The narrative of the resurrection in this book is brief, but it is truly powerful. As we consider the appearances of the Lord, and His current enthronement, our prayer should be that we continue to spread the word. He is risen indeed. “And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of …
The Two Trials
In the last section, we saw two meals contrasted. Now we see two trials contrasted — the trial of Jesus and the trial of Peter. Because of nature of the material, we need to approach it a little differently. “And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives . …
The Two Meals
In the section we are considering here, we have an account of two meals. One is in Bethany and the other in Jerusalem. One is a picture of preparation for burial, and the other is a picture of His death itself. At each, one disciple is singled out — Mary for glory and Judas for …
The Great Tribulation
If we believe, by the time we are done, that God has given us an understanding of this chapter, our response should be one of humility and gratitude. The apocalyptic sections of the gospels have been the occasion of no end of confusion and dispute within the Church, and so we must watch our step. …
Portico of Wrath
Throughout the Gospel of Mark, Jesus has been in conflict with the authorities at Jerusalem, who will eventually kill Him. “And he began to speak unto them by parables . . .” (Mark 12: 1-44). Remember that in the early portion of Mark, Jesus had five controversies with the Jews. Here, at the other end …
King David Returns
Jesus comes now to the outskirts of the City of David, and does so in all authority. He is the Son of David, arrived to claim His inheritance. Bartimaeus has set the stage for this by calling upon Jesus as the Son of David, and Mark emphasizes the point by how he cites the praises …
Bartimaeus, Son of Faith
We come now to the last healing miracle recorded by Mark. We are on the threshold of the Lord’s suffering at Jerusalem. He has set His face to go there, knowing what will occur when He arrives. And He has come now to Jericho, which is about eighteen miles away from His abandonment by the …
Ransom for Many
As Christians, we must see more than the fact of the cross. We must also come to know and understand the demeanor exhibited by Christ as He went to the cross. This alone enables us to make sense of the glory which follows the cross in the resurrection. “And they were in the way going …
The Other Side of the Needle
This is one of the most famous incidents in the Bible, if only because of the memorable nature of Christ’s comment about the camel and needle. But there are depths in this passage which we must carefully consider. “And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, …
What God Has Joined
We now come to the beginning of the Lord’s ministry in Judea (v. 1). As in Galilee, it is characterized by teaching the people. The first subject to be addressed in this section is the much-troubled question of divorce and remarriage. We see here, as elsewhere, the close connection between the two great commandments. “And …