T h e

L u c a d o L i f e L e s s o n s

s t u d y B i B L e

M a x L u c a d o G e n e r a L e d i t o r

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The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible

© 2010 Thomas Nelson, Inc.

The Holy Bible, New King James Version

Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible was produced with the assistance of Karen Hill, Executive Editor to Max Lucado, and The Livingstone Corporation (www.LivingstoneCorp.com). Project staff includes Linda Taylor, Dana Long, Bruce Barton, Dave Veerman, Neil Wilson, Tom Freking, Ashley Taylor, Andy Culbertson, Linda Washington. Interior design by Larry Taylor. Typesetting by Kathy and Tom Ristow.

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qqqqT H E B O O K O F

Mark I N T R O D U C T I O N

The drama of Mark’s Gospel peaks in Caesarea Philippi.It’s a religious mecca. Every major religion can be found here. Temples dot the landscape.

Priests stride the streets.

Jesus and His followers are here? Why? If Jesus preached a sermon, it’s not recorded. If He

performed a miracle, we don’t know it. As far as we know, all He did was ask two questions.

The first, “Who do people say that I am?”

The disciples are quick to respond. They’ve overheard the chatter. “Some say you are John

the Baptist. Others say you are Elijah, and others say you are one of the prophets.”

Good answers. True answers. But wrong answers.

Jesus then turns and asks them the question. The question. “But who do you say I am?”

He doesn’t ask, “What do you think about what I’ve done?” He asks, “Who do you say I am?”

He doesn’t ask, “Who did you think I was

when the crowds were great and the miracles

were many?” He asks, “Who do you think I

am? Here against the backdrop of religion. Me,

a penniless itinerant surrounded by affluent

temples. Who do you say I am?”

He doesn’t ask, “Who do your friends think

. . . Who do your parents think . . . Who do

your peers think?” He poses instead a starkly

personal query, “Who do you think I am?”

The disciples aren’t as quick to respond. One

ducks his eyes. Another shuffles his feet. A third

clears his throat. But Peter lifts his head. He lifts

his head and looks at the Nazarene and speaks

the words heaven has longed to hear. “You are

the Christ.”

You have been asked some important

questions in your life:

Will you marry me?

Would you be interested in a transfer?

What would you think if I told you I was

pregnant?

You’ve been asked some important

questions. But the grandest of them is an anthill

compared to the Everest found in the eighth

chapter of Mark.

Who do you say I am?

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Author: Mark, also called John Mark

Date Written: c. A.D. 60

Key Themes: Ê Jesus was a savior and yet a

servant.

Ê Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice for humanity’s broken relationship with God.

Ê Jesus performed miracles through the power of God.

Ê Jesus taught about the kingdom of God.

Key Verse:“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

Contents:I. Jesus’ Introduction and

Preparation 1:1—2:12

II. Public Ministry 2:13—8:26

III. Teachings 8:27—10:52

IV. Trial, Death, and Resurrection 11:1—16:20

h

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Mark 1:1–45

SITUATIONPersecution and martyrdom in Rome created a dangerous environment for Christians. Mark wrote this Gospel to the Christians in Rome to encourage and strengthen their faith. He recorded Christ’s baptism, temptation, and the beginning of His ministry with His disciples.

OBSERVATIONJesus came to be a human being in the normalness of human life. He showed compassion to the people around Him. He exemplified tenderness when He healed the leper by touching Him.

INSPIRATIONYou awoke today to a common day. No butler drew your bath. No maid laid out your clothes. Your eggs weren’t Benedict, and your orange juice wasn’t fresh squeezed. But that’s OK; there’s nothing special about the day. It’s not your birthday or Christmas; it’s like every other day. A common day.

So you went to the garage and climbed into your common car. You once read that children of the queen never need to drive. You’ve been told of executives and sheiks who are helicoptered to their offices. As for you, a stretch limo took you to your wedding reception, but since then it’s been sedans and minivans. Common cars.

Common cars that take you to your common job. You take it seriously, but you would never call it extraordinary. You’re not clearing your calendar for

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

The be gin ning of the gospel of Je sus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the Prophets: a

“ Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.” b 3 “ The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘ Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.’ ” a

4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Je ru sa lem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jor dan River, confessing their sins.

6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

John Baptizes Jesus9 It came to pass in those days that Je sus came from Naz a reth of

Gal i lee, and was baptized by John in the Jor dan. 10 And immediately, coming up from a the water, He saw the heavens part ing and the Spirit de scend ing upon Him like a dove. 11 Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Satan Tempts Jesus12 Im me di ately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. 13 And He

was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Sa tan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry14 Now after John was put in prison, Je sus came to Gal i lee, preach­

ing the gospel of the kingdom a of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

Four Fishermen Called as Disciples16 And as He walked by the Sea of Gal i lee, He saw Si mon and

An drew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 Then Je sus said to them, “Fol low Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.

19 When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. 20 And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.

 Lifelessons

1:2 aNU­Text reads Isaiah the prophet. bMalachi 3:1 1:3 aIsaiah 40:3 1:10 aNU­Text reads out of. 1:14 aNU­Text omits of the kingdom.

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Jay Leno or making time to appear before Congress. You’re just making sure you get your work done before the six o’clock rush turns the Loop into a parking lot.

Get caught in the evening traffic, and be ready to wait in line. The line at the freeway on-ramp. The line at the grocery or the line at the gas station. If you were the governor or had an Oscar on your mantel, you might bypass the crowds. But you aren’t. You are common.

You lead a common life. Punctuated by occasional weddings, job transfers, bowling trophies, and graduations—a few highlights—but mainly the day-to-day rhythm that you share with the majority of humanity.

And, as a result, you could use a few tips. You need to know how to succeed at being common. Commonhood has its perils, you know. A face in the crowd can feel lost in the crowd. You tend to think you are unproductive, wondering if you’ll leave any lasting contribution. And you can feel insignificant. Do commoners rate in heaven? Does God love common people?

God answers these questions in a most uncommon fashion. If the word common describes you, take heart—you’re in fine company. It also describes Christ. (From Next Door Savior by Max Lucado)

APPLICATIONDo you feel like you’re nothing special? Common? There’s nothing common about the power of gentle compassion exemplified by Jesus. Who do you have trouble “touching” because they are not attractive in any way? Compassion requires more than words;

Jesus Casts Out an Unclean Spirit21 Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the

Sabbath He entered the syn a gogue and taught. 22 And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having author­ity, and not as the scribes.

23 Now there was a man in their synagogue with an un clean spirit. And he cried out, 24 say ing, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Je sus of Naz a reth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

25 But Je sus re buked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26 And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. 27 Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doc trine is this? For with authority a He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” 28 And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Gal i lee.

Peter’s Mother-in-Law Healed29 Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they

entered the house of Si mon and An drew, with James and John. 30 But Si mon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. 31 So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.

Many Healed After Sabbath Sunset32 At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who

were sick and those who were demon­pos sessed. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.

Preaching in Galilee35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight,

He went out and departed to a sol i tary place; and there He prayed. 36 And Si mon and those who were with Him searched for Him. 37 When they found Him, they said to Him, “Eve ry one is looking for You.”

38 But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.”

39 And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Gal i­lee, and cast ing out demons.

Jesus Cleanses a Leper40 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him

and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”41 Then Je sus, moved with com pas sion, stretched out His hand

and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42 As soon as He had spoken, im me di ately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 43 And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Mo ses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

1:27 aNU­Text reads What is this? A new doctrine with authority.

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compassion requires action. Look for ways to express compassion to those who are starving for a tender touch.

EXPLORATIONJesus’ Compassion—Matthew 8:3, 15; 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; 17:7; 20:34; 23:37; Mark 10:13–16; Luke 7:13; 22:51; John 11:35.

45 How ever, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Je sus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic

2 And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 Im me di ately a many gathered

together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3 Then they came to Him, bringing a par a lytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncov ered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.

5 When Je sus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

8 But immediately, when Je sus perceived in His spirit that they rea­soned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the para­lytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 12 Im me di ately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glo ri fied God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Matthew the Tax Collector13 Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came

to Him, and He taught them. 14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Fol low Me.” So he arose and fol lowed Him.

15 Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sin ners also sat together with Je sus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. 16 And when the scribes and a Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sin ners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sin ners?”

17 When Je sus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sin ners, to repentance.” a

Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting18 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then

they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”

19 And Je sus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom

 Lifelessons

Mark 2:1–28

SITUATIONJesus’ power over illness and evil spirits quickly became exciting news to the people around Him. They came to Him from everywhere, looking for help.

OBSERVATIONJesus offers hope, healing, and new life to all who come to Him in faith.

INSPIRATIONI’ll never forget Steven. I met him in St. Louis. His twenty-three years had been hard on him, his arm scarred from the needle and his wrist scarred from the knife. His pride was his fist and his weakness was his girl. . . .

He wanted to change.But his girlfriend would

have none of it. Oh, she would listen politely and would be very sweet, but her heart was gripped by darkness. Any changes Steve made would be quickly muffled as she would craftily maneuver him back into his old habits. She was the last thing between him and the Kingdom. We begged him to leave her. He was trying to put new wine into an old wineskin.

He wrestled for days trying to decide what to do. Finally, he reached a 2:2 aNU­Text omits Immediately. 2:16 aNU­Text reads of the. 2:17 aNU­Text omits

to repentance.

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conclusion. He couldn’t leave her.

The last time I saw Steve he wept . . . uncontrollably. I held big, tough, macho Steve in my arms. The prophecy of Jesus was true. By putting his new wine into an old skin, it was lost.

. . . No friendship or romance is worth your soul. Repentance means change. And change means purging your heart of anything that can’t coexist with Christ.

You can’t put new life into an old life-style. The inevitable tragedy occurs. The new life is lost. (From On the Anvil by Max Lucado)

APPLICATIONDo you need a big change to put your life on course? Boldly put your life in Christ’s hands and let God do a miracle!

