Of Deceit and Joy
Then Herod had a secret meeting with the wise men from the
east. Herod learned from the wise men the exact time they
first saw the star. Then Herod sent the wise men to
Bethlehem. Herod said to the wise men, Go and look carefully
to find the new baby. When you
God's Word in the Wrong Hands
King Herod heard about this new king of the Jews. Herod was
troubled about this. And all the people in Jerusalem were
worried too. Herod called a meeting of all the leading Jewish
priests and teachers of the law. Herod asked them where the
Christ would
God of the Unexpected
Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea. He was born
during the time when Herod was king. After Jesus was born,
some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem. The wise men
asked people, Where is the new baby that is the king of the
Jews? We saw the
God's Promise Comes True
All this happened to make clear the full meaning of the
things the Lord said through the prophet: The virgin will be
pregnant and will give birth to a son. They will name him
Immanuel. (Immanuel means, God with us.) When Joseph woke
up, he did the thing
No Hidden Skeletons
[Continuing the genealogy of Jesus Matthew lists] David was
the father of Solomon (his mother was Bathsheba, the widow of
Uriah). Solomon was the father of Rehoboam. Rehoboam was the
father of Abijah. Abijah was the father of Asaph. Asaph was
the father of
To All Nations
This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a
descendant of King David and of Abraham: Abraham was the
father of Isaac. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the
father of Judah and his brothers. Judah was the father of
Perez and Zerah (their mother
Bewildered and Frightened!
The women were very afraid and confused. They left the tomb
and ran away. The women did not tell about what happened,
because they were afraid.
-- Mark 16:8 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Mark wanted us to know two crucial things about Jesus.
You Will See Him in the Place of Ministry
[The man in the tomb said:] Now go and tell his followers.
And be sure to tell Peter. Tell them, 'Jesus is going into
Galilee. He will be there before you. You will see him there
like he told you before.'
-- Mark
Rolled Away!
The women said to each other, There is a large stone
covering the entrance of the tomb. Who will move the stone
for us? Then the women looked and saw that the stone was
moved. The stone was very large, but it was moved away from
the entrance.
Gloom or Anticipation?
Very early on that day, the first day of the week, the women
were going to the tomb. It was very early after sunrise.
-- Mark 16:2 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
This verse is filled with anticipation for those of us who live on this
side of Jesus'
Settling in on Death's Necessities
The next day after the Sabbath day, Mary from Magdala,
Salome, and Mary the mother of James bought some
sweet-smelling spices. They wanted to put the spices on
Jesus' body.
-- Mark 16:1 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Death brings
Final Goodbye?
Joseph bought some linen cloth. Joseph took the body {from
the cross} and wrapped the body in the linen. Then Joseph put
the body in a tomb (grave) that was dug in a wall of rock.
Then Joseph closed the tomb by rolling a large stone to cover
the entrance.
The Faithful Women
Some women were standing away from the cross, watching. Some
of these women were Mary from the town of Magdala, Salome,
and Mary the mother of James and Joses. (James was her
youngest son.) These were the women that followed Jesus in
Galilee and cared for him.
Son of God!
The army officer that was standing there before the cross saw
what happened when Jesus died. The officer said, This man
really was the Son of God!
-- Mark 15:39 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
While crucifixion was designed to humiliate and torture people, God
Ridiculed by Everyone!
If he is really the Christ, the king of Israel (the Jews),
then he should {save himself by} coming down from the cross
now. We will see this, and then we will believe in him. The
robbers that were being killed on the crosses beside Jesus
also said bad things
Save Yourself!
People walked by and said bad things to Jesus. They shook
their heads and said, You said you could destroy the temple
and build it again in three days. So save yourself! Come down
from that cross!
-- Mark 15:29-30 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
If you
Among the Criminals
They also put two robbers on crosses beside Jesus. They put
one robber beside Jesus on the right, and they put the other
robber beside Jesus on the left.
-- Mark 15:27-28 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Jesus came to earth and lived as one of us. He
The Gamble
The soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross. Then the soldiers
divided Jesus' clothes among themselves. They gambled with
dice to decide which clothes each soldier would get.
-- Mark 15:24 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Just as the soldiers at the foot of this cross
Our Place of Hope
There was a man from Cyrene walking into the city. The man
was Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus. Simon was
walking into the city from the fields. The soldiers forced
Simon to carry the cross for Jesus.
They led Jesus to the place called Golgotha. (Golgotha
The Humiliation Begins in Earnest
Pilate's soldiers brought Jesus into the governor's palace
(called the Praetorium). They called all the other soldiers
together. The soldiers put a purple robe on Jesus. Then they
used thorny weeds to make a crown. They put the crown of
thorns on
Pilate Knows the Truth
Pilate asked the people, Do you want me to free the king of
the Jews? Pilate knew that the leading priests had given
Jesus to him because they were jealous of Jesus.
