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Reading the Gospels in 2026: (3/13) Luke 2:22-40

Mar13

A 5-day per week study.

March 13 – Reading Luke 2:22-40

Read and believe in Jesus.

“…my eyes have seen Your salvation that You have prepared in the presence of all peoples.”  Luke 2:30

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The Gospel according to Luke 2:22-40

(Review)  In the last study, we read the familiar story of Jesus’ nativity. Everything pointed to a lowly birth, except for one thing that happened in the middle.  It began with the long trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem, then no room to lodge in the usual places, and finally settling in a stable, where Jesus’ first “crib” was a feed trough.  Afterwards, the group of sheep-smelling men came to ooh and aah over the baby and tell their tale of a vision.

But right in the middle, Heaven couldn’t contain itself.  Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, who sat at the Almighty’s right hand, had made it safely to earth and mankind.  The glorious work of salvation – stolen from man in the Garden of Eden – was about to take place.  And… a Heavenly Host burst out in a song of praise, “Glory to God in the Highest!”

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Vss. 22-24.

At the end of yesterday’s study, the first “rite” of babyhood took place. At eight days old, Jesus was circumcised (initiated into the Community of Israel) and given His name. (which Gabriel has told Mary)

Now, at about 6 weeks, there were two more Jewish rites written in “the Law of the Lord” that had to be fulfilled.

  1. The Rite of Purification. (Leviticus 12:2-4)  When a woman had a baby boy, she was considered “ceremonially unclean” for 40 days. After that, she was to bring a lamb and a pigeon or dove (or two pigeons or 2 doves, if she was poor) to the priest, who would make an offering for her, and then she would be “ceremonially clean” and able to worship, fellowship, and partake in marital relations.  (Mary and Joseph’s offering was two birds.)
  2. The Dedication (and Redemption) of the Firstborn Son.  (Exodus 13:2, 12-15 and Numbers 18:16)  Because the LORD freed the Israelites from slavery with the death of Egypt’s firstborn sons, He claimed all the firstborn males of Israel to be HIS (man and beast). The animals would be sacrificed, but the baby boys were to be ‘redeemed’ or bought back.  The amount was five silver shekels.

Joseph and Mary faithfully performed these rituals according to “the Law of the Lord.”  Right from His beginning, Jesus fulfilled ALL the Law perfectly – for us – so He would be the perfect “spotless” Lamb of God sacrifice.

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Vss. 25-35.

Simeon, a special old man (not a priest), who was righteous, devout, and waiting (longing) for “the consolation of Israel” (a messianic title derived from the O.T., like in Isaiah 40:1-2).   The Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not die until he saw the Messiah with his own eyes.

(Wow!  Can you imagine a promise like that?)  What hope and expectation he must have had!)

On that day, when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to “redeem” Him, Simeon “just happened” to be there. The Spirit of God indicated somehow that THIS BABY was the Messiah Simeon had been looking for.  Simeon walked over to the couple, took baby Jesus up in his arms, and praised God.

“Lord, now you are letting your servant 

depart in peace,

According to Your word;

For my eyes have seen Your salvation

that you have prepared in the Presence

of all peoples;

a Light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and for Glory to your people Israel.”

 

Mary and Joseph stood there and marveled at what Simeon said about Jesus.  Then this dear old man blessed them.  He also warned Mary that “a sword will pierce through your own soul.”

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Vss. 36-40.

There was also an eighty-four-year-old prophetess named Anna in the Temple that day.  She had been married only seven years before becoming a widow.  Now, she didn’t leave the Temple area, but worshiped with fasting and prayer night and day.

When she saw the parents and Jesus, she began to give thanks to God and to speak of Him to all who were “waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” (Those who looked forward to the Messiah)

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(What a wonderful thing that God included these two old people early in the life of Jesus.  Yes, God still has a use for seniors.  Just think how grandparents and great-grandparents can have a godly influence on our children today!!  Thank You, Lord!)

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(NOTE:  Luke omits the visit of the Magi when Jesus was around 2-years old, and the flight to Egypt for a time, and picks up when they are heading back home.  Finally.)

The family travelled to Nazareth after years away.  They were a family now. Did anyone remember when Mary left in disgrace as an unwed mother?  (Well, yes. Some did.)   They settled back into the familiar patterns, and Jesus grew up.  He became strong and filled with wisdom.  And the favor of God was upon Him.

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Jesus fulfilled everything according to the Law, even when He was an enfant and couldn’t do it Himself.  He did what WE never could do – not sin, EVER.  And all that God required in the Law, it was done. Jesus lived sinless, in perfect harmony with His Father in Heaven.  Then He died – the spotless Lamb of God – to take away the sin of the world.  He paid sin’s debt = death.  For us.  THANK YOU, Jesus.

