041.... Mark................... Jeff Miller

The Journey
Chronicles of a Follower of Christ

By
Jeff Miller,
Teaching Pastor, Trinity Bible Church,
Richardson, Texas
This series is in progress, new lessons will be added as they are completed.
Also included will be mp3 audio files for each sermon.
Series Introduction and Background

What follows is a 16-week sermon series from the Gospel of Mark entitled “The Journey;
Chronicles of a Follower of Christ.” Because of the way Mark wrote his Gospel, it is appropriate to
cover it at a brisk pace with a view to grasping the book as a whole rather than dissecting its individual
components. I encourage you to begin your study of Mark by reading through the entire book in one
sitting; this will only take about 40 minutes. Then, to gain the most benefit from our study, I suggest you
read each chapter on your own prior to listening to/reading these lessons. Before we begin in chapter one,
I thought I would whet your appetite for the things we will be encountering in this Gospel along with
some background information.
Author: John Mark was related to Barnabas and traveling companion of Paul (see Acts 15:37; Colossians
4:10; and 2 Timothy 4:11). He received his instruction from Peter, who referred to Mark as “my son” (1
Peter 5:13). Thus most think Mark recorded Peter’s perspective on Jesus’ life.
Date & Setting: Mark was probably written in the early/mid 60’s. Possibly written to Christians in Rome
during the severe persecution by Nero beginning in A.D. 64. Mark frequently translates Jewish words and
customs for his Roman (Latin-speaking) audience (see Mark 3:17; 5:41; 7:3-4, 11, 34; 12:18; 14:36; 15:6,
16, 22, 34, 42).
Purpose: The purpose of Mark’s Gospel is to evoke from the reader a lasting response in word and deed
to the true identity of Jesus (much, much more on this in the lessons that follow).
Outline:
Jesus’ Galilean Ministry (1:1-8:26)
Jesus’ Journey to Jerusalem (8:27-10:52)
Jesus’ Jerusalem Ministry (11:1-16:8)
Noteworthy Characteristics (look for these during your personal study time):
• Mark is very much a tell-it-like-it-is sort of Gospel, and actions speak louder than words. The
book reads like any 30-minute show on primetime TV: It is fast-moving and action-packed
(“immediately” is used 41 times by Mark, and only 19 times in the New Testament outside of
Mark).
• Mark is heavily weighted toward Jesus’ miracles rather than his teachings.
• Six of sixteen chapters is dedicated to the final eight days of Jesus’ life.
• Mark’s Gospel is the most chronological of the four Gospels.
• Mark was probably the first written of the four Gospels.
• At sixteen chapters and 661 verses, Mark’s is the shortest of the four Gospels.
• Matthew and Luke repeat all but 31 verses of Mark (all but 55 in Matthew).
© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

• The disciples serve as comic relief in Mark, characterized as severely dense.
• Jesus gets alone with his disciples about 20 times in Mark (see 3:7; 3:13; 4:10; 4:34; 4:35; 5:37;
6:7; 6:31-32; 7:17; 8:10; 8:27; 9:2; 9:28; 10:10; 10:23; 10:32; 10:42; 11:11; 12:43; 13:3).
• In Mark, one must have the right confession (“Jesus is the Son of God”) and the right response
(following Him).
• People respond to Jesus with amazement or astonishment about 20 times. Incidentally, large
crowds frequently seek out Jesus, but these usually do so out of amazement rather than devotion
(more on this in chapter one).
• Twice we will see individuals go from sitting on the sidelines to standing, walking, and following
Jesus (Levi and Bartimaeus). Are you on the sidelines? We will repeatedly see the necessity of not
only starting well, but finishing well. Have you started well? What is your plan for finishing
well?
• The notion of “wanting” (qevlw) occurs 24 times in Mark, coming to a head with Jesus’ words
in the Garden of Gethsemane: “Not what I want, but what You want.”
• Mark’s Gospel is heavily characterized by action-reaction. Mark the cameraman zooms in while
Jesus teaches or performs a miracle, then he zooms out and pans the audience for their reaction.
One almost gets the impression that the response of the audience is as important to Mark as
Jesus’ action that provokes it.
Markan Motifs (see if you can begin to identify these in your reading before I point them out):
• Messianic Secret: Jesus’ tendency—especially in the Gospel of Mark—to command people not to
tell anyone who He is (see Mark 1:25; 1:34; 1:43-44; 3:12; 5:43; 7:36; 8:26; 8:30; 9:9; 9:30).1
• Passion Predictions: Jesus predicts His own suffering and crucifixion in three famous passages in
Mark (8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34). “Passion” is a technical term (borrowed from Latin) describing
Jesus’ sufferings, especially the crucifixion.
• Individual Encounters: Jesus affects roughly 20 individuals one-on-one. If you stick with me you
will certainly see yourself somewhere in this text.
• Following Jesus: The term “follow” appears 17 times in Mark.
Those who “follow” (ajkolouqevw)—or refuse to “follow”—Jesus:
• Peter and Andrew (1:18)
• Levi (2:14)
• Tax collectors and sinners (2:15)
• A crowd from Galilee (3:7)
• Large crowd (5:24)
• His disciples (6:1)
• Any who wish to come after Jesus (8:34)
• Invitation to the rich young ruler (10:21)
• Peter et al (10:28)
• Those going to Jerusalem with Jesus (10:32)
• Bartimaeus (10:52)
Matthew S. DeMoss and J. Edward Miller, Zondervan Dictionary of Bible and Theology Words
1
(Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 2002), 150-51.

• Those at the triumphal entry into Jerusalem (11:9)
• Peter, at a distance (14:54)
• Mary, Mary, and Salome (15:41)
In characteristic form, Mark anxiously tells his readers the answer to the riddle in the first verse of
the book. Who is Jesus? He is the “Son of God.” In fact, the Gospel has this creed as bookends for
emphasis—the centurion by the cross confesses in Mark 15:39, “Truly this man was God’s Son” (NET
Bible). Enjoy your journey with the Son of God through the Gospel of Mark.
A Follower’s Response
Mark 1:1-45
Introduction:
I think I speak for most men when I say that there are very few redeeming things about shopping. In
fact, I can think of only two: 1) the electronics department, and 2) the food sample tables. Have you
learned about the sample tables? These are tables—seen all over many large supermarkets—manned by
one individual cooking sample foods on the spot and inviting you to partake. Now the host’s goal for the
sample table is different from my goal for the sample table. Their goal is to get me to purchase something;
my goal is to fill up on free samples. Sometimes I’ll go to the supermarket just to get a free meal. I’ll tour
the sample tables in a strategic circuit over and over again until I begin to receive threatening glances
from those manning the tables. Then I move on to the electronics department.
We sometimes treat Jesus like a supermarket sample table. We partake for our own good, but we’re
not interested in “buying in” to the product itself. Why do you follow Jesus? Is it for self-interest or divine
interest? The Gospel of Mark compels us to answer the question, “Do I follow Jesus because of who He is,
or because of what He can do for me?”
Mark chapter one provides a multiple choice question for the reader: How have you responded to
Jesus? Mark provides us with four possible responses, challenging us to determine which response to Jesus
most resembles our own. Mark wishes to quickly establish why we are following Him, because if we are
following for the wrong reasons, ours will not be a lasting response.
How have you responded to Jesus?
1. An Exemplary Response to Jesus (1:1-13)2

1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 1:2 As it is written in
Isaiah the prophet,
“Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way,
1:3 the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make his paths straight.’”
1:4 In the wilderness John the baptizer began preaching a baptism of repentance for the
forgiveness of sins. 1:5 People from the whole Judean countryside and all of Jerusalem
were going out to him, and he was baptizing them in the Jordan River as they confessed
their sins. 1:6 John wore a garment made of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his
waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 1:7 He proclaimed, “One more powerful than
I am is coming after me; I am not worthy to bend down and untie the strap of his
sandals. 1:8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
2
Unless otherwise indicated, all translations are taken from The NET Bible.

1:9 Now in those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John
in the Jordan River. 1:10 And just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw the
heavens splitting apart and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 1:11 And a voice
came from heaven: “You are my one dear Son; in you I take great delight.” 1:12 The
Spirit immediately drove him into the wilderness. 1:13 He was in the wilderness forty
days, enduring temptations from Satan. He was with wild animals, and angels were
ministering to his needs.
In characteristic form, Mark anxiously tells his readers the answer to the riddle in the first verse of
the book. Who is Jesus? He is the “Son of God.”
The best verbal responses to Jesus in the Gospel of Mark come from demons (1:24; 3:11; 5:7) and the
centurion (15:39), each of whom recognize Jesus as God’s Son. In Mark 1:1-13, those who have a broader
perspective have the right view of Jesus, namely that He is God’s Son: Mark (1:1), the Father (1:11), and
demons (1:24). Notice that the angels attend Jesus in the wilderness—they certainly know who this Guy is
and respond well.
John the Baptist responded well to Jesus in word and deed, ultimately giving his life for the Gospel
(6:27; only John and Jesus die for the Gospel in Mark’s Gospel). John held a high view of Jesus and
confirmed his faith at Jesus’ baptism. John believed rightly about Jesus, and he served his Savior to death.
In the Gospel of Mark, John is lifted up as a good example of one who follows Jesus and suffers for him to
the end. John knew that whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Jesus’
sake would find it. He humbly welcomed Jesus onto the public scene, knowing well that shadows were
starting to fall over John’s popular public ministry. He had a lasting response in word and deed to the true
identity of Jesus (the purpose statement of Mark). John followed Jesus for who He was. Nothing more,
nothing less.
Does John’s response to Jesus resemble yours? If so, select #1—“An exemplary response to Jesus”—
as your answer to the question “How have you responded to Jesus.” If not, just wait: There are three more
responses to look at in chapter one.
2. An Immediate3 Response to Jesus (1:14-20)

1:14 Now after John was imprisoned, Jesus went into Galilee and proclaimed the gospel
of God. 1:15 He said, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is near. Repent and
believe the gospel!” 1:16 As he went along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and
Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishermen). 1:17 Jesus
said to them, “Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people.” 1:18 They left
their nets immediately and followed him. 1:19 Going on a little farther, he saw James,
the son of Zebedee, and John his brother in their boat mending nets. 1:20 Immediately
he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and
followed him.
Jesus can say that the kingdom of God is near because He, the King, is near. Jesus will revisit this
subject in chapter four, where this kingdom will be described in detail.
Peter and Andrew, James and John—they all responded with haste. While their initial response is
immediate, the text later demonstrates that they certainly didn’t know what they were getting themselves
into. Although these disciples follow Jesus immediately, the rest of the Gospel shows that they failed to
consider the cost. And the cost turned out to be too high; they all abandoned Jesus before ultimately
coming back to him.
Can you think of anyone else in the New Testament that endeavored on a journey without fully
considering the cost? That’s right—John Mark, the author of this Gospel. You remember the story. When
Paul and Barnabas embarked on their first missionary journey, they chose to take along Barnabas’ cousin
Mark. During the first leg of the journey, however, Mark abandoned Paul and Barnabas, presumably when
the going got tough. Could it be that Mark had signed on too hastily? Could it be he had failed to consider
the cost? It is speculative, but likely. Fortunately, Barnabas saw fit to permit Mark to join him on another
challenging journey later, and Mark succeeded. Likewise, the same disciples that follow Jesus
EujquV"(“immediately”) occurs 41 times in Mark, and only 19 times in the NT outside of

3
Mark. It occurs 12 times (30% of the Mark occurrences) here in this first chapter.

“immediately” in this chapter will abandon him just as quickly at Gethsemane. There is nothing wrong
with following immediately; there is everything wrong with following immediately without counting the
cost. The Gospel of Mark places a higher priority on a lasting response than an immediate one.
Does the disciples’ response to Jesus resemble yours? If so, select #2—“An immediate response to
Jesus”—as your answer to the question “How have you responded to Jesus.” If not, just wait: There are
two more responses to look at in chapter one.
3. An Emotional Response to Jesus (1:21-28)

1:21 Then they went to Capernaum. When the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the
synagogue and began to teach. 1:22 The people there were amazed4 by his teaching,
because he taught them like one who had authority, not like the experts in the law. 1:23
Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit, and he cried out,
1:24 “Leave us alone, Jesus the Nazarene! Have you come to destroy us? I know who
you are—the Holy One of God!” 1:25 But Jesus rebuked him, “Silence! Come out of
him!” 1:26 After throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud
voice and came out of him. 1:27 They were all amazed so that they asked each other,
“What is this? A new teaching with authority! He even commands the unclean spirits
and they obey him.” 1:28 So the news about him spread quickly throughout all the
region around Galilee.
The scene here is a Jewish Synagogue (at least four times in Mark’s Gospel Jesus will enter a
Synagogue to teach). Jesus encounters a man with an unclean spirit.5 Note the contrast here, the demon
knows who Jesus is and refuses to follow; the people flock to Jesus but don’t know who he truly is. News
is spreading about Jesus; there is intrigue. These people come to Jesus because they are impressed with 1)
his authoritative teaching, and 2) his ability to command demons.
Several years ago I spent a summer in Colorado at a training institute. Another trainee at the same
institute was an amateur magician, who offered weekly pro-bono magic shows—mainly for the kids. The
first time my wife and I saw his performance, I was amazed. Even though I was an adult (by most
standards) I began to dream about doing such amazing things myself. I dreamed of large audiences, of
laughter, of applause, of jaws dropping. I took those dreams to the store with me and bought my very own
magic set and practiced nonstop until I came to realize that I was a terrible magician. I remember
distinctively being disappointed. That is, until I attended the next week’s magic show. Suddenly I was not
so impressed with his performance. Most of his tricks were repeats from the week before. After I saw the
magic show for the third time, the newness was gone; I was no longer impressed. I left looking for a new
dream to follow.
That’s what happens to an emotional response: It begins with enthusiasm but peters out in just a short
period of time.
Does the crowd’s response to Jesus resemble yours? If so, select #3—“An emotional response to
Jesus”—as your answer to the question “How have you responded to Jesus.” If not, just wait: There’s still
one more response to look at in chapter one.
4. A Selfish Response to Jesus (1:29-45)

1:29 Now as soon as they left the synagogue, they entered Simon and Andrew’s house,
with James and John. 1:30 Simon’s mother-in-law was lying down, sick with a fever, so
they spoke to Jesus at once about her. 1:31 He came and raised her up by gently taking
her hand. Then the fever left her and she began to serve them. 1:32 When it was
evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were sick and demon-possessed. 1:33
The whole town gathered by the door. 1:34 So he healed many who were sick with
various diseases and drove out many demons. But he would not permit the demons to
speak, because they knew him.
4
Mark uses “amazed” or “astonished” about 20 times to describe people’s reaction to Jesus, and
shows that these aren’t sufficient responses to God’s Son.
5
Mark speaks of “demons” or “unclean spirits” about 25 times in his Gospel.

1:35 Then Jesus got up early in the morning when it was still very dark, departed, and
went out to a deserted place, and there he spent time in prayer. 1:36 Simon and his
companions searched for him. 1:37 When they found him, they said, “Everyone is
looking for you.” 1:38 He replied, “Let us go elsewhere, into the surrounding villages,
so that I can preach there too. For that is what I came out to do.” 1:39 So he went into
all of Galilee preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
1:40 Now a leper came to him and fell to his knees, asking for help. “If you are willing,
you can make me clean,” he said. 1:41 Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out his
hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing. Be clean!” 1:42 The leprosy left him at
once, and he was clean. 1:43 Immediately Jesus sent the man away with a very strong
warning. 1:44 He told him, “See that you do not say anything to anyone; but go, show
yourself to a priest, and bring the offering that Moses commanded for your cleansing as
a testimony to them.” 1:45 But as the man went out he began to announce it publicly
and spread the story widely, so that Jesus was no longer able to enter any town openly
but stayed outside in remote places. Still they kept coming to him from everywhere.
Miracles have a higher purpose than healings and exorcisms. They are meant to authenticate the
teachings and identity of Jesus. To seek Jesus for His ability to heal is simply not adequate. This is partly
the reason for the Messianic Secret: Jesus’ tendency—especially in the Gospel of Mark—to command
people not to tell anyone who He is (e.g., 1:25; 1:34; 1:43-44).6
Jesus didn’t want to be viewed merely as a miracle-worker.
In this passage, Jesus’ healing of Peter’s mother-in-law precipitates “all who were sick and demon-
possessed” coming to Him. When the disciples notified Jesus that everyone was looking for Him, Jesus
communicated that He preferred to go elsewhere. Not a very good church growth strategy! Why would He
do such a thing? Apparently because the motives of those seeking Him were impure. They sought Him for
selfish reasons, nothing more. Even the man that Jesus has compassion on disobeys Jesus’ “strong
warning” by announcing Jesus’ whereabouts publicly.7
Remember, the goal of the food sample table at your local supermarket is that you would buy the
product. The samples are not designed to satisfy completely; they are meant to authenticate the quality of
the product on the shelf or in the freezer and thus persuade you to purchase. Likewise, Jesus’ miracles and
exorcisms are not intended to satisfy completely; they are designed to authenticate the true identity of
Jesus and thus persuade you to embrace Him. Jesus desires for us to do more than merely sample for our
own good. He wants us to consume, to purchase, to entirely buy in. Do you treat Jesus like a sample table?
Why are you following Jesus? Are you in it to get something from Him, or are you in it for Him
alone?
Does the selfish response to Jesus resemble yours? If so, select #4—“A selfish response to Jesus”—as
your answer to the question “How have you responded to Jesus.” How did you do on the multiple choice
test?
Meditation Verse
Each lesson will conclude with one verse from the passage we’ve studied. We will refer to it as a
“meditation verse” to leave a broad range of uses: mediate, reflect, memorize, reread, etc. Our meditation
verse for chapter one is Mark 1:1.
“The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
With this verse, Mark summarizes the message of the book. That is the true identity of Jesus; reflect
on that, and determine today to have a lasting response to that true identity in word and deed.
6
Matthew S. DeMoss and J. Edward Miller, Zondervan Dictionary of Bible and Theology Words
(Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 2002), 150-51.
7
Jesus had commanded him to show himself to the priests. A leper was not welcomed back into a
community until he had been declared clean by a priest, and had offered appropriate sacrifices according
to the book of Leviticus.

A Follower’s Messiah
Mark 2:1-3:6
Introduction:
One of the most powerful movies in recent years is the epic film Gladiator. At the beginning of the
film, the aging Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius has a private conversation with Maximus, his most
trusted and successful military commander. During this dialogue, the Emperor communicates his desire
that Maximus succeed him as “Protector of Rome” instead of the Emperor’s evil son, Commodus. Shortly
after this conversation, Marcus Aurelius privately gives Commodus the same information. But the
ambitious Commodus doesn’t react well to the news. He quickly murders his father, thus securing the
throne before anyone else learned of his father’s plans for Maximus. He then gives the order that
Maximus and his family be disposed of.
Unbeknownst to the young Emperor, Maximus escapes and rushes off to save his family. But he
doesn’t make it. He finds them murdered and his beautiful home destroyed. His desire to live now absent,
he is gathered up by a slave trader and sold as a gladiator. But after experiencing success as a gladiator—
and learning of the potential to fight in the Roman coliseum before Emperor Commodus—Maximus has
renewed hope . . . and vengeance. The climactic moment of the movie occurs after the Emperor has
witnessed this masked gladiator’s spectacular performance and, accompanied by his guards, walks out
onto the floor of a packed coliseum to meet him. Let’s join the scene:
Commodus: “Why doesn’t the hero reveal himself and tell us all your real name. You do have a
name.”
Maximus: “My name is gladiator.” (turning his back on the Emperor to show his disrespect)
Commodus: “How dare you turn your back on me! Slave! You will remove your helmet and tell me
your name!”
Maximus: (removing his helmet while turning to face Commodus) “My name is Maximus Desimus
Meridius, commander of the armies of the north, general of the fearless legions, loyal servant of the
true emperor—Marcus Aurelius, father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife, and I will
have my vengeance in this life or the next!”
Commodus was offended by the gladiator’s audacity to turn his back on him. He wondered, “Who
does this guy think he is? Does he have a right to do such a thing?” But after Maximus reveals himself,
everyone in the coliseum responds: “Ohhhhh.” Now they realize who this guy is, and that he does have
the right to do such a thing.
In Mark chapter two, Jesus is going to say and do such audacious things that those around Him are
going to ask, “Who does this guy think He is?” Jesus will attempt to answer that question in four ways.
And once He does, many present will respond: “Ohhhhh.” They will realize who this Guy is, and that He
does have the right to say and do such things.
Recall that the purpose of the Gospel of Mark is “to evoke a lasting response in word and deed to the
true identity of Jesus.” Today’s lesson clearly unpacks the true identity of Jesus for us.
In Mark 2:1-3:6 you should notice a great deal of controversy between Jesus and the religious
leadership of His day. Pay careful attention to the response of these 3 groups:
Experts in the Law: Also known as scribes, these Jewish leaders were professional interpreters of
Scripture. Scribes could also be Pharisees.
Pharisees: Numbering about 6,000 in first century Palestine, these defenders of Judaism were known
for their knowledge of the Law and its application to life.
Herodians: Mentioned only three times in the Gospels (Mark 3:6; 12:13; Matthew 22:16), these
Jewish leaders were politically loyal to Herod and the Herodian dynasty. They never appear without the
Pharisees.
“Who does this guy think he is?” Jesus has four responses:

1. He Is the Lord of Forgiveness (2:1-12)8
2:1 Now after some days, when he returned to Capernaum, the news spread that he
was at home. 2:2 So many gathered that there was no longer any room, not even by the
door, and he preached the word to them. 2:3 Some people came bringing to him a
paralytic, carried by four of them. 2:4 When they were not able to bring him in because
of the crowd, they removed the roof above Jesus. Then, after tearing it out, they
lowered the stretcher the paralytic was lying on. 2:5 When Jesus saw their faith,9 he
said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 2:6 Now some of the experts in the
law were sitting there, turning these things over in their minds: 2:7 “Why does this man
speak this way? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 2:8 Now
immediately, when Jesus realized in his spirit that they were contemplating such
thoughts, he said to them, “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts? 2:9
Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up,
take your stretcher, and walk’? 2:10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man10
has authority on earth to forgive sins,”—he said to the paralytic— 2:11 “I tell you,
stand up, take your stretcher, and go home.” 2:12 And immediately the man stood up,
took his stretcher, and went out in front of them all. They were all amazed and glorified
God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Anyone who saw this paralyzed man would have known his most urgent need, right? I’m confident
that if a survey had been taken of those present that day, the consensus would have been that this man’s
greatest need was physical restoration. Not so. Sometimes our greatest need is below the surface.
Augustine once said, “One need not be paralyzed bodily to be paralyzed inwardly.” This man happened
to be paralyzed both inwardly and outwardly. You and I may not be paralyzed physically, but each of us
was born paralyzed inwardly. Our greatest need, regardless of our physical condition, is healing of our
fallen spiritual condition.
Please note that Jesus does not ask, “Which is easier to do: forgive sins or heal?” Clearly the answer
to that question would be that it is easier to heal. There have been many people throughout history with
the ability to heal physically. However, no person in history has had the ability to forgive sins, let alone the
audacity to claim that ability for himself.
Rather, Jesus’ question was, Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to
say, ‘Stand up. . .’ It is certainly easier to heal than it is to forgive sins, but it is easier to say that
someone’s sins are forgiven than it is to say that someone is healed. That is, the statement “you are
healed” is falsifiable—it can be proven wrong. Who can prove you wrong if you claim you have forgiven
someone’s sins? It is an invisible act. Thus, Jesus proves He has accomplished the invisible act by likewise
accomplishing the visible act.
Jesus claims for Himself the ability to forgive. Who alone but God has the authority to forgive? In
characteristic form, Mark packages this story by first zooming in on Jesus, and then panning out to record
the audience’s response. And they responded right—they accuse Jesus of blasphemy11—reproaching the
name of God rather than honoring it. Only God could forgive sins. Only God could make such a claim
without it being blasphemous. Unless Jesus is God, He is speaking blasphemy.
The point of this text is that folks had gathered to see Jesus work a miracle, and they left with the
awareness that there may be more to this man than the ability to heal. The audience gathered that day was
8
9
Four times in Mark someone is healed because they act on faith: This paralytic and his friends
(Mark 2), Jairus’ daughter and Jairus (Mark 5), the hemorrhaging woman (Mark 5), and Bartimaeus
(Mark 10).
10
Fourteen times in the Gospel of Mark the designation “Son of Man” is used of Jesus. It is Jesus’
favorite self-designation in the Gospels.
11
The notion of “blasphemy” will occur seven times in Mark.

given pause: If the paralytic was healed when Jesus said he was healed, then perhaps his sins were
forgiven when Jesus said they were forgiven. Then who is Jesus?
“Who does this guy think he is?” He is the Lord of Forgiveness.
2. He Is the Lord of Redemption (2:13-17)

2:13 Jesus went out again by the sea. The whole crowd came to him, and he taught
them. 2:14 As he went along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax booth.
“Follow me,” he said to him. And he got up and followed him. 2:15 As Jesus was
having a meal in Levi’s home, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus
and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 2:16 When the experts in the
law and the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said
to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 2:17 When Jesus
heard this he said to them, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those
who are sick do. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
Levi is the first of two individuals (along with Bartimaeus in chapter ten) pictured sitting by the road
as Jesus passes by. Each one is called by Jesus, and each rises, steps onto the path behind Jesus, and
“follows” Him on His journey.
Levi is a tax collector. Tax collectors were Jews who were despised for two reasons: 1) they collected
taxes for the Roman government and were thus viewed as traitors to their own people, and 2) they were
known for collecting more taxes than required, and pocketing the profits. They were the chief sinners
according to first century Judiasm. And yet this tax collector receives a personal invitation to follow Jesus.
Even worse, Jesus is seen eating—fellowshipping—with this guy and other well-known sinners! Who
does this guy think He is?
Jesus answers this question by stating that He did not come to call the righteous (the self-righteous,
that is), but sinners (those who recognized their need). That is THE prerequisite to forgiveness and
redemption. God has never saved a person who didn’t think he needed saved, and in this Gospel the
Pharisees didn’t think they needed saved. Just as a sick person goes to a doctor to receive health, so a
sinner goes to Jesus to receive righteousness. If that sick person refuses to visit the doctor, he will remain
sick. Likewise, if a sinner refuses to acknowledge his own sin, he will remain a sinner.
“Who does this guy think he is?” He is the Lord of Redemption.
3. He Is the Lord of Change (2:18-22)

2:18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. So they came to Jesus
and said, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but
your disciples don’t fast?” 2:19 Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot fast
while the bridegroom is with them, can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with
them they do not fast. 2:20 But the days are coming when the bridegroom will be taken
from them, and at that time they will fast. 2:21 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth
on an old garment; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and
the tear becomes worse. 2:22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins; otherwise,
the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins will be destroyed. Instead
new wine is poured into new wineskins.”
Fasting in the first century was closely associated with mourning. To fast with the bridegroom present
at a wedding would be insulting to the bridegroom, who wished for you to celebrate with him upon the
special occasion. Jesus is the bridegroom; the Man of honor.
New material is incompatible with an old tattered garment. It would be inappropriate to attempt to
bring the two together. Jesus is the new, superior material. He is incompatible with the old garment—the
Old Testament religious system. He is bringing about something entirely new.