But the leading priests persuaded the people to ask Pilate to
free Barabbas, not Jesus.
Not a Word
The leading priests accused Jesus of many things. So Pilate
asked Jesus another question. Pilate said, You can see that
these people are accusing you of many things. Why don't you
answer? But Jesus still did not answer. Pilate was very
surprised at this.
Every year at
The Jeers of the Cruel Condemners
Some of the people there spit at Jesus. They covered Jesus'
eyes and hit him with their fists. They said, Be a prophet
and tell us who hit you! Then the guards led Jesus away and
beat him.
-- Mark 14:65 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
You'll See Me and Then Know!
But Jesus said nothing. He did not answer. The high priest
asked Jesus another question: Are you the Christ, the Son of
the blessed {God}? Jesus answered, Yes, I am the Son of
God. And in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at
the right side
Liars for Rent
The leading priests and all the Jewish council tried to find
something that Jesus had done wrong so they could kill him.
But the council could find no proof that would allow them to
kill Jesus. Many people came and told false things against
Jesus. But the people all
Liars for Rent
The leading priests and all the Jewish council tried to find
something that Jesus had done wrong so they could kill him.
But the council could find no proof that would allow them to
kill Jesus. Many people came and told false things against
Jesus. But the people all
Watching by the Fire from Far Away
The people who arrested Jesus led him to the house of the
high priest. All the leading priests, the older Jewish
leaders, and the teachers of the law were gathered there.
Peter followed Jesus, but he did not come near Jesus. Peter
followed Jesus
Escaped Without a Cloak
There was a young man following Jesus. He was wearing only a
linen cloth. The people also grabbed this man. The cloth he
was wearing came off, and he ran away wearing nothing.
-- Mark 14:51-52 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
If Mark 14:50 is one of
Left Alone to Face the Fury
Then all of Jesus' followers left him and ran away.
-- Mark 14:50 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
For me, this is one of the saddest verses in all the Bible. Jesus is
completely left alone by those whom he had loved, trained, warned, and
prepared.
Why Not in the Temple?
Every day I was with you teaching in the temple area. You did
not arrest me there. But all these things have happened so
that it will be like the Scriptures said.
-- Mark 14:49 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Just as Jesus used a question in the
Am I Some Criminal?
Then Jesus said, You came to get me with swords and clubs
like I am a criminal.
-- Mark 14:48 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Jesus' questions -- in this verse and those that follow -- help
underscore the crucial travesty of the whole Passion (arrest,
Pulling the Sword
One of the followers standing near Jesus grabbed his sword
and pulled it out. This follower hit the servant of the high
priest with the sword and cut off his ear.
-- Mark 14:47 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Peter and the apostles had all agreed that
Incongruity at its Worst
While Jesus was still speaking, Judas came there. He was one
of the twelve apostles. Judas had many people with him. These
people were sent from the leading priests, the teachers of
the law, and the older Jewish leaders. These people with
Judas had swords
Betrayed Into Sinners' Hands
After Jesus prayed a third time, he went back to his
followers. Jesus said to them, You are still sleeping and
resting? That's enough! The time has come for the Son of Man
to be given to sinful people. Stand up! We must go. Here
comes the man who is
They Didn't Know What to Say!
Then Jesus went back to the followers. Again Jesus found them
sleeping. Their eyes were very tired. The followers did not
know what they should say to Jesus.
-- Mark 14:40 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Sometimes we just fail. Maybe it's
Keep Alert!
Then Jesus went back to his followers. He found them
sleeping. He said to Peter, Simon, why are you sleeping? You
could not stay awake with me for one hour? Stay awake and
pray for strength against temptation. Your spirit wants to do
what is right. But your body is
Couldn't You Watch with Me?
Then Jesus went back to his followers. He found them
sleeping. He said to Peter, Simon, why are you sleeping? You
could not stay awake with me for one hour?
-- Mark 14:37 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
How this must have hurt the Lord. My
If Possible?
Jesus walked a little more away from them. Then Jesus fell to
the ground and prayed. Jesus prayed that, if possible, he
would not have this time of suffering.
-- Mark 14:35 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Jesus was honest in his prayers to the Father. He
Your Will, Not Mine!
Jesus prayed, Abba, Father! You can do all things. Let me
not have this cup {of suffering}. But do what you want, not
what I want.