EXPLORATIONBringing People to Jesus for Miracles—Matthew 4:24; 8:16; Mark 9:17–20; Luke 5:18, 19.

fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wine­skins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath23 Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the

Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

25 But He said to them, “Have you never read what Da vid did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: 26 how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?”

27 And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sab bath. 28 There fore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

Healing on the Sabbath

3 And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 So they watched Him closely, whether He

would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might ac cuse Him. 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” 4 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hard ness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. a 6 Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

A Great Multitude Follows Jesus7 But Je sus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great

multitude from Gal i lee followed Him, and from Judea 8 and Je ru sa lem and Idumea and beyond the Jor dan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him. 9 So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him. 10 For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him. 11 And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, “You are the Son of God.” 12 But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.

Lifelessons

Mark 3:1–35

SITUATIONMark affirmed the spiritual authority and power present in Jesus’ ministry. Jesus properly interpreted the Mosaic law. His power was greater than evil spirits. This passage also revealed Jesus’ ministry to call His spiritual brothers and sisters to do the will of God.

OBSERVATIONJesus demonstrated remarkable patience. Though many questioned His authority, He patiently refuted them. When His immediate family thought that Jesus was a lunatic, He expanded the concept

3:5 aNU­Text omits as whole as the other.

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of His family to include the kinship of people who love God.

INSPIRATIONCan you still remember? Are you still in love with Him? . . . Remember Jesus. Before you remember anything, remember Him. If you forget anything, don’t forget Him.

Oh, but how quickly we forget. So much happens through the years. So many changes within. So many alterations without. And, somewhere, back there, we leave Him. We don’t turn away from Him . . . we just don’t take Him with us. Assignments come. Promotions come. Budgets are made. Kids are born, and the Christ . . . the Christ is forgotten.

Has it been a while since you stared at the heavens in speechless amazement? Has it been a while since you realized God’s divinity and your carnality?

If it has, then you need to know something. He is still there. He hasn’t left. Under all those papers and books and reports and years. In the midst of all those voices and faces and memories and pictures, He is still there. (From Six Hours One Friday by Max Lucado)

APPLICATIONHave you forgotten Jesus? Has your love for Him slipped through time? Let Christ renew your love and let it flow freely again, as it once did.

EXPLORATIONSpiritual Family—Isaiah 63:16; John 1:12; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 2:19; Hebrews 2:11.

The Twelve Apostles13 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those

He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. 14 Then He appointed twelve, a that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, 15 and to have power to heal sicknesses and a to cast out demons: 16 Si mon, a to whom He gave the name Pe ter; 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”; 18 An drew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Si mon the Cananite; 19 and Ju das Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.

A House Divided Cannot Stand20 Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not

so much as eat bread. 21 But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.”

22 And the scribes who came down from Je ru sa lem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”

23 So He called them to Him self and said to them in parables: “How can Sa tan cast out Sa tan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Sa tan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. 27 No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.

The Unpardonable Sin28 “As suredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men,

and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29 but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemna tion”— 30 be cause they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Send for Him31 Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside

they sent to Him, calling Him. 32 And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers a are outside seeking You.”

33 But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My broth­ers?” 34 And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”

The Parable of the Sower

4 And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on

the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. 2 Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:

3:14 aNU­Text adds whom He also named apostles. 3:15 aNU­Text omits to heal sicknesses and. 3:16 aNU­Text reads and He appointed the twelve: Simon. . . . 3:32 aNU­Text and M­Text add and Your sisters.

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FamilyI   t’s like a crammed and jammed elevator. People thrust together by chance on

a short journey, saying as little as possible. The only difference is you’ll eventually get off the elevator and never see these folks again—not so with the difficult relative. Family reunions, Christmas, Thanksgiving, weddings, funerals—they’ll be there.

Does Jesus have anything to say about dealing with difficult relatives? Is there an example of Jesus bringing peace to a painful family? Yes, there is.

His own.It may surprise you to know that Jesus had a difficult family. It may surprise you to

know that Jesus had a family at all! You may not be aware that Jesus had brothers and sisters. He did. Quoting Jesus’ hometown critics, Mark wrote, “Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” (Mark 6:3).

And it may surprise you to know that His family was less than perfect. They were. If your family doesn’t appreciate you, take heart, neither did Jesus’.

It’s worth noting that He didn’t try to control His family’s behavior, nor did He let their behavior control His. He didn’t demand that they agree with him. He didn’t sulk when they insulted Him. He didn’t make it His mission to try to please them.

When Jesus’ brothers didn’t share His convictions, He didn’t try to force them. He recognized that His spiritual family could provide what His physical family didn’t. If Jesus Himself couldn’t force His family to share His convictions, what makes you think you can force yours?

I can’t assure you that your family will ever give you the blessing you seek, but I know God will. Let God give you what your family doesn’t. If your earthly father doesn’t affirm you, then let your heavenly Father take his place.

Study Guide

Read Mark 3:20–35.

• What circumstances or situations make family gatherings stressful? • List several reasons why family relationships can be so challenging.• How can jealousy divide and destroy families?• How can having different convictions than members of your family cause strife

and tension?• List several things you expect to receive from your family.• In what ways have Christian friends become like family members to you?• How are our expectations different with friends than with family members?• Describe what you believe is your responsibility to your family.• How can you look to God to fulfill the needs that your family has not met in your

life?

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Mark 4:1–41

SITUATIONJesus used parables to teach. These stories contained great truths and insights about God and man. While quoting from Isaiah, Jesus also demonstrated how He fulfilled prophecy through his stories. Mark related not only the power of Jesus in stories but also His authority over creation in His command of the weather at sea.

OBSERVATIONEven in the middle of a dangerous sea, when Jesus patiently calmed the storm, He showed the fearful disciples that He truly cared for them. Sometimes even those close to Jesus were slow to realize how much He loved them.

INSPIRATION“God, don’t you care?”

Such an honest cry, a doggedly painful cry. I’ve asked that one before, haven’t you? It’s been screamed countless times. . . .

A mother weeps over a stillborn child. A husband is torn from his wife by a tragic accident. The tears of an eight-year-old fall on a daddy’s casket. And the question wails.

“God, don’t you care?” “Why me?” “Why my friend?” “Why my business?” “Don’t you care?”

It’s the timeless question. The question asked by literally every person that has stalked this globe. There has never been a president, a worker, or a businessman who hasn’t asked it. There has never been a soul who

3 “Lis ten! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air a came and devoured it. 5 Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. 6 But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. 7 And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

9 And He said to them, a “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

The Purpose of Parables10 But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked

Him about the parable. 11 And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mys tery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, 12 so that

‘ Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.’ ” a

The Parable of the Sower Explained13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How

then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Sa tan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruit ful. 20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, ac cept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

Light Under a Basket21 Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket

or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? 22 For there is noth­ing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

24 Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. 25 For whoever has, to him more will be given; but

 Lifelessons

4:4 aNU­Text and M­Text omit of the air. 4:9 aNU­Text and M­Text omit to them. 4:12 aIsaiah 6:9, 10

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hasn’t wrestled with this aching question. Does my God care? Or is my pain God’s great goof?

As the winds howled and the sea raged, the impatient and frightened disciples screamed their fear at the sleeping Jesus. “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?” He could have kept on sleeping. He could have told them to shut up. He could have impatiently jumped up and angrily dismissed the storm. He could have pointed out their immaturity. . . . But He didn’t.

With all the patience that only one who cares can have, He answered the question. He hushed the storm so the shivering disciples wouldn’t miss His response. Jesus answered once and for all the aching dilemma of man—“Where is God when I hurt?”

Listening and healing. That’s where He is. He cares. (From On the Anvil by Max Lucado)

APPLICATIONWhat stories of Jesus’ love and ministry can you share with others? Consider the impact of stories that have taught you. Dare yourself to discover the ways God shows He cares for you in the storms of your life.

EXPLORATIONChrist as a Teacher—Matthew 4:23; 5:2; 7:29; Mark 6:34; Luke 4:15; 5:3; John 3:2; 7:14; 8:2. Divine Power—Exodus 4:21; 15:11; Joshua 3:5; Psalm 77:14; Daniel 4:3; Joel 2:30; Acts 6:8.

whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”

The Parable of the Growing Seed26 And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scat ter

seed on the ground, 27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. 28 For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed30 Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or

with what parable shall we picture it? 31 It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; 32 but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”

Jesus’ Use of Parables33 And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they

were able to hear it. 34 But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.

Wind and Wave Obey Jesus35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them,

“Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

39 Then He arose and re buked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” a 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”

A Demon-Possessed Man Healed

5 Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. a 2 And when He had come out of the boat, immedi­

ately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an un clean spirit, 3 who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, a not even with chains, 4 be cause he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; nei ther could anyone tame him. 5 And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.

6 When he saw Je sus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. 7 And

4:40 aNU­Text reads Have you still no faith? 5:1 aNU­Text reads Gerasenes. 5:3 aNU­Text adds anymore.

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Mark 5:1–43

SITUATIONJesus ministered to the most important people and the most despised people in town. His power surpassed demons, sickness, and death.

OBSERVATIONAlthough Jesus brought life to those who were physically dead, He spent most of His energy reaching those who were spiritually dead. He wanted to give them a new spiritual life.

INSPIRATIONThe funeral had begun. The people thought the best Jesus could do was offer some kind words about Jairus’s girl. Jesus had some words all right. Not about the girl, but for the girl.

“My child, stand up!” . . .The next thing the father

knew, she was eating, Jesus was laughing, and the hired mourners were sent home early. . . .

He’ll do it again, you know. He’s promised He would. And He’s shown that He can.

“The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

The same voice that awoke the boy near Nain, that stirred the still daughter of Jairus, that awakened the corpse of Lazarus—the same voice will speak again. The earth and the sea will give up their dead. There will be no more death.

Jesus made sure of that. (From He Still Moves Stones by Max Lucado)

APPLICATIONWhat could you do to show love and acceptance for a homeless beggar in rags?

he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Je sus, Son of the Most High God? I im plore You by God that You do not torment me.”

8 For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” 9 Then He asked him, “What is your name?”

And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10 Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.