New wine and old wineskins were incompatible, and it would be inappropriate to put new wine into
old wineskins. Old wineskins were already stretched from the fermenting gas of the wine it had already
carried. New wine would likewise release fermenting gas that would burst an old wineskin which was
already stretched to its limit. Jesus is the new wine that proves incompatible with the old wineskins—the
Old Testament religious system. Jesus is the Guest of honor about to affect radical change that will
overshadow the Old Testament way of life. The time of fulfillment has come in Jesus. The old is past; new
things have come by virtue of His arrival. The wedding, the garment, and the new wine are all symbolic of
the newness Jesus brings. Jesus is going to establish the Age of Grace in place of the Age of the Law. Who
is this that thinks He can overshadow the Old Covenant and inaugurate a New Covenant?
“Who does this guy think he is?” He is the Lord of Change.
4. He Is the Lord of Sabbath (2:23-3:6)

2:23 Jesus was going through the grain fields on a Sabbath, and his disciples began
to pick some grain as they made their way. 2:24 So the Pharisees said to him, “Look,
why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 2:25 He said to them, “Have
you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were
hungry— 2:26 how he entered the house of God when Abiathar was high priest12 and
ate the sacred bread, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it
to his companions?” 2:27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for people,
not people for the Sabbath. 2:28 For this reason the Son of Man is lord even of the
Sabbath.”
3:1 Then Jesus again entered the synagogue, and a man was there whose hand was
withered. 3:2 They watched Jesus closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath, so
that they could accuse him. 3:3 So he said to the man who had the withered hand,
“Stand up among all these people.” 3:4 Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good
on the Sabbath, or evil, to save a life or destroy it?” But they were silent. 3:5 After
looking around at them in anger, grieved by the hardness of their hearts, he said to the
man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 3:6 So
the Pharisees went out immediately and began plotting with the Herodians, as to how
they could assassinate him.
Jesus and the disciples are gleaning food from a grain field, which is entirely permitted by the Law—
even on the Sabbath (Deut. 23:25). When the Pharisees object to such activity on the Sabbath, Jesus
explains that the Sabbath was designed for mankind and not the other way around (just as the bread that
David ate was made for mankind, and not the other way around).
Traditionally, only if one’s life were in danger could you rescue or attempt to heal on the Sabbath.
There is no such restriction in the Old Testament. These are simply examples of the Pharisees placing
additional legislation upon the Jews to protect them from breaking the Law.
First, Jesus explains the purpose of the Sabbath (it was made for people, not people for the Sabbath),
and then He claims to be the Lord of the Sabbath. 13 In fact the reason Jesus can state with authority the
purpose of the Sabbath is because He is Lord of the Sabbath. After all, He authored it.
I recently attended a seminar at a conference with a friend of mine. As was the custom at these
seminars, a thirty-minute paper was read arguing for or against some biblical or theological position. This
particular paper was written in response to a recently-published article. After she had read her paper, the
12
The priest at the time David took bread from the temple was actually Abimelech, the father of
Abiathar (1 Samuel 21:1). This is a challenging exegetical problem. Some have attempted to rectify the
problem with a translation that implies that this event took place “during the lifetime of Abiathar the high
priest” rather than “during the priesthood of Abiathar the high priest.”
13
This must have been one of the boldest claims Jesus ever made. The Sabbath was protected
aggressively by the religious leadership of the first century. It belonged to no man; the Sabbath belonged
to Yahweh. It was His day, and His alone.

seminar leader invited ten minutes of questions from the 50 or so in attendance. My friend raised his hand
and began to defend the published article against which she wrote. Back and forth they disagree until she
finally cut him off.
“I beg your pardon,” she began, “but I think you’ve misunderstood the intention of the author of that
article.” My friend replied, “I beg your pardon, but I am the author of that article.”
Doesn’t it make sense that the author would know best? If you know your New Testament, you know
that Jesus—as an instrument of the Father—was actually the Creator of the universe. Thus when the Bible
says that on the Seventh Day God rested from His work, it was Jesus—the eternal Second Person of the
Trinity—resting from His creative activity. Jesus is the author of the Sabbath. Doesn’t it make sense that
He would know its purpose?
And here we end, as those with the titles of authority plot to kill the one possessing genuine authority.
“Who does this guy think he is?” He is the Lord of Sabbath.
Meditation Verse
We conclude each lesson with one verse from the passage we’ve studied. We refer to it as a
verse for chapter two is Mark 2:17.
When Jesus heard this he said to them, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician,
but those who are sick do. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
A Follower’s Calling
Mark 3:7-35
Introduction:
Families are a bitter-sweet reality of life. There is no better place to receive unconditional love and
care than from one’s family. “Home,” it has been said, “is where they have to let you in when you want to
go there.” Rudyard Kipling once wrote this about families:
“All of us are we—and everyone else is they. A family shares things like dreams, hopes,
possessions, memories, smiles, frowns, and gladness... A family is a clan held together
with the glue of love and the cement of mutual respect. A family is shelter from the
storm, a friendly port when the waves of life become too wild. No person is ever alone
who is a member of a family.”
Yet sadly, many cannot relate to such a warm and positive description of family. Because of our deep
love for our families, they have the potential to hurt us the most. While no family is perfect, some
experience greater levels of harmful brokenness than others. Divorce, verbal or physical abuse,
disapproval, abandonment, favoritism, and neglect—these and more threaten to rob us of God’s plan for
the modern family. In Mark chapter three, Jesus will not only encounter trouble in His family, but He will
also redefine for us the notion of family. He will show that there is a stronger bond than that of flesh and
blood. This stronger bond rests with one’s spiritual family. It is to this family that Jesus calls His disciples
in this lesson. It is the same calling that every Christian receives—not to a specific vocation or mission
field or ministry, but to the family of God and our responsibilities within those relationships.
1. We have been called to God’s family (3:7-19)14

3:7 Then Jesus went away with his disciples to the sea,15 and a great multitude from
Galilee followed; and from Judea, 3:8 Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan River,
and around Tyre and Sidon a great multitude came to him when they heard about the
things he had done. 3:9 Because of the crowd, he told his disciples to have a small boat
14
15
Jesus’ later Galilean ministry begins in Mark 3:7.

ready for him so the crowd would not press toward him. 3:10 For he had healed many,
so that all who were afflicted with diseases pressed toward him in order that they could
touch him. 3:11 And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him
and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 3:12 But he sternly ordered them not to make
him known.
3:13 Now Jesus went up the mountain and called for those he wanted, and they came to
him.16 3:14 He appointed twelve (whom he named apostles17), so that they would be
with him and he could send them to preach 3:15 and to have authority to cast out
demons. 3:16 He appointed twelve: he gave the name Peter to Simon; 3:17 to James
and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee, he gave the name Boanerges, that is, sons of
thunder; 3:18 and Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of
Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, 3:19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
The reason for Jesus’ withdrawal in Mark 3:7 is obvious: The authorities were after him
(3:6) and it wasn’t yet time for him to be arrested. Mark 3:7-12 is meant to summarize
Jesus’ ministry (see also 2:13). He was teaching the large crowds, performing miracles, and
casting out demons whom He commanded not to talk about Him.18 One might get the
impression from what Mark has recorded thus far that Jesus was rather aloof, not allowing
folks to talk about Him and not getting too close to anyone. What follows will certainly put
an end to such thoughts.
Jesus chooses a motley crew of followers: Four blue collar fishermen, one hated tax-collector, one
radical member of a violent political party, one doubter, and one betrayer (known to Jesus). We know
virtually nothing about six of these men, whose names never appear again in Mark’s Gospel. Although the
word “family” has not yet occurred in this chapter, Jesus has nevertheless established the pattern of a
family with these disciples. This pattern has three components.
First, Jesus “names” them apostles. The text does not say that He “called” them apostles, nor that He
“appointed” them apostles. It uses the specific Greek word meaning “name.” Furthermore, Peter, James,
and John receive additional “names” from Jesus. Isn’t that the first step for a new member of a family?
Isn’t that what happens when you enter a family? When we are called into God’s family, He gives us a
new name. What name has God given to you? I like to think that when a person is born again the Father
breaks open His book of baby names and states, “Ah, a new precious child. What shall I name this one?” I
would imagine that book contains names such as “Patient One,” “Joyful One,” “Servant,” “Trusting One,”
“Courageous One,” “Honest One,” “Faithful One.” What name has the Father bestowed upon you? Are
you living up to that name?
Second, these disciples are called to “be with Him.” Isn’t this the next stage for a member of
a family? A child is born, named, and then “with” the family for a period of time—usually
about 18-20 years. During this time the children are taught, trained, and prepared for life. In
the same way, Jesus seeks to teach, train, and prepare these disciples for ministry.
Finally, after a period of time “with Jesus,” these disciples will be sent “to preach and to
have authority to cast out demons.” After receiving the training and preparation, the
disciples will be sent out to accomplish ministry. In the same way, children are born, named,
with their family for a period of time, and then sent out into life. While you and I are not
apostles in a technical sense, our job is quite similar. Are you and I following that pattern
within God’s spiritual family? We have been born again, named, and with Jesus. Are we now
16
A recurring theme in the Gospel of Mark is Jesus getting alone with his disciples for teaching,
instruction, and training. Twice we see it here (3:7, 13).
17
“Apostle” simply means “one who is sent.” By giving His disciples this name, He is suggesting
that their future will include going out to spread the Message about Jesus.
18
Jesus is pursued by the crowds for healing. While they don’t grasp His true identity, the demons
certainly do. They state plainly who Jesus is in an attempt to rule over him, as knowledge of a person’s
name was thought to confer power over that person.

accomplishing the ministry we have been trained and prepared for? I wonder how many of
us like the “be with him” part but not the “going out” part. You and I are irrevocably called
into God’s family just as these disciples were.
2. We have been called to stand together (as a family) (3:20-30)
3:20 Now Jesus went home, and a crowd gathered so that they were not able to eat.
3:21 When his family heard this they went out to restrain him,19 for they said, “He is
out of his mind.” 3:22 The experts in the law who came down from Jerusalem said,
“He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “By the ruler of demons he casts out demons.”
3:23 So he called them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out
Satan? 3:24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom will not be able to
stand. 3:25 If a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.
3:26 And if Satan rises against himself and is divided, he is not able to stand and his
end has come. 3:27 But no one is able to enter a strong man’s house and steal his
property unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can thoroughly plunder his
house.20 3:28 I tell you the truth, people will be forgiven for all sins, even all the
blasphemies they utter. 3:29 But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never
be forgiven, but is guilty of an eternal sin21 3:30 (because they said, ‘He has an
unclean spirit’).”
Note the opposition. The ones who oppose Jesus are precisely the ones who should have known better:
The religious leadership and His own family. Note the parallel verses:
“ . . . [his family] said, ‘he is out of His mind.’” (3:21)
“ . . . [the experts in the Law] said, ‘he has an unclean spirit.’” (3:30)
Have you ever been falsely accused? How did it make you feel? In this passage, Jesus is accused by
His family of insanity and accused by the religious leaders as satanic. He was neither.
The text here is rife with implied and stated division: Satan vs. Satan, Jesus vs. His family, Jesus vs.
the scribes, kingdom vs. itself, house vs. itself. Jesus states that where there is division, a house or a
kingdom will not be able to stand. He is emphasizing the necessity of standing together as a family—just
when His very own family was divided! Typically, families seek to stick together. In fact, if a family does
nothing else, it at least tries to stand together! Having four older brothers, I understand the necessity of
standing together. Practically every day of my adolescence one or other of my brothers beat me up. The
trade-off, however, was that I knew I would be protected should anyone outside of my family threaten to
lay a finger on me. Why? Because families seek to stand together. My wife can talk bad about her parents
19
The Greek word translated “restrain” carries the meaning “physically detain.” It is translated
elsewhere as “arrest” or “seize.”
20
When they can no longer discredit His miracles, the religious leaders attack Jesus’ character.
They accuse Jesus of being in collusion with Satan. Jesus’ response is that if He is casting out demons then
He certainly isn’t working with Satan but against him. Jesus claims that He is out to destroy Satan’s work.
In the strong man analogy, Satan is the strong man and Jesus the stronger man.
21
This is the so-called “unforgivable sin,” which has been defined as “shorthand for ‘blasphemy
against the Holy Spirit,’ about which Jesus warned his listeners that it would not be forgiven (see also
Matt. 12:31-32; Luke 12:10)” [Matthew S. DeMoss and J. Edward Miller, Zondervan Dictionary of Bible
and Theology Words (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 2002), 252]. The $25,000 question:
“What is the unforgivable, unpardonable, eternal sin?” First, notice that the text does not say that anyone
had, in fact, blasphemed against the Holy Spirit—only that doing so had eternal consequences. In other
words, this may have been more of a warning than a pronouncement. Having said that, many think that
“blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” is persistent and defiant resistance by unbelievers to the work of the
Holy Spirit. Others teach that it occurred only when a miracle performed by Jesus was attributed by
onlookers to the power of Satan. After all, Jesus performed miracles in order to authenticate his true
identity. To conclude that He was acting under the influence of Satan is to entirely miscalculate Jesus’ true
identity.

from dawn until dusk if she wishes to, but the moment that I begin to agree with her . . . she turns on me!
She can talk bad about her parents but I cannot. Why? Because families stand together.
If you have trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, then you are a child of God. We are a family, and
families stand together. The following list was initially written by Tim & Diane Wulburn as rules to live
by in their house. Yet I believe they apply just as well—if not better—to a church. Standing together as a
church requires that we follow these rules:
In our church...
1. We obey our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. We love, honor and pray for one another.
3. We tell the truth.
4. We consider one another’s interest ahead of our own.
5. We speak quietly and respectfully with one another.
6. We do not hurt one another with unkind words or deeds.
7. When someone needs correction, we correct him in love.
8. When someone is sorry, we forgive him.
9. When someone is sad, we comfort him.
10. When someone is happy, we rejoice with him.
11. When we have something nice to share, we share it.
12. When we have work to do, we do it without complaining.
13. We take good care of everything God has given us.
14. We do not create unnecessary work for others.
15. When we open something, we close it.
16. When we turn something on, we turn it off.
17. When we take something out, we put it away.
18. When we make a mess, we clean it up.
19. When we do not know what to do, we ask.
20. When we go out, we act just as if we were here.
Let’s seek to follow these rules as the family of God, and let’s stand together.
3. We have been called to obedience (within the family) (3:31-35)

3:31 Then Jesus’ mother and his brothers came. Standing outside, they sent word to him, to summon
him. 3:32 A crowd was sitting around him and they said to him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are
outside looking for you.” 3:33 He answered them and said, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 3:34
And looking at those who were sitting around him in a circle, 22 he said, “Here are my mother and my
brothers! 3:35 For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
Having concluded that He has gone insane (Mark 3:21), Jesus’ family has now arrived to collect Him
(3:32). When notified that His family awaits Him outside, Jesus redefines for us the notion of family while
conveying an allegiance to those who acknowledge and do the will of God. There is a stronger bond than
that of flesh and blood; even Mary’s relationship with Jesus was not close enough. She had to become His
follower. Who is the true family of Jesus? Those who follow him with a lasting response in word and deed,
of course. Put simply, those who do the will of God. Remember that in the Gospel of Mark, actions speak
louder than words. As members of the family of God, you and I have been called to obedience within that
family.
I am always impressed when I see folks walking dogs without leashes. What marvelously obedient
animals. When I see a dog on a leash I know two things about that dog: 1) he has a master, and 2) he
doesn’t know that he has a master. Remove the leash and your dog is sure to get himself into trouble. He
will run out into traffic, eat something he will later regret, eat something you will later regret, bite
someone or frighten someone, destroy something, or simply run away. Hence, the leash.
22
Those sitting around Jesus were probably the apostles He had earlier named (3:14).

Peter T. Forsythe was right when he said, “The first duty of every soul is to find not its freedom but
its Master.” Have you found your Master? Are you a member of God’s family? Then as one “dog-on-a-
leash” to another “dog-on-a-leash” I ask: When will we begin to obey our Master? Why is it that every
time the leash comes off we get ourselves into trouble? How long before God can trust us enough to
remove the leash, knowing we will walk in obedience by His side?
One of the most profound prayers I’ve ever heard simply states:
“Dear God, Your will, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen.”
Meditation Verse
verse for chapter three is Mark 3:14.
“He appointed twelve (whom he named apostles), so that they would be with him and he
could send them to preach.”
A Follower’s Influence
Mark 4:1-34
Introduction:
“What animal do you most closely resemble?” This question makes up a game that most of us have
played at a party or some other social event. It’s an exercise to build relationships and get to know one
another a bit better. Perhaps you think of an animal that you physically resemble, such as a giraffe if you
have a long neck, a leopard if you consider yourself sleek, or a hippopotamus if you think you have the
spiritual gift of leverage. But most often it’s a character trait that we share in common with an animal: an
elephant is able to remember, a fox is clever, a snake is an introvert (if bothered in your secret grotto you
may bite), a bird enjoys freedom and resists structure, a monkey is highly trainable, a dog lives for
entertainment, a bear loves sleep, a pig is notoriously messy, a cat is aloof, a donkey stubborn, a squirrel
resourceful, a tiger aggressive or protective—you get the idea. From these animals or others, which
animal do you most closely resemble?
In Mark chapter four, Jesus plays a very similar game. But the choices are limited and the
consequences far-reaching. Jesus describes for us four different types of soil that vary according to their
receptivity to sown seed, and begs the question: “Which soil does your life most closely resemble.”
Chapter four is one of only two places in Mark where Jesus teaches extensively (also chapter 13). Here He
uses parables—short instructive stories that contain analogies from everyday life. Parables disclose
information and conceal it at the same time—depending upon the receptivity of the listener’s heart. This
indirect approach attracts some and provokes others. Some of the best known biblical passages are
parables. The first parable in today’s passage is the Parable of the Soils.23
1. Am I an Influenced Follower? (4:1-20)24

4:1
Again he began to teach by the lake. And such a large crowd gathered around him
that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there while the whole crowd was on the shore
by the lake. 4:2 He taught them many things in parables, and in his teaching said to
them: 4:3 “Listen!25 A sower went out to sow. 4:4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along
the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 4:5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where
it did not have much soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. 4:6 When
the sun came up it was scorched, and because it did not have a root, it withered. 4:7
Other seed fell among the thorns, and they grew up and choked it, and it did not
This title is more accurate than the common designation, “Parable of the Sower,” since Jesus’
23
emphasis is not on the sower but on the contrasting responses of the four different soils.
24
25
Literally, Jesus’ call to attention reads, “Listen, behold.”

produce grain. 4:8 But other seed fell on good soil and produced grain, sprouting and
growing; some bore thirty times as much, some sixty, and some a hundred times.” 4:9
And he said, “Whoever has ears to hear had better listen!”
When he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.
4:10
He said to them, “The secret26 of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to
4:11
those outside, everything is in parables,

4:12
so that although they look they may look but not see,
and although they hear they may hear but not understand,
so they may not repent and be forgiven.”27
4:13
He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? Then how will you understand
any parable? 4:14 The sower sows the word. 4:15 These are the ones on the path where the
word is sown: whenever they hear, immediately Satan comes and snatches the word that
was sown in them. 4:16 These are the ones sown on rocky ground: as soon as they hear
the word, they receive it with joy. 4:17 But they have no root in themselves and do not
endure. Then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they
fall away. 4:18 Others are the ones sown among thorns: they are those who hear the word,
4:19
but worldly cares, wealthy pleasures, and the desire for other things come in and
choke the word, and it produces nothing. 4:20 But these are the ones sown on good soil:
they hear the word and receive it and bear fruit, one thirty times as much, one sixty, and
one a hundred.”
Earlier Jesus had his disciples prepare a boat in case the crowds became too great and threatened to
force Him into the water. Here the crowds had grown so large that Jesus has to use that boat as a platform
(though He sits as was customary for a teacher) while the listeners gather by the edge of the sea. At the
beginning and end of the Parable of the Soils, Jesus invites these listeners to listen carefully, suggesting
that the meaning might not be self-evident. The four soils share in common the “hearing” of the Word—
they each receive seed. The contrast lies in their varying levels of receptivity to that Word. While Jesus is
not often given to explaining His parables, here He chooses to do so for those close to Him.
Like the social game in which we identify which animal we most closely resemble, Jesus now
describes four different types of soils and asks which soil we most closely resemble. Which soil best
represents the condition of your heart?28
Soil sample #1:
• This is seed that falls “on the path.” A first-century path alongside—or through—a field was
composed of dirt that was well-worn and firmly-packed from high volumes of foot trafic,
virtually impenetrable to scattered seed.
• Jesus explains to His disciples that the seed in the parable represents the Word of God.
• The birds in the parable symbolize Satan. Because of the firmness of the soil, birds were able to
snatch up the scattered seed before they could penetrate the hard ground.
• The result that Jesus emphasizes is that this soil produces no fruit.
26
The word translated “secret” here is literally “mystery,” elsewhere in the Gospels occurring
only in Matthew 13:11 and Luke 8:10.
27
Does Jesus deliberately conceal the truth? Apparently. He probably does so because of those
who are persistent in their unbelief? Thus it can be said that parables disclose information and conceal it
at the same time, depending upon the receptivity of the listener.
28
In the original context, Jesus was depicting varying responses to His Message. The first three
should be taken together as differing responses that all displease Him. Only the good soil represents a
believer’s heart—a life changed beyond pretense. Nevertheless, the soils contain strong applications for
Christians, reflecting different responses that even believers might have to God’s Word.

• This soil represents a hard heart that doesn’t permit the Word of God to penetrate its surface.
These individuals are in control of their own lives; they have all of the answers. They are
unteachable, and the Word of God falls upon their deaf ears.
• Was Jesus talking about you?
Soil sample #2:
• This is seed that falls “on rocky ground.”
• Jesus again identifies the seed in the parable as the Word of God.
• The sun in the parable symbolizes trouble or persecution.
• This soil represents a vulnerable heart. While these receive the Message with joy, it fails to run
deep enough to affect their lives. These are shallow in their comprehension of Christian things.
Rather than overflowing from a personal relationship with God, their behavior is paroted from
what they see other Christians doing. How can we identify such individuals? Watch them when
trouble or persecution comes along. Because they lack the intimacy that accompanies a personal
walk with Christ—because they have no root—they are the first ones to fall away.
Soil sample #3:
• This is seed that falls “among thorns.”
• The thorns in the parable represent worldly cares, wealthy pleasures, and desire for other things.
• This soil represents a distracted heart. The most commonly-cited obstacle to spiritual growth by
Americans is busi-ness, distractions. Is your life choked by the distractions of worldly cares,
wealthy pleasures, and desire for other things?
Soil sample #4:
• This is seed that falls “on good soil.”
• The result that Jesus emphasizes, in contrast to the three previously-mentioned soils, is that this
soil produces lasting fruit in varying measures.
• This soil represents a receptive heart. Please note that the word translated here as “receive” is a
different Greek word than that translated “receive” in v. 16. Only the receptive heart receives the
Word rightly.
Remember, in the Gospel of Mark Jesus calls His followers to a lasting response. This parable is a
warning to the soil. It conveys the importance of lasting fruit—fruit that remains. Only soil that produces
fruit pleases the Father. Has the Word of God affected you? Are you an influenced follower?
The moral of the story: Be the right soil.