 

 

 

 

 

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Reading the Gospels in 2026: (3/9) Luke 1:39-56

Mar9

A 5-day per week study.

March 9 – Reading Luke 1:39-56

Read and believe in Jesus.

“My soul magnifies the Lord,” Luke 1:46

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The Gospel according to Luke 1:39-56

The last scripture we looked at told us how Gabriel’s message to the young betrothed Mary about becoming the mother of the Messiah was accepted with humble grace.   “Let it be to me according to Your word,” although Mary had to know the problems that would arise in explaining her pregnancy to her family, and especially Joseph. (As an unwed mother, she could have been deemed an adulteress and stoned to death!)  The news of Elizabeth’s miracle pregnancy cheered her and assured her that “NOTHING will be impossible with God.”

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Vss. 39-45.

As soon as it could be arranged – probably as a big help for Elizabeth – Mary travelled in a group south into the hill country of Judea, where Zechariah and Elizabeth lived.

As she entered the house and called out a greeting to Elizabeth, something wonderful happened.  Elizabeth’s unborn baby – John – “leaped in her womb!”  And Elizabeth herself was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Her loud words revealed a knowledge that no one had told her.

“Blessed are you (Mary) among women, and blessed is the fruit of YOUR womb!  Why is it granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

How wonderful for the Lord to encourage Mary in this way.  If she’d had any doubts (and I don’t think she did), they were gone after Elizabeth’s prophecy.  How comforting to be able to talk it over with this “grandma-type” woman.  Mary had probably not told anyone of the angel Gabriel’s visit.

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Vss. 46-55.

In response to Elizabeth’s praise, Mary’s own heart soars.  The verses that follow are almost a song.  Can you imagine that?  Her words are full of praise to the Lord, and many Old Testament allusions and quotations.   Even as a woman in Jewish society where only the men studied, she knew the Word of God.  There are allusions to the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets.  What sweet words to the “ears” of God.

  • “My soul magnifies the Lord,
  • and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
  • for He has looked on the humble
  • estate of his servant.
  • For behold, from now on all generations,
  • will call me blessed;
  • for He who is mighty has done
  • great things for me,
  • and Holy is His Name.
  • And His mercy is for those
  • who fear him.
  • From generation to generation,
  • He has shown strength with His arm.
  • He has scattered the proud 
  • in the thoughts of their hearts;
  • He has brought down the mighty from their thrones
  • and exalted those of humble estate.
  • He has filled the hungry 
  • with good things,
  • and the rich,
  • He has sent away empty.
  • He has helped His servant Israel
  • in remembrance of His mercy,
  • as He spoke to our fathers,
  • to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

 

(Perhaps Mary sang songs like this as lullabies to her baby Jesus, too.)

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Vs. 56.

I wish I knew more about the three months Mary spent with Elizabeth. They must have encouraged each other in the Lord.  Perhaps Elizabeth gave her advice or counsel about her family and Joseph, for when she returned home, “showing” her pregnancy.  Was she there when John was born? Did she hear (when Zecharia could finally speak again) how John would open the way for ministry for her own son, Jesus?

Regardless of our speculation, Mary finally returned to Nazareth “to face the situation.”  WHO would believe her?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (3/6) Luke 1:26-38

Mar6

A 5-day per week study.

March 6 – Reading Luke 1:26-38

Read and believe in Jesus.

“For nothing will be impossible with God.”  Luke 1:37

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The Gospel according to Luke 1:26-38

It’s happening.  The time when the Old Testament writers and prophets foretold and longed for.  From Genesis 3:15 (s triumphant Savior will come) to Malachi 4:5-6 (a forerunner like the prophet Elijah will come first), it is happening.

Yesterday, we saw the announcement of the coming of John, the one who would prepare the way for the Messiah.  The old priest had a hard time believing it, even though it was the angel Gabriel in person telling him, AND while he was in the temple just outside the Most Holy Place.  And so, Zechariah was made mute and prevented from announcing this great miracle to the other priests and the people praying outside.

Soon, his wife became pregnant (and at a great age!).  He HAD to believe it now.  But still, Zechariah was mute.  Six months have passed. Elizabeth is in her last trimester.  And in a little town, way north of Jerusalem, Gabriel is sent to make another announcement.

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Vss. 26-30.

In Nazareth, a small, unappreciated town, there lived a young (possibly early teens) virgin named Mary.  She had been betrothed to an older man named Joseph.  Both were in the lineage of King David, although through different lines.  Mary was probably in her parents’ house doing chores when Gabriel appeared.

“Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you,”  came the bold announcement from the herald of God.  You get the feeling that Gabriel was the one honored in this situation.

Like Zechariah, Mary was more than startled.  Seeing a large, shining angel appear in your kitchen would be frightening. And hearing those words probably didn’t calm her.  What did this mean??