11 Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. 12 So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.” 13 And at once Je sus a gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea.

14 So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had hap­pened. 15 Then they came to Je sus, and saw the one who had been de mon­pos sessed and had the legion, sit ting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 16 And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon­pos sessed, and about the swine. 17 Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.

18 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon­pos­sessed begged Him that he might be with Him. 19 How ever, Je sus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” 20 And he departed and began to pro claim in Decapolis all that Je sus had done for him; and all mar veled.

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed21 Now when Je sus had crossed over again by boat to the other

side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. 22 And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 23 and begged Him earnestly, say­ing, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” 24 So Je sus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.

25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Je sus, she came behind Him in the crowd and tou ched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

29 Im me di ately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the af flic tion. 30 And Je sus, imme­diately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”

31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ”

 Lifelessons

5:13 aNU­Text reads And He gave.

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HealingA   chronic menstrual disorder. A perpetual issue of blood. Such a condition would

be difficult for any woman of any era. But for a Jewess, nothing could be worse. No part of her life was left unaffected.

Sexually . . . she could not touch her husband.Maternally . . . she could not bear children. Domestically…anything she touched was

considered unclean. No washing dishes. No sweeping floors.Spiritually . . . she was not allowed to enter the temple.She was physically exhausted and socially ostracized.She had sought help “under the care of many doctors” . . .She was a bruised reed. She awoke daily in a body that no one wanted. She is down to

her last prayer. And on the day we encounter her, she’s about to pray it.By the time she gets to Jesus, He is surrounded by people. He’s on His way to help the

daughter of Jairus, the most important man in the community. What are the odds that He will interrupt an urgent mission with a high official to help the likes of her? Very few. But what are the odds that she will survive if she doesn’t take a chance? Fewer still. So she takes a chance.

“If I can just touch His clothes,” she thinks, “I will be healed.”Risky decision. To touch Him, she will have to touch the people. If one of them

recognizes her. . . . But what choice does she have? She has no money, no clout, no friends, no solutions. All she has is a crazy hunch that Jesus can help and a high hope that He will. . . .

There was no guarantee, of course. She hoped He’d respond…she longed for it . . . but she didn’t know if He would. All she knew was that He was good. That’s faith.

Faith is not the belief that God will do what you want. Faith is the belief that God will do what is right.

“Blessed are the dirt­poor, nothing­to­give, trapped­in­a­corner, destitute, diseased,” Jesus said, “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:6, my translation).

God’s economy is upside down (or rightside up and ours is upside down!) God says that the more hopeless your circumstance, the more likely your salvation. The greater your cares, the more genuine your prayers. The darker the room, the greater the need for light.

A healthy lady never would have appreciated the power of a touch of the hem of His robe. But this woman was sick…and when her dilemma met His dedication, a miracle occurred.

Her part in the healing was very small. All she did was extend her arm through the crowd.

“If only I can touch Him.”. . .Healing begins when we do something. Healing begins when we reach out. Healing

starts when we take a step.

Study Guide

Read Mark 5:21–42.

• Think of a time when you took a step of faith. What did you do and how did God respond?

• Why do you suppose Jesus stopped to point out this woman?• Many people touched Jesus as He passed by. Why did Jesus’ power affect this

woman and no others?• What does this woman’s story reveal about faith?• In what ways can you identify with this woman?• What makes it difficult to step out in faith?• In what area of your life do you need to experience Christ’s healing power?• What practical steps of faith do you need to take?

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Could you share God’s love with an alcoholic, a street gang member, an AIDS victim? These people are worthy of God’s love and your love, too. Join with other Christians this week in an effort to share God’s Word with people you would not normally approach.

EXPLORATIONImpartiality—Ruth 1:16; Luke 5:13; Galatians 3:28.

32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. 33 But the woman, fear ing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daugh ter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

35 While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”

36 As soon as Je sus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only be lieve.” 37 And He per­mitted no one to follow Him except Pe ter, James, and John the brother of James. 38 Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. 39 When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commo tion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleep ing.”

40 And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. 41 Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is trans­lated, “Lit tle girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 Im me di ately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were over come with great amazement. 43 But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

6 Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. 2 And when the Sabbath had come,

He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were as ton ished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are per­formed by His hands! 3 Is this not the carpen ter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Ju das, and Si mon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.

4 But Je sus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” 5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

Sending Out the Twelve7 And He called the twelve to Him self, and began to send them

out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. 8 He com­manded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts— 9 but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.

10 Also He said to them, “In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place. 11 And who ever a will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. b As suredly, I say to you,

 Lifelessons

Mark 6:1—7:23

SITUATIONThis record of a particularly busy day is found in all four Gospels. Particularly significant is the feeding of the five thousand.

OBSERVATIONJesus experienced stressful, chaotic days like ours. He knows what the pace of our life is like.

INSPIRATIONA day in the Life of Christ. . . .

[A] day in which Jesus experiences more stress than he will any other day of his life—aside from his crucifixion. Before the morning becomes evening, he has reason to weep . . . run . . . shout . . . curse . . . praise . . . doubt.

From calm to chaos. From peace to perplexity. Within moments his world is turned upside down. . . .

The morning has been a jungle trail of the unexpected. First Jesus grieves over the death of a dear friend and relative. Then his life is threatened. Next he celebrates the triumphant return of his followers. Then he is nearly suffocated by a brouhaha of humanity.6:11 aNU­Text reads whatever place. bNU­Text omits the rest of this verse.

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Bereavement . . . jeopardy . . . jubilation . . . bedlam. . . .

Ponder this the next time your world goes from calm to chaos. . . .

Jesus knows how you feel.

A friend of mine was recently trying to teach his six-year-old son how to shoot a basket. The boy would take the basketball and push it as hard as he could toward the goal, but it always fell short. The father would then take the ball and toss it toward the basket, saying something like, “Just do it like this, son. It’s easy.”

Then the boy would try, and miss, again. My friend would then take the ball and make another basket, encouraging his son to push the ball a bit harder.

After several minutes and many misses, the boy responded to his father’s encouragement by saying, “Yeah, but it’s easy for you up there. You don’t know how hard it is from down here.”

You and I can never say that about God. Of the many messages Jesus taught us that day about stress, the first one is this: “God knows how you feel.” (From In the Eye of the Storm by Max Lucado)

APPLICATIONFollow Jesus’ example in handling stress. If today starts to get hectic, take five minutes to be alone with God. If your work gets interrupted, ask God for patience to deal with the interruption and for endurance to finish the task.

EXPLORATIONStress—Isaiah 26:3; Matthew 11:28; Luke 10:38–42; Philippians 4:6.

it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judg­ment than for that city!”

12 So they went out and preached that peo ple should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

John the Baptist Beheaded14 Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well

known. And he said, “John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.”

15 Others said, “It is Elijah.”And others said, “It is the Prophet, or a like one of the prophets.”16 But when Herod heard, he said, “This is John, whom I beheaded;

he has been raised from the dead!” 17 For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her. 18 Be cause John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”

19 There fore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

21 Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Gal i­lee. 22 And when Herodias’ daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.” 23 He also swore to her, “What ever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”

24 So she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?”And she said, “The head of John the Baptist!”25 Im me di ately she came in with haste to the king and asked, say­

ing, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a plat ter.”

26 And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her. 27 Im me di ately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison, 28 brought his head on a plat ter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

Feeding the Five Thousand30 Then the apostles gathered to Je sus and told Him all things,

both what they had done and what they had taught. 31 And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.

33 But the multitudes a saw them depart ing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them

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and came together to Him. 34 And Je sus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. 35 When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. 36 Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; a for they have nothing to eat.”

37 But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.”

And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?”

38 But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”

And when they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.”

39 Then He com manded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in ranks, in hun­dreds and in fifties. 41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. 42 So they all ate and were filled. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. 44 Now those who had eaten the loaves were about a five thousand men.

Jesus Walks on the Sea45 Im me di ately He made His disciples get

into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. 46 And when He had sent them away, He de parted to the mountain to pray. 47 Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. 48 Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. 49 And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; 50 for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “Be of good cheer!

It is I; do not be afraid.” 51 Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. 52 For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.

Many Touch Him and Are Made Well

53 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 And when they came out of the boat, imme­diately the people recognized Him, 55 ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. 56 Wher­ever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.

Defilement Comes from Within

7 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from

Je ru sa lem. 2 Now when a they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with un washed hands, they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, hold­ing the tra di tion of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.

5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk accord­ing to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”

6 He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hyp o crites, as it is written:

‘ This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.7 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the

commandments of men.’ a

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Jesus PrayedH e departed to the mountain to pray.”

Jesus faced an impossible task. More than five thousand people were ready to fight a battle He had not come to fight. How could He show them that He didn’t come to be a king, but to be a sacrifice? How could He take their eyes off an earthly kingdom so that they would see the spiritual one? How could they see the eternal when they only had eyes for the temporal?

What Jesus dreamed of doing and what He seemed about to do were separated by an impossible gulf. So Jesus prayed.

He prayed for the impossible to happen.Maybe He didn’t ask for anything. Maybe He just stood quietly in the presence of the

Presence and basked in the majesty. Maybe He lifted His head out of the confusion of earth long enough to hear the

solution of heaven. Perhaps He was reminded that hard hearts don’t faze the Father. That problem people don’t perturb the Eternal One.

We don’t know what He did or what He said. But we do know the result. The hill became a steppingstone; the storm became a path, and the disciples saw Jesus as they had never seen Him before.

During the storm, Jesus prayed. The sky darkened. The winds howled. Yet He prayed. The people grumbled. The disciples doubted. Yet He prayed. When forced to choose between the muscles of men and the mountain of prayer, He prayed.

There are crevasses in your life that you cannot cross alone. There are hearts in your world that you cannot change without help. There are mountains that you cannot climb until you climb His mountain.

Climb it. You will be amazed.