2. Am I an Influential Follower (4:21-34)
4:21
He also said to them, “A lamp isn’t brought to be put under a basket or under a bed,
is it? Isn’t it to be placed on a lampstand? 4:22 For nothing is hidden except to be
revealed, and nothing concealed except to be brought to light. 4:23 If anyone has ears to
hear, he had better listen!” 4:24 And he said to them, “Take care about what you hear.
The measure you use will be the measure you receive, and more will be added to you. 4:25
For whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he has will
be taken from him.”
4:26
He also said, “The kingdom of God is like someone29 who spreads seed on the
ground. 4:27 He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows,
though he does not know how. 4:28 By itself30 the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then
the head, then the full grain in the head. 4:29 And when the grain is ripe, he sends in the
sickle because the harvest has come.”31
He also asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can
4:30
we use to present it? 4:31 It is like a mustard seed, that when placed on the ground is the
smallest of all the seeds scattered on the ground.32 4:32 But when it takes root, it grows up
and becomes the greatest of all garden plants, and grows large branches so that the
birds of the sky can nest in its shade.”
So with many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, as they were able to
4:33
hear. 4:34 He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained
everything to his own disciples.
Mark 4:21-25 describes for us the purpose of the Message. In the same way that the purpose of a lamp
is to provide light for many, so the purpose of the Message is that it not be hidden away but broadcast
widely. That same Message that has transformed your life is not to be retained, but to be given away.
Global influence begins with individuals and moves to influenced individuals and moves to influenced
individuals influencing others with that same Message that first influenced them. Thus, as good stewards,
we are to “take care about what we hear.” It cannot stop with us; it moves through us to others. That’s the
purpose of the Message.
Mark 4:26-29 describes for us the power of the Message. Perhaps someone might misunderstand
Jesus to be giving us the responsibility to change others’ lives. Not so. Jesus makes it crystal clear that the
sower is not responsible for any resulting growth. Rather, “he does not know how” the seed spouts and
grows, for it does so “by itself.” Who’s going to influence this vast kingdom that Jesus speaks about?
These 12 unlikely candidates? If they were responsible for the result, then rest assured that the mission is
doomed from the start. Instead, their responsibility is merely to scatter the seed (and to remain good soil
for the seed itself to grow from). As sowers of the Word of God, it is not our power that affects change in
others’ lives; it is the power of the Message Itself that does so. The seed holds within itself the secret
power for growth. You may doubt weather you could possibly contribute to such growth in the present
kingdom. Remember, your job and mine is merely to remain faithful and available sowers of the Message.
We are not responsible for the growth of the hearers.
Mark 4:30-34 describes for us the potential of the Message. Although small and seemingly
insignificant now, it will one day be global. If you doubt that such a glorious kingdom could grow from
such humble beginnings—remember the mustard seed. It was common knowledge that God’s kingdom
would one day fill the earth; Jesus here teaches that Jesus and this small band of close followers, though
obscure, would continue to spread His Word until such kingdom is established. Certainly the glory of the
29
“Someone” is deliberately ambiguious, thus Jesus is no longer pictured as the lone bearer of the
Message.
30
“By itself” translates the one Greek word, “aujtomavth,” from which we get “automatic.”
Together with the preceding phrase “though he does not know how,” Jesus is trying to convey the power of
the seed apart from any influence by the sower.
31
The parable in 4:26-29 is only found in Mark’s Gospel.
32
While the mustard seed was the smallest seed that Jesus’ hearers would have been familiar
with, the orchid seed is nevertheless smaller.

kingdom is for the future age, but there is still the sowing and growth in the meantime.33 These parables
are meant to be encouraging to the sower. Has the Word of God affected others through you?
I am a teacher by design. I have taught at junior high and high school levels and above. In my days as
a teacher I would often observe the ritual of passing out papers by standing at the front of each row,
counting the number of students in that row, and matching that number with papers I would hand to the
first person in that row. Like most teachers, I am rather meticulous about numbers. When I counted six
students in a row, you can rest assured that I counted out precisely six papers for distribution. Still, part of
the ritual requires that before we can go over the material I’ve passed out, someone must raise their hand
and inform me that they did not receive a paper. It always happens. Usually it is someone toward the back
of a row. When this happens, I never go to my desk to retrieve for them another paper, for I am supremely
confident that I’ve passed out enough for everyone to have a copy. You can guess what has happened:
Someone has misunderstood me. My instructions to the class were to take and pass on. Yet someone in the
room has a stack of duplicate papers on their desk, and they are so enamored by the brilliance that the top
copy contains that they have neglected to pass the others on to the person behind them. In other words,
someone is hoarding a whole stack of papers that were meant to be given away. You and I are students in
Christ’s classroom. He has meticulously counted out the papers to ensure that there is enough for
everyone. And yet so many today are raising their hand claiming to have been overlooked because you and
I are so fascinated about what the paper means for us, that we neglect to pass on the other papers. We are
influenced, but we are not influencing others with the Message entrusted to us.
The moral of the story: Be a faithful sower.
Conclusion
The title of this lesson is deliberately ambiguous. It could refer to the influence upon the follower; it
could also refer to the influence wielded by the follower. In fact, it refers to both.
It is no coincidence that Mark 3:14 was our meditation verse in the previous lesson. Jesus appointed
them to be with Him and to go out to preach and to accomplish ministry. In fact, that verse serves as the
outline for today’s message. When we are with Jesus, we are being influenced by Him; when we are sent
out we are being influential for Him. The disciples are with Jesus now; what do you think might happen in
the next couple of chapters? That’s right—they will be sent out equipped with nothing but the Word of
God. Look for it.
Meditation Verse
verse for chapter four is Mark 4:20.
“But these are the ones sown on good soil: they hear the word and receive it and bear
fruit, one thirty times as much, one sixty, and one a hundred.”
A Follower’s Proof
Mark 4:35-5:43
Introduction:
I like working on cars. In fact, at the risk of bragging just a little, I am very good at working on cars.
I do feel compelled to tell you, however, that I draw a firm distinction between “working” on cars and
“repairing” cars. I am quite familiar with the former, though the latter remains a mystery to me. Our
church recently sent some men to Central America on an unconventional mission trip to repair cars.
Those men are skilled at fixing cars, not just working on them. I was not invited on that mission trip.
About six months ago my car broke down about a mile from my house. I called my wife and asked her to
get in her car and meet me beside my car alongside the road. “And honey,” I added with a note of
33
See Craig Blaising and Darrell Bock, Progressive Dispensationalism (Wheaton: Victor Books,
1993), 251-54, for a helpful discussion of the relationship between the present growing “kingdom” and
the consummate, eschatological kingdom established by Christ at His Second Coming.

confidence, “bring the toolbox” (can you hear a person rolling their eyes over the phone?). I worked on
my broken car for about thirty minutes—tapping this, jiggling that, listening to that thingamajig over
there. At the end of thirty minutes I had entirely exhausted my perceived capabilities, and my patience
was wearing thin. I retreated home—thereby admitting defeat—and called a friend from church who
knows how to repair cars. He graciously offered to come over, tow my car back to my house, and help me
work on it. After three evenings I was up and running again. By his own admission, the entire problem
could have been fixed in a matter of two or three hours had I called my friend first and not tinkered with
the car myself. Before we could begin on the original problem, we had to spend two evenings repairing
the extra damage I had done while “working” on the car during those thirty overzealous minutes.
Sometimes I do the same thing in my walk with Christ. When I encounter an obstacle or face some
difficulty in life I will exhaust all of my power and skills and resources attempting to fix the problem
before turning to the Lord. Usually I only succeed in making matters worse. And then, when I reach the
end of my rope—when I am undeniably in over my head—I turn to Him to bail me out. He becomes my
last resort rather than my first resort. Mark 4:35-5:43 records four miracles of Christ. Their common
thread is that in each case the resources of the people are first exhausted before they turn to Jesus.34 He
becomes their last resort. These miracles are designed to authenticate—to prove—the teaching of Christ
in the previous section (4:1-34). Remember, in the Gospel of Mark actions speak louder than words. Thus,
Mark’s selection of parables (4:1-34) is followed by a series of miracles (4:35-5:43), indicating that what
Jesus did (His works) authenticated what He said (His words).
1. Jesus Offers Safety through Life’s Storms (4:35-41)35

4:35
On that day, when evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go across to the
other side of the lake.” 4:36 So after leaving the crowd, they took him along, just as he
was, in the boat, and other boats were with him. 4:37 Now a great windstorm developed
and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped. 4:38 But
he was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. They woke him up and said to him, “Teacher,
don’t you care that we are about to die?” 4:39 So he got up and rebuked the wind, and
said to the sea, “Be quiet! Calm down!” Then the wind stopped, and it was dead calm.
4:40
And he said to them, “Why are you cowardly? Do you still not have faith?”36 4:41
They were overwhelmed by fear and said to one another, “Who then is this? Even the
wind and sea obey him!”
The vivid details suggest an eye witness account, namely that of Peter (see background on Mark).
These were experienced fishermen who were frightened and overcome by a squall. They were in a boat on
the same lake they had spent half their lives; they were in their element, in their backyard, and yet they
were sinking. It would be hard to imagine that before waking Jesus these men hadn’t utilized every skill
they had acquired. Certainly they had tried every tool in their aquatic toolbox. Their every resource must
have been exhausted. They could find no safety, until Jesus. Perhaps they thought it futile to awaken this
carpenter—a dry-land handyman—and ask His assistance in battling these waves. They learned that day
that trusting in their own experience and skills accomplished little. Their trust needed to be in Jesus, who
demonstrated—proved—that He is Lord over the seas (Psalm 65:7; 89:9; 107:23-32; Job 12:15).
Mark is showing that the closer one’s proximity to Jesus, the safer he is from even the most perilous
of danger. A soldier in the Persian Gulf War one said, “Safety lies not in our distance from danger, but in
34
Three other themes find their expression in today’s text. First, faith is a central component in
three of the four miracles Jesus performs in this passage. Second, the notion of fear will appear repeatedly
in this passage, especially in response to the miracles of Jesus. In Mark’s Gospel, fear and awe are not
inappropriate responses when the supernatural power of God has come near. Three times in this passage
folks will respond to a miracle with fear. By way of preview, the very last verse in the Gospel of Mark
(16:8) likewise portrays folks as fearful after learning of a miracle (namely, the resurrection). Finally, look
for Christ’s compassion. Jesus will be ministering to hurting people in this passage. While these are not
the primary subjects of the lesson, I invite you to look for these and consider their implications for your
life.
35
36
This is the first of many rebukes Jesus will hand to his disciples on account of their denseness
(see also 7:18; 8:17, 18, 21, 33).

our nearness to God.” The fear of the disciples was unfounded.37 Had they listened to Jesus’ words they
would have known that He had said, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” He didn’t say, “Let us
go to the middle of the lake and be drowned.” They should have been saying to the howling wind and
raging waves, “We have no fear of you, for you can do us no harm. Christ our mighty Savior is aboard!”
Are you facing a storm? Trust in Him before exhausting all of your own resources.
2. Jesus Offers Peace during Life’s Confusion (5:1-20)

5:1
So they came to the other side of the lake, to the region of the Gerasenes. 5:2 Just as
Jesus was getting out of the boat, a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met him.
5:3
He lived among the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a
chain. 5:4 For his hands and feet had often been bound with chains and shackles, but he
had torn the chains apart and broken the shackles in pieces. No one was strong enough
to subdue him. 5:5 Each night and every day among the tombs and in the mountains, he
would cry out and cut himself with stones. 5:6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran
and bowed down before him. 5:7 Then he cried out with a loud voice, “Leave me alone,
Jesus, Son of the Most High God! I implore you by God—do not torment me!” 5:8 (For
Jesus had said to him, “Come out of that man, you unclean spirit!”) 5:9 Jesus asked him,
“What is your name?” And he said, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 5:10 He
begged Jesus repeatedly not to send them out of the region. 5:11 There on the hillside, a
great herd of pigs was feeding. 5:12 And the spirits begged him, “Send us into the pigs.
Let us enter them.” 5:13 Jesus gave them permission. So the unclean spirits came out and
went into the pigs. Then the herd rushed down the steep slope into the lake, and about
two thousand were drowned in the lake.38
5:14
Now the herdsmen ran off and spread the news in the town and countryside, and the
people went out to see what had happened. 5:15 They came to Jesus and saw the demon-
possessed man sitting there, clothed and in his right mind—the one who had the legion
—and they were afraid. 5:16 Those who had seen what had happened to the demon-
possessed man reported it, and they also told about the pigs. 5:17 Then they asked Jesus
to leave their region. 5:18 As he was getting into the boat the man who had been demon-
possessed asked if he could go with him. 5:19 But Jesus did not permit him. Instead, he
said to him, “Go to your home and to your people and tell them what the Lord has done
for you, that he had mercy on you.” 5:20 So he went away and began to proclaim in the
Decapolis what Jesus had done for him, and all were amazed.
Rather than put up any sort of fight, the demons surrender to Jesus at once. Thus far in this text, the
wind, the sea, and the demons have all obeyed Jesus. On the other hand, the townspeople—perhaps more
concerned about their swine and their economy than one man’s restored health—request that Jesus leave
their region.
Two surprising features surface in this pericope. First, Jesus refused this man to follow Him. 39 Second,
Jesus doesn’t prohibit him from speaking openly about the miracle (remember, the “Messianic Secret” is a
prominent theme in Mark; see background on Mark). Why would Jesus refuse to allow him to follow and
then permit him to speak openly? By accompanying Jesus he would only have his own words to depend on
(“this is what I used to be like but now I’m different . . .”). Jesus knew that his witness would be much
more powerful among those who had known him as a demoniac. By going to his own people in the
Decapolis (the “10 cities” in that region), the former demoniac would be talking about Jesus to the very
same people who had chained his hands and shackled his feet. He would explain the miracle to the very
same people who had heard him cry out day and night among the tombs and in the mountains. He would
37
Two different words for “fear” are used in 4:40-41. Jesus accuses the disciples of deilovs
(4:40), meaning cowardly fear (used elsewhere in the New Testament only in Matthew 8:26 and
Revelation 21:8). The disciples then respond with fobevomai (4:41), meaning paralyzing fear. In the
Gospel of Mark, responding to the power of God with “paralyzing fear” is not altogether inappropriate
(see also 5:15, 33; 16:8).
38
This event has caused some to surmise a “Gadarene Swine Law”: Just because the group is in
formation does not mean that the group is on the right course.
39
The man asked if he could “be with” Jesus, the same language used of the disciples in 3:14.

proclaim Christ to the very same people who had watched him cut himself. In the Gospel of Mark, actions
speak louder than words. The man went away in obedience to Jesus and declared the message of which he
was the living proof.
The out-of-control demoniac resembled the chaotic, raging storm in the previous section; likewise the
stillness of the demoniac after his exorcism corresponds to the stillness that follows Jesus’ meteorological
miracle. It is difficult to understand the precise meaning associated with the title “Legion” (in military, it
indicated a squad of 6000 soldiers). In the least it conveys possession by a number of demons rather than
just one. Perhaps the number of pigs that were destroyed (namely, about 2,000) indicates the precise
number of demons involved. The herd that drowns itself, coupled with the possessed man’s self-
destructive behavior of cutting himself, suggests that the purpose of demon possession was the destruction
of its host. And every thinkable resource had been exhausted trying to restrain this man possessed by this
“Legion.” Nothing worked until Jesus.
The demoniac was living a life of confusion; he was out of control. Harry S. Truman once said, “If
you can’t convince them, confuse them.” I tend to think that if Satan cannot convince someone to reject
God and a life of righteousness—and there are many he cannot convince—then his next-best strategy is to
confuse them. He seeks to confuse our lives and spin them so out of control that we are rendered
ineffective in our relationship with Christ.
Are you living in confusion? Trust in the Lord before exhausting all your resources to figure it out.
Let Him sort out your life and offer you peace.
3. Jesus Offers Relief from Life’s Pain (5:21-34)

5:21
When Jesus had crossed again in a boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered
around him,40 and he was by the sea. 5:22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named
Jairus, came and when he saw him he fell at his feet. 5:23 He asked him urgently, “My
little daughter is near death. Come and lay your hands on her so that she may be
healed and live.” 5:24 Jesus went with him, and a large crowd followed and pressed
around him.
Now a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years.
5:25
She had endured a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all that
5:26
she had. Yet instead of getting better, she grew worse. 5:27 When she heard about Jesus,
she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 5:28 for she kept saying, “If
only I touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 5:29 At once the bleeding stopped, and she felt
in her body that she was healed of her disease. 5:30 Jesus knew at once that power had
gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched my
clothes?” 5:31 His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing against you and you
say, ‘Who touched me?’” 5:32 But he looked around to see who had done it. 5:33 Then the
woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell
down before him and told him the whole truth. 5:34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith
has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
In characteristic form Mark tells a story-within-a-story: The encounter with the hemorrhaging woman
is couched within the story of the healing of Jairus’ daughter. The cause of the woman’s loss of blood is
unrevealed. However, if her condition resulted from a uterine discharge then she was not merely in pain,
but also in a chronic state of ritual impurity (Lev. 15:25-27). In that case she was prevented from leading a
normal social life; she was never invited to parties, and no one could embrace her to comfort her from her
pain.
The “power” that goes out from Jesus may give a hint about the entire chapter—Jesus has the power
to accomplish that which you and I cannot. No one could control the storm; no one could control the
demoniac; no one could heal this woman. Like the sea and the demoniac, others had tried to fix the
problem with no success. All of her resources had been exhausted. She had spent all of her money on
several doctors, but after 12 years her illness only grew worse. She had no relief from her pain, until
Jesus. C.S. Lewis once wrote in The Problem of Pain: “Pain is not good in itself. What is good in any
40
On the eastern shore the people asked Jesus to depart; on the western shore the people flocked
to Him.

painful experience is, for the sufferer, his submission to the will of God, and, for the spectators, the
compassion aroused and the acts of mercy to which it leads.”
Is that how you live? Must you do everything in your own power before turning to invite His?
Jesus confronts every crisis situation with power and He overcomes.
Don’t cope with pain on your own. Trust in Him to offer you relief through your pain.
4. Jesus Offers Hope through Life’s Tragedies (5:35-43)

5:35
While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue ruler’s house saying,
“Your daughter has died. Why trouble the teacher any longer?” 5:36 But Jesus, paying
no attention to what was said, told the synagogue ruler, “Do not be afraid; just
believe.” 5:37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James, and John, the
brother of James. 5:38 They came to the house of the synagogue ruler where he saw noisy
confusion and people weeping and wailing loudly. 5:39 When he entered he said to them,
“Why are you distressed and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” 5:40 And they
began making fun of him. But he put them all outside and he took the child’s father and
mother and his own companions and went into the room where the child was. 5:41 Then,
gently taking the child by the hand, he said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little
girl, I say to you, get up.” 5:42 The girl got up at once and began to walk about (she was
twelve years old). They were completely astonished at this. 5:43 He strictly ordered that
no one should know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
The delay caused by the hemorrhaging woman proved fatal for Jairus’ daughter. Mark picks up this
story with an abrupt message that Jairus’ only daughter had died.41 Jesus had the power to calm the sea, to
exorcise the demons, and to heal the woman, but certainly death would be too difficult to reverse. The
people who bring the devastating news suggest that involving Jesus further would simply prove futile.
Every resource was exhausted. No hope remains, until Jesus. After reassuring Jairus, Jesus raises the girl
from the dead in front of a select and captive audience.
Have you experienced a tragedy? Have you found hope in Him to sustain you through that tragedy?
Meditation Verse
verse for this lesson is Mark 4:41.
They were overwhelmed by fear and said to one another, “Who then is this? Even the
wind and sea obey him!”
A Follower’s Faith
Mark 6:1-56
Introduction:
I enjoy a good movie. But I’m not a fan of Hollywood’s constant attempts at thematic spirituality in
film. Don’t get me wrong: There’s nothing like good spiritually-based movies—but most of Hollywood’s
attempts are nothing like good spiritually-based movies. They are simply poorly-written or poorly-acted,
or both. Still, even Hollywood strikes oil every once in a while. Take the Indiana Jones trilogy for
example: with Stephen Spielberg and Harrison Ford—how could they go wrong? Add Sean Connery to
the mix and voila—magic! In the final scene of “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” our hero Indiana
Jones42 (played by Harrison Ford) is making his way through three booby-traps in order to secure the Holy
Grail—the only device that can save his father (played by Sean Connery) from a gunshot wound. After
41
The professional mourners misunderstand Jesus to be speaking literally when he says that the
girl is sleeping. Instead, with that expression Jesus hints at the fact that the girl will awaken. Luke,
however, makes it clear that the girl was in fact dead (Luke 8:55). Luke also provides the colorful detail
that this was Jairus’ only daughter (Luke 8:42).

successfully navigating the first two obstacles, Indiana finds himself beside a stone lion head at the edge
of a precipice—a bottomless pit with no foreseeable way around it. The room containing the coveted Grail
rests about 50-feet on the other side of the precipice. The only clue he has about conquering this obstacle
states: “Only in the leap from the lion’s head will he prove his worth.” Upon recalling this clue, Indiana
knows what is required of him. After mustering all of his strength—including symbolically placing his
hand over his heart—he dramatically raises his foot high and slowly steps out over the dark abyss. Just
when one thinks he will go tumbling into the darkness, Indiana finds himself on solid ground—a firm
pathway extending across the precipice but virtually invisible to the naked eye. What was required of him?
Faith? No. Faith alone—mere cognitive belief—would not have conquered the abyss. Rather, Indiana was
required to demonstrate his faith in action. That’s what Hollywood did well in this film. Immobilized
belief was not sufficient; faith-based action was required. Indiana retrieves the Grail and rescues Sean
Connery, who lives to make another film.
Today’s message is not about “believing” as you and I think about it—cognitive faith, sitting in a dark
room with our eyes closed. Remember, in Mark’s Gospel actions speak louder than words. Today we are
taking about faith in action. And our primary teachers—for better or for worse—are the disciples. We will
see the disciples play more and more of a prominent role as Mark’s Gospel unfolds. Many of Jesus’
teachings and miracles will be performed for their benefit alone. The question that today’s text begs is
this: What action does your faith in Jesus Christ demand of you today?
We encountered the theme of faith in the previous lesson, “A Follower’s Proof.” It surfaced explicitly
in three of the four miracles Jesus performed from Mark 4:35 – 5:43. First, the disciples arouse Jesus to
save them from the tumultuous storm on the sea. After calming the waves and hushing the winds Jesus
asks them, “Do you still not have faith?” Second, after Jesus heals the hemorrhaging woman He tells her,
“Daughter, your faith has made you well.” Finally, messengers approach Jairus to inform him that during
his journey to retrieve Jesus his daughter had died: “Why trouble the teacher any longer?” Jesus (“paying
no attention to what was said”) then said to Jairus, “Do not be afraid; just believe.” Today we are going to
pursue that theme of “faith” and, in particular, faith-based action. Mark will disclose five scenarios, each
highlighting a different dimension of faith.
Deficiency of Faith (6:1-6)43

6:1
Now Jesus left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.
6:2
When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue. And many who heard
him were astonished, saying, “Where did he get these ideas? And what is this wisdom
that has been given to him? What are these miracles that are done through his hands?
6:3
Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and
Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 6:4 Then Jesus
said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown, and among his
relatives, and in his own house.” 6:5 He was not able to do a miracle there, except to lay
his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6:6 And he was amazed44 because of their
unbelief. Then he went around among the villages and taught.
Once again our passage begins with people trying to identify Jesus. They simply haven’t the
categories. This time it is those in His own hometown of Nazareth and His family. Five questions of
unbelief are expressed by those who hear Jesus teach. These were astonished by his teaching because He
didn’t act like this when He lived there before. They think it is all new stuff and wonder what sort of act
He is putting on. Whether Joseph was living or dead, it was still an insult to identify one as the son of his
mother. This could also be a subtle reference to Jesus’ alleged illegitimacy.
Imagine, here was the eternal Son of God right before their eyes performing miracles and teaching
authoritatively. He wanted to be there; He wanted to teach these friends and family that were so dear to
Him; He wanted to perform miracles for His loved ones. Yet because of their unbelief—and perhaps their
42
Perhaps part of my intrigue with the “Indiana Jones” trilogy rests in the fact that I was born
and raised in Indiana.
43
44
Jesus is “amazed” (used of Jesus only here in Mark) by their unbelief (6:6), presumably because
of His own peoples’ high level of rejection.

scoffing—He chooses to go elsewhere with His message and miracles.45 These people who should have
welcomed Him with open arms are the very ones who miss the opportunity of a lifetime. How sad.
A few months ago I attended a conference in Toronto, Ontario. While there, I took the opportunity to
visit the CN Tower. Roughly two million people visit the CN Tower each year. At 1,815 feet, it is the
world’s tallest building—standing proudly more than four hundred feet taller than the Sears Tower in
Chicago and the Twin Towers that once cast shadows over New York City. At 1,122 feet the tower features
an observation deck with a glass floor that begs the bravest of heart to walk across. After much hesitation
(and some gentle taps with my foot to ensure stability) I mustered up the courage to step out over the city
of Toronto with my feet suspended in mid-air46—150 feet higher than the tip of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
and 200 feet higher than the tallest building in Dallas, Texas (the Bank of America building). As trite as it
may sound, it was faith that enabled me to walk out onto the glass floor: Faith in the engineers who
designed the tower, faith in the builders who constructed the tower, faith in the materials used to erect the
tower, and (most importantly) faith that larger men than me had walked out over the glass and lived to tell
about it. When I asked one of the women working there what percentage of the folks who visit the tower
actually walk on the glass floor, she said a very small percentage do so. How sad. Folks come from all
around the world to visit the CN Tower, and only some of them have the faith to take advantage of a one-
in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Those who were closest to Jesus likewise had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and sadly their lack of
faith likewise prevented many of them from experiencing the eternal Son of God in the way He wanted
them to. Does God want to do something miraculous in your life, but you lack the faith He requires to do
so? Do you suffer from unbelief—a deficiency of faith? You just might be missing out on a once-in-a-
lifetime opportunity.
Duplication of Faith (6:7-13)

6:7
Jesus called the twelve and began to send them out two by two. He gave them
authority over the unclean spirits. 6:8 He instructed them to take nothing for the journey
except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 6:9 and to put on sandals but
not to wear two tunics. 6:10 He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there
until you leave the area. 6:11 If a place will not welcome you or listen to you, as you go
out from there shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6:12 So they
went out and preached that all should repent. 6:13 They cast out many demons and
anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
Mark 6:12-13 is in direct fulfillment of 3:14-15 (also 1:17), where it is said that the disciples would
preach and exorcise demons. These were sent as official representatives, as apostles. 47 Jesus prohibits them
from packing for their trip, and instead commands them to take only what they currently have (staff and
sandals).48 In doing so, Jesus stresses the necessity of utter dependence upon God to supply their every
need and to bring about the fruit. Thus faith is required from those sent out, and they are sent out
demanding others to respond in faith. Jesus tells them to accept hospitality, and not to seek better
accommodations once settled (“Wherever you enter a house, stay there . . .”). He also warns that some will
not respond well to the message. Perhaps Jesus was thinking of the recent rejection He had received in His
own hometown (6:4).
This passage is appropriately used by many churches as a blueprint for evangelism training. The
principles here are relevant even for today. First, notice that the disciples had been with Jesus first. They
themselves were disciples before they attempt to make their own disciples. Next, notice that Jesus sends
them out in pairs. Far too often a church’s evangelism training program involves a 2-hour course on how
45
One should not presume that their unbelief rendered Jesus incapable of working miracles. On
several other occasions Jesus performs miracles where the text gives no hint of faith (e.g., feeding of the
5,000, feeding of the 4,000). Rather, Jesus chooses not to exercise His supernatural power in the face of
such closed-mindedness.
46
I took a great picture from this vantage point of looking straight down—with my feet in the
foreground and the ground some 1,122 feet in the background.
47
The designation “apostles” appears only twice in Mark—3:14 and 6:30.
48
Matthew and Luke prohibit even a staff and sandals, though what is probably meant is that the
disciples were not to acquire anything additional.

to witness and nothing more. Evangelism training in the classroom must be followed by on-the-job
training in evangelism—pairing up and going!49 Next, notice Jesus’ emphasis on relying on God.
Evangelistic efforts in our own strength with ultimately fail. Furthermore, we are not to rely on our own
style of evangelism or smooth delivery, but in the power of the message itself. Next, Jesus prepares them
for rejection. It is important to remind people that when a door is slammed in their face it is the message
of Jesus Christ that is being rejected, not the messenger. Finally—as we will see in 6:30—it is important
to regroup after an evangelistic outreach to hear others’ stories about how God worked and to celebrate
together.
Are you involved in any such evangelism strategy? Does your church have anything that resembles
the duplication of faith described in Mark 6:7-13? Perhaps today your faith in Jesus Christ demands that
you tell someone else about Him.
Duration of Faith (6:14-29)

