Category: Mark

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

The Court of the Gentiles was turned into a market, so that there was no place where Gentile believers could come and pray. Jesus shows us what God thinks about such practices.

SJA Notes

* Mighty God, Your Word is mighty. Please write it deep and permanently on our hearts today and onwards.

“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

This is a hard word, important and weighty.

What is Jesus saying here?

That God’s forgiveness of our sin is predicated on our own capacity and measured action of forgiveness?

In Matthew 6 our Lord Jesus gives us a pattern for pray (as opposed to empty phrases and false prayer-types), and one of the segments of that prayer is,

“… And forgive us our debts, and we also have forgiven our debtors.”

Jesus tells us that we should be regularly praying to God and in that to be bringing this to God.

Jesus is the once-for-all sacrifice. It is His finished work on the cross that has won us freedom from our sin. We do _nothing_ to earn or deserve or merit salvation.

But is Jesus speaking of salvation here when giving us wisdom on forgiveness?

Jesus is speaking to believers, to those _already_ saved.

As with Israel being given the law _after_ they were brought out of Egypt, so God saves us UNTO good works, a big important one being forgiveness.

We have been forgiven much. Let us respond with a heart of forgiveness to those who wrong us.

* Loving God,

Thank You for saving us from our sin, Your forgiveness to us writ large in Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice at Calvary.

Please help us forgive as we have been forgiven.

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Twice on the way up to Jerusalem this final time, Jesus takes The Twelve aside and speaks to them about His approaching death and resurrection. They found it all hard to take in. Don’t be dismayed when you too find things hard to take in! Verse 45 is a good one to memorize.

SJA Notes

* Holy God, please help us to humbly submit before Your word to us today.

“Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”

With these words James and John show just how little of Jesus’ teaching about humility they had taken on board.

Back a little in chapter nine of Mark we read that all the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest.

Jesus, who knew that the conversation in today’s passage would happen, told them,

“If anyone would be first, he must be last and servant of all.”

Today we read Jesus lovingly (because James and John are just like us, we like them, needing to hear God’s word every day),

Jesus lovingly and gently but firmly leads them,

“But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.”

Jesus came to serve. He came to give His life as a ransom for many.

He patterned the upside-down nature of His kingdom (which is the right way up).

Are we humbled before Him or clinging to our pride?

* Father God,

Thank You that Jesus came to serve, to save us.

Please help us to be other-centered servant-hearted people as we go about our lives in this world.

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Jesus was teaching on the heavy subject of divorce. He thought the little children should be in the congregation to hear Him! Jesus lets someone of eldership material just walk away. He uses this man as an example of His teaching about God’s Kingdom.

SJA Notes

* Dear God, Jesus is Your Word become flesh, You the Son. May we listen to Him today.

“And again, as was his custom, he taught them.”

Jesus taught the crowds of people who came to Him, bringing God’s wisdom to them.

In this passage our Lord weighs in on marriage, divorce, children and wealth.

And as He so often does He turns things upside down from our human thinking, bringing clarity on such topics as:

We can be ever thankful for Jesus, the Good Teacher – Because these are the words of eternal life!

* Gracious Father,

Thank You that Your word is true, a lamp for our feet, a light for our path.

Thank You that Jesus speaks Your wisdom to us, words of eternal life.

Hallelujah, what a Saviour You are!

Amen.