Study Guide

Mark 6:45–52

• Describe a time when you or someone you know needed a miracle.• What keeps us from choosing prayer when we face the impossible?• Why do you think prayer seems like such a passive activity at times?• In what ways does prayer make such a difference in the impossible situations we

face?• How do you think your life would be different if you prayed more frequently and

more fervently?• How do you know if a prayer has been effective?• Describe the most amazing answer to prayer you have ever witnessed or heard

about.• Why do you think prayer is the key to the impossible? • What impossible situation do you need to turn over to God in prayer?

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Mark 7:24—8:38

SITUATIONThe Pharisees doubted Jesus’ divine nature. They asked Him for a sign from heaven that would proclaim Him as Messiah.

OBSERVATIONTo see God’s presence at work, we must look at the power behind the miracle first—God.

INSPIRATIONHis lunch wasn’t much. In fact, it wasn’t anything compared to what was needed for more than five thousand people.

He probably wrestled with the silliness of it all. What was one lunch for so many.

How far could one lunch go?

I think that’s why he didn’t give the lunch to the crowd. Instead he gave it to Jesus. Something told him that if he would plant the seed, God would grant the crop.

So he did.He summoned his

courage, got up off the grass, and walked into the circle of grownups. He must have been nervous. No one likes to appear silly.

Someone probably snickered at him.

If they didn’t snicker, they shook their heads. “The little fellow doesn’t know any better.”

If they didn’t shake their heads, they rolled their eyes. “Here we have a hunger crisis, and this little boy thinks that a sack lunch will solve it.”

But it wasn’t the men’s heads or eyes that the boy saw; he saw only Jesus. (From In the Eye of the Storm by Max Lucado)

8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men a —the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”

9 He said to them, “All too well you re ject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. 10 For Mo ses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; a and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ b 11 But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “What ever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, 13 mak ing the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

14 When He had called all the multitude to Him self, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and un der stand: 15 There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that de file a man. 16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” a

17 When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His dis­ciples asked Him concerning the parable. 18 So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, 19 be cause it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?” a 20 And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, pro ceed evil thoughts, adul ter ies, for ni ca tions, murders, 22 thefts, cov et ous ness, wickedness, de ceit, lewd ness, an evil eye, blas phemy, pride, foolish­ness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

A Gentile Shows Her Faith24 From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. a

And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hid den. 25 For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syro­Phoenician by birth, and she kept ask ing Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 But Je sus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

28 And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”

29 Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”

30 And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.

Jesus Heals a Deaf-Mute31 Again, depart ing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came

through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Gal i lee.

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APPLICATIONWhat do you believe about miracles? Look for the amazing things that have happened in your life: at work, at home, and with friends. They are all God’s blessings. Help meet the needs of another, and be a part of God’s miracle in that life.

EXPLORATIONMiracles—Matthew 8:23–27; Mark 3:20–30; Luke 18:35–43; John 2:1–11; 4:43–54; 11:1–44.

32 Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impedi­ment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. 33 And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. 34 Then, look ing up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”

35 Im me di ately his ears were opened, and the im ped i ment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. 36 Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. 37 And they were as ton­ished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

Feeding the Four Thousand

8 In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Je sus called His disciples to Him and said to them, 2 “I have

com pas sion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I send them away hun­gry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.”

4 Then His disciples answered Him, “How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?”

5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”And they said, “Seven.”6 So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.

And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude. 7 They also had a few small fish; and hav ing blessed them, He said to set them also before them. 8 So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments. 9 Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away, 10 im me di ately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

The Pharisees Seek a Sign11 Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him,

seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him. 12 But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.”

Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod13 And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to

the other side. 14 Now the disciples a had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. 15 Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”

17 But Je sus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still a hardened? 18 Hav ing eyes, do you

8:14 aNU­Text and M­Text read they. 8:17 aNU­Text omits still.

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not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?”

They said to Him, “Twelve.”

20 “Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of frag­ments did you take up?”

And they said, “Seven.”21 So He said to them, “How is it you do not

understand?”

C h r i s t t h r o u g h t h e B i B l e

Jesus: Our Hope and ComfortJesus is presented with a man who is deaf and has a speech impediment. Perhaps he stammered. Maybe he spoke with a lisp. Perhaps, because of his deafness, he never learned to articulate words properly.

Jesus, refusing to exploit the situation, took the man aside. He looked him in the face. Knowing it would be useless to talk, He explained what He was about to do through gestures. He spat and touched the man’s tongue, telling him that whatever restricted his speech was about to be removed. He touched his ears. They, for the first time, were about to hear.

But before the man said a word or heard a sound, Jesus did something I never would have anticipated.

He sighed. . . .No doubt you’ve done your share of sighing.If you have teenagers, you’ve probably sighed. If you’ve tried to resist

temptation, you’ve probably sighed. If you’ve had your motives questioned or your best acts of love rejected, you have been forced to take a deep breath and let escape a painful sigh. . . .

All these sighs come from the same anxiety; a recognition of pain that was never intended, or of hope deferred.

Man was not created to be separated from his creator; hence he sighs, longing for home. The creation was never intended to be inhabited by evil; hence she sighs, yearning for the Garden. . . .

And when Jesus looked into the eyes of Satan’s victim, the only appropriate thing to do was sigh. “It was never intended to be this way,” the sigh said. “Your ears weren’t made to be deaf, your tongue wasn’t made to stumble.” The imbalance of it all caused the Master to languish.

So, I found a place for the word sigh. You might think it strange, but I placed it beside the word comfort, for in an indirect way, God’s pain is our comfort.

And in the agony of Jesus lies our hope. Had He not sighed, had He not felt the burden for what was not intended, we would be in a pitiful condition. Had He simply chalked it all up to the inevitable or washed His hands of the whole stinking mess, what hope would we have?

But He didn’t. That holy sigh assures us that God still groans for His people. He groans for the day when all sighs will cease, when what was intended to be will be. (From God Came Near by Max Lucado)

For more on “Christ Through the Bible,” see page XXX.

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Mark 9:1–50

SITUATIONJesus explained what God’s kingdom was about. The disciples could not fathom God’s eternal plan. Jesus brought Peter, James, and John up on a mountaintop. There Jesus’ true glory was revealed, and Elijah and Moses appeared to the disciples as God spoke to them.

OBSERVATIONEven the majestic Son of God sympathizes with our most desperate cries.

INSPIRATIONSome of you pray like a Concorde jet—smooth, sleek, high, and mighty. Your words reverberate in the clouds and send sonic booms throughout the heavens. If you pray like a Concorde, I salute you. If you don’t, I understand.

Maybe you are like me, more a crop duster than a Concorde. You aren’t flashy, you fly low, you seem to cover the same ground a lot, and some mornings it’s tough to get the old engine cranked up.

Most of us are like that. Most of our prayer lives could use a tune-up.

Some prayer lives lack consistency. They’re either a desert or an oasis. . . . We go days or weeks without consistent prayer, but then something happens—we hear a sermon, read a book, experience a tragedy—something leads us to pray, so we dive in. We submerge ourselves in prayer and leave refreshed and renewed. But as the journey resumes, our prayers don’t.

Others of us need sincerity. Our prayers are a

A Blind Man Healed at Bethsaida22 Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to

Him, and begged Him to touch him. 23 So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.

24 And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.”25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up.

And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. 26 Then He sent him away to his house, saying, “Nei ther go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.” a

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ27 Now Je sus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea

Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?”

28 So they answered, “John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”

29 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”Pe ter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.”30 Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about

Him.

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer

many things, and be re jected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke this word openly. Then Pe ter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He re buked Pe ter, saying, “Get behind Me, Sa tan! For you are not mind ful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Take Up the Cross and Follow Him34 When He had called the people to Him self, with His disciples

also, He said to them, “Who ever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For who ever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

9 And He said to them, “As suredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of

God present with power.”

Jesus Transfigured on the Mount2 Now after six days Je sus took Pe ter, James, and John, and led them

up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like

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PowerT he pole of power is greasy.

The Roman emperor Charlemagne knew that. An interesting story surrounds the burial of this famous king. Legend has it that he asked to be entombed sitting upright in his throne. He asked that his crown be placed on his head and his scepter in his hand. He requested that the royal cape be draped around his shoulders and an open book be placed in his lap.

That was A.D. 814. Nearly two hundred years later, Emperor Othello determined to see if the burial request had been carried out. He allegedly sent a team of men to open the tomb and make a report. They found the body just as Charlemagne had requested. Only now, nearly two centuries later, the scene was gruesome. The crown was tilted, the mantle moth­eaten, the body disfigured. But open on the skeletal thighs was the book Charlemagne had requested—the Bible. One bony finger pointed to Matthew 16:26, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”

You can answer that one.

Study Guide

Read Mark 8:34–38.

• What is the cost of true discipleship?• What is the essence of true power?• How do some people react when they learn that being a true follower of Jesus is

costly?• What does it mean to lose your life for Christ’s sake?• What does it mean to gain the whole world?• What power would you have to give up in order to deny yourself and take up

your cross?• What is the difference between denying self and self­denial?• What do you need to change to be a true disciple?

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bit hollow, memorized, and rigid. More liturgy than life. And though they are daily, they are dull.

Still others lack, well, honesty. We honestly wonder if prayer makes a difference. Why on earth would God in heaven want to talk to me? . . .

If you struggle with prayer, I’ve got just the guy for you. Don’t worry, he’s not a monastic saint. He’s not a calloused-kneed apostle. Nor is he a prophet whose middle name is meditation. He’s not a too-holy-to-be-you reminder of how far you need to go in prayer. He’s just the opposite. A fellow crop duster. A parent with a sick son in need of a miracle. The father’s prayer isn’t much, but the answer is, and the result reminds us: The power is not in the prayer; it’s in the one who hears it.

He prayed out of desperation. His son, his only son, was demon-possessed. Not only was he a deaf mute and an epileptic, he was also possessed by an evil spirit. Ever since the boy was young, the demon had thrown him into fires and water.

Imagine the pain of the father. Other dads could watch their children grow and mature; he could only watch his suffer. While others were teaching their sons an occupation, he was just trying to keep his son alive. . . .

He was desperate and tired, and his prayer reflects both.