The angel spoke more gently this time, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”

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Vss. 31-33.

And then that wonderful, amazing announcement.  “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

What a message!  What a prophecy!  “Son of the Most High?”  “The throne of David?”  “Reign forever?”  It was so much to take in, but you can be sure Mary remembered those words forever.

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Vss. 34-38.

Even as a young teenager, Mary knew the facts of life.  She’d been raised around animals.  And her mother had probably instructed her before she was betrothed to Joseph.  So….  when would this happen? It sounded like the angel’s words had an urgent, immediate tone, as if this conception would be very soon.  Her marriage was still a little way off.  Would Joseph be…..?

“How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

And then, those magnificent and scary words.  “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the child to be born will be called holy – the Son of God.”

“The Son of God….”

The angel continued, building Mary’s faith.  “And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who WAS called barren.”  Did Mary’s mouth silently form a big, “WOW?”

And the words that sealed Mary’s faith.  ‘For nothing will be impossible with God.”

Well, that said it all.  Mary acquiesced with a bow of her head.  “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

And Gabriel left.

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And so two women, one very aged, and the other barely a “woman” and a virgin, are miraculously “with child.”  Truly, nothing is impossible with God.

Mary is allowed, with other family members, to go and stay with Elizabeth for three months.  The family probably thought the young Mary could help the older woman (now advanced in age and “great with child”) with the housework.  She could probably learn more about being a wife and “eventual mother” as well.

Who knew that these two women, carrying “men of God,” would be able to encourage each other “in the Lord?”   Next time, we’ll read about their first meeting and of Mary’s great “song of praise” to the Lord.

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (3/2) Mark 15:21-32

Mar2

A 5-day per week study.

March 2 – Reading Mark 15:21-32

Read and believe in Jesus.

“And they led Him out to crucify Him.”  Mark 15:20b

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The Gospel according to Mark 15:21-32

  • The Jewish leaders said, “He deserves death!”
  • The crowd said, “Crucify Him!”
  • Pilate said, “Ok, then. “Scourge and crucify Him.”

The verdict is agreed upon. A horrendous death is to be done to the precious, sinless Son of God.

Little did they all know that this event had been planned by the Trinity before the world was created. For US!  For our salvation.

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Vss. 16-20.

Jesus is humiliated, mocked, and scourged by the hardened soldiers of Governor Pilate.  His back is torn to shreds, dripping blood. They force the heavy crossbeam of the executional “tree” onto His back.  He staggers and takes the first step on the Via Dolorosa (Way of suffering).

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Vs. 21.

Jesus falls under the beam’s weight, and the soldiers grab and force the nearest man, one Simon from Cyrene, to pick up the beam and carry it. Jesus follows.

(NOTE:  Mark mentions that this Simon, a Jew from North Africa, in the Holy City for Passover, is the father of Alexander and Rufus.  Why is this noted?  Later, at the end of his letter to Rome, Paul sends greetings to Rufus and his mother.  He calls Rufus “brother,” who was evidently saved after his father’s contact with Jesus. Paul also says that Rufus’ mom, Simon’s wife, had cared for the apostle at some point. Mark later ministered with Paul in Rome, and could also have known this family.)

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Vss 22-28.

Mark is very succinct in his account of the crucifixion of Jesus. It’s almost as if he can barely stand to write about it at all.  He might have been there in person as a teenager, or, again, this might have been from Peter’s point of view, who, after his denials of Jesus only hours before, was standing way far off on Golgotha’s hill.

  1. The soldiers offered Jesus wine mixed with myrrh (a narcotic-type mix that would have deadened the pain).
  2. Jesus refused the drink.
  3. They crucified Him.
  4. They nailed His hands to the crossbeam and nailed his feet to the post. Then it was raised and set into a dug hole.
  5. The soldiers divided his clothes among themselves and cast lots for his robe.
  6. It was 9:00 in the morning.
  7. The inscription of the charge against Jesus was, “The King of the Jews.”
  8. They crucified two robbers with Him; one on the right, the other on the left.

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Vss 29-32.

Those who passed by derided Him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha!  You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross.“

So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked Him to one another, saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.”

Those who were crucified with Him also reviled Him.

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(But… we know “WHO” it really was that was taunting Jesus to come down from the cross. It was that unholy one, the devil, speaking through these oh, so self-righteous men.   Satan knew that Jesus’ death was a mere “bite on the heel” by the serpent.  But Jesus, dying on that cross, and then His glorious rising from the dead, would be the heel crushing of the serpent’s head.  (Genesis 3:15)

Jesus HAD to stay on the cross. He HAD to be accursed of God, experience the wrath of God for sin, and make the payment for our sin – death.  But in the resurrection, God, His Father, showed His pleasure with the accomplished work of Jesus, and raised Him back to life. Sorry, Satan. You have only limited power for a limited time.) 