Now King Herod heard this, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying,
6:14
“John the baptizer has been raised from the dead, and because of this, miraculous
powers are at work in him.” 6:15 Others said, “He is Elijah.” Others said, “He is a
prophet, like one of the prophets from the past.” 6:16 But when Herod heard this, he said,
“John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 6:17 For Herod himself had sent men,
arrested John, and bound him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s
wife, because Herod had married her; 6:18 for John had repeatedly told Herod, “It is not
lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 6:19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against
him and wanted to kill him. But she could not 6:20 because Herod stood in awe of John
and protected him, since he knew that John was a righteous and holy man. When he
heard him, he was thoroughly baffled, and yet he liked to listen to him.
6:21
But a day of opportunity came, when Herod gave a banquet on his birthday for his
court officials, military commanders, and leaders of Galilee. 6:22 When his daughter
Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said
to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” 6:23 He swore
insistently, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.” 6:24 So she went
out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” Her mother said, “The head of
John the baptizer.” 6:25 Immediately she hurried back to the king and made her request:
“I want the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.” 6:26 Although it grieved
the king deeply, he did not want to reject her request because of his oath and his guests.
6:27
So the king sent an executioner at once to bring John’s head, and he went and
beheaded John in prison. 6:28 He brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl,
and the girl gave it to her mother. 6:29 When John’s disciples heard this, they came and
took his body and placed it in a tomb.
Confusion over the identity of Jesus is far-reaching (is He Elijah, some other prophet, John the
Baptist back from the dead?). Herod believes Jesus is John the Baptist raised from the dead. 50 Herod
Antipas is the son of Herod the Great who had tried to kill the infant Jesus by slaughtering all children
two years old and under. He was not technically a king. He was a proud man (not wanting to embarrass
himself before his guests) and fearful of losing face. 51 He was officially dismissed from office and exiled in
A.D. 39 for requesting the title “king.”
52
In the Gospel of Mark, only five verses are given to the ministry of John the Baptist, while fourteen
are dedicated to his death. Does that seem backward to you? Not if you understand the message of the
Gospel of Mark. In this Gospel, finishing well is just as important as starting well (see Mark 9:9-13). John
49
Pair an inexperienced evangelist with an experienced one and send them out with the message
of the Gospel. Watch how the Holy Spirit ignites a passion for the lost in that inexperienced evangelist.
50
Herod probably thought this because Jesus and John shared a similar message of repentance.
Part of the reason for the Messianic Secret was to prevent such widespread confusion over the identity of
Jesus.
51
The text means to contrast the fear of Herod and the faith of John. Faith was required for John
to stand against the establishment and publicly denounce the marriage.
52
William Lane, The Gospel of Mark, NICNT (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), 211.

the Baptist is held up in the Gospel of Mark as an example of one who finished well. In fact, in Mark only
two people die for the Gospel—Jesus and John the Baptist. He is heralded as a hero to Mark’s persecuted
Roman audience. He harbored no fear of the establishment, and no fear of death. He did not waiver in
unbelief when imprisoned, nor did he waffle when the executioner arrived for his head. He remained
faithful—and full of faith—until the very end.
Perhaps today your faith in Jesus Christ demands that you vow to finish strong the way John did. He
demonstrated a faith that endured. There are many like him today, folks who have walked with Jesus
Christ for decades and are still walking strong. Will you be counted among their number one day?
Development of Faith (6:30-44)

Then the apostles gathered around Jesus and told him everything they had done and
6:30
taught. 6:31 He said to them, “Come with me privately to an isolated place and rest a
while” (for many were coming and going, and there was no time to eat). 6:32 So they went
away by themselves in a boat to some remote place. 6:33 But many saw them leaving and
recognized them, and they hurried on foot from all the towns and arrived there ahead of
them. 6:34 As Jesus came ashore he saw the large crowd and he had compassion on them,
because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he taught them many things.
6:35
When it became late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is an isolated place
and it is already very late. 6:36 Send them away so that they can go into the surrounding
countryside and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.” 6:37 But he answered
them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said, “Should we go and buy bread
for two hundred silver coins and give it to them to eat?” 6:38 And he said to them, “How
many loaves do you have? Go and see.” When they found out they said, “Five—and two
fish.” 6:39 Then he directed them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 6:40 So they
reclined in groups of hundreds and fifties. 6:41 He took the five loaves and the two fish,
and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the bread. He gave them to his
disciples to serve the people, and he divided the two fish among them all. 6:42 They all
ate and were satisfied, 6:43 and they picked up the broken pieces and fish left over, twelve
baskets full. 6:44 Now there were five thousand men who ate the bread.
There is no indication that the crowd understood that a miracle had occurred. Rather, the text makes
it clear that this was done for the disciples’ sake. They are charged with finding food for the crowd,
inventorying the food, serving the food, and collecting the leftovers (according to John 6). 53 Just as the
disciples had just been sent to spiritually feed the people, now they are sent to physically feed the people.
Both are instigated by Jesus’ compassion for the people.54
A few years ago, my wife and I attended a conference at Colorado State University in Fort Collins,
Colorado. The 5,000 conferees had prepaid for the conference, and in turn the organization had arranged
for everyone to eat at the numerous campus cafeterias. At around 11:20 a.m., about thirty minutes before
our lunch break, CSU experienced a campus-wide electrical blackout. It was then that the organization
hosting the conference demonstrated their excellence. They knew that the cafeterias would not be able to
prepare lunch and that ultimately the host organization was responsible for feeding these 5,000 hungry
people. A delegation of about twelve people was sent just off campus in pursuit of telephones from which
they could order food. Equipped with a short script describing the urgency of the situation, they began
dialing restaurants. Twelve pizza places were called, along with Burger King, Taco Bell, and
Macdonald’s. Domino’s was told, “Whatever you can make and deliver in 30 minutes we’ll buy.” When
all was said and done, the conference purchased 170 burritos, 170 tacos, 600 Quarter Pounders, 70 large
fries, and an entire truckload of Pepsi. 504 pizzas were delivered—140 from Domino’s alone! None of the
twelve pizza places delivered less than 20 pizzas. All was delivered and eaten in less than 90 minutes.
What was left over? 6 Pizzas and 6 Quarter Pounders—about 12 baskets full.
53
The 12 baskets full of leftovers served two purposes: 1) To show that everyone was full and 2)
to provide a tangible symbol to each disciple of the miracle Jesus performed. Nevertheless, they still fail to
understand (6:52).
54
Mark uses the verb splagcnivzomai (compassion) three times of Jesus (1:41; 6:34; 8:2; see
also 9:22).

Jesus performs some miracles because of peoples’ faith; the feeding of the 5,000 was performed in
order to cause people to have faith. This miracle was done for the development of the disciples’ faith. Had
their hearts not been hardened (see 6:52), they would have realized that a miracle had taken place and
acknowledged Jesus’ true identity as the Son of God. Perhaps today your faith in Jesus Christ demands
that you trust Him to provide for your needs.
Direction of Faith (6:45-56)

6:45
Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other
side, to Bethsaida, while he dispersed the crowd. 6:46 After saying good-bye to them, he
went to the mountain to pray. 6:47 When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the
sea and he was alone on the land. 6:48 He saw them straining at the oars, because the
wind was against them. As the night was ending,55 he came to them walking on the sea
for he wanted to pass by them. 6:49 When they saw him walking on the water they thought
he was a ghost. They cried out, 6:50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But
immediately he spoke to them: “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” 6:51 Then he
went up with them into the boat, and the wind ceased. They were completely astonished,
6:52
because they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.
6:53
After they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and anchored there. 6:54
As they got out of the boat, people immediately recognized Jesus. 6:55 They ran through
that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever he was rumored to
be. 6:56 And wherever he would go—into villages, towns, or countryside—they would
place the sick in the marketplaces, and would ask him if they could just touch the edge
of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
This miracle is related to the feeding of the 5000 (as indicated in Mark 6:52). The multiplying of the
bread was intended to show the disciples once again who Jesus was and that God was working through
Him. They didn’t get it. If forced to characterize the disciples’ relationship with Jesus throughout the
Gospel of Mark, it would have to be one of non-understanding.
Jesus’ intention was to “pass by them.” Probably this language is meant to evoke epiphany language
from the Old Testament, where God “passes by” while revealing His glory. It is doubtful that Jesus merely
meant to “walk past” them. Thus Jesus intended to disclose His glory to these men by “passing by.” This is
further substantiated by the language Jesus Himself uses when He addresses the frightened disciples in the
boat. “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid” is literally, “Have courage! I am. Do not be afraid.” Did you
hear that? Jesus identifies Himself with the title, “I am,” meant to convey His deity. But because of the
hard hearts of the disciples, the plan backfires. They do not understand the epiphany nor the self-
disclosing title. If they had, they would surely have redirected their faith and placed it in Jesus.
I am convinced that very few people suffer from a lack of faith. In my experience, most folks have
plenty of faith to go around, but their faith is misdirected. God is not pleased with abundance of faith if it
is misguided. What is the direction of your faith? In our culture there are many possible answers to that
question. Some have faith in plants, animals, crystals, the stars, fate—the list goes on and on. Probably
the most common misplacement of faith is in ourselves. What is the direction of your faith? Perhaps today
the Lord is asking that you redirect your faith and place it in the great “I am.”
Meditation Verse
verse for chapter six is Mark 6:6.
And he was amazed because of their unbelief. Then he went around among the villages
and taught.
55
Jesus came walking on the water sometime between 3:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m.

A Follower’s Anatomy
Mark 7:1 – 8:26
Introduction:
What thoughts enter your mind when you hear the words, “Complete Physical Examination?” What
feelings does the phrase evoke? I recently read some comical doctors’ notes taken from actual physical
exam reports, though reading them may make you question the wisdom of visiting your local family
doctor for that overdue, looming check-up:
• Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year.
• The patient is tearful and crying constantly. She also appears to be depressed.
• The patient has been depressed since she began seeing me in 1993.
• Healthy-appearing decrepit 69-year-old male, mentally alert but forgetful.
• The patient refused an autopsy.
• Patient’s medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a 40 pound weight gain in
the past three days.
• She is numb from her toes down.
• Occasional, constant infrequent headaches.
• Patient was alert and unresponsive.
• Patient has two teenage children, but no other abnormalities.
We commonly associate the complete physical examination with the decades of our life, beginning at
age thirty. Every ten years we are due to undergo that intense scrutiny that few look forward to. I have a
friend who is about to turn forty and is simply dreading his impending trip to the doctor. Some are afraid
of the physical exam because they fear the doctor will discover something bad that will require some
change in lifestyle. Others reluctantly submit to the exam—whether afraid of them or not—but completely
ignore the doctor’s suggestion of a life-change. We like our life the way it is, after all. We don’t want to
change our diet—we like to eat all things at all times. We don’t want to exercise—it’s hard work. We
don’t want to begin popping that regulatory pill—it’s a daily admission that I’m no longer twenty and
physically fit. We don’t want to submit ourselves to that medical procedure (the most frightening words to
a middle-aged man)—it certainly can’t be comfortable. My friend is admittedly both afraid and
unresponsive to instructions. Therefore, this year his wife has decided to go with him and speak with the
doctor herself. She wants to find out if he is healthy and, most importantly, make him follow the doctor’s
instructions if he is not.
In today’s passage, Jesus will conduct a physical exam on His hearers, especially the disciples. In
particular, Jesus is going to test the health of His audiences’ heart, ears, and eyes. Some in Jesus’ audience
do not want to be examined. They get squeamish when He administers His exam of these body parts. And
some of them don’t respond well to Jesus’ instructions when He discovers unhealthy body parts. They like
their life as it is, thank you very much. They want to hear that they are in perfect health, but Jesus has
other news for them. Let’s listen in as Jesus the Great Physician administers examinations of the heart,
ears, and eyes. But beware; you just might see yourself in this text. . .
Could You Benefit from a Heart Attack? (7:1-23)56

7:1
Now the Pharisees and some of the experts in the law who came from Jerusalem
gathered to him. 7:2 And they saw that some of Jesus’ disciples ate their bread with
unclean hands, that is, unwashed. 7:3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat
unless they perform a ritual washing, holding on to the tradition of the elders. 7:4 And
when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. They hold on to
56

many other traditions: the washing of cups, pots, kettles, and dining couches.) 7:5 The
Pharisees and the experts in the law asked him, “Why do your disciples not live
according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with unwashed hands?” 7:6 He said to
them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written:
‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me.57
7:7
They worship me in vain,
teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.’
7:8
Having no regard for the command of God, you hold on to human tradition.” 7:9 He
also said to them, “You neatly reject the commandment of God in order to set up your
tradition. 7:10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever
insults his father or mother must be put to death.’ 7:11 But you say that if anyone tells
his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you would have received from me is corban’ (that
is, a gift for God), 7:12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or
mother. 7:13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed
down. And you do many things like this.”58
Then he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, everyone, and
7:14
understand. 7:15 There is nothing outside of a person that can defile him by going into
him. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles him.”59
7:17
Now when Jesus had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him
about the parable. 7:18 He said to them, “Are you so foolish? Don’t you understand that
whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him? 7:19 For it does not enter
his heart but his stomach, and then goes out into the sewer.” (This means all foods are
clean.) 7:20 He said, “What comes out of a person defiles him. 7:21 For from within, out of
the human heart, comes evil ideas, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 7:22 adultery, greed,
evil, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, pride, and folly. 7:23 All these evils come from
within and defile a person.”
If you read the passage above, then you just witnessed a heart attack. Jesus attacking the hearts of the
Pharisees, that is. We often think of heart attacks as sudden, obvious, physical attacks where someone
grabs his chest and falls over (thanks again, Hollywood). This is simply not true in the vast majority of
heart attacks. Probably this describes a cardiac arrest, which differs from a heart attack.60 A heart attack
occurs when an inadequate supply of oxygen-rich blood reaches the heart muscle and damage results.
Most heart attacks occur because over a long period of time, fatty materials build up inside the arteries
that supply blood to the heart. These arteries are called coronary arteries, and the buildup of fatty material
is called coronary artery disease or coronary heart disease. When the buildup prevents adequate supply of
blood to reach the heart—presto, you experience the symptoms of a heart attack. Heart attacks usually
57
Four times in this lesson we will encounter the word kardiva, “heart.” This word occurs
eleven times in Mark’s Gospel.
58
What’s Jesus talking about? Mark typically explains words and customs that might not be
readily understood by his reader. By introducing the notion of “corban,” Jesus is describing a potential
contradiction between the 5th commandment and the traditions of the elders. Should these contradict,
which will the Pharisees follow? Corban described something that was dedicated to God. What happens if
a person dedicates his resources to God (i.e., the temple), but then his aging parents later need these
resources? The Pharisee taught that they could not benefit from them; Jesus taught that something could
be used by the parents and still be “dedicated to God.” More than 67% of parents recently interviewed
believe that children have no obligation to parents regardless of what their parents have done for them.
59
Mark 7:16 is missing from many of your Bibles for good reason. Simply put, the earliest and
best manuscripts omit the verse, and there are better reasons to believe that a well-meaning scribe inserted
the verse deliberately than that he omitted it unintentionally.
60
The best distinction I’ve heard between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest is that while a heart
attack is a plumbing problem, cardiac arrest is an electrical problem. During cardiac arrest, the electricity
that reminds the heart to beat malfunctions and ultimately causes the heart to stop beating.

show gradual symptoms: Pain in the chest area that lasts for more than a couple of minutes, discomfort in
neck, stomach, arms, etc. Because of the symptoms, you can usually benefit from a heart attack—but it
requires responding appropriately to the symptoms.
The Old Testament only required priests to wash their hands, and only priests serving at the
tabernacle (Exodus 30:18-21). Here Jesus is explaining that appearing clean on the outside does not
necessarily mean that we are clean on the inside. In the same way that having clean hands does not
indicate genuine cleanliness, so also following the rules does not indicate genuine obedience. Jesus
teaches that one’s heart is not regulated by behavior; rather, one’s behavior is driven by one’s heart. You
and I can appear at times to have it all together. Like the Pharisees, we can give the appearance of purity
but remain vulgar on the inside. We, too, can be hypocrites.61 Which is important to you? Do you want
people to think you are pure; or is it more important to you that you are pure indeed? The Pharisees were
masters of appearance. Are you?
Last year a book that I co-authored was released in the U.S. and Canada. The title of the 265-page
book is Zondervan Dictionary of Bible and Theology Words. If you’ve never written a book—especially a
dictionary where each part of each definition must be meticulously crafted—let me caution you not to
assume the process is terribly pleasurable. Along with the co-author, I spent about 18 months working on
this book, at about 15 hours each week. In order to define 1,800 words, we divvied up the words to be
defined and set some rather ambitious deadlines. We would each define roughly 60 words in a matter of
twenty days. I can remember times when I sat with fifteen references open before me as I attempted to
arrive at an accurate, 40-word definition that captured the essential meaning of a term. Some words took
up to an hour and a half to satisfactorily define. At the end of the twenty days, we would exchange words
and spend an additional ten hours editing one another’s work. Then we would exchange again and edit
one another’s edit. You get the picture. By the time we submitted our “final” draft to our publisher, each
word had been dragged through six edit cycles. Then the day came not long after we delivered the final
draft to our publisher. The marketing-design department sent us two handsome cover jackets to choose
from. They had obviously expended much effort, and both designs would do well. After about three hours
consulting with one another, and of course with our wives, we decided upon a cover-jacket. Did you hear
that ratio? Eighteen months on the contents, and three hours on the cover.
I wonder how many of us live out that ratio in our Christian lives. Instead, how many of us spend the
vast majority of our time focusing on our cover, our appearance, our marketability? I’m convinced that
we’ve grown into a culture of individuals that want to be judged by their cover! Where are you spending
your time? Are you focusing on your contents—your guts, your insides, your heart? Or are you
preoccupied with your cover—your appearance, your reputation, your marketability? Perhaps you could
benefit from a heart attack.
Closed-Captioned for the Hearing Impaired (7:24-37)62

7:24
After Jesus left there, he went to the region of Tyre. When he went into a house, he
did not want anyone to know, but he was not able to escape notice. 7:25 Instead, a woman
whose daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him and came and fell
at his feet. 7:26 The woman was a Greek, of Syrophoenician origin. She asked him to cast
the demon out of her daughter. 7:27 He said to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for
it is not right to take the children’s bread and to throw it to the dogs.” 7:28 She answered,
“Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 7:29 Then he
said to her, “Because you said this, you may go. The demon has left your daughter.” 7:30
She went home and found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.63
61
In Mark 7:6, Jesus cites Isaiah 29:13 when He calls the Pharisees “uJpokrithvs”—hypocrites.
62
A closed-captioned program is a broadcast with captions for those screens with receivers
equipped with a decoder, and “closed” to those TV sets that lack a decoder. A caption is a motion-picture
subtitle.
63
The healing of the Syrophoenician’s daughter is the only healing in the Gospel of Mark
performed from a distance. It is also one of the most misunderstood miracles. The key to understanding
the miracle is the emphasis placed on “first” in 7:27, intended to convey priority, not value. In other
words, it is the privilege of the children (i.e., the Jews) to eat the bread first. After they eat, then it is
appropriate for others to enjoy leftovers. Paul likewise says that the Gospel will go first to the Jews, then
to the Gentiles. The Syrophoenician woman is from a particularly affluent class of Greek-speaking

7:31
Then Jesus went out again from the region of Tyre and came through Sidon to the
Sea of Galilee in the region of the Decapolis. 7:32 They brought to him a deaf man who
had difficulty speaking, and they asked him to place his hands on him. 7:33 After Jesus
took him aside privately, away from the crowd, he put his fingers in the man’s ears, and
after spitting, he touched his tongue. 7:34 Then he looked up to heaven and said with a
sigh, “Ephphatha” (that is, “Be opened”). 7:35 And immediately the man’s ears64 were
opened, his tongue loosened, and he spoke plainly. 7:36 Jesus ordered them not to tell
anything. But as much as he ordered it, that much more they proclaimed it.65 7:37 People
were completely astounded and said, “He has done everything well. He even makes the
deaf hear and the mute speak.”
The healing of the deaf-mute occurs only in Mark. Jesus is sensitive to remove this man from public
distractions and takes him aside by himself. Jesus touches the man’s ears to indicate to the man that they
would be opened; He touches his tongue to indicate that it will work again; and then He looks up to
heaven to indicate that God is the one accomplishing this.66
This miracle serves as a visual parable. There is more than a healing to this story. I think Jesus says to
you and me—listen! Let your ears be opened. If only our spiritual ears were as tuned as that man’s
physical ears from that day forth.
Psychology tells us that there are four types of selective listening: 1) Selective exposure, 2) selective
attention, 3) selective understanding, and 4) selective retention. I’m convinced that most of the times
Jesus spoke, most of the times you and I open our Bibles, and most of the times you and I listen to a
sermon, one or more of these types of selective listening is taking place:
The first type, Selective exposure, is what occurs when you turn the station on your radio and begin
listening in the middle of a broadcast. You have not been exposed to the entire program, and thus you only
hear part of the conversation. You experience this when you read your Bible by starting in the middle of a
particular context and thus fail to be exposed to the overall idea of the passage. You experience this in
church when you arrive late and miss the beginning of the sermon or when you go to the restroom or to
check on your child in the nursery in the middle of the pastor’s second point.
The second type, selective attention, is when you zone out while listening to a radio program. You are
exposed to the entire program, but you’re distracted through parts of it. It happens when you read your
Bible, but your eyes gloss over the words without engaging your mind. You give selective attention on
Sunday morning when you are distracted from the sermon by the overweight lady sleeping in the next
row, doodling on the bulletin, or daydreaming.
The third type, selective understanding, occurs when you correctly process only some of the
information you’re exposed to. Psychology has proven that we all at times deliberately misinterpret certain
data in order to make it fit our own liking, although we do so unconsciously. This happens when you sing
along with the radio while filling in the unknown lyrics with familiar phrases they sound like. It is
misinterpreting the strong teachings of the Bible or a sermon to endorse your actions, but to condemn the
behavior of the person sitting next to you.
Finally, the one most of us are perhaps guilty of, selective retention. This happens when you’ve
listened to and understood all of the radio program, the Scripture passage, or the sermon, but you live
tomorrow as though you weren’t even exposed to it today.
Gentiles. Thus the contrast between the children and dogs was one of priority and privilege, not worth.
Furthermore, in this context dogs are house pets, not the wild scavenging dogs that were considered
unclean to Jews. Jesus is declaring that the Jewish claim to privilege has past; let’s consider others who
may wish to come to dine. This story has strong ties to Acts 10:34-35, where Peter acknowledges that the
Gentiles are benefactors of the Gospel alongside the Jews. Implication: The food has been offered to the
children and they have refused it; it now goes to the hungry awaiting their turn!
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In Mark 7:35, the ear is called ajkohv, from which we get acoustic.
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Like blowing on hot embers only makes the fire burn hotter, Jesus hushes the crowds and they
only speak about Him more.
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Many thanks to my friend, Doug Fischer (a man full of wisdom and the Holy Spirit), for
pointing out these details.

Which of these types of selective listening are you most often guilty of? Perhaps you require Jesus’
healing hand to touch your ears and make them listen more effectively.
Objects Are Closer Than They Appear (8:1-26)

8:1
In those days there was another large crowd with nothing to eat. So Jesus called his
disciples and said to them, 8:2 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have
already been here with me three days, and they have nothing to eat. 8:3 If I send them
home hungry, they will faint on the way, and some of them have come from a great
distance.” 8:4 His disciples answered him, “Where can someone get enough bread in this
desolate place to satisfy these people?” 8:5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you
have?” They replied, “Seven.” 8:6 Then he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground.
After he took the seven loaves and gave thanks, he broke them and began giving them to
the disciples to serve. So they served the crowd. 8:7 They also had a few small fish. After
giving thanks for these, he told them to serve these as well. 8:8 Everyone ate and was
satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 8:9 There
were about four thousand who ate.67 Then he dismissed them. 8:10 Immediately he got
into a boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.
8:11
Then the Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, asking for a sign from
heaven to test him. 8:12 Sighing deeply in his spirit he said, “Why does this generation
look for a sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to this generation.” 8:13 Then
he left them, got back into the boat, and went to the other side.
Now they had forgotten to take bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the
8:14
boat. 8:15 And Jesus gave them orders, saying, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the
Pharisees and the yeast of Herod!” 8:16 So they began to discuss with one another about
having no bread. 8:17 When he learned of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you arguing
about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Have your hearts been
hardened? 8:18 Though you have eyes, don’t you see? And though you have ears, can’t
you hear? Don’t you remember? 8:19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand,
how many baskets full of pieces did you pick up?” They said, “Twelve.” 8:20 “When I
broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you
pick up?” They said, “Seven.” 8:21 Then he said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
8:22
Then they came to Bethsaida. They brought Jesus a blind man and asked him to
touch him. 8:23 He took the blind man by the hand and brought him outside of the
village. Then he spit on his eyes, placed his hands on his eyes and asked, “Do you see
anything?” 8:24 Regaining his sight he said, “I see people, but they look like trees
walking.” 8:25 Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again; then he opened his
eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 68 8:26 Jesus sent him home,
saying, “Do not even go into the village.”
The healing of the blind man here and the deaf-mute in chapter seven are the only two miracles that
appear only in Mark’s Gospel. Also, this healing of the blind man is the only two-stage miracle that Jesus
performs. This entire section is building up to the two-stage healing of the blind man. Why a two-stage
healing? Jesus does this deliberately because He is trying to communicate something; He is not merely
trying to heal this man. Like the healing of the deaf-mute, this is a visual parable. Sight often represented
understanding, and Jesus is depicting the foggy understanding that the disciples had concerning Him. It is
performed to depict the denseness of His disciples.
67
Some have made the accusation that the feeding of the 5,000 was the same event as the feeding
of the 4,000. But when the two stories occur only two chapters apart in a book by one author—we have to
give the author the benefit of the doubt that he is not reporting contradictory accounts of the same event.
Plus, Jesus mentions both feedings in his rebuke of the disciples. Notice that the reason for Jesus’
compassion differs in the two accounts. The type of basket described in the feeding of the 4,000 is actually
larger than that of the feeding of the 5,000.
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Four times in 8:1-26 the word “see” appears, (e.g., “watch out” for the leaven of the Pharisees).
The word for eye in Greek is ojfqalmovs, from which we get ophthalmology.