“If you can do anything for him, please have pity on us and help us.”

Listen to that prayer. Does it sound courageous? Confident? Strong? Hardly.

One word would have made a lot of difference.

snow, such as no laun derer on earth can whiten them. 4 And Elijah appeared to them with Mo ses, and they were talking with Je sus. 5 Then Pe ter answered and said to Je sus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Mo ses, and one for Elijah”— 6 be cause he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.

7 And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” 8 Sud denly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Je sus with themselves.

9 Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept this word to them­selves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant.

11 And they asked Him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

12 Then He answered and told them, “In deed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him what­ever they wished, as it is written of him.”

A Boy Is Healed14 And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude

around them, and scribes disputing with them. 15 Im me di ately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. 16 And He asked the scribes, “What are you discuss­ing with them?”

17 Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. 18 And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”

19 He answered him and said, “O faith less generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.” 20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wal lowed, foaming at the mouth.

21 So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?”

And he said, “From childhood. 22 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

23 Je sus said to him, “If you can believe, a all things are possible to him who believes.”

24 Im me di ately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

25 When Je sus saw that the people came running together, He re buked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” 26 Then the

9:23 aNU­Text reads “‘If You can!’ All things. . . .”

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Instead of if, what if he’d said since? “ Since You can do anything for him, please have pity on us and help us.”

But that’s not what he said. He said if. The Greek is even more emphatic. The tense implies doubt. It’s as if the man were saying, “This one’s probably out of Your league, but if You can. . . .”

A classic crop-duster appeal. More meek than might. More timid than towering. More like a crippled lamb coming to a shepherd than a proud lion roaring in the jungle. If his prayer sounds like yours, then don’t be discouraged, for that’s where prayer begins.

It begins as a yearning. An honest appeal. Ordinary people staring at Mount Everest. No pretense. No boasting. No posturing. Just prayer. Feeble prayer, but prayer nonetheless. (From He Still Moves Stones by Max Lucado)

APPLICATIONWhat is your most desperate prayer? Does a rebellious child cause you grief? Is a parent dying without Christ? Are you frantic about tomorrow’s bills? Tell God about your grief and anxiety.

EXPLORATIONAccepting Christ—Luke 2:9–11; 19:6–20; John 3:1–20.

spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” 27 But Je sus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”

29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” a

Jesus Again Predicts His Death and Resurrection30 Then they departed from there and passed through Gal i lee, and

He did not want anyone to know it. 31 For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.” 32 But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

Who Is the Greatest?33 Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house

He asked them, “What was it you dis puted among yourselves on the road?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the road they had dis puted among themselves who would be the great est. 35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” 36 Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, 37 “Who ever receives one of these little chil­dren in My name receives Me; and who ever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”

Jesus Forbids Sectarianism38 Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who

does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.”

39 But Je sus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a mir­acle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 40 For he who is not against us is on our a side. 41 For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.

Jesus Warns of Offenses42 “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to

stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— 44 where

‘ Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’ a

9:29 aNU­Text omits and fasting. 9:40 aM­Text reads against you is on your side. 9:44 aNU­Text omits this verse.

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Mark 10:1–52

SITUATIONTo serve others rather than to be served best exemplified Jesus’ message to humanity. People, then as now, often hoped that others would meet their needs. They committed to ideals such as marriage and trust in God as long as these seemed convenient. Giving up personal freedoms, wealth, and status to serve others was too great a price for many people.

OBSERVATIONJesus urges us to discard material security to follow Him. By sacrificing the treasures of this world, we gain the treasures of heaven.

INSPIRATIONJesus gets to the point. “If you want to be perfect, then go sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.”

The statement leaves the young man distraught and the disciples bewildered.

Their question could be ours: “Who then can be saved?”

Jesus’ answer shell-shocks the listeners, “With man this is impossible. . . . ”

Impossible.He doesn’t say

improbable. He doesn’t say unlikely. He doesn’t even say it will be tough. He says it is “impossible.” . . .

Does that strike you as cold? All your life you’ve been rewarded according to your performance. You get grades according to your study. You get commendations according to your success. You get

45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— 46 where

‘ Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’ a

47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire— 48 where

‘ Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’ a

Tasteless Salt Is Worthless49 “For everyone will be sea soned with fire, a and every sacrifice will

be seasoned with salt. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”

Marriage and Divorce

10 Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jor dan. And multitudes gathered to Him

again, and as He was accus tomed, He taught them again.2 The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to

divorce his wife?” testing Him.3 And He answered and said to them, “What did Mo ses command

you?”4 They said, “Mo ses permitted a man to write a certificate of

divorce, and to dismiss her.”5 And Je sus answered and said to them, “Be cause of the hardness of

your heart he wrote you this pre cept. 6 But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ a 7 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh’; a so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 There fore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

10 In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same mat ter. 11 So He said to them, “Who ever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. 12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Jesus Blesses Little Children13 Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch

them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 But when Je sus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the king­dom of God. 15 As suredly, I say to you, who ever does not receive the

Lifelessons

9:46 aNU­Text omits the last clause of verse 45 and all of verse 46. 9:48 aIsaiah 66:24 9:49 aNU­Text omits the rest of this verse. 10:6 aGenesis 1:27; 5:2 10:8 aGenesis 2:24

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money in response to your work.

That’s why the rich young ruler thought heaven was just a payment away. It only made sense. You work hard, you pay your dues, and “zap”—your account is credited as paid in full. Jesus says, “No way.” What you want costs far more than what you can pay. You don’t need a system, you need a Savior. You don’t need a resume, you need a Redeemer. For “what is impossible with men is possible with God.”

. . . You see, it wasn’t the money that hindered the rich man; it was the self-sufficiency. It wasn’t the possessions; it was the pomp. It wasn’t the big bucks; it was the big head. . . .

Astounding. These people are standing before the throne of God and bragging about themselves. The great trumpet has sounded, and they are still tooting their own horns. Rather than sing His praises, they sing their own. Rather than worship God, they read their resumes. When they should be speechless, they speak. In the very aura of the King they boast of self. What is worse—their arrogance or their blindness?

. . . God does not save us because of what we’ve done. . . .

And only a great God does for His children what they can’t do for themselves.

That is the message of Paul: “What the law could not do . . . God did” (Romans 8:3).

And that is the message of the first beatitude.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . ” (Matthew 5:3).

The jewel of joy is given to the impoverished spirits, not the affluent. God’s delight is received upon

kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” 16 And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.

Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt

before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

18 So Je sus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not com­mit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false wit­ness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ” a

20 And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.”

21 Then Je sus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have trea sure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

With God All Things Are Possible23 Then Je sus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it

is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Je sus answered again and said to them, “Chil dren, how hard it is for those who trust in riches a

to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

26 And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?”

27 But Je sus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

28 Then Pe ter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and fol­lowed You.”

29 So Je sus answered and said, “As suredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife a or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, 30 who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with per se cu tions—and in the age to come, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Jesus a Third Time Predicts His Death and Resurrection

32 Now they were on the road, going up to Je ru sa lem, and Je sus was going before them; and they were amazed. And as they followed they were afraid. Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him: 33 “Be hold, we are going up to Je ru sa lem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and

10:19 aExodus 20:12–16; Deuteronomy 5:16–20 10:24 aNU­Text omits for those who trust in riches. 10:29 aNU­Text omits or wife.

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surrender, not awarded upon conquest. (From The Applause of Heaven by Max Lucado)

APPLICATIONDon’t let money stand between you and God. You can’t buy a ticket into heaven, you only have to ask in faith. Think about the rich value of faith throughout the day.

EXPLORATIONSelfishness—Proverbs 28:25; Matthew 19:21, 22; Mark 8:34–37; Luke 12:15–21; 16:19–31; Philippians 2:3.

deliver Him to the Gentiles; 34 and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”

Greatness Is Serving35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying,

“Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”36 And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”37 They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right

hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.”38 But Je sus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you

able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the bap tism that I am baptized with?”

39 They said to Him, “We are able.”So Je sus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink,

and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; 40 but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.”

41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. 42 But Je sus called them to Him self and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus46 Now they came to Jer i cho. As He went out of Jer i cho with His

disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. 47 And when he heard that it was Je sus of Naz­a reth, he began to cry out and say, “Je sus, Son of Da vid, have mercy on me!”

48 Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of Da vid, have mercy on me!”

49 So Je sus stood still and commanded him to be called.Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer.

Rise, He is calling you.”50 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Je sus.51 So Je sus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do

for you?”The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”52 Then Je sus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you

well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Je sus on the road.

The Triumphal Entry

11 Now when they drew near Je ru sa lem, to Bethphage a and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples;

11:1 aM­Text reads Bethsphage.

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[Jesus] comes as a dove. He comes bearing fruit from a distant land, from our future home. He comes with a leaf of hope.—Max Lucado (A Love

Worth Giving)

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Mark 11:1–33

SITUATIONJesus and His disciples made a pilgrimage to the temple in Jerusalem during the Passover. The people heralded Jesus, calling Him the Messiah. He threw merchants and money changers out of the temple for profiting from people’s worship. During this week, He traveled between Bethany and Jerusalem frequently.

OBSERVATIONHave faith in God. He always fulfills His word. Jesus promised that through faith His disciples would accomplish great things.

INSPIRATIONThe story is told about the time Napoleon’s steed got away from him. An alert private jumped on his own horse and chased down the general’s horse. When he presented the reins of the animal to Napoleon, the ruler took them, smiled at his willing private, and said, “Thank you, Captain.”

The soldier’s eyes widened at what he had heard. He then straightened. Saluted. And snapped, “Thank you, sir!”

He immediately went to the barracks. Got his bags. Moved into the officers’ quarters. Took his uniform to the quartermaster and exchanged if for that of a captain. By the general’s word, he had become a private-turned-commissioned officer. He didn’t argue. He didn’t shrug. He didn’t doubt. He knew that the one who had the power to do it had done it. And he accepted that.

If only we would do the

2 and He said to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. 3 And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and immediately he will send it here.”