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (2/27) Mark 15:1-20

Feb27

A 5-day per week study.

February 27– Reading Mark 15:1-20

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Are You King of the Jews?”  Mark 15:2a

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The Gospel according to Mark 15:1-20

We’ve read how Jesus was arrested, hauled into a mock hearing and trial in front of the High Priest of Israel and the Sanhedrin, who deemed Him worthy of death. He was knocked around a bit (for fun). Now, at dawn, the Sanhedrin “formally convened” and “officially sentenced” Jesus to death.

Problem:  THEY could not execute Jesus.

Under Roman rule, the Jews could not execute someone  (although later, they DID stone Stephen).  Also, to fulfill scripture, Jesus could not be stoned. He had to be “hanged” on a “tree,” and so become “cursed” by God for us.  (See Galatians 3:13, with Deuteronomy 21:23.)

Solution to the problem?

They had to convince the Roman Governor Pilate, who was in Jerusalem for Passover, that Jesus was worthy of Roman capital punishment.  It wouldn’t be simple (as you know, if you read all the Gospel accounts together), but they would succeed!

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Vss. 1-5.

The Jewish leaders (with the Temple guard) bound Jesus and took Him to the Pretorium, where Pilate judged cases.  The Governor would not have listened to a charge of blasphemy, so they came up with three accusations that were sure to catch Pilate’s attention (See Luke 23:2)

  1. Misleading our nation
  2. Forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar
  3. Saying that He is Christ, a King.

Pilate jumped on that last one, because if Jesus was proclaiming Himself a King, that meant He was a rebel and insurrectionist against Caesar – a crime worthy of execution.

“ARE You a King?”  he asked Jesus.

“You have said so,” He answered.  By saying that, Jesus was indeed agreeing that He was the King of the Jews, but that Pilate had no “earthly” idea of what that meant.  Jesus answered no more questions, and Pilate seriously doubted He was a terrorist.

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Vss. 6-10.

It was a custom that, during Passover, Roman Governors would sometimes grant amnesty for a prisoner at the people’s request.  Pilate saw this as a possible way to release the harmless Jewish “wannabe king.”  Not a dummy, he KNEW that the Jewish leaders had accused Jesus of such a serious crime, because they were jealous of Him.  Pilate did not want to play up to them.  And … conveniently, he had in his dungeon right then a very vile criminal, who was really guilty of insurrection, as well as murder. His name was Barabbas (which weirdly means “son of the father!!”)

So, when the crowd outside asked him to do as he usually did and release a prisoner, Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?

(Remember, just five days earlier, Jesus had ridden triumphantly into Jerusalem to the cries of “Hosannah!” and “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” and “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosannah in the highest!”)

But the chief priests went through the crowd, stirring them up so much that they would as for Barabbas instead!

Surprised and confused, Pilate asked, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?”  He was not ready for their startling and brutal answer.

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Vss. 11-15 

“Crucify Him!” they shouted, responding to the urging of the Jewish leaders.

“Why?  What evil has He done?” Pilate asked.  He KNEW that crucifixion was “the cruelest and most hideous punishment possible.”

“Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!”  The riotist chant was repeated over and over.

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So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd (and not stir up a complaint against him to Rome),  released Barabbas for them.

(A lucky day for this criminal.  I wonder if he ever considered the Man who actually took his place on the cross … a visual of what Jesus did for each person who would ever believe in Him.)

Pilate then had Jesus scourged and condemned Him to be crucified.

(Scouraging was also a fearful thing.  It was done with a whip of metal-tipped leather thongs, which cut the flesh down to the bone and caused severe bleeding.  This torture would weaken the prisoner (sometimes to death) and intensify the pain for the following ordeal.)

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Oh, Jesus!  Thank You!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (2/26) Mark 14:66-72

Feb26

A 5-day per week study.

February 26– Reading Mark 14:66-72

Read and believe in Jesus.

“And Peter remembered….” Mark 14:72a

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The Gospel according to Mark 14:66-72

In the last study, the ordeal of our salvation begins. Jesus faces the High Priest and the full Sanhedrin (alone), where He is convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to death. And the nastiness begins. Spitting, mocking, slapping, and fist blows.  Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah … for us.

Meanwhile His chief disciple is outside in the courtyard, warming himself by a fire.

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Vss.66-72.

Peter’s heart is racing, and his mind is in confusion.  What was happening with Jesus?  WHY did He allow Himself to be arrested? What will they do with Him?  And… what about us??  We thought…..!

A voice, that of one of the servant girls of the High Priest, jerks him from his thoughts.  “YOU also were with the Nazarene, Jesus!”  

