Mark 16

As He said He would, Jesus rose on the third day. He appeared to many people after that, including His disciples. He told the disciples to go out and preach the gospel to the whole world. After that, He ascended to heaven and the disciples began to go out and preach just as they were told. Jesus the Lord is risen! If His story had ended at the tomb, He could well have been just another man, but He rose again to prove He had power even over death. The Bible says that the punishment for sin is death. Jesus showed He had power over death which means He has power over sin too. He can take away your sins. All you need to do is believe in Him and pray to Him to make you clean.

Mark 15:22-47

Jesus suffered a criminal's death on a cross. Hung between two robbers on a wooden cross, He died. The people who were there mocked Him, saying if He were truly the Messiah, He should save Himself and come down off the cross. Even the robbers who were being crucified next to Him mocked Him. The noblest man to ever live died an ignoble death to save sinners - you and me. He suffered through not only death, but the insults and the taunting as well. During all of this, He didn't try to fight back. He didn't hurl insults back at them. All through this, His heart was still filled with love for these people. Even as they were having their sport making fun of Jesus, He was dying for their sins.


Joseph of Arimathea took the body of Jesus, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb. He probably didn't know the tomb would only be used for a short time. He was willing to give it up so that Jesus would have a proper burial. We all have something we can give to God, in our time, talents, and treasure. Ask the Lord what you can give Him today.

Mark 15:1-21

Jesus was brought before Pilate to be tried. Although Pilate tried to set Jesus free, the chief priests had riled up the crowd to demand He be crucified. Pilate realized that the high priests were just trying to get rid of Jesus because they felt threatened. And although he couldn't find anything wrong what Jesus had done, he caved in to the demands of the crowd. Today, the crowd is saying reject Jesus. What will you do? Will you give in to the crowd or will you give your life to Jesus?


Before being taken to the place where He was to be crucified, Jesus was beaten, mocked and humiliated. He endured all of these things so we could be free from sin. He took all of that abuse so we could be reconciled to God. Take a moment to think about that. He loved you so much that He was willing not only to die for you, but to suffer through all of this. Thank Him for what He's done. Show your gratitude by living for Him today.

Mark 14:53-72

Jesus was brought before the high priests to be tried for blasphemy. Witnesses were brought forth to testify against Him, but they couldn't get their stories straight. The high priest asked Jesus directly if He was the Christ. When Jesus answered that He was, this was all the high priest needed. He and the rest of the high priests pronounced Jesus guilty and deserving of death.

Jesus was telling the truth. He was not guilty of any blasphemy because He actually is who He said He was - the Christ, the Son of the living God. The thing is, when someone is out to get you, they're going to take whatever you say or do and try to use it against you. How easy would it have been for Jesus to say, "I'm not the Christ"? But He didn't because it wasn't the truth. We should remember this as well. When challenged about our faith - who we are as Christians and what we believe - we need to stand for the truth no matter what the consequences may be.

We see the opposite side of this lesson in Peter. Three times he was asked if he was a follower of Jesus; three times he said no. Mark says that he cursed and swore when denying Jesus. He was afraid what the consequences would be if he was found out as one of Jesus' disciples. Following Jesus isn't always easy, but pretending to be someone we're not doesn't make it any easier.

Mark 14:26-52

After sharing the Passover meal with His disciples, Jesus went with them to the Mount of Olives. He went off to pray by Himself, bringing along Peter, James, and John to keep watch. Jesus prayed to God that if it was possible, to allow Him to not go to the cross to suffer and die. Ultimately, He agreed that God had the final say and that He would do what was needed. We have the right to go to God and ask Him for what we want, but we always need to remember to seek His will. In the end, our prayers should line up with God's will as we listen to the Holy Spirit who teaches us how to pray.


When Jesus was done praying, a mob of people led by Judas and sent by the high priests, came to arrest Him. Jesus knew what was going to happen and did not resist. Jesus knew it was His time and that what was happening to Him was necessary to fulfill God's plan. When things aren't going our way, we can choose to fight our circumstances or look to God for guidance and see what He has in store for the situation. We grow through adversity if we remember that we need to depend on God in times of need and look to Him for help.

Mark 14:1-25

A woman anointed Jesus' head with an expensive perfume. His disciples remarked that it was a waste and the perfume could have been sold to help the poor. Jesus responded by saying she had done a good deed by anointing Him for burial. Sometimes we may not understand how someone else worships. They may raise their hands up during a worship song or shout "Amen!" during a sermon, but unless what they're doing is clearly against scripture, we should leave the matter between that person and God. Who knows -- maybe the way you worship looks strange or wrong to someone else.