-- Mark 14:36 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Jesus recognizes two crucial realities. First, God can do anything he
Deep Distress
Jesus and his followers went to a place named Gethsemane.
Jesus said to the followers, Sit here while I pray. Jesus
told Peter, James, and John to come with him. Then Jesus
began to be very troubled and full of sorrow.
-- Mark 14:32-33 (ERV)
Stay With Me!
Jesus said to Peter, James, and John, My soul is full of
sorrow. My heart is breaking with sadness. Wait here and stay
awake.
-- Mark 14:34 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
We desperately need the presence of friends who love and support us in
our times of
All the Others Say the Same
But Peter answered strongly, I will never say I don't know
you! I will even die with you! And all the other followers
said the same thing.
-- Mark 14:31 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Peter's bravado was not a solo performance. All the
Peter's Real Truth
Jesus answered, I tell you the truth. Tonight you will say
you don't know me. You will say this three times before the
rooster crows twice.
-- Mark 14:30 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
The truth is ... Ouch! You can't stand the truth! is the old movie
Not Me!
Peter said, All the other followers may lose their faith.
But I will never lose my faith.
-- Mark 14:29 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Peter, seemingly always wanting to be better or more important than the
other followers of Jesus, overstates his faith. While Peter
I'll Go Ahead of You
But {after I die}, I will rise from death. Then I will go to
Galilee. I will be there before you go there.
-- Mark 14:28 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Facing his own death and the desertion of his friends, Jesus' faith was
strong. He trusted that God
All of You!
Then Jesus told the followers, You will all lose your faith.
It is written {in the Scriptures }: 'I will kill the
shepherd, and the sheep will run away.'
-- Mark 14:27 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Jesus knows that he will face the horrors of the Cross
The Human Tragedy of the Divine Grace
The Son of Man will go {and die}. The Scriptures say this
will happen. But it will be very bad for the person who gives
the Son of Man {to be killed}. It would be better for that
person if he were never born.
-- Mark
My Body
While they were eating, Jesus took some bread. Jesus thanked
God for the bread and divided it. He gave the bread to his
followers. Jesus said, Take this bread {and eat it}. This
bread is my body.
-- Mark 14:22 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
For Jesus and his
One of You!
Jesus answered, The man who is against me is one of you
twelve. He is the one who dips his bread into the same bowl
with me.
-- Mark 14:20 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
How sad Jesus' words must have been to the apostles when they first
heard them. How sad
I'm Not the One, Am I?
The followers were very sad to hear this. Each follower said
to Jesus, Surely I will not be against you!
-- Mark 14:19 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
This is exactly the question we need to ask ourselves. I'm not the
one, am I? Pride should never be a
One of You!
In the evening, Jesus went to that house with the twelve
apostles. While they were all at the table eating, Jesus
said, I tell you the truth. One of you will be against
me--one of you eating with me now.
-- Mark 14:17-18 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Just as Jesus Said
Jesus sent two of his followers into the city. Jesus said to
them, Go into the city. You will see a man carrying a jar of
water. The man will come to you. Follow that man. That man
will walk into a house. Tell the person who owns the house,
'The Teacher asks that
Anticipating the Sacrifice
It was now the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread.
This was the day when the Jews killed the lambs for the
Passover. Jesus' followers came to him. They said, We will
go and prepare everything for you to eat the Passover meal.
Where do you want
The Wrong Thing at the Right Time
Then one of the twelve apostles went to talk to the leading
priests. This was the follower named Judas Iscariot. Judas
wanted to give Jesus to them. The leading priests were very
happy about this. They promised to pay Judas for doing this.
So Judas
Wherever
I tell you the truth. The Good News will be told to people in
all the world. And in every place where the Good News is
told, the story of what this woman did will also be told. The
thing she has done will be told and people will remember
her.
--
Why, If It Is For Me?
Jesus said, Don't bother the woman. Why are you troubling
her? She did a very good thing for me.
-- Mark 14:6 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Like Jesus does so often in his earthly ministry, he protects a
vulnerable person from criticism and attack and
Scolded for Love
Some of the followers there saw this. They became upset and
complained to each other. They said, Why waste that perfume?
That perfume was worth a full year's work. It could be sold
and the money could be given to poor people. And they
criticized the woman strongly.
Premeditation
It was now only two days before the Passover and the Festival
of Unleavened Bread. The leading priests and teachers of the
law were trying to find a way to arrest Jesus without the
people seeing it. Then they could kill him. They said, But
we cannot arrest Jesus
Beauty in the Broken Things
Jesus was in Bethany. He was eating in the house of Simon the
leper. While Jesus was there a woman came to him. The woman
had an alabaster jar filled with very expensive perfume. This
perfume was made of pure nard. The woman opened the jar and
poured the
Watch for His Return!