In Mark, only three of Jesus’ miracles are performed before private audiences: Jairus’ daughter, the
deaf-mute, and this blind man. However, Jesus was not entirely alone with the blind man, for the man saw
“people, but they look like trees walking.” Presumably it was the blurry disciples that the man saw.
Perhaps Jesus was trying to let them know what it felt like to only be partially seen (just as the disciples
had only partially understood Jesus). Do you have a distorted view of Jesus?
Meditation Verse
“meditation verse” to leave a broad range of uses: meditate, reflect, memorize, reread, etc. Our meditation
verse for this lesson is Mark 7:37:
People were completely astounded and said, “He has done everything well. He even
7:37
makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
A Follower’s Fee
Mark 8:27 – 9:29
Introduction:
I recently came across a list entitled “The World’s Thinnest Books.” These are books whose content is
so sparse that it fills but a few pages. See if you recognize any of these titles:
Burger King Items That Start with “Mc”
Northern Hospitality
Female Driving Heroes
Intelligent Things Men Say69
Tic-tac-toe: A Strategy Guide
Bin Laden’s Tips on Personal Hygiene
Things I Can’t Afford by Bill Gates
What I Wouldn’t do for Money by Dennis Rodman
Al Gore’s Wild Years
Dr. Kevorkian’s Collection of Motivational Speeches
EPA Recipes for the Spotted Owl
The Amish Phone Directory
O.J. Simpson’s Plan to Find the Real Killers
I have another title that I would like to add to this prestigious list of thin books:
The Disciples’ Guide to Understanding Jesus [taken from the Gospel of Mark]
It’s true! As much as any other chapter in the Bible, the denseness of the disciples will be highlighted
Mark 8:27 – 9:29.
Jesus predicts His own suffering and crucifixion in three famous passages in Mark (8:31; 9:31; 10:33-
34). In this lesson, we will encounter the first of these. It is important to note the improper response of the
disciples when Jesus predicts His own suffering and death. They have an improper view of Jesus as the
Christ. Because of this misunderstanding, they also misunderstand their role as followers of Christ. In
today’s passage, Jesus is going to clarify His role as the “Messiah,” while clarifying the role of those who
wish to be called His followers. He does so by delineating the cost of discipleship.
How true! I must admit, however, that this was a political move to minimize the pain caused by
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the previous title in the list. A thousand pardons to those I offend.

Following Jesus: How Much Does It Cost? (8:27 – 9:1)70
Then Jesus and his disciples went to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way
8:27
he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 8:28 They said, “John the
Baptist, others say Elijah, and still others, one of the prophets.” 8:29 He asked them,
“But who do you say that I am?”71 Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 8:30 Then
he warned them not to tell anyone about him.
8:31
Then Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be
rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and after
three days rise again. 8:32 He spoke openly about this. So Peter took him aside and
began to rebuke him. 8:33 But after turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter
and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but
on man’s.”
8:34
Then Jesus called the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “If anyone wants to
become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 8:35 For
whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the
gospel will save it. 8:36 For what benefit is it for a person to gain the whole world, yet
forfeit his life? 8:37 What can a person give in exchange for his life? 8:38 For if anyone is
ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man
will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy
angels.” 9:1 And he said to them, “I tell you the truth, there are some standing here who
will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.”
Reading Mark 8:34-37 in Eugene Peterson’s The Message (published by NavPress), offers some
additional color:
Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “Anyone who intends to come with me
has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering;
embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is
the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get
everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul
for?”
You just read the price tag of discipleship. How much does it cost? Everything.
Jesus asks who others say that He is only to create the opportunity to ask the disciples who they think
He is. Most people had a misguided view of who Jesus was (see also Mark 6:14-16). The theories about
Jesus (John the Baptist, Elijah, some other prophet) all involve preparatory roles. Jesus was not
preparatory; He was the real thing. “Christ” is the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew, Messiah, meaning
“anointed one.” Mark 8:29 is the first time the word has resurfaced since Mark 1:1 (and it will appear 5
more times in Mark after 8:29). Those in the Old Testament that were anointed were prophets, priests, and
especially kings. Jesus was all of the above. The disciples had the vernacular right, but still didn’t fully
understand what was meant by “Messiah.”
Most (including the Twelve) were expecting a victorious Messiah by conventional means. The Jewish
understanding of the Christ (i.e., “Messiah”) was that He would bring deliverance through conquest. Here,
Jesus explains that He will bring deliverance through the cross. He would achieve victory through
suffering. He would take up the cross, not the crown. Thus Jesus requires His listeners to adjust—and
raise—their expectations of the Messiah. He is more, much more, than they had anticipated. God’s means
of deliverance was through suffering and death. Jesus knew that His followers still viewed His Messiah-
ship incorrectly, thus He immediately sets out to correct their mistaken view.
He is met with disapproval and rebuke by Peter. Peter “rebukes” Jesus—the same strong language
that is used of Jesus elsewhere to silence demons. Why Peter’s negative response? Because the identity
and destiny of Jesus will determine the identity and destiny of His followers. What will the disciples
70
It has been said that the most important thing about a person is what he believes about God.
71
This question on the lips of Jesus is the most important question any person has ever asked, and the
answer one gives has direct eternal consequences.

receive in return for following Jesus? If He is going to reign, they will partake in His glory. But if He is
going to die, they will partake in His suffering. If your military commander predicts that he will suffer and
die in an upcoming battle—how willing would you be to enter the battle with him? If your basketball
coach declares that he will not be victorious in the upcoming game—wouldn’t that discourage the
players? That’s why Jesus tells Peter that he is interested in the things of men (namely himself) and not
that of God. Peter is interested in saving his own neck! The “things of God” indicates that God’s plan
includes Jesus’ suffering.
Mark 8:34 is the only time in this Gospel that Jesus calls the crowds together with the disciples—he
is about to say something important. In fact, what he says is the hinge to the entire book. How much does
it cost? What is the price tag for discipleship? You must deny yourself. It means treachery or disavowal of
oneself. The closest opposite of the notion of “self-denial” is “self-allegiance”—concerned ultimately for
one’s own good, looking out for number one. Discipleship, Jesus informs us, costs everything. Jesus had
challenged many of his disciples to follow him prior to this (see chapter one), but they were evidently not
clear on what was required.
Are you aware of the personal cost of discipleship? What has it cost you personally? Are you willing
to pay such high tuition? Is there an area of your life that you are refusing to submit to Him? Then you are
delinquent on payment. What are you holding back from God? Write it down, put it in an envelope, and
give it over to Him. Does it hurt? Absolutely. But there is comfort on the other side, and peace because you
know you’ve done the right thing. What are you holding on to in allegiance to yourself? Jim Eliot spoke
some famous words that continue to challenge us today: “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep
to gain what he cannot lose.”
If allegiance can no longer be paid to ourselves, then who does it rightly belong to? To put it another
way, “Who do I pay?”
Following Jesus: Who Do I Pay? (9:2-9:13)

9:2
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John and led them alone up
a high mountain privately. And he was transfigured before them, 9:3 and his clothes
became radiantly white, more than any launderer in the world could bleach them. 9:4
Then Elijah appeared before them along with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 72
9:5
Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three
shelters—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 9:6 (For they were afraid, and
he did not know what to say.) 9:7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came
from the cloud, “This is my one dear Son. Listen to him!” 9:8 Suddenly when they looked
around, they saw no one with them any more except Jesus.
9:9
As they were coming down from the mountain, he gave them orders not to tell anyone
what they had seen until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 9:10 They kept
this statement to themselves, discussing what this rising from the dead meant.
9:11
Then they asked him, “Why do the experts in the law say that Elijah must come
first?” 9:12 He said to them, “Elijah does indeed come first and restores all things. And
why is it written that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be despised? 9:13 But I
tell you that Elijah has certainly come, and they did to him whatever they wanted, just
as it is written about him.”
After discovering how much something costs, you then must determine who you will pay. Jesus is
worth our reliance and allegiance.
Many scholars hold the Transfiguration to be the fulfillment of Mark 9:1. In fact, in each of the
Synoptic Gospels (there is no record of the Transfiguration in the Fourth Gospel) the Transfiguration is
immediately preceded by this prediction (Matthew 16:28; Luke 9:27). The Transfiguration of Christ was
done for the benefit of the disciples—“before them” (9:2, 4), “enveloped them” (9:7), a voice addressed
them (9:7). It is meant to confirm for them the true identity of Jesus as God’s Son. The voice from heaven
72
Moses is often associated with a mountain (Sinai) as is Elijah (Carmel). Moses showing up is
perhaps reminiscent of Deut. 18:15; and Elijah was popularly viewed as the one to prepare the way as the
end was drawing near. Jesus claims that Elijah had already come (see Malachi 4:5-6) in the person of
John the Baptist (see Matthew 11:14).

repeats that Jesus is “My beloved Son” (compare with the voice at Jesus’ baptism in Mark 1:11), but adds
that the disciples are to “listen to Him,” suggesting that they had hitherto not been doing so (see Peter’s
rebuke of Jesus in 8:32). Imagine how foolish Peter felt when, after rebuking Jesus in Mark 8:32, the
Father instructs him to “listen to him.”
Who do you pay? Who’s receiving your allegiance? Who are you following? As you try to live this life
of self-denial, who are you listening to? According the revelation of the Transfiguration and the voice
from heaven, Jesus alone is worthy—follow Him! The Apostle Paul perhaps understood this more than
any other writer of the New Testament. Paul understood that the suffering Messiah had indeed come, and
had accomplished salvation that demands a response of self-denial and Christ-allegiance.
Paul writes in Galatians 6:14, “But may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
He writes in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but
Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God,
who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Finally, in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 the great Apostle writes, “For the love of Christ controls us, since
we have concluded this, that Christ died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all so that those
who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised.”
Following Jesus: How Does It Work? (9:14-29)

When they came to the disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and experts in
9:14
the law arguing with them. 9:15 When the whole crowd saw him they were amazed and
ran at once and greeted him. 9:16 He asked them, “What are you arguing about with
them?” 9:17 A member of the crowd said to him, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is
possessed by a spirit that makes him mute. 9:18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him
down, and he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your
disciples to cast it out, but they were not able to do it.” 9:19 He answered them, “You
unbelieving generation! How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I
endure you? Bring him to me.” 9:20 So they brought the boy to him. When the spirit saw
him, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell on the ground and rolled
around, foaming at the mouth. 9:21 Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been
happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. 9:22 It has often thrown him into fire
or water to destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have compassion on us and
help us.” 9:23 Then Jesus said to him, “‘If you are able?’ All things are possible for the
one who believes.” 9:24 Immediately the father of the boy cried out and said, “I believe;
help my unbelief!”
9:25
Now when Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly gathering, he rebuked the unclean
spirit, saying to it, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never
enter him again.” 9:26 It shrieked, threw him into terrible convulsions, and came out. The
boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He is dead!” 9:27 But Jesus gently
took his hand and raised him to his feet, and he stood up.
Then, after he went into the house, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t
9:28
we cast it out?” 9:29 He told them, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”
After learning an item’s cost and purchasing it, you then take it home and try it out to determine how
it works. The disciples haven’t learned to deny selves and rely solely on Him.
This text describes the disciples’ inability to cast out a demon. Why were they unable to do so? After
all, they had experienced success at casting out demons when they depended upon God (Mark 6:13). Jesus
informs them that the demon could only be exorcised “by prayer,” indicating that the disciples were
relying on themselves instead of God. They had not yet learned to deny themselves, and they still retain a
fair measure of self-confidence.
The disciples’ failure stems from their limited perspective. They simply haven’t learned their own
limitations and the limitless power of Christ. They are living lives of self-dependence and self-allegiance.
They have not learned to deny themselves, sacrificing their self-interests for the sake of the cross. Do you

struggle to maintain the right perspective regarding the way you live your life? Perhaps this story from
one man’s life—and death—will assist you in your struggle.
Charlemagne, king of the Franks, was a man who seemed to have everything. According to one of his
closest assistants, “He was six feet four inches tall, and built to scale. He had blond hair, animated eyes, a
powerful nose ... a presence ‘always stately and dignified.’”
Charlemagne went to Rome on Christmas Day in A.D. 800. There in a church, dressed in his best
imperial purple, he received the name “Charles the Great.” While kneeling before the altar, the Pope took
the imperial crown and placed it upon Charlemagne’s head, hailing him the sixty-eighth Emperor of
Rome—an empire that he been dead for over 300 years. Charlemagne was so great, so rich, so brave, and
so powerful, that his influence was virtually global.
Charlemagne never submitted himself to the medicine of his day. Therefore, in A.D. 814 when he
became ill at the age of seventy-two, he declined medical treatment, refused to eat, and died at the end of a
week.
He had, however, made all of his last arrangements with meticulous care and specificity. At his
request, he was buried in the vault of the cathedral of Aix-la-Chapelle. His body was dressed in imperial
purple and seated upon a throne inside the unusual tomb. With a crown on his head, a scepter in his hand,
a sword by his side, and an open Bible on his knees, the great Emperor sat in all of his glory, and the vault
was closed. Charlemagne had prescribed all of this in his will, and had besides given instructions that his
tomb should never be opened.
But a German emperor, wishing to secure the regalia (the crown, scepter, and other royal and
imperial ornaments), had the vault opened in A.D. 997—nearly 200 years later. Charlemagne’s body was
found just as had he had requested. And, there, on his lap was the open Bible Charlemagne had requested.
And one bony finger pointed to Matthew 16:26 = Mark 8:36-37: “For what does it benefit a person if he
gains the whole world but forfeits his life? Or what can a person give in exchange for his life?”
How does it work? How is it possible to deny one’s own interests for the sake of the cross? It’s
realizing that this world is not all there is. There is more to this life than having the highest-paying job or
the fastest car or the most money or the greatest reputation or the most attractive figure. We are citizens of
another world. Some of you have grown comfortable here; you have grown deep roots in this world. In
Philippians 3:20-21, Paul writes,
“But our citizenship is in heaven—and we also await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus
Christ, who will transform these humble bodies of ours into the likeness of his glorious
body by means of that power by which he is able to subject all things to himself.”
Can you say with Paul in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”? Did you
hear that? To die is gain! The fee that is requested for this ride with Jesus—the tuition to enter into His
school of discipleship—is your very life. Anything less would be a slap in the face to the Savior who
bought you.
Meditation Verse
Then Jesus called the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “If anyone wants to
become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”
A Follower’s Perspective
Mark 9:30 – 10:31
Introduction:
The other day I was speaking with a friend of mine who happens to be a new Christian. This middle-
aged man has a powerful testimony: God has rescued him from a life of worldly pursuits, drugs, alcohol,

addictions, broken relationships—you name it. As we spoke of the great things God was doing in His life,
he said something absolutely profound and fundamentally biblical. I’ll paraphrase him here:
“As I pray and read my Bible everyday, I almost feel as though I’m having to unlearn my former way of
life. I’m beginning to rethink everything and to look at things from the Bible’s perspective.”
Praise God for such alertness and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. Paul writes in Romans chapter twelve
about a “renewing of the mind”—thinking not only the things of God, but thinking about things the way
God thinks about them; embracing God’s perspective. Today, we are going to examine our perspective on
things. We are going to discover if you and I have the need to rethink things and begin to look at them
from the Bible’s perspective. This lesson will prove irritating for some of you, because the Gospel of Mark
is going to teach us things that are quite contrary to the way we have been taught. Our culture teaches us
that our interests are the most important, but this lesson is about dismissing our own interests in favor of
others. Our culture teaches us that we deserve—indeed are entitled to—the best, but this lesson is about
choosing to be last so that others can win. Our culture teaches us that “if we believe it we can achieve it”
(or “where there’s a will there’s a way” or “we can do anything we set our mind to”), but this lesson is
about depending on others in acknowledgment that we are unable to do it alone.
En route to correcting his disciples’ (and our) perspectives, Jesus will also articulate his second of
three Passion Predictions.73 We’ll encounter the third and last one in the next lesson. In today’s lesson,
Jesus challenges His disciples to adjust their perspective in three areas.
A Disciple of Jesus Christ Chooses Insignificance Over Recognition (9:30-37)74

They went out from there and passed through Galilee. But Jesus did not want anyone to know,
9:30
9:31
for he was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man will be betrayed into the
hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” 9:32 But they did not understand
this statement and were afraid to ask him.75
Then they came to Capernaum. When Jesus was in the house he asked them, “What were you
9:33
discussing on the way?” 9:34 But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another
about who was the greatest. 9:35 After he sat down, he called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone
wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 9:36 He took a little child and had him
stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 9:37 “Whoever welcomes one of these
little children in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one
who sent me.”
After the second prediction, the disciples discussed which among them was the greatest. In other
words, they still didn’t get it! How dense they seem. Jesus is spelling out for them His own future suffering
and impending death, and they are preoccupied with comparing themselves with one another in an
attempt to discover which is the greatest, the most important, the most significant.
Twice in this lesson, Jesus uses children to teach lessons. The Greek word paidivon (used in Mark
9:36-37; 10:13-15) often refers to very young children, but can mean children of any age up to early teens,
and without regard to parental relationship. In the first century, children were especially regarded as
insignificant. They had no power and no status, and were not considered full persons. Thus to embrace a
child publicly was to embrace that which was insignificant. Jesus was choosing insignificance by
association. In contrast to the discussion the disciples shared about being the greatest, Jesus characterizes
“kingdom greatness” by showing them a helpless, self-denying child. Children recognized their own
insignificance. Only someone with a true servant’s heart—voluntarily taking last place—could receive an
insignificant child. Following Christ and denying ourselves involves becoming insignificant because of
the Kingdom of God.
I have a friend in full-time ministry named Thomas. He is an influential ministry leader, speaker,
writer, etc. He had a marked impact on my life and still does as he heads up a ministry he has been a part
73
Jesus predicts His own suffering and crucifixion in three famous passages in Mark (8:31; 9:31;
10:33-34). These fortellings are labeled “Passion Predictions.”
74
75
Hmm. If you had been rebuked as harshly as Peter was after misunderstanding the first Passion
Prediction, wouldn’t you think twice about asking Jesus about subsequent ones?

of for twenty years now. When you think of Thomas you usually think of a man of integrity, discipline,
perseverance, consistency, and family. He works hard in ministry and is actively involved in others’ lives.
He arrives home each evening to spend time with his children and wife after being away since dawn.
When I lived closer to Thomas a number of years ago, his evening routine included something else during
the long winter months in Kentucky. He would disappear into his bedroom, and his family all understood
why. He would change out of his business casual attire and replace them with coveralls, a hat, and gloves.
Then he would walk out the back door, down the alley behind his house, to a house a few hundred yards
away. It was the home of Mr. Idsen. Mr. Idsen was an impoverished, physically handicapped, elderly man.
While Thomas lived in an average middle-income family home, Mr. Idsen lived in a drafty shack that
could hardly be described as a home. There was no electricity, the dirty wooden floors were uneven, and
the cracks in the windows and siding permitted the wintry breezes to blow through virtually unrestrained.
Each cold winter night Thomas would suit up and journey down to visit briefly with Mr. Idsen. He would
find him predictably laying on his twin-sized bed next to the wood-burning stove in the center room of the
house. He would ask about the events of the day and inquire about his needs. Then Thomas the ministry
leader would step outside to chop firewood for Mr. Idsen. He would carry two or three armloads inside the
drafty house—enough to guarantee Mr. Idsen’s warmth through the night and the next day. After stoking
the fire and reminding Mr. Idsen that the wood is there by the stove if he gets chilly in the middle of the
night, Thomas would again head home. Not many people knew the service Thomas rendered to Mr. Idsen.
It was a ministry of insignificance.76
What is your ministry of insignificance? Are you fearful for your reputation or your status. Remember,
even Jesus, for the joy set before Him, became insignificant and endured the cross for you and me. That’s
what a disciple of Jesus will do. He chooses insignificance over recognition.
A Disciple of Jesus Christ Chooses Sacrifice Over Selfishness (9:38 - 10:12)

John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and
9:38
we tried to stop him because he was not following us.” 9:39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop
him, because no one who does a miracle in my name will be able soon afterward to say
anything bad about me. 9:40 For whoever is not against us is for us.77 9:41 For I tell you
the truth, whoever gives you a cup of water because you bear Christ’s78 name will never
lose his reward.
9:42
“If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better
for him to have a huge millstone79 tied around his neck and to be thrown into the sea. 9:43
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than to have two hands and go into hell, to the unquenchable fire.80 9:45 If your foot
causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better to enter life lame than to have two feet and be
thrown into hell. 9:47 If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better to enter into the
kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 9:48 where
their worm never dies and the fire is never quenched. 9:49 Everyone will be salted with
fire. 9:50 Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have
salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”
Then Jesus left that place and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan
10:1
River. Again crowds gathered to him, and as was his custom, he again taught them. 10:2
Then some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to
divorce his wife?” 10:3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 10:4 They
said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” 10:5
76
Mr. Idsen went home to be with the Lord a few years ago.
77
Even Cicero, a 1st century B.C . author, quoted this proverb, “Whoever is not against us is for
us.”
78
There it is: Jesus uses the designation “Christ” of himself—extremely rare in the Synoptics.
79
Literally in Greek, a “donkey’s millstone”: This millstone is a very large type weighing several
hundred (perhaps thousands) pounds and turned by a donkey.
80
Mark 9:44 and 9:46 are missing from many of your Bibles for good reason. Simply put, the
earliest and best manuscripts omit the verses, and there are better reasons to believe that a well-meaning
scribe inserted the verses deliberately than that he omitted them unintentionally.

But Jesus said to them, “He wrote this commandment for you because of your hard
hearts. 10:6 But from the beginning of creation he made them male and female. 10:7 For
this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be united with his wife, 10:8
and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 10:9
Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
10:10
In the house once again, the disciples asked him about this. 10:11 So he told them,
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. 10:12 And
if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”81
Notice that John describes the person as not following “us.” Clearly, he has selfish motives in this
text. We learned about denying ourselves in the previous lesson and redirecting our allegiance onto Christ;
this week we learn to deny ourselves in consideration of others. The main message of this passage is self-
denial or sacrifice over selfishness and self-allegiance. The kingdom of God belongs to those who
sacrifice.
I’m going to zero in on Jesus’ illustration. I believe that the reason Jesus teaches against divorce in
this context is to portray divorce as a purely selfish act. He begins by correcting John’s selfishness and
affirming any who sacrifice for the name of Christ (9:39-41). He transitions to talk about selfless living
around others so as to prevent them from stumbling and one’s willingness to sacrifice life and limb for the
Kingdom (9:42-48). Salt, Jesus says, at times represents judgment upon people (9:49). But the salt of
selflessness and sacrifice is the secret to “peace with each other” (9:50). The very next line begins the
pericope on divorce. No one in antiquity spoke out against divorce more strongly than Jesus does here.
Several weeks ago I visited another church with some friends to celebrate the dedication of their
child. Much can be learned about a church just from its bulletin. But as I read over their bulletin, I was
troubled by something I didn’t see. My attention was first drawn to a large ad promoting their popular
“Divorce Care” class. I reflected on how wonderful of a ministry that was to those who are hurting. But
something was missing. I next noticed their ad for a class on how to succeed as a step family. “Of course,”
I thought. Becoming a step family has got to be one of the most difficult things in life to do. But
something was still missing.
Then it hit me. There were no classes being offered on strengthening your marriage or marriage
success or marriage rescue. Balance was sorely absent. There was lots of emphasis on recovery after the
fact but no emphasis on rescue before the fact! How different that is from Scripture’s treatment of the
subject. Of course the Bible teaches grace and to care for those hurting and broken. But the emphasis in
Scripture is on obedience in the first place.
I’ve been married for eight years—not decades, but we’re not newlyweds either. I also have two
children. I’ve been married long enough to experience the good times and the bad. It is commonly known
that the divorce rate among Christians is virtually identical to the divorce rate among the unsaved.
Furthermore, the average marriage today in the U.S. lasts 7.2 years. California leads all states in divorces
annually, followed closely by Texas. Finally, eighty percent (80%) of all divorces claim “irreconcilable
differences” as the reason for the divorce.
Irreconcilable differences has been described thus:
“The most common ground for dissolving a marriage is dissolution of matrimony based
on irreconcilable differences which have caused the irremediable breakdown of the
marriage. The irreconcilable differences ground is broad for a reason. It is intended to
represent the actual reasons underlying marital breakdowns, simply stated, it is a “no
fault” basis for terminating a marriage. Once the court finds that irreconcilable
differences have indeed caused the irremediable breakdown of the marriage, the court
must grant the requested dissolution of marriage.”82
81
According to Jewish tradition, a woman could not divorce a man. According to Roman law, she
could.
82
Quotation taken from the website of Kraffert and Shaffer, attorneys at law
(www.kraffertschaffer.com).

At least six times I have sat across from a couple who told me they were constantly fighting and that
divorce would be the best thing for them.83 Other times couples have informed me that they were divorced
because it was the best thing for their kids. I may offend some when I abjectly disagree with that
proposition. Divorce is never the answer when a couple fights too much. And divorce is never the best
thing for your children. Taking that step is giving a geographical solution to a heart problem—it just
doesn’t work. You know what would be best for your kids? Stop fighting! Divorce is never “better for the
kids.”
Finally, the Bible makes it clear that divorce is always the result of sin. Did you catch that? Perhaps
that statement needs to sink in a little for some of you, as you may have never heard such a bold statement
pertaining to divorce. I’ll say it again; Divorce is always the result of sin. Whether adultery, neglect,
selfishness, or any number of other sins. If this is true, then why does the divorce rate among believers
remain so high? Perhaps it’s because we refuse to listen to God’s Word and acknowledge the firm stance it
takes on the issue. If the reason you wish to get divorced is not permitted in Scripture, then it is not
permitted. Now, before you sit down to write that angry letter to me, please remember two important
things: 1) I am not the one who is strict about marriage—Jesus is. I’m simply in agreement with Him. 2)
If you plan to defend your right to a divorce, you’d better be able to defend yourself from Scripture,
because I’m going to ask you for a chapter and verse from the Word of God that justifies your decision. 84 A
disciple of Jesus Christ chooses sacrifice over selfishness, even (especially?) within the family.
A Disciple of Jesus Christ Chooses Dependence Over Self-Reliance (10:13-31)

10:13
Now people were bringing little children to him for him to touch, but the disciples
scolded them. 10:14 But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the
little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs
to such as these. 10:15 I tell you the truth, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God
like a child will never enter it.” 10:16 After he took the children in his arms, he placed his
hands on them and blessed them.
10:17
Now as Jesus was starting out on his way, a man ran up to him, fell on his knees,
and said, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 10:18 Jesus said to him,
“Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 10:19 You know the
commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give
false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” 10:20 The man said to
him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things since my youth.” 10:21 As Jesus looked at him,
he felt love for him and said, “You lack one thing. Go, sell whatever you have and give
the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
10:22
But at this statement, the man looked sad and went away sorrowful, for he was very
rich.
Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to
10:23
enter the kingdom of God!” 10:24 The disciples were astonished at these words. But again
Jesus said to them, “Children, 85 how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 10:25 It is
easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the
kingdom of God.” 10:26 They were even more astonished and said to one another, “Then
who can be saved?” 10:27 Jesus looked at them and replied, “This is impossible for man,
but not for God; everything is possible for God.”
83
For the record, none of these couples are affiliated in any way with Trinity Bible Church.
84
Some have broadened the boundaries on what are biblically-permissible grounds for divorce to
include things the Bible simply does not address. My position is that if the Bible does not permit you a
divorce, then you are not permitted a divorce. Thus, if you are being physically abused (for example), I
counsel you to seek safety, perhaps even seek separation. But divorce is not an option for you.
85
The Greek word tevknon (used in Mark 10:24, 29-30) usually denotes offspring—children of
any age who belong to someone. Thus the phrase in Scripture, “children of God,” usually employs
tevknon. [Mark 10:24 is the only place in the Synoptic Gospels where Jesus calls the disciples
“children” (tevknon; see also John 13:33)]. Why does He do so? He’s telling them to depend on God
like children.