At the passover meal, Jesus told the disciples that one of them would betray Him and it would have been better for that one to never have been born. Judas had already made a deal with the chief priests to betray Jesus, yet He sat there while each of the other disciples asked if he was the one Jesus was talking about. When we sin, we need to own up to it. By trying to hide it or pretend nothing's wrong, other people can be affected. God already knows what you've done wrong. When you don't ask for His forgiveness, you just get eaten up by the guilt.


Jesus used the bread and the wine in the meal to represent His body and blood that would become the payment for everyone's sin. When we observe the Lord's Supper, we need to remember the symbolism behind the elements. We are commemorating Jesus' death on the cross for our sins and it is a time to reflect on the crucifixion. We also need to remember the resurrection, without which, Jesus' death would have been meaningless. We worship a risen Savior who has conquered sin and death so that we can be set free.

Mark 13:14-37

Jesus spoke of the signs of His return, noting that no one knows the day when that will be. We should therefore always be ready. Christ could return in the next minute, the next hour, day, week, month, year... We don't know when exactly. What do you want to be "caught" doing when He returns? If you knew He was coming back tomorrow, what would you do? Is there someone you would make sure to tell about Him? Don't wait! Live for Christ with a sense of urgency.

Mark 13:1-13

Jesus told His disciples that the temple would be torn down and there would not be one stone lying on top of another. Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him when this was going to happen. Jesus told them what to look for, but also told them to be careful that they not be misled by anyone. We need to familiarize ourselves with truth. There are all sorts of people who want to mislead us. Some of them even use "Christian buzzwords" to make their "teachings" seem authentic. We must guard our hearts and minds against these kinds of deceit by knowing the truth - God's word - well.


He also told them they would be persecuted because of His name, but they should endure to the end. Most of us will never know this kind of persecution, but we still need to stand strong for Jesus. No matter the cost, we must always be willing to witness to others of Christ in our lives. We may lose friends or family, but if we call ourselves Christians, we can't be ashamed of Christ.

Mark 12:28-44

A scribe asked Jesus what the most important commandment is. Jesus answered that the Lord is one and we should love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. He also said that loving your neighbor is the second. These two commands show how we should relate to God and to other people. When we love God and love His people, we will want to follow all the rest of God's commands. All the rest of God's commands hinge on loving him and loving others.


Jesus taught in the temple about the identity of the Christ in relation to David. The Christ was commonly referred to as the Son of David, but Jesus showed that David called Christ Lord. He was showing a misconception about the coming Christ in the people's minds. Until they let go of any preconceived notions about who Christ was, they would never be able to see the real Christ standing before them. We need to seek the true Christ, without bringing our own ideas of who He is to the search.


Jesus also taught about the scribes seeking positions of honor among men and keeping up appearances while at the same time taking advantage of widows. It doesn't matter how good we look to men on the outside. God isn't fooled by the show. If we pretend to be righteous and convince others that we are, and all the while we're not letting God in to change our insides, we will face greater condemnation from God. When we know the right thing to do and don't do it or just go through the motions, we have no excuse for our behavior.


Jesus watched as people came to give their offerings. When He saw a poor widow who put in just a few coins, He declared her offering to be the most. Since she gave all she had and the others were giving from their surpluses, her sacrifice was greater than anyone's. It's easy to give when we're doing well. The true mark of faithfulness is how we give when we feel we have nothing to give. Do we dig down deep and find something to give to God or do we keep whatever we have for ourselves? It is in these times that we need to trust God to provide for our needs and step out in faithfulness to give.

Mark 12:1-27

Jesus told a parable of a land owner who rented his vineyard out to some vine-growers. When harvest time came about, he sent one of his servants to collect from the harvest. The vine-growers beat him and sent him away. The land owner sent more servants, and each one was beaten and/or killed. He finally sent his son thinking the vine-growers would respect him, but they killed him as well. Jesus said the reaction of the land owner would be to destroy the vine-growers and give the land to others. This parable showed how the nation of Israel had treated God's prophets and now His Son. They had rejected (sometimes violently) the messengers God had sent. Now here was God's own Son and they were about to kill Him. Jesus told them that even though they were going to reject Him, God had plans to use Him as the cornerstone of a new church.


A group of Pharisees and Herodians (followers of Herod) came to Jesus hoping to trap him with a question. They wanted Jesus to tell them if it was lawful (under God's law) to pay a poll-tax to Caesar. Jesus showed them that it was Caesar's picture on the coin used to pay the tax and told them to "render to Caesar that which is Caesar's, and to God the things which are God's." We have both a civil duty to obey the laws of whatever country we find ourselves living in as well as a duty to obey God. There is nothing in the Bible to suggest that we can ignore our responsibility to earthly government.