Peter whips around and stares at her. “I neither know nor understand what you mean.”  He moves away, towards the exit gate.  A rooster crows, but it barely registers.

The servant girl gestures at Peter and says to the bystanders, “This man is one of THEM.”

“No, I am not.” His eyes are wide, his breathing is fast.

One of the bystanders then says, “Certainly you ARE one of them, for you are a Galilean.”

Peter invokes a curse on himself and begins to swear.  “I do not KNOW this man of whom you speak!”

And the rooster crows a second time.

Peter hears it.  And he remembers.  Jesus, his beloved Master, had told him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” Peter runs off into the fading darkness, breaks down, and weeps bitterly.  What… has… he… done?

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(How like Peter we are. At times more concerned with ourselves than our Savior. We devote our time to Him. We testify to His grace. We tell others of Him. We even pray for others, and God hears and heals.  Then something comes along that our sinful nature responds to, and we sin. We sin grossly.  Our “self” and its pleasure, safety, and pride are all that matter in the moment … and we turn our backs on Him.  We deny HIM.   The one we LOVE.  Is there any hope of forgiveness????)

In the last verses of our reading of Mark’s Gospel, we will get a hint of the answer.

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (2/25) Mark 14:53-65

Feb25

A 5-day per week study.

February 25– Reading Mark 14:53-65

Read and believe in Jesus.

“And they all condemned Him as deserving death.”  Mark 14:64b

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The Gospel according to Mark 14:53-65

After the Passover meal, Jesus and his disciples went to the Mount of Olives.  Jesus took His inner three to go apart into Gethsemane to pray with Him. While they slept, He prayed earnestly three times that the “cup” would pass from Him.

What that “cup” involved, we really can’t understand. It was not just the physical pain, nor the degrading treatment and language hurled at Him, but for the perfect, sinless Son of God, it also meant bearing the despicable SIN of all who would ever believe in Him. It meant being judged by God, His Father, as guilty of death.  And finally, brutal execution.

But Jesus had settled it.  By the time Judas led His captors into the privacy of the garden, Jesus had “set his face” towards the cross. For me. For you.

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Vss. 53-59

Jesus was led to the High Priest’s house, and then to where the entire Council (the Sanhedrin, made up of 70 members) could interrogate Jesus in privacy.

(It’s interesting that when they were arresting Him in Gethsemane, Jesus made this statement, ‘Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me.”   Consider now the differences.

  • THEN, it was in the bright daylight; NOW, it was the darness of night, with flickering candles and oil lamps.
  • THEN, Jesus was in the open.  Adoring crowds surrounded Him. NOW, He was surrounded only by enemies who hated Him.
  • THEN, He could walk away (or disappear in the crowd).  NOW, he was shackled between members of the temple guard.
  • THEN, Jesus confounded the religious leaders and made them look stupid. NOW, in their pomp and privacy, they would get their revenge.
  • And it was all HIS choice.

While Peter waited outside in the courtyard (we’ll look at him tomorrow), the mock trial of Jesus began.

The chief priests sought testimony against Him that would condemn Him to death.  But alas, they found none.  They did find two men who claimed Jesus said He would destroy the temple and build it again in three days. But even they couldn’t agree.  According to the letter of the law (Deuteronomy 17:6, 19:15), at least two witnesses had to exactly agree.

(NOTE:  If you want to read what Jesus REALLY said, see John 2:18-22)

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Vss. 60-65,

And now it was nearing dawn.  Frustrated at not being able to charge Jesus with a crime, the High Priest stood up and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make?  What is it that these men testify against you?” 

Silence.

Finally, the High Priest demanded, “ARE YOU THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE BLESSED?”

“I am,” Jesus said. (Why did they not fall back in fear at the covenant Name of God?  I AM = Yahwey)

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Then Jesus continued, quoting from Daniel 7:13-14,

“You will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of Heaven.”

This was a direct claim to be the Messiah and the Son of God.

And the High Priest of Israel recognized it.

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He tore his garments.  (a ceremonial and here, a contrived display of grief and indignation at someone dishonoring God’s name.)

“What further witnesses do we need?  You have heard His blasphemy. What is your decision?” Caiaphus asked the court.

“Guilty!  Death!”  was the unanimous answer.

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And they began to spit on Him.

They covered His face, hit Him, and demanded that He “prophesy” who hit Him.

The guards struck Him with blows from their fists.

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And so it begins.  The horrendous work Jesus came to do for you and me.  To save us.

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (2/24) Mark 14:27-52

Feb24

A 5-day per week study.

February 24– Reading Mark 14:27-52.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  Mark 14:38

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The Gospel according to Mark 14:27-52

In the last reading, Jesus and the disciples have eaten the Passover meal, possibly in the home of John Mark’s family.  The disciples were shocked to learn that a traitor was among them, and Judas went out.

