Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" And His disciples were listening.

  15Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves;

16and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple.

 17And He began to teach and say to them, "Is it not written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS'? But you have made it a ROBBERS' DEN."

Did Jesus share the same emotions you and I have?  In this passage we see a range of emotions.  He was disappointed that the tree didn't have fruit to eat when He was hungry.  Can you sense the emotion that He felt as He drove out the people who were making profit off of the things needed to offer a sacrifice?  Listen to the emotion in His voice as He was teaching them, "Is it not written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS'? But you have made it a ROBBERS' DEN."

Hebrews 4:14-16 reminds us,  "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

He understands our weakness - He experienced our same emotions.  He is completely qualified to be our High Priest.  Through Him we can come with confidence to the throne of God and receive mercy and find grace every moment of need.

May we come to Him with each disappointment, frustration and fear that we face, knowing He truly understands.

 

Jesus Showed Us About God [Mark 12]

28One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, "What commandment is the foremost of all?" 29Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.' 31"The second is this, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
32The scribe said to Him, "Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM; 33AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE'S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
34When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.

This exchange comes in the midst of some parables that Jesus told the people.  The scribes and Pharisees begin questioning him. In everything Jesus said, He always exalted and explained God.

There is so much to learn about the God of the Bible as you read looking at who God says He is. When we know, agree with and act on the truth of who He is, we have the privilege of living a life full of grace and peace. That grace and peace is multiplied as you develop an intimate relationship with God (2 Peter 2:1) through the word, prayer and fellowship with other believers.

We praise You God:

You, God, are incredibly patient - as seen in the parable

You are just - as seen in the parable

Jesus spoke the truth fearlessly - not intimidated by the religious leaders

Always had brilliant answers to those testing him - no one ever tripped Him up

The God of the living - we will live with Him

One God - we have only the one true God

 

God Always Warns [Mark 13]

33"Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.

Throughout the Bible God always warned the people through prophets or angels before He did anything. In Mark 13, God provided us with a warning concerning the future events through Jesus. He described the difficult things that are going to happen. No one but the Father knows when these things will take place, but they will take place. The facts about this time are listed in Mark 13 and we would do well to keep these things in mind each day so we can be on the alert and live as if it could happen any day because it could! And know that we can endure because we are God's elect and we have His Holy Spirit to guide us and comfort us through whatever happens. We also know the end of the story: God wins and we get to live with Him for eternity free of the evil that now overshadows everything and everyone on this earth.

26"Then they
     will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN CLOUDS
        with great
            power and glory.
 27"And then He
     will send forth the angels,
     and will gather together His elect
        from the four winds,
         from the farthest end of the earth
            to the farthest end of heaven.

We praise You, God that Your Son is coming again. Cause us to live today in Your power ready and alert for Your coming. Thank You for Your warning.

 

He Graciously Received [Mark 14]

8"She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.9"Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her."

Jesus came to this earth to show us God and to save us for His Kingdom. He did that by entering into this world as a baby who grew up to serve so many hurting people and to confound the wise. He was the ultimate example of a servant and yet He also showed how to be a gracious recipient of the service of others. The perfume the woman poured over Him was an extravagant gift and yet He received it with such grace and appreciation at a time when His agony and death were hours away. Although, God calls you to be His servant, you are also called to be a gracious receiver of His extravagant grace through the Holy Spirit and through His precious people. In fact, you can't be His servant without first receiving and filling with His grace. Many have tried to serve Him in their own strength and got burned out trying.

We praise You Jesus for Your example of receiving as well as serving. May we learn to graciously receive all You have for us and be satisfied and spill out that extravagant grace on a hurting world.