10:28
Peter began to speak to him, “Look, we have left everything to follow you!” 10:29
Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, there is no one who has left home or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel 10:30
who will not receive in this age a hundred times as much—homes, brothers, sisters,
mothers, children, fields, all with persecutions86—and in the age to come, eternal life.
10:31
But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
The characteristic that Jesus wants the disciples—and us—to learn from these children is that of
dependence. In a culture where 6 of 10 children died before the age of 16, 87 Jesus communicates His love
for the helpless and dependent. The issue is one of dependence over self-reliance. Children must depend
upon others. In contrast to these dependent children, the rich man was relying solely on himself (“What
must I do to inherit eternal life?”). The kingdom of God belongs to those who depend on God rather than
the self-reliant.
I spent three years as a school teacher. As a teacher, I was often asked my position on the modern
teaching theory that instructs children that they have the potential to do anything. Rather than damage a
child’s fragile self-esteem, the theory says, we should assign the highest grades to each child while
whispering in their ear that they’ve earned it. A teacher should only be affirming, never negative. “If you
believe it, you can achieve it!” is the rallying cry for today’s youth. “Where there’s a will there’s a way!”
“You can do anything you set our mind to!”
As a teacher, I cannot subscribe to such a theory. As a reasonable human, I realize how hopelessly
flawed and unrealistic such teaching really is. Reality proves that such statements are absurd. No child has
such potential, and each child has his or her own unique potential. To falsely convince a child of his
limitless potential in order to save his self-esteem today is to set him up for failure and damage his self-
esteem tomorrow—because inevitably he will fail. And when he fails, who does he have to blame but
himself? He did, after all, have all the potential to succeed.
Moreover, such a theory fails students in another crucial area—teaching them their limitations.
Children today can do amazing things and they have enormous (albeit not unlimited) potential. We must
teach them that. But we must also teach them their limitations and what cannot be done. The word “can’t”
seldom comes up anymore, because we want folks to believe so they can achieve. But when appropriate,
the word “can’t” is a great teaching tool, for it shows limitation. It balances what they are able to do with
what they are unable to do. And it discourages isolationistic Lone Rangers while creating a need for
healthy dependence—upon others and upon God. You and I must depend on God because we “can’t”—in
God’s ears it is one of the most beautiful words, as it communicates dependence on Him. Thus we are
perfectly positioned for His miraculous hand to work. Have you told God lately that you can’t do it? With
people it is impossible; but with God, all things are possible.
Meditation Verse
After he sat down, he called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he
must be last of all and servant of all.”
A Follower’s Service
Mark 10:32-52
Introduction
What images come to your mind when you hear the word “servant”? Perhaps you envision that waiter
or waitress at your favorite restaurant. Maybe you think of that mechanic that you’ve built a relationship
with through years of broken cars. Some may even think of their mother who worked tirelessly to care for
86
This section is perhaps best understood as a principle, not a promise. Don’t claim it as a
promise. Rather, living this way will often lead to such generosity (and persecution) in return.
87
Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, pg. 264.

her family. When I hear the word “servant,” I recall my days working in a pharmacy. It was a special
needs pharmacy, concentrating particularly on menopausal and postmenopausal, hormonally-imbalanced
women. For two years I learned what it meant to truly serve others. Countless times I had to tolerate a
thorough chewing out; countless times I had to bite my tongue; countless times I had to acquiesce when I
knew I was in the right. When I was promoted to HR Manager, I began to look for the qualities of a
servant when hiring new employees—knowing that they would never survive without them.
Another image conjured up by the title “servant” is “minister.” The word is derived from a Latin term
meaning “servant” or “minor.” The Bible talks candidly about the minister’s primary role of serving
others. But in an age of domination and faulty ideas about leadership, it is difficult to discern the true
servant from a false one. How would I know a servant if I saw one? You will know whether a person is a
servant or not by the way they act when they are treated like one.
In today’s passage, we learn two essential characteristics of a true servant.
A Servant Surrenders What’s Best for Himself (10:32-45)88

10:32
They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem. Jesus was going ahead of them, and
they were amazed, but those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again
and began to tell them what was going to happen to him. 10:33 “Look, we are going up to
Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and experts in
the law. They will condemn him to death and will turn him over to the Gentiles. 10:34
They will mock him, spit on him, flog him severely, and kill him. Yet after three days, he
will rise again.”
10:35
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said, “Teacher, we
want89 you to do for us whatever we ask.” 10:36 He said to them, “What do you want me
to do for you?” 10:37 They said to him, “Permit one of us to sit at your right hand and the
other at your left in your glory.”90 10:38 But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you
are asking! Are you able to drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I
experience?”91 10:39 They said to him, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “You will
drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I experience, 10:40 but to
sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give. It is for those for whom it has been
prepared.”
Now when the other ten heard this, they became angry with James and John. 92 10:42
10:41
Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers
of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over
them. 10:43 But it is not this way among you. Instead whoever wants to be great among
you must be your servant, 10:44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the
slave of all. 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to
give his life as a ransom93 for many.”
This passion prediction is the most detailed of the three. Jesus mentions for the first time that
Jerusalem is His destination. He also adds that he will be turned over to the Gentiles (implying that His
death will be by crucifixion—a prominent Roman form of execution), and that He will be mocked, spit
upon, and flogged severely.
88
89
The notion of “wanting” ( ) appears five times in our text today (Mark 10:35, 36, 43, 44,
51)—primarily contrasting wanting greatness vs. wanting to serve.
90
To the right of the king is the highest position; the left is the next highest position.
91
Jesus speaks of the cup of his suffering—in the Old Testament the “cup” often symbolized
suffering and trouble. Remember in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus will pray that if it is God’s will that
God would let the “cup” pass from Him (14:23-24, 36).
92
The ten were indignant because each of them wanted that position of privilege—James and
John had called dibs and had gotten there first; the others were jealous.
93
The word “ransom” appears only here and in Matthew 20:28 (though it occurs in 1 Tim. 2:6
accompanied by a prefix). Interesting that Jesus instructs us that we are to become slaves (10:44), but then
declares that His life will be given as a ransom to free us from slavery (10:45).

After the first prediction, Peter rebuked Jesus and was rebuked in return. After the second, the
disciples discussed along the way who was the greatest, and Jesus had to instruct them that whoever
wishes to be first must be last of all and servant of all. Here, after the third, James and John approach
Jesus requesting to partake of His coming glory. Mark 10:35-40 clearly shows the mistaken view the
disciples had of “Christ”—and again Jesus seeks to correct them by challenging them to be “servant” and
“slave.” They still don’t understand. And Jesus once again responds by instructing them that if it is
greatness you seek, then you must be a servant and slave of all. Again, not what they were expecting.
Jesus is going to Jerusalem to die; the disciples’ response conveys that they still think Jesus is going to
Jerusalem to reign.
James and John94 were not mistaken in recognizing that they were especially favored by God, but they
were mistaken in imagining that this would come at no cost. They sought close association with the future
king of Israel—and all the rights and privileges that accompany such proximity. They were anticipating
all of Jerusalem bowing before Jesus and paying Him homage; instead they bowed before Him mockingly
and spit upon Him. They were anticipating a crown of gold; instead He received a crown of thorns. They
were anticipating a throne; instead He received a cross. They were anticipating sitting at his right and left;
instead criminals were hung there.
The Son of Man did not come to be served. If the Son of Man did not come to be served—how wrong
it is for you and me to seek to be served. Rather, we should dedicate our very lives in service to others, and
look out for others’ interests over our own. The Apostle John who requested this privileged position beside
Jesus would later understand servant-hood. He who penned John 3:16 also penned 1 John 3:16:
“We have come to know love by this: that Jesus laid down his life for us; thus we ought
to lay down our lives for our fellow Christians.”
Jesus was choosing to suffer unjustly for the sake of the Gospel. A servant will allow others to treat
him unfairly for the sake of Christ (cf. 1 Peter 4:12-19). He will not instinctively defend himself, but will
supernaturally serve others without expectation of remuneration. Why would a servant relinquish what’s
best for himself? It’s not that a servant seeks last place out of self-deprivation, but that he wishes others to
receive first place and promotes them over himself. It is not for self-punishment. Don’t deprive yourself
for deprivation’s sake. Do so for others. Others will be in first place by virtue of your taking last place.
Jesus didn’t go to the cross because He was a masochist; He went for you and me. True greatness in God’s
kingdom is found in the servant.
A Servant Seeks What’s Best for Others (10:46-52)

They came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving
10:46
Jericho,95 Bartimaeus the son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the road. 96 10:47
When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of
David,97 have mercy on me!” 10:48 Many scolded him to get him to be quiet, but he
shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 10:49 Jesus stopped and said,
“Call him.” So they called the blind man and said to him, “Have courage! Get up! He
is calling you.” 10:50 He threw off his cloak, jumped up, and came to Jesus. 10:51 Then
Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied,
“Rabbi, let me see again.” 10:52 Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has healed you.”
Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the road.
The healing of blind Bartimaeus is Jesus’ last healing miracle of in the Gospel of Mark. The cloak
that was thrown off was a beggar’s cloak used to collect hand-outs by spreading it out before him as he sat
begging. By casting it aside, Bartimaeus was forsaking his former way of life, completely confident that
94
Incidentally, these two represent the extremes as far as persecution. James was the first of the
disciples martyred and John was the last to die, after living out his natural life of persecution.
95
According to Mark 10:46, a “large crowd” was leaving Jericho. Apparently, they were traveling
to participate in the festival in Jerusalem, about 15 miles southwest of Jericho.
96
Jericho was a prosperous town with a mild climate, ideal for a beggar who spent his days
sitting alongside the heavily-trafficked road begging.
97
“Son of David” is a Messianic title. Jesus is still the Messiah—the disciples must simply
change their understanding of that role.

Jesus would heal him. In contrast to the rich man (10:17-22), Bartimaeus leaves everything he has and
follows Jesus. He is the picture of true discipleship—He recognized his own need for a Savior, calls out to
Jesus, receives healing (lit., “your faith as saved you”), and then follows Jesus. The sight of Bartimaeus
stands in contrast to the spiritual blindness of the disciples and the religious leaders Jesus is about to
encounter in Jerusalem.
Twice in this passage Jesus asks the servant’s question: “What do you want me to do for you?” The
question is asked of the disciples in 10:36, and then of Bartimaeus in 10:51. Of course, this question is
always on the lips of a servant, and never on the lips of one who seeks to be served. How often do we ask
the question, “What will you do for me?” Or, we ask the right question with all sorts of strings attached.
We ask it for recognition or we ask it because we are paid to ask it.98
My wife is a servant, always asking others what she can do for them. I can’t count the number of
meals that have been cooked in my house for other families. She is thoughtful and considerate of even the
smallest detail, and puts her compassion to practice by serving others—usually without recognition (the
last thing she is interested in).
Is there someone in your life that could benefit from being served? Consider asking them the servant’s
question this week. What do you want me to do for you?
Meditation Verse
We conclude each lesson with one verse from the passage we’ve studied. We refer to it as a “meditation
verse” to leave a broad range of uses: meditate, reflect, memorize, reread, etc. Our meditation verse for
this lesson is Mark 10:45:
10:45
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his
life as a ransom for many.”
A Follower’s Fruit
Mark 11:1-26
Introduction:
With Mark chapter eleven, we begin the final division in the Gospel of Mark: Passion Week—where
Jesus prepares for His own suffering and death. We also begin here a new mini-series leading up to Jesus’
arrest and crucifixion. The next three lessons focus on the notion of Israel’s failure and consequent
judgment. In the next lesson, Jesus will demonstrate his rejection of Israel (11:27 – 12:44). And in the
following lesson Jesus will describe Israel’s rejection (13:1-37).
In this lesson, we see the declaration of judgment upon Israel for her lack of fruit. The reader is
intended to understand that a similar declaration of judgment will be pronounced upon all who produce no
fruit.
Our Messiah Has Arrived (11:1-11)99

Now as they approached Jerusalem, near Bethphage100 and Bethany, at the Mount of
11:1
Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples 11:2 and said to them, “Go to the village ahead of
you. As soon as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden.
Untie it and bring it here. 11:3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The
Lord needs it and will send it back here soon.’” 11:4 So they went and found a colt tied at
98
When a company promotes the slogan, “Your satisfaction is our highest priority,” I’ve often
been tempted to respond, “I’d be most satisfied if I didn’t have to pay for this service.” For some reason, I
get the feeling that serving others is simply the best strategy they’ve found for making a profit.
99
100
Bethphage literally means “house of unripe figs” and Bethany “house of figs.”

a door, outside in the street, and untied it. 11:5 Some people standing there said to them,
“What are you doing, untying that colt?” 11:6 They replied as Jesus had told them, and
the bystanders let them go.101 11:7 Then they brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks
on it, and he sat on it. 11:8 Many spread their cloaks on the road and others spread
branches they had cut in the fields. 11:9 Both those who went ahead and those who
followed kept shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the
Lord! 11:10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the
highest!” 11:11 Then Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. And after looking
around at everything, he went out to Bethany with the twelve since it was already late.
Mark 11 records the beginning of what has traditionally been called “Passion Week.” Beginning with
Palm Sunday (named this because the people spread palm branches out before Jesus during His so-called
Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem), this final week of the Savior’s life is filled with unpleasant interactions
with Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, culminating in Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion. Up until this point in
the Gospel of Mark, most scholars agree on its basic meaning. At chapter eleven, scholars each take their
own road with this difficult text.
Accompanied by several powerful Old Testament citations and images, this passage has very strong
Messianic overtones. The primary Old Testament passages drawn from are cited here:
Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion!
Shout, daughter of Jerusalem!
Look! Your king is coming to you:
he is legitimate and victorious,
humble and riding on a donkey—
on a young donkey, the foal of a female donkey.
Each of them quickly took off his robe and they spread them out at his feet on
2 Kings 9:13
the steps. The trumpet was blown and they shouted, “Jehu is king!”
Psalm 118:25
Please LORD, deliver!102
Please LORD, grant us success!
118:26
May the one who comes in the name of the LORD be blessed!
We will pronounce blessings on you in the LORD’s temple.
The crowd probably responded to Jesus because they saw Him riding on a donkey. Thus, in
accordance with Zechariah 9:9 they hailed him as the Messiah king, even placing branches (palm
branches according to John’s Gospel) before his path (see 2 Kings 9:13).
The temple that Jesus sees was quite a sight indeed! This temple was enormous, standing 150 feet tall
and 150 feet long—roughly the size of a 15-story building. At this time, merely one week before a major
Jewish Feast—all the eyes of the world were upon Jerusalem, which swelled to double or perhaps triple its
normal population of 30,000. But especially, all eyes were upon the Temple as the center of religious
activity. By entering the temple, Jesus is sizing up the playing field for the battle that will commence the
next day. It is a fierce battle which, according to the Synoptic Gospels, ultimately leads to His arrest and
execution.
101
Jesus predicted everything accurately, including the colt tied up and the questioning of the
disciples upon taking the colt. Jesus will later send two ambassadors to make arrangements for the
Passover meal in the Upper Room. Those who inquire of the disciples taking the colt are, according to
Luke’s Gospel, its owners.
102
Literally, “Hosanna,” carrying the meaning, “save us.” Traditionally, Ps. 118:26 was quoted
each year at festival time (a Hallel Psalm) and originally referred to those who attended the festival.

Our Deception Will Be Revealed (11:12-19)
Now the next day, as they went out from Bethany, he was hungry. 11:13 After noticing
11:12
in the distance a fig tree with leaves, he went to see if he could find any fruit on it.
When he came to it he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 11:14
He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.
Then they came to Jerusalem. Jesus entered the temple area and began to drive out
11:15
those who were selling and buying in the temple courts. He turned over the tables of
the moneychangers and the chairs of those selling doves, 11:16 and he would not permit
anyone to carry merchandise25 through the temple courts. 11:17 Then he began to teach
them and said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all
nations’? But you have turned it into a den of robbers!”103 11:18 The chief priests and
the experts in the law heard it and they considered how they could assassinate him, for
they feared him because the whole crowd was amazed by his teaching. 11:19 When
evening came, they went out of the city.
This passage has proven to be one of the most difficult passages in all the Gospels. The cursing of the
fig tree is Jesus’ only recorded miracle that results in destruction rather than restoration. The passage,
however, becomes clear when understood in its literary context.
Mark has several interrupted accounts. The fig tree incident is yet another one. On a number of
occasions, Mark begins one story and concludes it only after another story in interjected and resolved.
This is almost always a literary device designed to tie two incidents together thematically. In this passage,
two encounters with a fig tree are deliberately sandwiched in between Jesus’ cleansing of the temple.
There is apparently a relationship between the two incidents, and the reader is left to discover that
relationship.
The temple cleansing is a fulfillment of Malachi 3:1-3. Moses commanded that folks were to
purchase sacrifices conveniently, so the purchasing of sacrifices was not the impetus for Jesus’ actions.
There seem to be two reasons for Jesus’ abrupt behavior: 1) the Gentile court was not functioning as
intended: it was supposed to be a house of worship and instead these worshippers were being crowded out
by merchandisers, and 2) It was supposed to be primarily a place of worship, not primarily a marketplace.
Although leaves would commonly appear in March or April, figs normally sprouted in June. The fully
developed leaves on this tree, however, suggested that fruit would also be found. Jesus approaches the
leafy fig tree fully expecting to find fruit there (if any tree is going to have fruit, this tree certainly would).
When He finds none, Jesus responds in righteous anger. Likewise, Jesus enters the temple fully expecting
to find fruit there (if any place is going to produce spiritual fruit, this temple certainly would). When He
finds none, Jesus responds in righteous anger.
The fig tree incident, then, is a visual parable. Clearly Jesus is indicating judgment, but judgment on
whom? Since the tree had leaves, one would expect that fruit accompanied them. Jesus expects to see fruit,
and is visibly disappointed when He finds none. The tree was “pretending” to bear fruit. What a terrific
picture of the Jewish leadership of Jesus’ day. They “pretended” to have fruit. What a great picture of
countless believers today.
The point lies in the difference between the appearance of the temple and the tree from a distance and
their true condition, which a closer inspection reveals. Does that sound like your life? To most people you
appear to be genuine. But what if we examined you closer? What if we could follow you around for a
week? Would we find fruit, or have you grown adept at giving the appearance of fruit from a distance?
103
Mark 11:17 comes from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11.

Our Fruitfulness Pleases the Lord (11:20-26)104
11:20
In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 11:21
Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered.”
11:22
Jesus said to them, “Have faith in God. 11:23 I tell you the truth, if someone says to
this mountain,105 ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart
but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 11:24 For this reason I
tell you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you have received it, and it will be
yours. 11:25 Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive
him, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your sins.”
Jesus is here giving a summons to faith and to action consistent with one’s faith. He mentions two
specific fruits of genuine faith: Prayer and forgiveness—two of the most difficult fruits to counterfeit.
Incidentally, the first fruit Jesus describes (namely, prayer) is the primary fruit He found missing at the
temple (“My house will be called a house of prayer . . .”). Just as a pulse is the sign of a heartbeat, so fruit
is the sign of internal spiritual life.
Charles Ryrie says on the inevitability of producing fruit”
“Every Christian will bear spiritual fruit. Somewhere, sometime, somehow. Otherwise
that person is not a believer. Every born-again individual will be fruitful. Not to be
fruitful is to be faithless, without faith, and therefore without salvation.”
Perhaps you should take some time today to do some fruit inspection in your life. Are you skilled at
appearing fruitful from a distance, or does a closer examination reveal true, lasting fruit? You may find it
helpful to begin your examination using the words of David recorded in Psalm 139:23-24 (taken from The
Message, a paraphrase by Eugene Peterson):
“Investigate my life, Oh God.
Find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me,
Get a clear picture of what I’m about;
See for Yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—
Then guide me on the road to eternal life.”
Meditation Verse
Both those who went ahead and those who followed kept shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed
is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”
Mark 11:26 is missing from many of your Bibles for good reason. Simply put, the earliest and
104
best manuscripts omit the verse, and there are better reasons to believe that a well-meaning scribe inserted
the verse deliberately than that he omitted it unintentionally.
105
When Jesus says “this mountain,” He is probably gesturing to the Mount of Olives. “The sea”
is perhaps a reference to the Dead Sea, visible from the summit of the Mount of Olives.

A Follower’s Authority
Mark 11:27 – 12:44
Introduction:
On November 27th 2002, Resolution 1441 was passed in the United Nations. This resolution called for
immediate and complete disarmament of certain Iraqi weapons, including any nuclear, chemical,
biological, and bacteriological weapons and any long-range missiles. When Saddam Hussein failed to
disarm, U.N. inspectors were sent in to locate these illegal weapons. It wasn’t long before a cat and mouse
game began; Hussein refused to cough up the illegal weapons. As the world looked on in nervous
anticipation, we asked “Who is really in charge?”
On March 19th 2003, after months of attempted negotiations and scores of unsuccessful inspections, a
“decapitation attempt” was made on Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. Following this initial surprise bombing
of several government buildings, the world looked on to see if Hussein and his sons had indeed been
removed. The answer, however, was unclear. Iraqi television quickly began broadcasting images of
Hussein and his sons, but their authenticity was disputed. Again, we asked “Who is really in charge?”
In the personal battles of your life today you may be asking “Who is really in charge?” So many today
are experiencing pain and discouragement that could never have been anticipated. A sick loved one, a car
accident, a pink slip appearing in our work mailbox. Is life merely a series of coincidences or
disconnected letdowns? Or is there a Sovereign God of the universe that maintains His authority—even on
our worst day?
Jesus Claims . . .
Authority over Jewish Leadership (11:27 – 12:12)106
They came again to Jerusalem. While Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the
11:27
chief priests, the experts in the law and the elders came up to him107 11:28 and said, “By
what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these
things?” 11:29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. Answer me and I will tell
you by what authority I do these things: 11:30 John’s baptism—was it from heaven or
from men? Answer me.” 11:31 They discussed with one another, saying, “If we say,
‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 11:32 But if we say,
‘From men—’” (they feared the crowd, for they all considered John to be truly a
prophet). 11:33 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then Jesus said to them,
“Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
12:1
Then he began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a
fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to
tenant farmers and went on a journey. 12:2 At harvest time he sent a slave to the tenants
to collect from them his portion of the crop. 12:3 But those tenants seized him, beat him,
and sent him away empty-handed. 12:4 So he sent another slave to them again. This one
they struck on the head and treated outrageously. 12:5 He sent another, and that one they
killed. This happened to many others, some of whom were beaten, others killed. 12:6 He
had one left, his one dear son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect
my son.’ 12:7 But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him
and the inheritance will be ours!’ 12:8 So they seized him, killed him, and threw his body
out of the vineyard. 12:9 What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come
and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 12:10 Have you not read this
scripture:
‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
12:11
This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”108
106
Notice the many categories of religious leadership that appear in this lesson’s passage: Chief
107
priest, expert in the law, elder, Pharisee, Herodian, Sadducee.

12:12
Now they wanted to arrest him (but they feared the crowd), because they realized
that he told this parable against them. So they left him and went away.
On January 15th, 2003, The Wall Street Journal ran an article on thermostats. According to the article,
some companies have instructed their HVAC technicians to install dummy thermostats in an effort to
minimize employee complaints. Employees are thereby given the illusion of control, and complaints have
grown to a minimum as a result. The rumor is that the next investigation will look into the “close door”
buttons in elevators that never seem to function.
In the same way that these employees possessed the illusion of control, this passage will expose the
“illusion” of many in the first century that they possessed ultimate authority. If the previous lesson was a
declaration of judgment, this is a demonstration of judgment by the one who has authority to judge. Four
times in this passage the word (“authority”) appears. There are those who seem to be in
authority, and God who is in fact in authority.
These three groups mentioned together—the chief priests, the experts in the law, and the elders—
make up the Sanhedrin. It is the legislative Jewish body—the highest Jewish authority. They ask where
Jesus received authority to act with such boldness in cleansing the temple (this same Sanhedrin will
sentence Him to death this very week). After saying that He would not answer their inquiry, Jesus
proceeds to answer them in the form of a parable. Chapter twelve, then, is an unhelpful chapter break.
In this parable, the vineyard is Israel, the owner is God, the tenant farmers are the Jewish leaders, the
servants are the prophets that are sprinkled throughout Israel’s history that the leadership has always
rejected (see also Acts 7:51-53), and the only son is of course Jesus (literally, “beloved son”; see Mark
1:11). Here we have a veiled prediction that Jesus would be killed by the religious leadership of His day.
Jesus’ authority comes from His Father who sent Him just as the son in the parable received his authority
from his father. Thus Jesus was claiming higher authority than those in the Sanhedrin, who were mere
renters in the unfolding plan of God. The claim of any one man to have authority greater than the
Sanhedrin would have shocked a first century Jew.
Authority over Rome (12:13-17)

12:13
Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to trap him with his own words.
12:14
When they came they said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and do
not court anyone’s favor, because you show no partiality but teach the way of God in
accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or
shouldn’t we?” 12:15 But he saw through their hypocrisy and said to them, “Why are you
testing me? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 12:16 So they brought one, and he
said to them, “Whose likeness109 is this, and whose inscription?” They replied,
“Caesar’s.” 12:17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,
and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him.
The Pharisees opposed Roman rule while the Herodians supported the Roman appointed Herodian
Dynasty. The Pharisees despised paying taxes; the Herodians were in favor of it. These two groups rarely
agreed with one another and seldom associated together. What brings them together here is not a common
bond, but a common enemy.
These two groups approached Jesus with a denarius to test Him. The denarius contained Caesar’s
inscription. It was probably that of Tiberius Caesar (A.D. 14-37). If so, the coin would have read “Tiberius
Caesar Augustus, son of the divine Augustus.”110 Furthermore, Caesar’s image was on the coin, so Jesus
instructs His listeners to give back to Caesar what rightly belongs to him. In the same way, we should give
back to God what rightly belongs to Him—we the bearers of His image. Jesus used the coin to distinguish
between Caesar and God in a culture that drew no such distinction. In doing so, He clearly demonstrates
that God’s authority is higher than that of Caesar.111
108
Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22-23 about the rejection of the stone which became the cornerstone.
Thus, Jesus switched from the image of the son and tenants to the stone and builders.
109
“Likeness” is literally , image.
110
Roughly equivalent to the slogan on U.S. currency, “In God We Trust.”
111
The Roman Empire proved to be a six-hundred year dynasty—perhaps the greatest world
power in history.