Jesus then instituted the Last Supper remembrance, stating that the bread represented His body, which He was giving for them, and that the wine represented His blood of the new Covenant, “poured out for many.”

Then they sang the closing song/psalm of the Passover order (Psalm 118) and went out of Jerusalem into the cool darkness of the Mount of Olives.

(A young man, aroused from his bed and with only a night sheet wrapped around him, followed them to watch and listen.  This is commonly thought to have been the teenage John Mark, this book’s author.)

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Vss. 27-31.

Out of the quiet, Jesus suddenly quotes Zechariah 13:7.  “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’  But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”

Peter immediately challenges Jesus’ words.  “Even though they ALL fall away, I will not!”  (Ahhh, Peter…)

Jesus replied, with love and sadness, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me THREE times.”

“If I must DIE with You, I WILL NOT deny You,” Peter disagreed emphatically.

I think Jesus must have sighed hugely as he turned to walk towards the place called Gethsemane (“oil press”).

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Vss. 32-42.

These verses record Jesus’ agonized but submissive prayer to His Father on the eve of the horrendous ordeal he was about to face.  (We can’t even imagine.)

Jesus tells eight of the disciples to stay where they are while He goes a little way off to pray.  He signals for Peter, James, and John to follow Him.  It’s obvious that Jesus is “greatly distressed and troubled,” but they say nothing.

“My soul is very sorrowful, even to death,” Jesus says. (Do they even hear Him?)

“Remain here and watch,” He tells the three and goes a little farther into the darkness.  The three settle onto the ground, gradually reclining….

Jesus falls prone onto the ground and earnestly prays. “Abba…  Father,  all things are possible for You.  Remove this cup from me!”  And then, “Yet not what I will, but what You will.”

Jesus slowly gets to his feet and returns to where He left His three closest disciples.  They are not “watching” or praying.  They are sleeping. Yes, sure, it’s late, and their bellies are full of food and wine, but….  (Well, this is probably what you and I would be doing too.)

To Peter, who vowed he would not leave Jesus and would die with Him… but could not pray with Him… Jesus said, “Simon! (He uses the disciple’s “old” name). Are you asleep? Could YOU not watch one hour?  Watch and pray, that you may ot enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Then Jesus returned to his lonely place, fell to the ground, and prayed the same words. (Request and submission.)

When He returned to His special three… He again found them sleeping and embarrassed into silence when Jesus spoke to them.

Finally, for the third time, Jesus went and prayed in anguish, settling His determination to carry out the plan for sinful man’s salvation that He and the Father had made, even before creation.  THIS is why He had left Heaven’s glory. He would drink “the cup” to the bitter dregs.

Returning to the sleeping three and the others, Jesus announced, “It is enough.  The hour has come.  The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Get up, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

And so it begins, the very thing Jesus had warned them about three times. Still, they are stunned at what is happening.

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Vss. 43-50.

And there they were … a crowd with swords and clubs from the chief priests, scribes, and elders … led by Judas.  The betraying disciple walked right up to Jesus and said, “Rabbi!”  taking Jesus by the shoulders and kissing Him.

It was the pre-set sign, so that, in the dark, the maddening crowd of armed men would know which one to seize.  They came and grabbed Jesus.

(Did Judas step back and smile with satisfaction?  Or, did he start to realize the horror he had begun?)

One of the disciples (John names him in his gospel. It was Peter.) drew his short sword and struck the servant of the high priest and … cut off his ear! (Surely, he meant to kabosh the man’s skull.)  Luke tells us in his gospel that Jesus scolded Peter and healed the servant’s ear. Jesus wanted no trouble for the disciples (the good Shepherd laying down His life for His sheep).  And, in fact, they all ran away after that.

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Vss. 51-52.

Three ran a little way, then came back to observe, hiding here and there among the olive trees.  John, with Peter behind, watched and followed at a distance to see where they were taking Jesus.

Another, “a young man” who was surely the curious teen, John Mark, followed a bit too closely.  One of the guards saw him and grabbed his sheet.  John Mark slipped out of it and ran away … naked.   Oops!

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And so it begins. The multiple trials of Jesus, with abuse, mockery, and torture, all culminating in the crucifixion. In the next chapter, we will be glad that Mark wrote so succinctly in his gospel.  We will get more details as we read Luke and Matthew.

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (2/23) Mark 14:1-26

Feb23

A 5-day per week study.

February 23– Reading Mark 14:1-26.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the Kingdom of God.”  Mark 14:25

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The Gospel according to Mark 14:1-26

Chapter 13 on the destruction of Jerusalem and the “End Times” was sparked by one of the disciples’ comments about the Temple’s magnificent stones.  Jesus told them that not one stone would be left on another, and in 70 A.D., that’s exactly what happened.  This would be proof that Jesus’s other prophecies about the Antichrist, the Great Tribulation, and His glorious second coming in the clouds would also come to pass.