4 So they went their way, and found the a colt tied by the door out­side on the street, and they loosed it. 5 But some of those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, loosing the colt?”

6 And they spoke to them just as Je sus had commanded. So they let them go. 7 Then they brought the colt to Je sus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it. 8 And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

“ Hosanna! ‘ Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’ a 10 Blessed is the kingdom of our father David That comes in the name of the Lord! a

Hosanna in the highest!”

11 And Je sus went into Je ru sa lem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

The Fig Tree Withered12 Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He

was hungry. 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 In response Je sus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.”

And His disciples heard it.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple15 So they came to Je ru sa lem. Then Je sus went into the temple and

began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money chan gers and the seats of those who sold doves. 16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. 17 Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not writ­ten, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’ ? a But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” b

18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching. 19 When evening had come, He went out of the city.

The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried

up from the roots. 21 And Pe ter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

 Lifelessons

11:4 aNU­Text and M­Text read a. 11:9 aPsalm 118:26 11:10 aNU­Text omits in the name of the Lord. 11:17 aIsaiah 56:7 bJeremiah 7:11

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same. If only we would have the faith of the private. . . . If only, when God smiles and says we are saved, we’d salute Him, and live like those who have just received a gift from the commander-in-chief. (From In the Eye of the Storm by Max Lucado)

APPLICATIONDevelop regular prayer times when you tell both your troubles and your joys to God.

EXPLORATIONFaith—Matthew 21:21; Hebrews 11:1–6; James 5:13–18; 1 John 5:14.

22 So Je sus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For as suredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 There fore I say to you, what ever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

C h r i s t t h r o u g h t h e B i B l e

Jesus: The One Who Kept His Focus

One of the incredible abilities of Jesus was to stay on target. His life never got off track. Not once do we find Him walking down the wrong side of the fairway. He had no money, no computers, no jets, no administrative assistants or staff; yet Jesus did what many of us fail to do. He kept His life on course.

As Jesus looked across the horizon of His future, He could see many targets. Many flags were flapping in the wind, each of which He could have pursued. He could have been a political revolutionary. He could have been a national leader. He could have been content to be a teacher and educate minds or to be a physician and heal bodies. But in the end He chose to be a Savior and save souls.

Anyone near Christ for any length of time heard it from Jesus Himself. “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

The heart of Christ was relentlessly focused on one task. The day He left the carpentry shop of Nazareth He had one ultimate aim—the Cross of Calvary. He was so focused that His final words were, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

How could Jesus say He was finished? There were still the hungry to feed, the sick to heal, the untaught to instruct, and the unloved to love. How could He say He was finished? Simple. He had completed His designated task. His commission was fulfilled. The painter could set aside his brush, the sculptor lay down his chisel, the writer put away his pen. The job was done. (From Just Like Jesus by Max Lucado)

For more on “Christ Through the Bible,” see page XXX.

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Mark 12:1–44

SITUATIONThe time for Jesus’ death was approaching quickly. Nearing His final hour, Jesus wanted God’s love to be made clear through His teaching and example.

OBSERVATIONAs a result of God’s love for us, we can love God and others. God’s love also gives us hope that we have eternal life.

INSPIRATIONThe phrase “take up your cross” has not fared well through the generations. Ask for a definition, and you’ll hear answers like “My cross is my mother-in-law, my job, my bad marriage, my cranky boss, or the dull preacher.” The cross, we assume, is any besetting affliction or personal hassle. My thesaurus agrees. It lists the following synonyms for cross: frustration, trying situation, snag, hitch, and drawback. To take up the cross is to put up with a personal challenge. God, we think, passes out crosses the way a warden hands out shovels to the chain gang. No one wants one. Each one gets one. Everybody has a cross to bear, and we might as well get used to it.

But really. Is Jesus reducing the Cross to hassles and headaches? Calling us to quit complaining about the fly in the ointment or the pain in the neck? The Cross means so much more. It is God’s tool of redemption, instrument of salvation—proof of His love for people. To take up the Cross, then, is to take up Christ’s burden for the people of the world.

Forgiveness and Prayer25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against

anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, nei ther will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” a

Jesus’ Authority Questioned27 Then they came again to Je ru sa lem. And as He was walking

in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. 28 And they said to Him, “By what au thor ity are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?”

29 But Je sus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: 30 The bap tism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.”

31 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘From men’ ”—they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed. 33 So they answered and said to Je sus, “We do not know.”

And Je sus answered and said to them, “Nei ther will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers

12 Then He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat

and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. 2 Now at vintage­time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vine­dressers. 3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty­handed. 4 Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, a wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. 5 And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beat ing some and killing some. 6 There fore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those vinedressers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.

9 “There fore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not even read this Scripture:

‘ The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.11 This was the LORD’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’? ” a

12 And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away.

 Lifelessons

11:26 aNU­Text omits this verse. 12:4 aNU­Text omits and at him they threw stones. 12:11 aPsalm 118:22, 23

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(From Every Day Deserves a Chance by Max Lucado)

APPLICATIONWhen you are fed up with life and utterly exhausted, look for a way to love someone around you. Being patient and maintaining a caring attitude when you don’t feel like it shows that you have experienced God’s love.

EXPLORATIONGod’s Sacrifice—Romans 5:8; Ephesians 5:2; 1 John 4:10.

The Pharisees: Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes to Caesar?13 Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians,

to catch Him in His words. 14 When they had come, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not re gard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Cae sar, or not? 15 Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?”

But He, knowing their hy poc risy, said to them, “Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it.” 16 So they brought it.

And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Cae sar’s.”

17 And Je sus answered and said to them, “Ren der to Cae sar the things that are Cae sar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

And they marveled at Him.

The Sadducees: What About the Resurrection?18 Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came

to Him; and they asked Him, saying: 19 “Teacher, Mo ses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring. 21 And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring. And the third likewise. 22 So the seven had her and left no offspring. Last of all the woman died also. 23 There­fore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For all seven had her as wife.”

24 Je sus answered and said to them, “Are you not therefore mis­taken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they nei ther marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Mo ses, in the burn­ing bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abra ham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Ja cob’? a 27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mis taken.”

The Scribes: Which Is the First Commandment of All?

28 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, per ceiv ing a that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?”

29 Je sus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Is rael, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ a This is the first commandment. b 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as your­self.’ a There is no other commandment greater than these.”

32 So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. 33 And to

12:26 aExodus 3:6, 15 12:28 aNU­Text reads seeing. 12:30 aDeuteronomy 6:4, 5 bNU­Text omits this sentence. 12:31 aLeviticus 19:18

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Mark 13:1–37

SITUATIONJesus taught His disciples about the signs of the end times. While He taught, He stood on the Mount of Olives directly opposite the temple in Jerusalem. Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him to explain when the end would come.

OBSERVATIONBe ready for the return of Christ. Some of the signs that will precede His coming are war, hunger, earthquakes, false Christs, false prophets, rumors of wars, loss of faith, persecution of believers, the increase of evil, and the preaching of the good news to all the world.

INSPIRATIONLife is a dangerous endeavor. We pass our days in the shadows of ominous realities. The power to annihilate humanity has, it seems, been placed in the hands of people who are happy to do so. . . . If the global temperature rises a few more degrees . . . if classified information falls into sinister hands . . . if the wrong person pushes the wrong red button . . . What if things only get worse?

Christ tells us that they will. He predicts spiritual bailouts, ecological turmoil, and worldwide persecution. Yet in the midst of it all, He contends bravery is still an option. . . .

Things are going to get bad, really bad, before they get better. And when conditions worsen, “See to it that you are not alarmed” (Matthew 24:6 NIV). Jesus chose a stout term for alarmed that He used on

love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, a and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34 Now when Je sus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

But after that no one dared question Him.

Jesus: How Can David Call His Descendant Lord?35 Then Je sus answered and said, while He taught in the temple,

“How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of Da vid? 36 For Da vid himself said by the Holy Spirit:

‘ The LORD said to my Lord, “ Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’ a

37 There fore Da vid himself calls Him ‘Lord’; how is He then his Son?”And the common people heard Him gladly.

Beware of the Scribes38 Then He said to them in His teaching, “Be ware of the scribes,

who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the mar­ketplaces, 39 the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, 40 who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemna tion.”

The Widow’s Two Mites41 Now Je sus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people

put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. 42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, a which make a quad rans. 43 So He called His disciples to Him self and said to them, “As suredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”

Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple

13 Then as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings

are here!”2 And Je sus answered and said to him, “Do you see these great

buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Pe ter,

James, John, and An drew asked Him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”

 Lifelessons

12:33 aNU­Text omits with all the soul. 12:36 aPsalm 110:1 12:42 aGreek lepta, very small copper coins worth a fraction of a penny

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no other occasion. It means “to wail, to cry aloud,” as if Jesus counseled the disciples, “Don’t freak out when bad stuff happens.” (From Fearless by Max Lucado)

APPLICATIONIf Jesus returned today, would you be among those who welcome Him or among those who dread His coming? Reconsider your priorities and stand ready to go at a moment’s notice.

EXPLORATIONReady for Jesus Christ’s Return—Matthew 24:1—25:13; Luke 21:5–36; 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11.

5 And Je sus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 6 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. 7 But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and king dom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. a These are the beginnings of sor rows.

9 “But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to coun­cils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought a

before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations. 11 But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premed­i tate a what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12 Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and chil­dren will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who en dures to the end shall be saved.

The Great Tribulation14 “So when you see the ‘abom i na tion of desolation,’ a spo ken of

by Dan iel the prophet, b standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house. 16 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 17 But woe to those who are preg­nant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 18 And pray that your flight may not be in winter. 19 For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. 20 And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.

21 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it. 22 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and won ders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.

The Coming of the Son of Man24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened,

and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars of heaven will fall, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then He will send His angels, and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.

The Parable of the Fig Tree28 “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has

already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer

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If you have ever wondered how God reacts when you fail, watch carefully. He’s writing. He’s leaving a message. Not in the sand, but on a cross. His message has two words: not guilty.—Max Lucado (3:16)

13:8 aNU­Text omits and troubles. 13:9 aNU­Text and M­Text read will stand. 13:11 aNU­Text omits or premeditate. 13:14 aDaniel 11:31; 12:11 bNU­Text omits spoken of by Daniel the prophet.