In Jesus’ day there were two prominent views on authority: Either the religious leadership (especially
the Sanhedrin) was in authority or the Romans (especially Caesar). Jesus dismisses each of these
possibilities. While these entities certainly give the appearance of authority (the “illusion of control”), God
alone possesses the rights and privileges as the one in control.
Jesus outsmarted these religious leaders, but He also out-authorized them.
Authority over the Law (12:18-40)

12:18
Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) also came to him and asked, 12:19
“Teacher, Moses wrote for us: ‘if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children,
that man must marry the widow and have children for his brother.’ 12:20 There were seven
brothers. The first one married, and when he died he had no children. 12:21 The second
married her and died without any children, and likewise the third. 12:22 None of the seven
had children. Finally, the woman died too. 12:23 In the resurrection, when they rise again,
whose wife will she be? For all seven had married her.” 12:24 Jesus said to them,
“Aren’t you deceived for this reason, because you don’t know the scriptures or the
power of God? 12:25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given
in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.112 12:26 Now as for the dead being raised,
have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God said
to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 12:27 He is
not the God of the dead but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”
Now one of the experts in the law came and heard them debating. When he saw that
12:28
Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of
all?” 12:29 Jesus answered, “The most important is: ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the
Lord is one. 12:30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all
your mind, and with all your strength.’ 12:31 The second is: ‘Love your neighbor as
yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 12:32 The expert in the
law said to him, “That is true, Teacher; you are right to say that he is one, and there is
no one else besides him. 12:33 And to love him with all your heart, with all your mind,
and with all your strength and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than
all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 12:34 When Jesus saw that he had answered
thoughtfully, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” Then no one
dared any longer to question him.
While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he said, “How is it that the experts
12:35
in the law say that the Christ is David’s son? 12:36 David himself, by the Holy Spirit,
said,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet.”’
If David himself calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” And the large crowd
12:37
was listening to him with delight.

In his teaching Jesus also said, “Watch out for the experts in the law. They like
12:38
walking around in long robes and elaborate greetings in the marketplaces, 12:39 and the
best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 12:40 They devour
widows’ property and as a show make long prayers. These men will receive a more
severe punishment.”
The Sadducees were just as hostile to the Pharisees as the Herodians were, yet they too unite with the
Pharisees to bring down a common enemy. They were a small but influential group that would cease to
exist following the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70.
112
Those in heaven are like angels in heaven, in that they do not marry or procreate. We do not
become angels when we die—a common misconception. By mentioning the angels, Jesus was correcting
another Sadducee miscalculation: They denied the existence of angels.

The Sadducees accepted only the Book of Moses—the first five books in the Old Testament—as
authoritative. They did not believe in life after death, as they found no evidence for it in the Pentateuch.
Jesus affirms a future resurrection by affirming from the Book of Moses the doctrine of life after death.
God is (present tense) the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Although these were all dead when this was
spoken, Jesus suggests that they lived on. Thus, Jesus proves that His understanding of the Law is superior
to that of the Sadducees.
Likewise, Jesus demonstrates His superiority over the expert in the law by assessing verbally the
thoughtfulness of his comments on the Law. After Jesus answers Him well, the expert attempts to assume
a superior role by positively assessing Jesus’ answer. However, Jesus reassumes authority with the last
word when He tells the expert that he is not far from the kingdom of God.
Jesus then begins an excursus on a difficult passage to remove any doubt that He is the Master of the
Scriptures. The Christ is going to come from the line of David. If so, the Messiah is the son of David and
could rightly be called his son. A son could refer to his father as lord, but never a father to a son. But
David realized that this descendent would be superior to himself, and so calls Him Lord. Thus, Jesus is
greater than a typical Israelite king, and even greater than the great king, David. The only answer that can
be given is that David’s son is also David’s Lord. This hints at the dual nature of Jesus, the human and
divine.
Authority over Our Lives (12:41-44)

Then he sat down opposite the offering box, and watched the crowd putting coins
12:41
into it. Many rich people were throwing in large amounts. 12:42 And a poor widow came
and put in two small copper coins, worth less than a penny. 12:43 He called his disciples
and said to them, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the offering
box than all the others. 12:44 For they all gave out of their wealth. But she, out of her
poverty, put in what she had to live on, everything she had.”
In contrast to the presumptuous authority of certain pompous religious leaders, Jesus commends the
action of a sacrificial woman who recognizes that God is really in control. This woman has only two small
copper coins—the least valuable coins in circulation during the time of Jesus. Their total value measured
about 1/64th that of a denarius (a day’s wage). If this is all she had, then she was poor indeed. What could
compel this impoverished woman to courageously yield all she had to live on? She must have been leaning
entirely on the care of a Sovereign God. If you were to ask her that day, “Who’s in charge?”—she would
not have spoken of the reigning Jewish leadership or the security of the always-stable Roman Empire. She
would have spoken of her God.
Having claimed authority over competing rulers, Jesus points out a woman who lives her life under
the authority of God. She exhibits at least these traits:
• Humble—contrasted with those who threw in large amounts of money to make much noise, this
woman is unashamed to come and put hers in.
• Sacrificial—she gave out of her poverty all she had.
• Fearless—she was trusting in something other than money for her survival.
What would it look like if the Lord Jesus were your authority in life? You would love Him with all
your heart, soul, mind, and strength. You will love Him and trust Him with everything you have and
everything you are—like this poor woman does.
Meditation Verse
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and
with all your strength.”

A Follower’s Preparation
Mark 13:1-37
Introduction
Since 9-11, our nation has learned a great deal about preparation—on both a personal and a national
level. The Department of Homeland Security has released levels of terrorism anticipation as evidence of
their extensive preparation:
1. Low Condition (Green). This condition is declared when there is a low risk of terrorist attacks.
2. Guarded Condition (Blue). This condition is declared when there is a general risk of terrorist
attacks.
3. Elevated Condition (Yellow). An Elevated Condition is declared when there is a significant risk
of terrorist attacks.
4. High Condition (Orange). A High Condition is declared when there is a high risk of terrorist
attacks.
5. Severe Condition (Red). A Severe Condition reflects a severe risk of terrorist attacks.
For every genuine sign of terrorism, however, there are scores of false ones. Two opposite and equally
harmful extremes exist among the general population pertaining to preparation for terrorism. The first is
complete lack of preparation, to abandon any state of readiness, and to go about our days with the naïve
illusion of invulnerability. This was our general condition on September 10th, 2001. The opposite extreme
associates virtually anything out-of-the-ordinary with terrorist activity: plane crashes, fires, power
outages, car wrecks, milk expiring before expiration date, etc. (you get the point). This was our general
condition on September 12th 2001. Balance is necessary.
Just as there are two negative extremes regarding preparation for terrorism, there are also two
opposite and equally wrong views Christians can hold on the end times: The first is complete lack of
preparation, and failure to give any thought to the return of Christ.
On September 6, 1941 journalist Clarke Beach recorded these words:
“A Japanese attack on Hawaii is regarded as the most unlikely thing in the world, with
one chance in a million of being successful. Besides having more powerful defenses than
any other post under the American flag, it is protected by distance.”
The opposite extreme interprets too many events as “signs” of the end: earthquakes, the United
Nations, the Eurodollar, a meteor shower, near miss of Mars, the internet, flooding, el nino, etc. Balance
is called for.
For centuries, well-meaning Christians have spent countless energies attempting to do something the
Bible never asks them to do: Predict the end times. Rather, much ink is spilled in Scripture exhorting
believers to do one thing pertaining to the end times: Prepare. The nineteen imperatives recorded in Mark
13:5-37, indicate that the passage is not as concerned about revealing signs of the end times as it is with
promoting faith and obedience in light of such events. The passage could almost be summarized this way:
“You focus on obedience to God and faithfulness, and let God handle the end of the world.”
Furthermore, many have instilled fear in their listeners by wrongly teaching the prophetic and
eschatological texts of the Bible. The primary goal of biblical prophecy has never been to evoke fear, but
obedience.
This passage is the longest discourse in Mark’s Gospel. It is called the “Olivet Discourse” because it
is a discourse that takes place on the Mount of Olives. The message was delivered by Jesus on either
Tuesday or Wednesday before His Friday execution. Here, Jesus will predict a far-future event (His return)
by comparing it to a near-future event (destruction of the temple).113
113
Pay attention to the Greek word for “watch” or “look” (13:2, 5, 9, 23, 33). Also, 13:34, 35, 37
each use the Greek word meaning “watch” or “beware” that Jesus later uses for His disciples at
Gethsemane.

Be ready to wrestle with deception (13:1-8)114
Now as Jesus was going out of the temple courts, one of his disciples said to him,
13:1
“Teacher, look at these tremendous stones and buildings!” 13:2 Jesus said to him, “Do
you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn
down!”
13:3
So while he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James,
John, and Andrew asked him privately, 13:4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And
what will be the sign that all these things are about to take place?” 13:5 Jesus began to
say to them, “Watch out that no one misleads you. 13:6 Many will come in my name,
saying, ‘I am he,’ and they will mislead many. 13:7 When you hear of wars and rumors of
wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. 13:8 For
nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be
earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines. These are but the beginning
of birthpangs.115
Jesus predicts the destruction of the massive temple in Jerusalem. Josephus, the Jewish historian,
compared the temple to a mountain. He said some of its stones measured 25 x 12 x 8 cubits! The temple
was destroyed in A.D. 70.
When the disciples ask for the sign that will indicate when “these things” will take place, Jesus
responds by listing the false signs. In other words, when Jesus is asked about the end, He begins His
answer by saying when it will not be. His first comment is to watch out! Yet many over the centuries have
ignored this warning. Countless Christians have been misled by false predictions of pinpoint accuracy.
Hal Lindsay’s The Late Great Planet Earth was such a book. According to the New York Times,
Lindsay’s book was the number one best-selling non-fiction book in the decade of the 70’s. However,
rather than teach believers how to better prepare for the Lord’s coming, Lindsay played the dangerous
game of “this is that,” pointing to future people, nations, and events as depicted in biblical prophecy and
naming their contemporary fulfillment. The Soviet Union and the Iron Curtain countries favor
prominently in this cold war scare novel. Libya, Vietnam, and Iran have more than a little
representation.116 Those who found confidence in the accuracy of the Bible because of Lindsay’s pinpoint
accuracy must certainly be disillusioned today.
Jesus warns against confidence in identifying modern phenomenon with biblical prediction. We are to
wrestle with such deception.
Be ready to withstand persecution (13:9-13)

“You must watch out for yourselves. You will be handed over to councils and beaten
13:9
in the synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a
witness to them. 13:10 First the gospel must be preached to all nations. 117 13:11 When they
114
Mark 13:7-8 suggest that the end is still a long way off. Jesus claims that the future unfolding
115
of many severe events will be only the beginning of birth pangs—a common symbol of a coming
monumental event.
I can’t help but wonder what countries Lindsay would identify if he produced a sequel today:
116
Iraq, Afghanistan, China, North Korea?
A common misunderstanding about end times—even in Bible-teaching churches—pertains to

117
the preaching of the Gospel to all nations. Many believe that Jesus cannot return until the Gospel is
preached to every living soul. Some seek to bring about the return of Christ by preaching to every soul—
as if Jesus will immediately return the very moment that last person hears the Gospel. Note the interesting
difference between Mark 13:10 and Matthew 24:14.

arrest you and hand you over for trial, do not worry about what to speak. But say
whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. 118 13:12
Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise
against parents and have them put to death.119 13:13 You will be hated by everyone
because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.120
Suffering and persecution do not mean the end has come, although persecution is sure to increase as
the end draws near. Jesus’ encouragement to persevere was certainly a challenge that the early readers of
Mark’s Gospel understood. Here as much as anywhere Jesus seeks to prepare His followers for the age to
come.
And Christian persecution isn’t limited to the early church.
The 20th century was the bloodiest Christian century in history. What does the 21 st century hold for
us? Will it surpass the 20th century in persecution of Christians? Are we prepared for that contingency?
It is estimated that as many as 160,000 Christians die for their faith each year. Christians die for their
faith every day. They are sold into slavery and buried alive in Sudan. They are raped and executed in
Central America and the Balkans. They are burned alive, beaten and stoned in India, Indonesia and the
East Timor. They are imprisoned and abandoned by their families in the Middle East.
Today violence against Christians is widespread primarily on the continents of Africa and Asia, but
Christian persecution exists in every country on the planet every day of the year. When you and I are
challenged about our faith, we are to speak boldly by the Spirit in our answer.
Be ready to witness judgment (13:14-23)

13:14
“But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be
(let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. 13:15 The one
on the roof must not come down or enter to take anything out of his house. 13:16 The one
in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 13:17 Woe to those who are pregnant and
to those who are nursing babies in those days! 13:18 Pray that it may not be in winter. 13:19
For in those days there will be suffering unlike anything that has happened from the
beginning of the creation that God created until now, or ever will happen. 13:20 And if the
Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved. But because of the elect,
whom he chose, he has cut them short. 13:21 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is
the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe him. 13:22 For false Christs and false
prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, the elect.
13:23
Be careful! I have told you everything ahead of time.
What is the “abomination of desolation” (see also Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11)? It seemingly had a partial
fulfillment in 167 B.C. when Antiochus IV Epiphanes erected an altar to the pagan Greek god Zeus over
the altar of burnt offering and sacrificed a pig on it. Jesus is probably looking ahead to the destruction of
Herod’s Temple in A.D. 70, and perhaps using both of these events to foreshadow the end times, when the
antichrist will stand where he does not belong—presumably in the temple. This will inaugurate the “Great
Tribulation” the second half of the 7-year judgment on Israel. It is useless to try to escape from the
judgment, according to Jesus; all will experience it. Both the destruction of the Temple and the Tribulation
period are judgments directed primarily at Israel, which is Jesus’ main message in this passage.
118
Many find the fulfillment of this prediction in Acts 4:8ff.
119
Mark 13:9b-13 finds it parallel in Matthew 10:17-22, instead of in Matthew’s Olivet Discourse
(24-25).
He is also not teaching that endurance is a necessary prerequisite to salvation, but that you will
120
know those who have truly been saved because they will still be standing after persecution. This is
especially important to Mark’s original reader—Christians persecuted by the Romans. Remember the
purpose of the Gospel—it is a lasting response Mark is attempting to evoke.

It will certainly be a terrible day, but Christians are promised that we will be spared from God’s wrath
(1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9).
Be ready to welcome the Lord (13:24-37)

“But in those days, after the suffering, the sun will be darkened and the moon will
13:24
not give its light; 13:25 the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the
heavens will be shaken.121 13:26 Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming in the
clouds with great power and glory. 13:27 Then he will send angels and they will gather his
elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
13:28
“Learn this parable from the fig tree: whenever its branch becomes tender and puts
out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 13:29 So also you, when you see these things
happening, know that he is near, right at the door. 13:30 I tell you the truth, this
generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 122 13:31 Heaven and earth
will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
13:32
“Now about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the
Son, except the Father. 13:33 Watch out! Stay alert! For you do not know when the time
will come. 13:34 It is like a man going on a journey. He left his house and put his slaves
in charge, assigning to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to stay alert. 13:35
Stay alert, then, because you do not know when the owner of the house will come—
whether during evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or at dawn— 13:36 or else
he might find you asleep when he comes suddenly. 13:37 What I say to you I say to all:
Stay alert!”
The moral of the story: Be prepared! It is precisely at this point in Matthew’s Gospel that Matthew
records Jesus’ parables about preparation (lamps) and stewardship responsibility (talents).
“Drop-in visits” are not as common in today’s culture as they were in the time of our grandparents. It
is considered poor etiquette to surprise a friend or neighbor without calling them ahead of time. Although
our home is not always perfectly tidy, my wife and I enjoy drop-in guests. Usually we say something like,
“I wish I’d known you were coming, and I would have straightened up a little.” The Lord is a drop-in
visitor. He promises to drop in unexpectedly; He will not call ahead. Is your house in order? He will not
accept excuses. He has warned us in advance that we should be prepared.
Do you experience restlessness, knowing that you are not precisely where God wants you? Do you
have in the back of your mind plans to change someday—to begin to pray or to read your Bible or to share
your faith or to attend church more regularly? Are you ready to give an account today? Sixty-two percent
of Americans claim to believe that Jesus is coming back; I wonder how many of them are prepared for His
return.
Meditation Verse
Stay alert, then, because you do not know when the owner of the house will come—
13:35
whether during evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or at dawn.
121
Isaiah 13:10 and 34:4 are in view with the celestial bodies.
122
Jesus promises that “this generation” will not pass away until all these things take place. Yet
then He claims to not know the day or the hour. This suggests to me that “this generation” is a broader
designation than merely those alive at the time.

A Follower’s Test
Mark 14:1-52
Introduction
My daughters are not only beautiful, but they are proving to be exceptionally smart. The other day my
wife and I took our girls out to eat at the type of restaurant that features those small paper ketchup cups
that you fill at the dispenser. While we sat waiting for our food, I began to play a game with our nine-
month-old. I hid a cheerio (her absolute favorite food) beneath one of two upside-down empty ketchup
cups and, after showing her where the cheerio was, I challenged her to pick which one covered the
cheerio. Imagine my delight when she successfully passed the test, lifting the appropriate ketchup cup and
revealing the cheerio beneath it. For a moment, I knew I was in the presence of genius. The moment
ended, however, when my brilliant daughter began to eat the paper ketchup cup rather than the cheerio.
I love tests. I did fairly well in college and graduate school because I am by-and-large a good test
taker. As a teacher, my students did not appreciate my affinity toward tests since they were the benefactors
of my affection. Are you a good test-taker?
I believe that you and I undergo occasional tests that are custom made for us by God Himself. Are you
a good test-taker? God tests us to reveal our true character, primarily so that you and I can realize our
weaknesses and those areas of our character that still need desperate work.
In this lesson of Mark, the disciples undergo four tests, and they fail each of them. If the Gospel of
Mark was written to evoke a lasting response in word and deed to the true identity of Jesus, this chapter
teaches us how the disciples respond when the heat is turned up. Remember to pay particular attention to
the responses of those witnessing the action in this story. Mark enjoys painting the overall scene for his
reader.
Let’s look at the disciples’ four tests:
A Test Of Priority (14:1-11)123

Two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the chief priests
14:1
and the experts in the law were trying124 to find a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill
him. 14:2 For they said, “Not during the feast, so there won’t be a riot among the
people.”
14:3
Now while Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, reclining at the
table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of costly aromatic oil from pure nard. After
breaking open the jar, she poured it on his head. 14:4 But some who were present
indignantly said to one another, “Why this waste of expensive ointment? 14:5 It could
have been sold for more than three hundred silver coins and the money given to the
poor!” So they spoke angrily to her. 14:6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you
bothering her? She has done a good service for me. 14:7 For you will always have the
poor with you, and you can do good for them whenever you want. But you will not
always have me. 14:8 She did what she could. She anointed my body beforehand for
burial.125 14:9 I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world,
what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
123
The verb here is an iterative imperfect, meaning the religious leaders “kept trying” to find a
124
way to apprehend Jesus. The religious leaders did not want to apprehend Jesus publicly because the crowd
thought that He—like John (11:32)—was a prophet.
125
This is the second time in Jesus’ public ministry that He is anointed. The first was an act of
worship; this one is in preparation for His death.

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus into
14:10
their hands. 14:11 When they heard this, they were delighted and promised to give him
money. So Judas began looking for an opportunity to betray him.
This bottle of costly oil was worth about a year’s wages. That’s a lot of money to pour out! I’ve often
read this story and reacted with these onlookers: What a waste! How much good could have been
accomplished if only the oil had been sold and the money properly budgeted? In fact, the Gospel of
Matthew tells us that those who were disgruntled about the seeming waste were the disciples themselves
(26:8).
Judas Iscariot was the designated treasurer of the Twelve and Jesus, according to John’s Gospel. The
record of his betrayal of Jesus immediately follows the incident of the “wasted” perfume in Mark and
Matthew, leading many to conclude that the two were related incidents. He, representing the disciples’
misplaced priorities, was overly financially minded. And they all failed to realize a person of Jesus’ true
stature deserved more than flavored water. The God-man was worthy of even more than this expensive oil.
This unnamed woman responded appropriately to the true identity of Jesus, though His closest
followers did not. She alone passed the test of her priorities. She was preoccupied with Jesus alone,
evidenced by her eagerness to sacrifice such a valuable commodity for Him.
There are many good things vying for our preoccupation. The disciples were preoccupied with the
poor, wanting to sell the oil and care for the poor with the proceeds. What good things threaten to steal
your preoccupation away from your Lord? Are you preoccupied with the poor? Your family? Education?
Evangelism? The Bible? These are all very good things, but, as Christians, we have only one top priority:
the Lord Jesus Christ. Preoccupation with anything else indicates that our priorities, like those of the
disciples, need rearranging.
A Test of Pride (14:12-31)

Now on the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is
14:12
sacrificed, Jesus’ disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat
the Passover?” 14:13 He sent two of his disciples126 and told them, “Go into the city, and
a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14:14 Wherever he enters, tell
the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat
the Passover with my disciples?”’ 14:15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished
and ready. Make preparations for us there.” 14:16 So the disciples left, went into the city,
and found things just as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover.
14:17
Then, when it was evening, he came to the house with the twelve. 14:18 While they
were at the table eating, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, one of you eating with me will
betray me.” 14:19 They were distressed, and one by one said to him, “Surely not I?” 14:20
He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who dips his hand with me into the bowl.
14:21
For the Son of Man will go as it is written about him, but woe to that man by whom
the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if he had never been born.”
While they were eating, he took bread, and after giving thanks 127 he broke it, gave it
14:22
to them, and said, “Take it. This is my body.” 14:23 And after taking the cup and giving
thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 14:24 He said to them, “This is my
blood, the blood of the covenant, that is poured out for many. 14:25 I tell you the truth, I
will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the
kingdom of God.” 14:26 After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
14:27
Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written,
Just like He sent the two to locate for Him a fowl for the Triumphal Entry, now He sends two
126
(Peter and John; see Luke 22:8) to make arrangements for the Passover meal. They noticed the “sign”—a
man did not customarily carry water jars, only women.
127
The better translation in 14:22 is “blessed” not “gave thanks.”

‘I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep will be scattered.’128
14:28
But after I am raised, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” 14:29 Peter said to him,
“Even if they all fall away, I will not!” 14:30 Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, today
—this very night—before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 14:31 But
Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I must die with you, I will never deny you.” And
all of them said the same thing.
In this passage, Jesus and the disciples celebrate the Last Supper. The Last Supper is a celebration of
the Passover, which involved a sacrifice of blood so that the Lord would not pour out His wrath. The
Lord’s Supper or Communion is a commemoration of the Last Supper. In some traditions, the Lord’s
Supper or Communion is sometimes labeled “Eucharist,” derived from Jesus’ offering of “thanks” (Greek,
) in Mark 14:23. Tradition has it that the Last Supper was hosted in the home of Mark’s
father.
Dipping the hand in the bowl (v. 20) was like an appetizer—it took place before the meal itself. In
this first century Jewish culture, those you ate with were regarded as your closest friends. Jesus was
claiming that someone allegedly very close to Him would betray Him.
Four cups were imbibed at the traditional Passover meal, each representing a different aspect of God’s
unfolding plan of redemption. The cup mentioned in our text was the third cup of the meal. Exodus 6:6-7
gives the four-fold outline for the four cups:
a. “I will bring you out”
b. “I will rid you of bondage”
c. “I will redeem you”
d. “I will take you for my people and I will be your God.”
After singing a hymn, the group retires outside, where Jesus claims that all will “fall away” (Greek,
, meaning they will desert Him because they are offended by Him; see Mark 4:17; 6:3;
9:42-47). The essential meaning, virtually every time this word is used in the New Testament, is that
something happens that negatively affects one’s walk with Christ, or reveals that there was no relationship
to begin with. It is the same word used in Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8 on how to carefully handle your
weaker brother so as not to cause him to stumble. With a scandal, we are offended and refuse to
participate.
Peter takes issue with Jesus’ prediction. Peter’s pride blinded him from recognizing that Jesus was
telling the truth. Jesus perfectly foresaw that Peter and John would find the arrangements for the Passover
meal. Jesus had been right in everything He had foretold to this point. Peter had no reason to doubt Him,
but his pride got in the way. You’re right Peter. You will not deny me once; you will deny me three times.
Probably, Peter thought that remaining with Jesus and not denying Him meant fighting for Him. Peter was
ready to fight, but certainly not willing to be arrested. Previously, Peter refused to believe Jesus when Jesus
told Peter that He would be killed. Here Peter once again mistrusts Jesus when he is told that he would fall
away. You’d think he would learn. But he failed the test of overconfidence. In the previous test, they didn’t
know Jesus; here they don’t know themselves.
Why do you think the Last Supper is couched immediately between Jesus’ predictions of betrayal and
abandonment by the disciples? What is the relationship? Jesus’ sacrifice—symbolized in the Passover
meal—is the solution to their problem of falling away. In fact, Mark 14:28 is a verse of ultimate
forgiveness. Just as Jesus had predicted that all would fall away, with this verse He predicts that He will
reunite with His deniers after He is raised from the dead.
When it comes to trusting in God or yourself, which will you choose?
A Test of Preparation (14:32-42)

Then they went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit
14:32
here while I pray.” 14:33 He took Peter, James, and John with him, and became very
128
A quotation from Zechariah 13:7.

troubled and distressed. 14:34 He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to the
point of death. Remain here and stay alert.” 14:35 Going a little farther, he threw himself
to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour would pass from him. 14:36 He
said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Yet not
what I will, but what you will.” 14:37 Then he came and found them sleeping, and said to
Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn’t you stay awake for one hour? 14:38 Stay awake
and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is
weak.” 14:39 He went away again and prayed the same thing. 14:40 When he came again he
found them sleeping; they could not keep their eyes open. And they did not know what
to tell him. 14:41 He came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and
resting? Enough of that! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the
hands of sinners. 14:42 Get up, let us go. Look! My betrayer is approaching!”
As hard as it was going to be, Jesus was thoroughly prepared to obey the will of the Father. Let’s
contrast this with the behavior of His disciples.
Jesus knows that it is impossible to cram for this type of a test. He knew He had to prepare
beforehand. The disciples, on the other hand, were remiss in their preparation. The greatest test of their
lives would take place the next day, and they could not stay up to prepare.
Cramming for tests can sometimes prove helpful in the short run, but dangerous in the long run. In
college, I would occassionally stay up all night and cram for the next day’s test. Sometimes I would
actually do well, but in the long run I would forget virtually everything I’d learned during those wee hours
of the morning. Fortunately, I was not a premed student! Imagine a medical student who crams for their
tests and medical boards but forgets most information in the long run! The disciples fail their test of
preparation, and they all fall away the following day.
A Test of Perseverance (14:43-52)

Right away, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived. With
14:43
him came a crowd armed with swords and clubs, and sent by the chief priests and
experts in the law and elders. 14:44 (Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying,
“The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him and lead him away under guard.”) 14:45 When
Judas came, he went to Jesus immediately and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. 14:46 Then
they took hold of him and arrested him. 14:47 One of the bystanders drew his sword and
struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his ear. 14:48 Jesus said to them, “Have you
come with swords and clubs to arrest me like you would an outlaw? 14:49 Day after day I
was with you, teaching in the temple courts, yet you did not arrest me. But this has
happened so that the scriptures would be fulfilled.” 14:50 Then all the disciples left him
and fled. 14:51 A young man was following him, wearing only a linen cloth. They tried to
arrest him, 14:52 but he ran off naked, leaving his linen cloth behind.129
Peter (according to John 18:10) pulls his sword in an effort to defend Jesus. However, his demeanor
changes when he learns that Jesus is going to go peacefully. Peter is willing to fight for Jesus, but he is not
willing to go to trial for him.
Notice the contrast between the beginning of this section and the end. At the beginning, the disciples
were confident by His side, enjoying a meal without a care in the world. At the end, Jesus is alone.
Even though they maintained the best of intentions, when put to the test every last disciple abandoned
Jesus. What would it take for you to fall away (Greek, , “scandalize”) from Jesus? A
“scandal” is an offensive thing in which we refuse to participate. What are you unwilling to do for God?
What area of weakness would prevent you from persevering in your faith and finishing strong? Fear,
pride, lust, greed, money?
129
Tradition has it that the young man who fled naked was Mark.