It was a lot to think about, but the disciples probably promptly forgot it for the time (like they had of Jesus’ 3 times predicting his death and resurrection).  They were still thinking that Jesus would soon declare himself KING, and that they would help Him rule the Kingdom.   Alas…

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Vss. 1-2.

A quick note that even though Jesus had left the city, the religious leaders were still very angry with Him. They were mulling over ways they could arrest Him by stealth, and KILL Him.  But, they thought, not during Passover, because the people would cause a great uproar.  (Ha!  The best laid plans of mice and men!  Little did they know that Jesus would indeed be arrested and then killed on Passover.  And that the crowds would be the ones shouting, “Crucify Him!”)

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Vs.3.

This is the only time that “Simon the Leper” is named in the Bible.  Although he still carried the title of “the Leper” to distinguish him from other Simons in town, he had been totally cured, probably by Jesus. (No person suffering from leprosy could come near, let alone host a meal for other people.)

Some have thought that Simon was the father of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, and that this was HIS house, but that he’d been absent on other occasions when Jesus visited because of his disease.  Regardless of this, we do know from John’s account in chapter 12 that the woman there was Mary.

While Jesus and the disciples were reclining at dinner, this young woman (Mary) came in, broke an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, and anointed Jesus’ head. (John’s account says she also anointed His feet and dried them with her hair.)

This was a total act of love on Mary’s part. She thought nothing of the expense.  Consider:  she had often sat at Jesus’ feet, hearing His teaching;  Jesus had healed her father of leprosy;  and Jesus had raised her brother back to life from the grave.  She had long ago given her heart, soul, and spirit to Him.  What was an heirloom jar of perfume?

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Vss. 4-9.

What was an heirloom jar of perfume?  Well, it was a year’s wages!! (Think of that amount today for an hourly worker!)  Some of the disciples were indignant.  “Why was this not sold and the money given to the poor?”

Seriously?  The poor?  You KNOW who brought this up.  It was Judas.  He was the group’s treasurer.  He carried the money pouch and paid for expenses (and yes, donated some to the poor).    John 12:6 says of him, “He said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybags, used to help himself to what was put into it.”  Tsk, tsk, tsk.  

Jesus, of course, knew this.  And He swung back hard in defense of Mary.

“Leave her alone!  Why do you trouble her? 

She has done a beautiful thing for me.  You will always have the poor, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have Me.  She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 

And truly, I say to you, whenever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”

Of course, what Judas is about to do will also be told of him whenever the gospel is proclaimed throughout the world.

Did you catch Jesus’ statement?  “She has anointed my body beforehand for burial.”  Again, the disciples didn’t seem to notice.  I mean, if Jesus was going to be buried, it meant He was going TO DIE!   But, Mary, sitting and learning at Jesus’ feet all those times, HEARD him.  And she believed.  And she offered her expensive perfume to pre-anoint Jesus’ body for that burial.  It not only proved her love but also her faith.

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Vss. 10-11.

“Then Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests in order to betray Jesus to them.”

He just could not take it.  Not only the sight of all that money “wasted” on Jesus, but also the fact that Jesus honored the woman and the act… and at his expense.   He could have HAD that money.  Well…..  he knew where he could get some ready cash.  “Just you wait, Jesus!” he might have thought, as he headed back into the darkened city.

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Vss. 12-15.

It was the first day of Unleavened Bread-Passover, and Jesus sent two of his disciples into the city to prepare the room where they would eat the Passover meal.  How would they know where to go?  Jesus gave them a sign, like finding the donkey and its mother tied up a few days earlier.

This time, they would see a man carrying a jug of water.   You might think that this would be happening all around the city.  But no.  It was a woman’s job to fetch and carry water.  To see a man doing it would be highly irregular.  So HE would be the one they should ask.  That man would show the two where the room was, and they would set about preparing it for that evening’s meal.

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Vss. 17-21.

(We will learn much more about what happened in that upper room when we study the other Gospels. Mark is very brief.  “Just the facts,” he seems to say. They are: the betrayal announced and the bread and wine.  And that’s that. (Remember, Mark, is probably getting all those facts from Peter’s point of view.)

And so, the disciples reclined around a spread of Passover food and ate.  At one point, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.”

Talk about dropping a bombshell!

They all began to be sorrowful and, one by one, asked him, “Is it I?”   (Isn’t it heartbreaking, that they all believed their hearts could have betrayed Jesus!  We all could, and have.)

Jesus answered, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me.  The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would have been better if he had not been born….”