A group of Sadducees also came to try to trap Jesus in a question. They wanted to know who a woman's husband would be in heaven if she were married to seven different men on earth. Jesus told them there was no marriage in heaven, but since the Sadducees didn't even believe in the resurrection in the first place, Jesus addressed this as well by telling them that when God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, He identified Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Since these three had all been dead for some time, and God is not the God of the dead, they must have been living at the time God said that (via resurrection). The resurrection is the day we all look forward to. One day, we will each be raised up to face eternity. Whether we spend eternity with God or separated from Him depends on the decision we make to follow Jesus or not.

Mark 11:20-33

Jesus and His disciples came upon a withered fig tree that Jesus had cursed the day before. When Peter brought it to His attention, Jesus told His disciples that if they truly believed, whatever they prayed for would be done. He also told them that if they had anything against someone when they prayed, they needed to forgive that person so that they could be forgiven. These are two very important things to remember about prayer: we must believe that God will answer and we must forgive to be forgiven. If your prayer life doesn't have the power you think it could, ask yourself if you really believe what you're asking for and are you forgiving and seeking forgiveness?


The religious leaders came to Jesus asking whose authority He was operating under. Jesus said He would tell them if they told Him whether the baptism of John was from heaven or men. They were afraid to answer the question because of the implications either way, so Jesus didn't answer their question either. It should have been apparent where Jesus' authority came from. The religious leaders didn't want to acknowledge it though. They also couldn't bring themselves to acknowledge where John's authority came from, but they were too scared of what the people would do if they said his authority was not from God because John had a lot of followers. When we recognize the source of Jesus' authority, the only proper reaction is to worship Him. Praise Jesus for who He is every day.

Mark 11:1-19

Jesus sent two of His disciples to get a colt which He rode into Jerusalem. People spread their coats and branches out for Him as He rode and shouted, "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." Jesus received a king's welcome when He came into Jerusalem. What were the people who welcomed Him expecting? Were they expecting that He was now coming to set up His earthly kingdom and overthrow Rome? When we praise Jesus, we need to make sure our expectations are correct. If we come to Him with false hope and expectations, we are bound to be disappointed when He fails to meet them.


When Jesus came into the temple and saw the business that was being conducted there, He was angry and drove them out. God's house is not a place to make a profit for ourselves by selling goods. It is for worshiping and honoring God. Any other use is an affront to God and shows that our hearts are not in the right place. We must always remember to show the utmost respect for our churches by behaving appropriately when we are there.

Mark 10:32-52

On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus was again telling His disciples how He was going to be arrested, put to death, and rise again. James and John asked Jesus if they could be granted the positions on His right and left when He came into His glory. Jesus told them it was not up to Him to give out positions of power like that. When the others became upset that James and John asked this in the first place, Jesus reminded them again that to have a position of importance in His kingdom, they had to be servants. God does not reward those who seek after power and glory for its own sake - He rewards those who humble themselves and serve Him by serving others.


Jesus healed a blind man, Bartimaeus, on the road who began to follow Him. Bartimaeus heard that Jesus was passing by and called out to Him, even when people were telling him to be quiet. When we have a need, we can call out to God for help. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks or if someone tries to tell us to stop. We know that God will hear us if we have faith in Him.

Mark 10:1-31

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and asked if it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife. Jesus told them that God ordained marriage and no one should separate what God put together. He also told them Moses had permitted divorce because of their hard hearts. Modern wedding vows usually include the phrase "'til death do us part" or "so long as we both shall live." This is the way that God intended it to be. Divorce breaks that part of the vows by dissolving the marriage prematurely. When we make our vows, we are promising not only our spouse, but also God to be committed for a lifetime.


Jesus told the disciples to let some children come to Him and that the kingdom of heaven belongs to "such as these." We need to be like children in many ways to come to Jesus. Children love and trust unconditionally. They are teachable and humble. These are the qualities Christ wants in us when we come to Him. If we come with an attitude of haughtiness or self-importance, we need to be emptied of those things before we can be filled up.


Jesus taught that it is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. We need to be ready to give up everything to follow Jesus and the richer we are, the more we have to give up. We can also begin to rely on our earthly possessions more than on God. If we feel all our needs are met, why would we feel a need for God? This doesn't mean that rich people can't have a relationship with Jesus, but it is more difficult. The more things between us and God, the harder it is to see Him.

Mark 9:30-50

Jesus said that whoever wants to be first should put themselves last and be a servant. There is no room for egos in the kingdom of God. God's first priority is people and if we want to have importance in His eyes, our priorities need to come in line with His. The priorities of the world won't get us anywhere with God. Look for someone to help, because when you do, you honor Christ who gave everything for us.