Meditation Verse
Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the
shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’”
A Follower’s Substitute
Mark 14:53 – 15:41
Introduction
This lesson features the climactic moments in the Gospel of Mark: The crucifixion of Jesus. We will
also learn the message of the Gospel in three words (sin, substitution, and faith), as demonstrated by three
figures that Jesus encounters in this passage. Perhaps a review of Passion Week would be helpful at this
time. Passion Week began when Jesus entered Jerusalem (the Triumphal Entry) exactly one week before
His resurrection. This Sunday has traditionally been called Palm Sunday, so named for the palm branches
spread out before our entering Lord. On Monday of Passion Week Jesus entered the temple and cleansed
it. On Tuesday or Wednesday of Passion Week Jesus delivered the Olivet Discourse. On Thursday the
events of the Last Supper, Gethsemane, betrayal, arrest, and abandonment all took place. Today’s passage
records the dark events of Friday of Passion Week, beginning in the wee hours of the morning.
Mark enjoys describing individuals who encounter Jesus. In this lesson, three such encounters will be
highlighted. One person had known Jesus for more than three years; one never met Jesus, but nevertheless
benefited from His death; one responded perfectly to Jesus after his first encounter with Him.
Peter demonstrates sin (14:53-72)130

14:53
Then they led Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests and elders and
experts in the law came together. 14:54 And Peter had followed him from a distance, up to
the courtyard of the high priest. He was sitting with the guards and warming himself by
the fire. 14:55 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence
against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find anything. 14:56
Many gave false testimony against him, but their testimony did not agree. 14:57 Some
stood up and gave this false testimony against him: 14:58 “We heard him say, ‘I will
destroy this temple made with hands and in three days build another not made with
hands.’” 14:59 Yet even on this point their testimony did not agree. 14:60 Then the high
priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is this that
they are testifying against you?” 14:61 But he was silent and did not answer. Again the
high priest questioned him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” 14:62 “I
am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power
and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 14:63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and
said, “Why do we still need witnesses? 14:64 You have heard the blasphemy! What is your
verdict?” They all condemned him as deserving death. 14:65 Then some began to spit on
him, and to blindfold him, and strike him with their fists, saying, “Prophesy!” The
guards also took him and beat him.
Now while Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the high priest’s slave girls
14:66
came by. 14:67 When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked directly at him and said,
“You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus.” 14:68 But he denied it: “I don’t even
understand what you’re talking about.” Then he went out to the gateway, and a rooster
crowed. 14:69 When the slave girl saw him, she began again to say to the bystanders,
“This man is one of them.” 14:70 But he denied it again. A short time later the bystanders
again said to Peter, “You must be one of them, because you are also a Galilean.” 14:71
130

Then he began to curse, and he swore with an oath, “I do not know this man you are
talking about!” 14:72 Immediately the rooster crowed a second time. Then Peter
remembered what Jesus had said to him: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny
me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
Two witnesses were required for capital punishment, according to Numbers 35:30 and Deuteronomy
17:6. Those who accused Jesus of claiming He would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days were
perhaps misunderstanding Jesus’ statement in John 2:19 (mixed with Mark 13:2). Otherwise, Jesus never
claimed to do such a thing.
Jesus had two trials, a religious one and a civil one. The religious one was overseen by Annas, then
Caiaphas; the civil one by Pilate, then Herod, then Pilate again (Luke 23:6-12). Jesus had by-and-large
veiled His messiahship until now. He first responds with “I am,” but then lets them have it with a very
bold—and obvious—claim to messiahship (v. 62; note especially the reaction of the Jewish leadership).
Apparently, Jesus and Peter were both undergoing interrogation. “Following” Jesus has been a
recurring theme in Mark’s Gospel.
Those who “follow” (ajkolouqevw) Jesus in Mark’s Gospel:
• Peter and Andrew (1:18)
• Levi (2:14)
• Tax collectors and sinners (2:15)
• A crowd from Galilee (3:7)
• Large crowd (5:24)
• His disciples (6:1)
• Any who wish to come after Jesus (8:34)
• Invitation to the rich young ruler (10:21)
• Peter et al (10:28)
• Those going to Jerusalem with Jesus (10:32)
• Bartimaeus (10:52)
• Those at the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (11:9)
• Peter, from a distance (14:54)
• Mary, Mary, and Salome (15:41)
For the first time, however, someone is following Jesus “from a distance.”131 Sure, the literal meaning
suggests a physical distance between Peter and the one he was following, but the notion of “following” in
Mark’s Gospel almost always means more than merely walking behind someone. It suggests loyalty and
allegiance. Peter was still following Jesus, but he want to distance himself from Jesus to ensure that he
was safe from the danger. Notice what happens to Peter because he has permitted distance to develop in
his relationship with Jesus. He denies his Lord . . . three times. He thought he was protected from the
danger, but found that more danger lurks when distance separates us from the Lord. Does distance exist in
your relationship with Christ?
131
It was Peter who followed Jesus at a distance. Though, according to John 18:15-16, another
disciple accompanied Peter.

Barabbas demonstrates substitution (15:1-20)
Early in the morning, after forming a plan, the chief priests with the elders and the
15:1
experts in the law and the whole Sanhedrin tied Jesus up, led him away, and handed
him over to Pilate. 15:2 So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” He replied,
“You say so.” 15:3 Then the chief priests began to accuse him repeatedly. 15:4 So Pilate
asked him again, “Have you nothing to say? See how many charges they are bringing
against you!” 15:5 But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.
During the feast it was customary to release one prisoner to the people, whomever
15:6
they requested. 15:7 A man named Barabbas was imprisoned with rebels who had
committed murder during an insurrection. 15:8 Then the crowd came up and began to ask
Pilate to release a prisoner for them, as was his custom. 15:9 So Pilate asked them, “Do
you want me to release the king of the Jews for you?” 15:10 (For he knew that the chief
priests had handed him over because of envy.) 15:11 But the chief priests stirred up the
crowd to have him release Barabbas instead. 15:12 So Pilate spoke to them again, “Then
what do you want me to do with the one you call king of the Jews?” 15:13 They shouted
back, “Crucify him!” 15:14 Pilate asked them, “Why? What has he done wrong?” But
they shouted more insistently, “Crucify him!” 15:15 Because he wanted to satisfy the
crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them. Then after he had Jesus flogged he handed
him over to be crucified.
So the soldiers led him into the palace (that is, the governor’s residence) and called
15:16
together the whole cohort. 15:17 They put a purple cloak on him and after braiding a
crown of thorns, they put it on him. 15:18 They began to salute him: “Hail, king of the
Jews!” 15:19 Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him.
Then they knelt down and paid homage to him. 15:20 When they had finished mocking
him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes back on him. Then
they led him away to crucify him.
Who are Pilate and Herod? Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea ( A.D. 26-36), where Jerusalem
was located. His residence was in Caesarea, though he travelled to Jerusalem during festivals and stayed
in the late Herod the Great’s pallace. Herod Antipas was governor of Galilee, though he too enjoyed
making the trip to Jerusalem for the festivals. Luke records that when Pilate learned that Jesus was a
Galilean, he sent Him to Herod (the Galilean governor) since he was in town. Herod then sends Jesus back
to Pilate, who ultimately sentences Jesus to crucifixion.
They chose to release Barabbas over Jesus. I find it ironic that when Jesus proved to be a different
type of Savior than they wanted, they chose to replace Him with one who was what they wanted—a
political insurrectionist. Many thought Jesus, as the Messiah, would lead a revolt and conquer Rome;
Barabbas had done just that. Do you serve the Christ who is or the Christ you want?
Flogging was not necessarily a part of crucifixion. Pilate was probably trying to disuade the crowd
from crucifying Jesus (John 19:4-5). When they persisted, though, he had no choice.
Mark 15:16 describes the whole cohort, which comprised hundreds of soldiers. They struck him on
the head with the staff after they had placed the crown of thorns on his head. Mockery ensued, beatings,
etc. The crucifixion of Jesus was a lengthy, painful process, not a point in time. Perhaps the most painful
part of the episode was their kneeling before Jesus in mockery, though it certainly foreshaddowed
everyone’s kneeling before Him one day (Phil. 2:10-11).
Mark’s details pertaining to Barabbas paint a vivid picture of what Jesus did for you and me.
Barabbas had been judged and legally condemned. Barabbas was guilty. Barabbas deserved death.
Barabbas could do nothing to free himself. Jesus took the place of Barabbas and died on Barabbas’ cross.
Barabbas was released. I am Barabbas.
The Centurion demonstrates faith (15:21-41)

The soldiers drafted a passer-by to carry his cross, a man coming from the country,
15:21
Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. 15:22 They brought Jesus to a place
called Golgotha (which is translated, “Place of the Skull”). 15:23 They offered him wine

mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.132 15:24 Then they crucified him and divided his
clothes, throwing dice for them, to decide what each would take. 15:25 It was nine o’clock
in the morning when they crucified him. 15:26 The inscription of the charge against him
read, “The king of the Jews.” 15:27 And they crucified two outlaws with him, one on his
right and one on his left. 15:29 Those who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads
and saying, “Aha! You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 15:30 save
yourself and come down from the cross!” 15:31 In the same way even the chief priests—
together with the experts in the law—were mocking him among themselves: “He saved
others, but he cannot save himself! 15:32 Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down
from the cross now, that we may see and believe!” Those who were crucified with him
also spoke abusively to him.
15:33
Now when it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the
afternoon. 15:34 Around three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema
sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 15:35
When some of the bystanders heard it they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah!” 15:36
Then someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him
to drink, saying, “Leave him alone! Let’s see if Elijah will come to take him down!” 15:37
But Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last. 15:38 And the temple curtain
was torn in two, from top to bottom. 15:39 Now when the centurion, who stood in front of
him, saw how he died, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!” 15:40 There were also
women, watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the
mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 15:41 When he was in Galilee,
they had followed him and given him support. Many other women who had come up
with him to Jerusalem were there too.
Note the brevity in the passage—“And they crucified him.” The event that all of history hinges on is
given only cursory treatment. It is almost too sacred to elaborate upon; or too sacrilegious to consider that
the second person of the Trinity was undergoing such cruelty. What they witnessed on the cross was a
complete contradiction; it blew all of their categories. By definition, the Messiah was the furthest thing
from a crucified criminal.
Cicero (106-43 B.C.), a Roman author, said about crucifixion: “Even the mere word, cross, must
remain far not only from the lips of the citizens of Rome, but also from their thoughts, their eyes, their
ears.” He elsewhere conveys his opinion that crucifixion was the grossest, cruelest, or most hideous
manner of execution. One of the privileges of being a Roman citizen was that you were exempted from the
cruelty of crucifixion. They reserved it only for non-Roman citizens.
Mark records only one of Jesus’ seven sayings from the cross. He quoted the first verse of Psalm
twenty-two (much of this Psalm is victorious, leading some to speculate that perhaps He quoted the rest of
the Psalm the moment He arose).
Mark customarily records an act or saying of Jesus, and then pans the audience to record their
responses. Here, he merely records that Jesus was crucified, then he pans the crowd to record the response
of the soldiers (15:24), the passers-by (15:29-30), the chief priests and experts in the Law (15:31-32), the
criminals with Jesus (15:32), bystanders (15:35-36), the righteous centurion (15:39), and the women
(15:40-41). He gets everyone’s response.
The Centurion is one of only a handful of people in the Gospel of Mark that respond appropriately to
Jesus. A Centurion in the Roman army has charge of one hundred soldiers.
In Mark, the right response to Jesus is described in the very first verse: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
God. The Centurion nailed it. And the Gospel demands such a response of faith every day. We exercise
faith in the Gospel the first time for salvation, but every day after that we must walk by faith.
132
Jesus refused a mixture that would have deadened the pain.

Meditation Verse
Now when the centurion, who stood in front of him, saw how he died, he said,
15:39
“Truly this man was God’s Son!”
A Follower’s Opportunity
Mark 15:42 – 16:8
Introduction
In the days before modern harbors, a ship was forced to wait for the flood tide before it could make it
to port. The term for this situation in Latin was ob portus (ob, toward; portus, port), that is, a ship would
approach its port and wait for the moment when it could ride the turn of the tide to harbor.
The English word opportunity was originally derived from this term. The captain and the crew were
ready and waiting for that one moment, for they knew that if they missed it they would have to wait for
another tide to come in. Shakespeare turned this background of the exact meaning of opportunity into one
of his most famous passages. It’s from Julius Caesar, Act 4, Scene 3:
There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat;
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.
Before finishing his story, Mark wants to provide his reader with three very simple but important truths,
and one very important opportunity.
Jesus Was Dead (15:42-47)133

Now when evening had already come, since it was the day of preparation (that is,
15:42
the day before the Sabbath), 15:43 Joseph of Arimathea, a highly regarded member of the
council,134 who was himself looking forward to the kingdom of God, went boldly to
Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 15:44 Pilate was surprised that he was already
dead. He called the centurion and asked him if he had been dead for some time. 15:45
When Pilate was informed by the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. 15:46 After
Joseph bought a linen cloth and took down the body, he wrapped it in the linen and
placed it in a tomb cut out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone across the entrance of the
tomb. 15:47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was
placed.
Friday of Passion Week (or Holy Week) was preparation day, and the Sabbath traditionally began at
sundown on Friday.
One should always ask when approaching a text of Scripture, “Why is this text here?” This passage
exists simply to highlight that Jesus was truly dead—not mostly dead, not dead tired, not even just
critically wounded, but dead. Five different proofs are given here that Jesus was in fact dead (the other
Gospels include more):
133
134
If Joseph was a member of the “Council” (i.e., the Sanhedrin), then didn’t he vote for Jesus’
execution (cf. 14:53, 55, 64)? Not necessarily (see Luke 23:51). By requesting Jesus’ body, Joseph was
aligning himself with this dead Messiah.

• Joseph, a highly respected Jewish leader, confirmed His death. At times, crucified men would
survive for two or three days before dying of asphyxiation. The severe beating that preceded
Jesus’ crucifixion likely contributed to His early death. The body of a deceased Jew would
ordinarily be washed and then wrapped. Though Mark does not mention a washing, it can be
assumed. Jesus’ burial was necessary to confirm His death. Paul mentions Jesus’ burial explicitly
in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. From the time Jesus is removed from the cross until sundown was only
about two hours, thus urgency was required, as Jesus had to be buried by sundown which marked
the beginning of the Sabbath. Nicodemus, a recurring figure in John’s Gospel (see John 3:1-9;
7:50-52), joined Joseph in burying Jesus (see John 19:39-42).
• The Centurion, a highly respected Roman, confirmed His death.
• The grave clothes confirmed His death; whether this was one strip of cloth or several layers, the
body of Jesus was wrapped. A face cloth was included, that would have made it difficult or
impossible to breathe had He still been alive (John 19:40; 20:7).
• The enclosed tomb confirmed His death. How big was the stone? Big enough that three women
were looking for help, knowing that they were unable to move it. Joseph could roll the stone in
front of the tomb because it was a downhill groove. It would take several to roll the stone uphill
and away from the entrance. It would be difficult—if not impossible—for a man in Jesus’
condition to survive for two nights entombed with no food or water or medical attention.
• The women confirmed His death.
There is a humorous story of a lawyer questioning a doctor on the witness stand:
Lawyer: “Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?”
Doctor: “No.”
Lawyer: “Did you check for blood pressure?”
Doctor: “No.”
Lawyer: “Did you check for breathing?”
Doctor: “No.”
Lawyer: “So, it is possible that the patient was still alive when you began the autopsy?”
Doctor: “No.”
Lawyer: “How can you be so sure, Doctor?”
Doctor: “Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.”
Lawyer: “But could the patient have still been alive nevertheless?”
Doctor: “Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law somewhere . . . ”
Jesus was dead. No one who saw Him questioned this fact. As was customary, Jesus’ body was supposed to
remain in the tomb for one year and one day, after which His bones would be collected and placed in a
small stone box called an ossuary.
Jesus Was Raised (16:1-7)

16:1
When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and
Salome bought aromatic spices so that they might go and anoint him. 135 16:2 And very
early on the first day of the week, at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 136 16:3 They had been
asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?”
16:4
But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been
This verse describes Saturday’s events (though after sundown, so technically Sunday for the
135
Jew). Since this was after sunset on the Sabbath, they were permitted to engage in commerce. Also on
Saturday—according to Matthew 27:62-66—the stone was sealed and a guard was placed at the tomb.

rolled back. 16:5 Then as they went into the tomb, they saw a young man137 dressed in a
white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. 16:6 But he said to them, “Do
not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has been
raised! He is not here. Look, there is the place where they laid him. 16:7 But go, tell his
disciples, even Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there,
just as he told you.”
These three women were the first witnesses to the resurrection. In fact they were commissioned to go
and tell the disciples, who had apparently not collected their courage after “falling away.” But who were
these women? Let’s take a closer look at them.
• Mary Magdeline. One of four prominent “Marys” in the New Testament, this woman was freed
from seven demons by Jesus according to Luke 8:2. Apparently, she followed Jesus faithfully
from that day forth, and was one of only three women who first learn of the resurrection (other
“Marys” not to confuse her with: 1. The mother of Jesus, 2. the sister of Martha and Lazarus, and
3. the mother of James and Joses).
• Mary the mother of James and Joses. Little is known of this faithful follower and (probably)
financial supporter of Jesus.
• Salome. She was the wife of Zebedee and the mother of James and John.
The purpose of the aromatic spices was not to preserve the body; Jews did not practice embalming. It
was designed to reduce the stench of decay and, perhaps, served as a gesture of worship (in this instance).
“He is risen” (Greek, ). He has conquered; He is victorious. Mark juxtaposes two words in
Greek to drive home the point: “the one who was crucified” (one word in Greek) is followed immediately
by “he was raised” (also one word).
All four Gospels include the resurrection; it was an historical event that serves as the height of each
Gospel. Just as Jesus was really dead, now He was really alive again.
Some theorize that a literal, physical resurrection did not take place. Over the centuries, great men of
understanding have sought other plausible solutions to the empty tomb. Let’s consider some of these
“empty explanations” and why they fall short of the facts:
“EMPTY EXPLANATIONS”
1. Jesus’ Body was stolen by his disciples. This is the oldest false explanation for the empty tomb
known to exist. In fact, this explanation began almost immediately (Matthew 28:11-15). Could it
be true? Sure. It’s possible. But would the disciples have died (knowingly) for a lie that they
themselves began and perpetuated? It seems unlikely.
2. Jesus’ Body was stolen by his enemies. The first question that comes to my mind is why the
Jewish leadership would want the body in the first place. For them, the headache ended the
moment Jesus’ heart stopped beating. Besides, if they did know the location of the body of Jesus,
wouldn’t they have produced it when Jerusalem began believing en mass (Acts 4:1-12 would
have been a great time to produce a dead body)?
3. The women, and subsequently everyone else, went to the wrong tomb. Again, possible but highly
unlikely. The women had followed Joseph and Nicodemus and watched where Jesus was laid in
the tomb. Besides, if the women had been confused, wouldn’t the right tomb have been found and
the body produced by someone when Jerusalem began believing?
136
Pay careful attention to the time of the event. I’ve always found it interesting that Jesus arose
at the first hour He could, while still remaining faithful to prophecy. The third day was Sunday. He could
have arisen any time on Sunday, but as though death could hold Him no longer, it happened very early in
the morning—BEFORE the women arrived.
137
This “young man” dressed in white clothes is an angel, according to Matthew 28:2.

4. Jesus did not die on the cross, but merely swooned. Again, several eyewitnesses concluded that
Jesus was dead (Mark 15:44-47). No one thought to call in a doctor after Jesus was taken down
from the cross; nor was a doctor called when Jesus appeared to the disciples on Sunday evening
following His resurrection. If He had been alive on the cross before they took Him down, He
certainly didn’t survive the spear in the side that pierced his pericardial sac around His heart
spilling out water mixed with blood. The spear was administered to ensure He was no longer
living (see John 19:33-34).
5. Jesus’ Body was devoured by wild animals. Romans placed a large stone in front of grave
openings to prevent wild animals and grave robbers from entering the tomb. Jesus’ tomb was
protected by such a stone.
The tomb was really empty, and the best explanation is the one reported by eye witnesses. This Jesus, who
had truly been dead, was now truly alive and surprisingly in great condition.
Jesus Lives (16:8)

Then they went out and ran from the tomb, for terror and bewilderment had seized
16:8
them. And they said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
And there the story ends. The Gospel of Mark ends in open-ended fashion, at v. 8. Later manuscripts
exhibit scribal tendencies to smooth out the abrupt ending of Mark by adding extra verses. These extra
verses contain “happy endings,” where Jesus appears to the emboldened disciples and commissions them.
However, the earliest and best manuscripts end abruptly with v. 8. The earliest and best biblical
manuscripts do not contain 16:9-20, and the style and vocabulary of this section are not characteristic of
Mark’s Gospel. Thus, Mark probably finished his Gospel with verse eight. Due to the abrupt nature of this
ending, however, well-meaning scribes appended the Gospel with an exciting (though fabricated)
conclusion and commission by the risen Lord (similar to the other Gospels). Of course, the story doesn’t
end there. These witnesses eventually did tell the disciples and the disciples did tell the world (as the other
Gospels rightly explain).
Why would Mark end his Gospel so abruptly? It is a literary device designed to involve the reader to
the highest degree. The reader is left to complete the story with his own response to this Gospel.
Remember, the Gospel of Mark was written to evoke a lasting response in word and deed to the true
identity of Jesus. We’ve examined dozens of responses to Jesus over the last several weeks. Mark leaves
the story open-ended for the reader to enter the picture and take over where Mark leaves off. It’s now our
turn to participate. This is our opportunity. What will we do with this story? What will we do with Jesus?
The Gospel of Mark was written to evoke a lasting response to the true identity of Jesus. What’s your
response? You and I have the awesome privilege and responsibility to fill in the remainder of the chapter.
As I see it, we have three choices: Reject Jesus, Embrace Jesus, or Ignore Jesus in hopes that he’ll go
away.
Meditation Verse
But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who
was crucified. He has been raised! He is not here. Look, there is the place where they
laid him.”

041.... Mark................... Jeff Miller

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The Journey

Chronicles of a Follower of Christ

Series Introduction and Background

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

(Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 2002), 150-51.

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

How have you responded to Jesus?

1. An Exemplary Response to Jesus (1:1-13)2

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

2. An Immediate3 Response to Jesus (1:14-20)

EujquV"(“immediately”) occurs 41 times in Mark, and only 19 times in the NT outside of

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

3. An Emotional Response to Jesus (1:21-28)

4. A Selfish Response to Jesus (1:29-45)

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

2. He Is the Lord of Redemption (2:13-17)

3. He Is the Lord of Change (2:18-22)

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

4. He Is the Lord of Sabbath (2:23-3:6)

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

1. We have been called to God’s family (3:7-19)14

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

3. We have been called to obedience (within the family) (3:31-35)

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

1. Am I an Influenced Follower? (4:1-20)24

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

those outside, everything is in parables,

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

1. Jesus Offers Safety through Life’s Storms (4:35-41)35

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

2. Jesus Offers Peace during Life’s Confusion (5:1-20)

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

3. Jesus Offers Relief from Life’s Pain (5:21-34)

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

4. Jesus Offers Hope through Life’s Tragedies (5:35-43)

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

Deficiency of Faith (6:1-6)43

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

Duplication of Faith (6:7-13)

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

Duration of Faith (6:14-29)

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

Development of Faith (6:30-44)

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

Direction of Faith (6:45-56)

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

Could You Benefit from a Heart Attack? (7:1-23)56

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

Closed-Captioned for the Hearing Impaired (7:24-37)62

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003

Objects Are Closer Than They Appear (8:1-26)

© The Biblical Studies Foundation (www.bible.org) 2003