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Mark 14:1–72

SITUATIONJesus neared the time of His death. He triumphantly entered Jerusalem and chased men from the temple who exploited worship. Excitement filled the air in Jerusalem because the people considered Jesus to be the conquering Messiah. Instead, Jesus prepared to face the Cross.

OBSERVATIONThe people thought that Jesus would be a glorious hero and give the nation a majestic destiny. Instead, Jesus humbled Himself according to God’s plan and won our salvation.

INSPIRATIONWould you do what Jesus did? He swapped a spotless castle for a grimy stable. He exchanged the worship of angels for the company of killers. He could hold the universe in His palm but gave it up to float in the womb of a maiden.

If you were God, would you sleep on straw, nurse from a breast, and be clothed in a diaper? I wouldn’t, but Christ did.

If you knew that only a few would care that you came, would you still come? If you knew that those you loved would laugh in your face, would you still care? If you knew that the tongues you made would mock you, the mouths you made would spit at you, the hands you made would crucify you, would you still make them? Christ did. Would you regard the immobile and invalid more important than yourself? Jesus did.

He humbled Himself. He went from commanding

is near. 29 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it a is near—at the doors! 30 As suredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

No One Knows the Day or Hour32 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels

in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Fa ther. 33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. 34 It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave au thor ity to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 35 Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is com­ing—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— 36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

14 After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they

might take Him by trick ery and put Him to death. 2 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.”

The Anointing at Bethany3 And being in Bethany at the house of Si mon the leper, as He sat

at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. 4 But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? 5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred de narii and given to the poor.” And they crit i cized her sharply.

6 But Je sus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. 7 For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. 8 She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. 9 As suredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus10 Then Ju das Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests

to betray Him to them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conve­niently betray Him.

Jesus Celebrates the Passover with His Disciples12 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the

Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?”

13 And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water;

 Lifelessons

13:29 aOr He

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angels to sleeping in the straw. From holding stars to clutching Mary’s finger. The palm that held the universe took the nail of a soldier.

Why? Because that’s what love does. It puts the beloved before itself. Your soul was more important than His blood. Your eternal life was more important than His earthly life. Your place in heaven was more important to Him than His place in heaven, so He gave up His so you could have yours.

He loves you that much, and because He loves you, you are of prime importance to Him.

Christ stands in contrast to the barnyard. He points to the sparrow, the most inexpensive bird of His day, and says, “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. . . . Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:6, 7).

God remembers the small birds of the world. We remember the eagles. We make bronze statues of the hawk. We name our athletic teams after the falcons. But God notices the sparrows. He makes time for the children and takes note of the lepers. He offers the woman in adultery a second chance and the thief on the cross a personal invitation. Christ is partial to the beat up and done in and urges us to follow suit. “When you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind” (Luke 14:13).

Want to love others as God has loved you? Come thirsty. Drink deeply of God’s love for you, and ask Him to fill your heart with a love worth giving. (From A Love Worth Giving by Max Lucado)

follow him. 14 Wher ever he goes in, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ’ 15 Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us.”

16 So His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover.

17 In the evening He came with the twelve. 18 Now as they sat and ate, Je sus said, “As suredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me.”

19 And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, “Is it I?” And another said, “Is it I?” a

20 He answered and said to them, “It is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish. 21 The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born.”

Jesus Institutes the Lord’s Supper22 And as they were eating, Je sus took bread, blessed and broke it,

and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; a this is My body.”23 Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave

it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new a covenant, which is shed for many. 25 As suredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial27 Then Je sus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble

be cause of Me this night, a for it is written:

‘ I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered.’ b

28 “But af ter I have been raised, I will go before you to Gal i lee.”29 Pe ter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stum ble, yet I will not

be.”30 Je sus said to him, “As suredly, I say to you that today, even this

night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”31 But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will

not deny You!”And they all said likewise.

The Prayer in the Garden32 Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and

He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And He took Pe ter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. 34 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.”

14:19 aNU­Text omits this sentence. 14:22 aNU­Text omits eat. 14:24 aNU­Text omits new. 14:27 aNU­Text omits because of Me this night. bZechariah 13:7

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APPLICATIONInstead of campaigning at work or church for a high and honored office, commit six months to doing what everyone else avoids. Look for ways to identify with the Servant Messiah, Jesus.

EXPLORATIONServanthood—Matthew 20:26–28; Luke 18:14; John 13:13–17; Philippians 2:5–11.

35 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nev er the less, not what I will, but what You will.”

37 Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Pe ter, “Si­mon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

39 Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words. 40 And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him.

41 Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sin ners. 42 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane43 And immediately, while He was still speaking, Ju das, one of the

twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44 Now His betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “Whom ever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him and lead Him away safely.”

45 As soon as he had come, immediately he went up to Him and said to Him, “Rabbi, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.

46 Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him. 47 And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

48 Then Je sus answered and said to them, “Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? 49 I was daily with you in the temple teach ing, and you did not seize Me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”

50 Then they all forsook Him and fled.

A Young Man Flees Naked51 Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth

thrown around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of him, 52 and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.

Jesus Faces the Sanhedrin53 And they led Je sus away to the high priest; and with him were

as sem bled all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes. 54 But Pe ter followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he sat with the servants and warmed himself at the fire.

55 Now the chief priests and all the council sought testimony against Je sus to put Him to death, but found none. 56 For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimonies did not agree.

57 Then some rose up and bore false witness against Him, saying, 58 “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’ ” 59 But not even then did their testimony agree.

60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Je sus, saying,

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Mark 15:1–47

SITUATIONJudas betrayed Jesus, and the religious authorities arrested God’s Son. The disciples scattered, and Peter denied Him three times. Jesus, beaten and mocked throughout the night, provided salvation through His death and resurrection.

OBSERVATIONThe hours before Jesus’ crucifixion were extremely painful for Him, yet He faced the sacrifice with love, courage, and conviction so great that He willingly gave up His life for us!

INSPIRATIONHe looked around the hill and foresaw a scene. Three figures hung on three crosses. Arms spread. Heads fallen forward. They moaned with the wind.

Men clad in soldiers’ garb sat on the ground near the trio. They played games in the dirt and laughed.

Men clad in religion stood off to one side. They smiled. Arrogant, cocky. They had protected God, they thought, by killing this false one.

Women clad in sorrow huddled at the foot of the hill. Speechless. Faces tear streaked. Eyes downward. One put her arm around another and tried to lead her away. She wouldn’t leave. “I will stay,” she said softly. “I will stay.”

All heaven stood to fight. All nature rose to rescue. All eternity poised to protect. But the Creator gave no command.

“It must be done . . . ,” He said, and withdrew.

But as He stepped back in

“Do You answer nothing? What is it these men testify against You?” 61 But He kept silent and answered nothing.

Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”

62 Je sus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

63 Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “What further need do we have of witnesses? 64 You have heard the blas phemy! What do you think?”

And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.65 Then some began to spit on Him, and to blindfold Him, and to

beat Him, and to say to Him, “Proph esy!” And the officers struck Him with the palms of their hands. a

Peter Denies Jesus, and Weeps66 Now as Pe ter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls

of the high priest came. 67 And when she saw Pe ter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Je sus of Naz a reth.”

68 But he denied it, saying, “I nei ther know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.

69 And the servant girl saw him again, and began to say to those who stood by, “This is one of them.” 70 But he denied it again.

And a little later those who stood by said to Pe ter again, “Surely you are one of them; for you are a Gal i lean, and your speech shows it.” a

71 Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”

72 A second time the rooster crowed. Then Pe ter called to mind the word that Je sus had said to him, “Be fore the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And when he thought about it, he wept.

Jesus Faces Pilate

15 Im me di ately, in the morning, the chief priests held a consulta­tion with the elders and scribes and the whole council; and

they bound Je sus, led Him away, and de liv ered Him to Pi late. 2 Then Pi late asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

He answered and said to him, “It is as you say.”3 And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He

an swered nothing. 4 Then Pi late asked Him again, saying, “Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against You!” a 5 But Je sus still answered nothing, so that Pi late marveled.

Taking the Place of Barabbas6 Now at the feast he was accus tomed to releasing one prisoner

to them, whomever they requested. 7 And there was one named Barabbas, who was chained with his fellow rebels; they had com­mitted murder in the rebellion. 8 Then the multitude, cry ing aloud, a

began to ask him to do just as he had always done for them. 9 But Pi late answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release to you the

Lifelessons

14:65 aNU­Text reads received Him with slaps. 14:70 aNU­Text omits and your speech shows it. 15:4 aNU­Text reads of which they accuse You. 15:8 aNU­Text reads going up.

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time, He heard the cry that He would someday scream: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?” He wrenched at tomorrow’s agony.

The angel spoke again. “It would be less painful . . . ”

The Creator interrupted softly. “But it wouldn’t be love.” (From In the Eye of the Storm by Max Lucado)

APPLICATIONWhat have you given up for others recently? Remember how great Christ’s generosity was to you as you think of these “sacrifices.”

EXPLORATIONChrist’s Sacrifice—John 3:16; Romans 5:6–8; Philippians 2:5–8; Hebrews 12:1–3.

King of the Jews?” 10 For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.

11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd, so that he should rather release Barabbas to them. 12 Pi late answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?”

13 So they cried out again, “Cru cify Him!”14 Then Pi late said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?”But they cried out all the more, “Cru cify Him!”15 So Pi late, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them;

and he delivered Je sus, after he had scourged Him, to be cru ci fied.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus16 Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Prae to rium,

and they called together the whole garrison. 17 And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, 18 and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. 20 And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

The King on a Cross21 Then they compelled a certain man, Si mon a Cyrenian, the

father of Al ex an der and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross. 22 And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. 23 Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it. 24 And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take.