I tell you this, and I say this to every person: 'Be
ready!'
-- Mark 13:37 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
As Jesus tells this as a story (see the preceding story), he is in
effect saying, Watch for my return! Throughout his ministry, he
emphasized that
Don't Get Caught Sleeping
This is like a man that goes on a trip and leaves his house.
The man lets his servants take care of the house. He gives
each servant a special job to do. One servant has the work of
guarding the door. The man tells this servant to always be
ready. This is
No One Knows
No person knows when that day or time will be. The Son and
the angels in heaven don't know when that day or time will
be. Only the Father knows.
-- Mark 13:32 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
The greatest secret of all time is the exact day and hour of the
Stay Alert
Be careful! Always be ready! You don't know when that time
will be.
-- Mark 13:33 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Since we cannot know for sure the exact time of the Lord's return, our
approach should be clear and without distraction. We are to stay alert
and keep
Lasting Words
The whole world, earth and sky, will be destroyed. But the
words I have said will never be destroyed.
-- Mark 13:31 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
While heaven and earth will pass away, Jesus' words -- his promise to
return along with all of his other promises
Gathering the Chosen
The Son of Man will send his angels all around the earth.
The angels will gather his chosen people from every part of
the earth.
-- Mark 13:27 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Those that belong to the Lord will be gathered to meet him. Those who
Shortening the Days
You will see 'the terrible thing that causes destruction.'
You will see this thing standing in the place where it should
not be. (You that read this should understand what it
means.) At that time, the people in Judea should run away to
the mountains. People
Family Betrayal
Brothers will turn against their own brothers and give them
to be killed. Fathers will turn against their own children
and give them to be killed. Children will fight against their
own parents and find ways for their parents to be killed.
--
Wars, Earthquakes, and Famines
Nations will fight against other nations. Kingdoms will
fight against other kingdoms. There will be times when there
is no food for people to eat. And there will be earthquakes
in different places. These things are like the first pains
when something
Using Misfortune for Good News
You must be careful. People will arrest you and take you to
be judged. They will beat you in their synagogues. You will
be forced to stand before kings and governors. You will tell
them about me. This will happen to you because you follow
me.
Misleading Times
Jesus said to the followers: Be careful! Don't let any
person fool you. Many people will come and use my name. They
will say, 'I am the One.' And they will fool many people.
-- Mark 13:5-6 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
False messiahs will be plentiful!
The End Is Not Near
You will hear about wars that are being fought. And you will
hear stories about other wars beginning. But don't be afraid.
These things must happen before the end comes.
-- Mark 13:7 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
When war occurs, people panic. That
When?
Later, Jesus was sitting at a place on the Mount of Olives.
He was alone with Peter, James, John, and Andrew. They could
all see the temple. Those followers asked Jesus, Tell us,
when will these things happen? And what will show us it is
time for these things to happen?
More Than All the Rest
Jesus sat near the temple money box where people put their
gifts. He watched the people put money in the box. Many rich
people gave much money. Then a poor widow came and gave two
very small copper coins. These coins were not even worth a
penny. Jesus called
Loving the Limelight
Jesus continued teaching. Jesus said, Be careful of the
teachers of the law. They like to walk around wearing clothes
that look important. And they love for people to show respect
to them in the market places. They love to get the most
important seats in the
David's Lord?
Jesus was teaching in the temple area. Jesus asked, Why do
the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of
David? With the help of the Holy Spirit, David himself says:
'The Lord (God) said to my Lord (Christ): Sit by me at my
right side, and I will put your
Not Far from the Kingdom
Jesus saw that the man answered him wisely. So Jesus said to
the man, You are close to the kingdom of God. And after
that time, no person was brave enough to ask Jesus any more
questions.
-- Mark 12:34 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Despite
I Agree!
The man answered, That was a good answer, Teacher. You were
right when you said these things. God is the only Lord, and
there is no other God. And a person must love God with all
his heart, all his mind, and all his strength. And a person
must love other people the same as
Love Your Neighbor
The second most important command is this: 'You must love
other people the same as you love yourself.' These two
commands are the most important.
-- Mark 12:31 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
The second great commandment also deals with love. This time,
Love the Lord
Jesus answered, The most important command is this: 'People
of Israel, listen! The Lord our God is the only Lord. You
must love the Lord your God. You must love him with all your
heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.'
-- Mark
An Honest Seeker
One of the teachers of the law came to Jesus. He heard Jesus
arguing with the Sadducees and the Pharisees. He saw that
Jesus gave good answers to their questions. So he asked
Jesus, Which of the commands is most important?