Jesus told His disciples that whoever helps out in His name is on His side and will be rewarded, but whoever causes problems for His followers will be punished. He said if there is something in your life causing you to stumble, get rid of it. There is nothing in your life worth holding onto if it causes you to fall away from God. Check your priorities. What are you holding onto for dear life? Friends? Family? Possessions? If there is anything keeping you from God, get rid of it. It's pointless to hang on to things in this life if it means you're going to miss out on the glories of heaven in the next one.

Mark 9:1-29

Peter, James, and John went with Jesus up to a high mountaintop where they saw Him transfigured with Elijah and Moses on either side. On the way down the mountain, Jesus told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until He rose from the dead. Not understanding, they discussed among themselves what that meant. They also asked Jesus about the teachings of the scribes that said Elijah must first come before the Messiah appeared. Jesus told them this was correct and that Elijah had already come. We can be sure that God will fulfill all prophecy in His time and in His way. Even if we can't see it, God is working out His plan in the lives of believers every day. He has not forgotten us or His promise to return one day.


After Jesus came back, there was a crowd of people waiting. One man had brought his son to be cured, but the disciples could not help him. Jesus healed the son and when the disciples asked Him later why they couldn't do it, He said that it could only be done by prayer. We need to remain connected to God if we want to make a difference in His name. If we try to do things of our own strength, we will always fail.

Mark 8:22-38

Jesus asked His disciples who they thought He was. When Peter correctly answered that He was the Christ, He warned them not to tell anyone. He then went on to teach them about His coming death and resurrection. Peter took Him away to rebuke Him, but when He did, Jesus answered him by saying, "Get behind Me Satan." Peter thought he could tell Jesus the way it was going to be. Even though he had correctly identified Him as the Christ, he still hadn't fully grasped what that meant. We need to listen to what Jesus has to say even when we don't like the outcome. There is no point in arguing or trying to say we know best.


Jesus said anyone who wants to follow Him must deny himself and take up his cross. The path to Christ is not an easy one and it is not one we can travel alone. We must put our own personal desires behind us and focus solely on Christ, who makes the path known to those who honestly and selflessly seek Him.

Mark 8:1-21

Jesus once again fed a large crowd of people with a few loaves of bread and some fish. Even though this was the second time Jesus had done this, the disciples still weren't catching on. Later, when they were worried about not having any bread themselves, Jesus brought up each time He had fed the crowds and how they did not understand. Sometimes it can take quite a few times for a lesson to sink in if we're not paying attention. We need to look for the things that God is trying to teach us every day. If we pay attention, we can see God and all the things He's trying show us about Himself and how to live a life that is pleasing to Him.


The Pharisees came to Jesus asking for a sign from heaven. Jesus told them that no sign would be given to their generation. God has given us so many signs already. If we are unwilling to see and hear what He has already given to us, why should we expect anything more. Chances are, any further sign would not be accepted any more readily than the ones He has already given.

Mark 7:14-37

Jesus explained to His disciples that what they put into their bodies did not defile them, but what came out did. It isn't the food we eat or whether we have clean hands when we eat, but how we think and act. We have to see things the way God sees them. When we try to replace God's definitions with our own, we are saying that we know better than God.


Jesus was approached by a Gentile woman who wanted Him to heal her daughter. Jesus tested her by not helping immediately. He told her that the children (the Jewish people) should be satisfied first and that their bread shouldn't be thrown to the dogs (the Gentiles). She responded that even the dogs get the scraps that fall from the table. Jesus told her that because of her answer, her daughter had been healed. When we go to God in prayer, we must honestly believe He will hear and answer us. God answers the faithful.


Next, Jesus healed a man who was deaf and had trouble speaking. Jesus truly and honestly cares about people. He spent much of His time healing people and meeting their physical needs. We have to remember that people are physical and spiritual beings and many times we need to meet their physical needs before we can meet their spiritual needs.

Mark 7:1-13

Some Pharisees and scribes observed that Jesus' disciples didn't follow the common hand washing rituals before they ate. When they asked Jesus about this, He revealed that this was a man-made tradition. God had never said to do this. He also pointed out the conflict that had been created by allowing people to circumvent their familial obligations under the cover of religious obligations. Some people were not caring for their parents (honoring them) as God commanded, but putting the church first as the religious leaders taught.

Human traditions and laws are not bad in and of themselves. It is only when they conflict with the word of God that they become dangerous. Whatever we do, we must make sure that it is not taking us away from God in our time, money, and abilities. These belong first and foremost to the God who created us.