25 Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. 26 And the inscription of His ac cu sa tion was written above:

THE KING OF THE JEWS.

27 With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. 28 So the Scripture was fulfilled a which says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors.” b

29 And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wag ging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30 save Yourself, and come down from the cross!”

31 Like wise the chief priests also, mock ing among themselves with the scribes, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Is rael, descend now from the cross, that we may see and be lieve.” a

Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.

Jesus Dies on the Cross33 Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the

whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Je sus cried

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Not only did Jesus find good in the bad, he found purpose in the pain. Of the ninety-eight words Jesus spoke at his arrest, thirty refer to the purpose of God.—Max Lucado (Just Like

Jesus)

15:28 aIsaiah 53:12 bNU­Text omits this verse. 15:32 aM­Text reads believe Him.

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Mark 16:1–20

SITUATIONJesus was crucified and His body buried. His followers were dismayed because He did not create a kingdom on earth. Because He died so close to the Sabbath (a day on which Israelites could do no work), His body was not completely prepared for burial. Once the Sabbath was over, some women set out, intending to put sweet-smelling spices on His body.

OBSERVATIONJesus was not simply a man who led a good life and died. He rose from the dead. Death cannot hold Him or His followers. God conquered death, and gave us hope.

INSPIRATIONThe year 1899 marked the deaths of two well-known men—Dwight L. Moody, the acclaimed evangelist, and Robert Ingersoll, the famous lawyer, orator, and political leader.

The two men had many similarities. Both were raised in Christian homes. Both were skilled orators. . . . Both drew immense crowds when they spoke and attracted loyal followings. But there was one striking difference between them—their view of God.

Ingersoll was an agnostic; he had no belief in the eternal, but stressed the importance of living only in the here and now. Ingersoll made light of the Bible. . . . The Bible was “a fable, an obscenity, a humbug, a sham and a lie.” . . .

Dwight L. Moody, had different convictions. He dedicated his life to presenting a resurrected

out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” a

35 Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, “Look, He is calling for Elijah!” 36 Then some one ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and of fered it to Him to drink, saying, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.”

37 And Je sus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.38 Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

39 So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, a he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”

40 There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, 41 who also fol lowed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Gal i lee, and many other women who came up with Him to Je ru sa lem.

Jesus Buried in Joseph’s Tomb42 Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation

Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Jo seph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the king­dom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pi late and asked for the body of Je sus. 44 Pi late marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. 45 So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Jo seph. 46 Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.

He Is Risen

16 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might

come and anoint Him. 2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.

6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Je sus of Naz­a reth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples—and Pe ter—that He is going be fore you into Gal i lee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”

8 So they went out quickly a and fled from the tomb, for they trem­bled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Lifelessons

15:34 aPsalm 22:1 15:39 aNU­Text reads that He thus breathed His last. 16:8 aNU­Text and M­Text omit quickly.

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qqqqT H E B O O K O F

Mark I N T R O D U C T I O N

The drama of Mark’s Gospel peaks in Caesarea Philippi.It’s a religious mecca. Every major religion can be found here. Temples dot the landscape.

Priests stride the streets.

Jesus and His followers are here? Why? If Jesus preached a sermon, it’s not recorded. If He

performed a miracle, we don’t know it. As far as we know, all He did was ask two questions.

The first, “Who do people say that I am?”

The disciples are quick to respond. They’ve overheard the chatter. “Some say you are John

the Baptist. Others say you are Elijah, and others say you are one of the prophets.”

Good answers. True answers. But wrong answers.

Jesus then turns and asks them the question. The question. “But who do you say I am?”

He doesn’t ask, “What do you think about what I’ve done?” He asks, “Who do you say I am?”

He doesn’t ask, “Who did you think I was

when the crowds were great and the miracles

were many?” He asks, “Who do you think I

am? Here against the backdrop of religion. Me,

a penniless itinerant surrounded by affluent

temples. Who do you say I am?”

He doesn’t ask, “Who do your friends think

. . . Who do your parents think . . . Who do

your peers think?” He poses instead a starkly

personal query, “Who do you think I am?”

The disciples aren’t as quick to respond. One

ducks his eyes. Another shuffles his feet. A third

clears his throat. But Peter lifts his head. He lifts

his head and looks at the Nazarene and speaks

the words heaven has longed to hear. “You are

the Christ.”

You have been asked some important

questions in your life:

Will you marry me?

Would you be interested in a transfer?

What would you think if I told you I was

pregnant?

You’ve been asked some important

questions. But the grandest of them is an anthill

compared to the Everest found in the eighth

chapter of Mark.

Who do you say I am?

ABOUT THIS BOOK

Author: Mark, also called John Mark

Date Written: c. A.D. 60

Key Themes: Ê Jesus was a savior and yet a

servant.

Ê Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice for humanity’s broken relationship with God.

Ê Jesus performed miracles through the power of God.

Ê Jesus taught about the kingdom of God.

Key Verse:“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

Contents:I. Jesus’ Introduction and

Preparation 1:1—2:12

II. Public Ministry 2:13—8:26

III. Teachings 8:27—10:52

IV. Trial, Death, and Resurrection 11:1—16:20

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King to a dying people. He embraced the Bible as the hope for humanity and the Cross as the turning point of history. He left behind a legacy of written and spoken words, institutions of education, churches, and changed lives.

Two men. Both powerful speakers and influential leaders. One rejected God; the other embraced Him. The impact of their decisions is seen most clearly in the way they died. . . .

Ingersoll died suddenly. The news of his death stunned his family. His body was kept at home for several days because his wife was reluctant to part with it. It was eventually removed for the sake of the family’s health.

Ingersoll’s remains were cremated, and the public response to his passing was altogether dismal. For a man who put all his hopes on the world, death was tragic and came without the consolation of hope. . . .

Moody’s legacy was different. On December 22, 1899, Moody awoke to his last winter dawn. Having grown increasingly weak during the night, he began to speak in slow measured words. “Earth recedes, heaven opens before me!” Son Will, who was nearby, hurried across the room to his father’s side.

“Father, you are dreaming,” he said.“No. This is no dream, Will,” Moody said. “It is

beautiful. It is like a trance. If this is death, it is sweet. God is calling me, and I must go. Don’t call me back.”

At that point, the family gathered around, and moments later the great evangelist died. It was his coronation day—a day he had looked forward to for many years. He was with his Lord.

. . . There was no despair. Loved ones gathered to sing praise to God at a triumphant home-going service. Many remembered the words the evangelist had spoken earlier that year in New York City: “Someday you will read in the papers that Moody is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now. . . . I was born of the flesh in 1837, I was born of the spirit in 1855. That which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit shall live forever.” (From The Applause of Heaven by Max Lucado)

APPLICATIONWhat do you fear about death? Remember that Jesus did the impossible by rising from the dead. One day your body and spirit will rise from the dead.

EXPLORATIONVictory over Death—Psalm 23:4; Hosea 13:14; Romans 8:2; 1 Corinthians 15:54–57; Ephesians 2:4, 5.

Mary Magdalene Sees the Risen Lord

9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

Jesus Appears to Two Disciples12 Af ter that, He appeared in another form

to two of them as they walked and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

The Great Commission14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they

sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbe­lief and hardness of heart, because they did

not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who be lieve: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they a will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Christ Ascends to God’s Right Hand19 So then, af ter the Lord had spoken to

them, He was re ceived up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accom panying signs. Amen. a

16:18 aNU­Text reads and in their hands they will. 16:20 aVerses 9–20 are bracketed in NU­Text as not original. They are lacking in Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, although nearly all other manuscripts of Mark contain them.

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King to a dying people. He embraced the Bible as the hope for humanity and the Cross as the turning point of history. He left behind a legacy of written and spoken words, institutions of education, churches, and changed lives.

Two men. Both powerful speakers and influential leaders. One rejected God; the other embraced Him. The impact of their decisions is seen most clearly in the way they died. . . .

Ingersoll died suddenly. The news of his death stunned his family. His body was kept at home for several days because his wife was reluctant to part with it. It was eventually removed for the sake of the family’s health.

Ingersoll’s remains were cremated, and the public response to his passing was altogether dismal. For a man who put all his hopes on the world, death was tragic and came without the consolation of hope. . . .

Moody’s legacy was different. On December 22, 1899, Moody awoke to his last winter dawn. Having grown increasingly weak during the night, he began to speak in slow measured words. “Earth recedes, heaven opens before me!” Son Will, who was nearby, hurried across the room to his father’s side.

“Father, you are dreaming,” he said.“No. This is no dream, Will,” Moody said. “It is

beautiful. It is like a trance. If this is death, it is sweet. God is calling me, and I must go. Don’t call me back.”

At that point, the family gathered around, and moments later the great evangelist died. It was his coronation day—a day he had looked forward to for many years. He was with his Lord.

. . . There was no despair. Loved ones gathered to sing praise to God at a triumphant home-going service. Many remembered the words the evangelist had spoken earlier that year in New York City: “Someday you will read in the papers that Moody is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now. . . . I was born of the flesh in 1837, I was born of the spirit in 1855. That which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit shall live forever.” (From The Applause of Heaven by Max Lucado)

APPLICATIONWhat do you fear about death? Remember that Jesus did the impossible by rising from the dead. One day your body and spirit will rise from the dead.

EXPLORATIONVictory over Death—Psalm 23:4; Hosea 13:14; Romans 8:2; 1 Corinthians 15:54–57; Ephesians 2:4, 5.

Mary Magdalene Sees the Risen Lord

9 Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. 11 And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

Jesus Appears to Two Disciples12 Af ter that, He appeared in another form

to two of them as they walked and went into the country. 13 And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.

The Great Commission14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they

sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbe­lief and hardness of heart, because they did

not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who be lieve: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they a will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Christ Ascends to God’s Right Hand19 So then, af ter the Lord had spoken to

them, He was re ceived up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accom panying signs. Amen. a

16:18 aNU­Text reads and in their hands they will. 16:20 aVerses 9–20 are bracketed in NU­Text as not original. They are lacking in Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, although nearly all other manuscripts of Mark contain them.

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