-- Mark
Angels in Heaven!
When people rise from death, there will be no marriage.
People will not be married to each other. All people will be
like angels in heaven.
-- Mark 12:25 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
With so much fascination on angels the last couple of
Sad You See!
Then some Sadducees came to Jesus. (Sadducees believe that no
person will rise from death.) The Sadducees asked Jesus a
question.
-- Mark 12:18 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Clearly, this period of Jesus' ministry is filled with the carefully
Give God What Is His
Then Jesus said to them, Give to Caesar the things that are
Caesar's. And give to God the things that are God's. The men
were amazed at what Jesus said.
-- Mark 12:17 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Jesus' answer was as simple as it was
Marvelous Doings of the Lord
Surely you have read this Scripture: 'The stone that the
builders did not want became the cornerstone. The Lord did
this, and it is wonderful to us.'
-- Mark 12:10-11 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Jesus finishes his story by quoting
By Whose Authority?
Jesus and his followers went again to Jerusalem. Jesus was
walking in the temple area. The leading priests, the teachers
of the law, and the older Jewish leaders came to Jesus. They
said to Jesus, Tell us! What authority (power) do you have
to do these
The Power of His Word
The next morning, Jesus was walking with his followers. They
saw the fig tree {that Jesus spoke to the day before}. The
fig tree was dry and dead, even the roots. Peter remembered
the tree and said to Jesus, Teacher, look! Yesterday, you
told that fig tree to
No More Den of Thieves
Jesus went to Jerusalem. He went into the temple area. Jesus
began to throw out the people that were buying and selling
things there. Jesus turned over the tables that belonged to
the people that were exchanging different kinds of money. And
Jesus
The Fig Tree
The next day, Jesus was leaving Bethany. He was hungry. Jesus
saw a fig tree with leaves. So Jesus went to the tree to see
if it had any figs growing on it. But Jesus found no figs on
the tree. There were only leaves. It was not the right time
for figs to grow. So Jesus
Worship and Honor in the Real World
The followers brought the donkey to Jesus. The followers put
their coats on the donkey, and Jesus sat on it. Many people
spread their coats on the road for Jesus. Other people cut
branches in the fields and spread the branches on the road.
What Do You Want Me To Do?
Jesus asked the man, What do you want me to do for you? The
blind man answered, Teacher, I want to see again. Jesus
said, Go. You are healed because you believed. Then the man
was able to see again. He followed Jesus on the road.
Shouting Louder
Many people criticized the blind man. They told him not to
speak. But the blind man shouted more and more, Son of
David, please help me!
-- Mark 10:48 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
While we are not told to be quiet as Jesus physically passes by
Have Mercy on Me!
Then they came to the town of Jericho. Jesus was leaving that
town with his followers and many other people. A blind man
named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting by the road.
This man was always begging for money. The blind man heard
that Jesus from
I Came to Serve and to Give
In the same way, the Son of Man did not come for other
people to serve him. But the Son of Man came to serve other
people. The Son of Man came to give his life to save many
people.
-- Mark 10:45 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
Here
Only God Decides
The sons answered, Yes, we can! Jesus said to the sons,
You will suffer the same things that I will suffer. And you
will be baptized with the same baptism that I must have. But
I cannot choose the person that will sit at my right or my
left. There are some
Among You, It Should Be Quite Different
Jesus called all the followers together. Jesus said, The
non-Jewish people have men they call rulers. You know that
those rulers love to show their power over the people. And
their important leaders love to use all their authority over
Terrors Ahead
Jesus said, We are going to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will
be given to the leading priests and teachers of the law. The
priests and the teachers of the law will say that the Son of
Man must die. They will give the Son of Man to the non-Jewish
people. Those people
Least and Greatest
Many people that have the highest place now will have the
lowest place in the future. And the people that have the
lowest place now will have the highest place in the future.
-- Mark 10:31 (ERV)
KEY THOUGHT:
God evaluates people
God Won't Forget
Peter said to Jesus, We left everything to follow you!
Jesus said, I tell you the truth. Every person that has left
his home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or
farm for me and for the Good News will get a hundred times
more than he left. Here in
Everything Is Possible
The followers were more amazed and said to each other, Then
who can be saved? Jesus looked at the followers and said,
This is something that people cannot do themselves. It must
come from God. God can do all things.
-- Mark
Sadly Away
Jesus looked at the man. Jesus felt love for him. Jesus said,
There is still one more thing you need to do. Go and sell
everything you have. Give the money to the poor people. You
will have a reward in heaven. Then come and follow me. The
man was very sorry to hear
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