The other Gospels make it clear in several ways that it was Judas Iscariot. (We’ll study them one by one this year.)  And Judas leaves the room.

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Vss 22-26.

Then Jesus institutes “The Lord’s Supper.”  This is what is celebrated in churches today, “in remembrance of Jesus” and what He did for us on the cross.

First, Jesus took up the bread and blessed it. He gave it to them and said, “This is my body.”

Next, He took a cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them for all the drink of it.  “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.  Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the Kingdom of God.”

(Cups of wine and the Matso bread are common in the traditional Passover meal, even today.  The Jews remember their escape from Egypt, when, with the blood of the Passover Lamb painted on the sides and tops of their doors, they stood dressed and ready to travel, eating the lamb for sustenance.  There hadn’t been time for the bread to rise, so they were eating it unleavened.   Soon, they would be delivered from slavery and become a Nation to God!

This is what the Lord Jesus was purchasing for them with his own blood – deliverance from slavery to sin and Satan, and transformation into the true children of God.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (2/19) Mark 12:35-43

Feb19

A 5-day per week study.

February 19– Reading Mark 12:35-43.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand…”  Mark 12:36a

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The Gospel according to Mark 12:35-43

After butting heads with the three major religious sects in Jerusalem, then speaking with one sincere scribe who was “near to the Kingdom,” Jesus continued teaching in the Temple area.  He was the true Shepherd of Israel, the one who loved the “flock” and would soon “lay down His life for them.”  Those rulers of Israel, “false shepherds” who had no thought or care for the “sheep,” had to be exposed for the hypocrites they were.

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Vss. 35-37 with (Matthew 22:41-42).

The religious leaders had tested Jesus with their questions. Now, it was His turn to give them a “test question.”

“What do you think about the Christ (Messiah)?  Whose son is He?” He asked.

“The son of David,” they answered.

Now the people recognized this as the title for the Messiah.  And that’s how their leaders referred to him.  But by calling the Messiah “the son of David,” these pious rulers meant he would be a mere man.  Yes, the descendant of the great King David, but man … not God.

Jesus referred to the Scriptures that they claimed to know so well and revere so highly with His question. (Psalm 110:1)

“How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him LORD, saying, ‘The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet?’  If then David calls him LORD, how is He his son?”

The ‘great throng’ who witnessed this showdown between Jesus and the Pharisees (scribes) were glad to hear Jesus.  The Jewish leaders, however, were totally miffed and “from that day on, no one dared to ask Him any more questions.”

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Vss. 38-40.

Jesus, turning to the crowd, then issued a warning. “BEWARE of the scribes (and Pharisees)…”

Why?

  • “They like to walk around in long robes…
  • They like greetings in the marketplaces…
  • (They like to) have the best seats in the synagogues…
  • And the places of honor at feasts.”

Jesus was exposing them as hypocrites, seeking the favor and praise of man rather than God.

  • They “devour widows’ houses…
  • And “for show” pray long prayers.”

NOTE: Scribes often served as ‘estate planners‘ for new widows, and would give these grieving women the chance to “serve God” by supporting the Temple work (or the scribe’s own work) with their deceased husband’s money.   In doing this, these wily religious leaders would be “robbing the widows.”

NOTE: And, we know about their “long, showy prayers” from Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. (Luke 18:9-14)

—- Pharisee: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week, and I give tithes of all that I get.

—- Tax Collection: “God, be merciful to me a sinner.”

—- Jesus taught (Matthew 5:20), “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

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Vss. 41-44.

And then, Jesus sat opposite the treasury in the Temple area and watched people put in their offerings.

NOTE: These “offering boxes” were 13 trumpet-shaped receptacles on the walls of the court of women, where offerings and donations to the temple were dropped in.

As Jesus watched, a very poor widow  (who had perhaps been cheated out of her husband’s legacy by those conniving scribes) came to give her offering. She quietly dropped in two small copper coins, which equaled one penny.  (These copper coins were the smallest denomination of Roman coins, equal to 1/64th of a day’s wages.)   And Jesus commended her.

WHY, we ask.  What could so little do to support the Temple?

It wasn’t the Temple that Jesus was concerned with.  He was looking at the HEARTS of the offering givers. Many wealthy people dropped in large amounts, making sure everyone saw them do it.  But even those “princely sums” didn’t hurt their wealth. (They made sure of that.)

The poor widow quietly dropped in those two coins so no one could see. But Jesus saw them, and more importantly, saw her heart.  She had given EVERYTHING SHE HAD.  Now this poor woman would have nothing to live on.  What love compared to what hypocrisy! And she is honored even today for her sacrifice by being in the gospel story.

(In my heart, I believe God saw her faith and honored it, and then supplied her needs in perhaps amazing ways.  But if not, she was content to give her all.)

What do “my” offerings reveal about my heart?