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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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Vss.

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (3/12) Luke 2:1-21

Mar12

A 5-day per week study.

March 12 – Reading Luke 2:1-21

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.”  Luke 2:10

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The Gospel according to Luke 2:1-21

In the last study, we saw the birth and naming of John (the Baptist) and Zechariah’s voice returning. Immediately after confirming his son’s name, the old priest was filled with the Holy Spirit.  He praised God for the salvation He was sending and His great mercy. Zechariah also prophesied his son’s future ministry as a prophet and the herald of the Messiah.

Then we saw John grow and become strong in spirit, and retreat into the wilderness until God would call him to appear in Israel and begin his ministry.

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Vss. 1-7.

And now we return to Mary and follow the details of Jesus’ birth.

          (This chapter is very familiar to believers. We’ve probably heard it read many, many times at Christmas.  Some can probably recite it by heart.  But let’s read it with “fresh eyes” if we can.)

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The Roman ruler of the “world” said everyone had to be registered.  This was so Augustus wouldn’t miss anyone when levying taxes.  And at least for the Jews, who kept records of their genealogies, their ancestors’ birthplaces were mostly known to them. For both Mary and Joseph, the place was the same because both were of the “house and lineage of King David.”  And David was born in Bethlehem.

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(NOTE:  Luke records Jesus’ lineage back from Mary’s line, through King David’s son Nathan (3:31), to Adam.  Matthew records the lineage from Abraham down through King David’s son Solomon (Matt. 1:6) to Joseph, the husband of Mary.  BOTH these lineages were important.

           The line that came through Solomon was eventually cursed because of the last despicable king who reigned until Jerusalem fell. (See Jeremiah 22:30.) Jesus had no genetic connection to this line (other than title) because of His virgin birth.   Jesus, born of Mary, came through the line of Nathan, which had no curse.  Jesus, called the Son of David, would inherit the kingdom from his earthly ancestor David, through the “uncursed” line.)

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Okay, back to the account of Jesus’ birth.

Even though Mary was due to give birth very soon, she and Joseph were forced to travel to Bethlehem (more than 70 miles).  Were Joseph and Mary remembering Micah 5:2, which says the Messiah would be born in that little town … or were they just concentrating on the grueling trip and Mary’s condition?

They finally made it, and while they were there, she gave birth to Jesus in a lowly stable. (All the inns were full by then.)  She wrapped baby Jesus in swaddling cloths and laid him in an animal’s feed trough.

I love this painting by Gari Melchers, which is probably closer to how it was than our traditional nativity scenes…

Vss. 8-20.

Meanwhile, in the hills outside Bethlehem, there was a group of shepherds watching their sheep.  The animals were probably all snuggled down together, sleeping, while the men sat around a campfire that was fast going out.

THEN AN ANGEL APPEARED!

THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHONE AROUND THE SHEPHERDS!

They were VERY afraid.

But the angel (could it have been the messenger, Gabriel?) told them,

  • “Fear not, for behold, I bring you Good News of great joy that will be for all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord. And THIS will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying … in a manger.”

And then, more wonderfully terrifying, a multitude of heavenly hosts appeared, praising God and saying,

  • “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!”

And then they were gone, and again it was a dark, silent night.

“Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us!”

And so they did.  They didn’t search inns, but looked for a stable. (After all, the angel said the baby would be in a feed trough.)  And they FOUND Mary and Joseph and the baby … lying in the manger, just as the angel had said.  They told the couple what had happened out on that hillside.  And Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

And then the shepherds returned to their duties, glorifying and praising God for all they’d seen and heard, as it was told to them.  And everybody who heard their story was in wonder about it.

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Vs. 21.

And at eight days, Jesus was circumcised and officially named JESUS, the name that Gabriel had given to Mary before He was conceived.

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“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believed on Him, would not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

 

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: (2/20) Mark 13:1-36

Feb20

A 5-day per week study.

February 20– Reading Mark 13:1-36.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.”  Mark 13:33

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The Gospel according to Mark 13:1-36

Jesus (and His disciples) have been at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem all day. He has been teaching the crowds and confronting the religious leaders. He ends the time with praise for an extremely poor, but generous, widow and her meager offering.

Now, as they leave for the day, one of His disciples exclaims at the grandeur of the Temple buildings, specifically the great huge gleaming white marble stones.

(Some of the foundation stones were 40’x12’x12′.  The ones on the east-facing wall were covered with gold plates that gleamed in the morning sun. This was the Temple that Herod was rebuilding.)

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Vss. 1-2.

“Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” said one of the twelve.

“Do you see these great buildings?” Jesus asked. “There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

That silenced them.  How did that relate to Jesus coming into His Kingdom, since they believed it was about to happen? (Remember His triumphant ride into Jerusalem?)

(What Jesus was talking about was the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 A.D., when the Roman general, Titus, invaded.  He built large wooden scaffolds around the temple buildings, piled them high with flammable materials, and set them on fire.  The heat was so intense that the great stones crumbled.  Later, the rubble was sifted to retrieve the melted gold. The remaining ruins were “thrown down” into the Kidron Valley.)  

(Most of the disciples will be martyred before this happens.  We only know for sure that John lived to hear of Jerusalem’s destruction. (It’s believed John died in 100 A.D.)  It’s also possible that Simon the Zealot lived a couple of years after (74 A.D.). But before General Titus came, all the disciples would have left the city to carry the Gospel “to the uttermost parts of the world.”)

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Vss. 3-8.

Once outside the city, Jesus and the men rested on the Mount of Olives before continuing over and down to Bethany to His friends’ home, where they would stay the night.  From where they sat, the Temple Mount was in clear view. (Today, the Muslim Dome of the Rock stands in that place.)

Jesus’ four closest disciples came near, and one asked Him, “Tell us when these things will be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to happen.”

Of course, the disciples “thought” that Jesus was about to usher in His Kingdom. They probably thought some huge miracle would happen – like the Temple being gone – to announce the coming Millennial Kingdom of Jesus.

They had a rude awakening.

“See that you are not led astray,” Jesus warned. “Many will come in my name. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  Do not be alarmed.  This MUST take place, but the end … is not yet.”

Jesus went on to tell of continuous wars, earthquakes, and famines that would happen.  But THAT was only the beginning (the birth pangs) of the End.

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Vss. 9-13.

Jesus speaks of persecution and martyrdom, of their witness before kings, and of the gospel first spreading to all nations, and warns, “Be on your guard.”

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Vss. 14-23.

Then Jesus warns them about “the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be.”  (This first happened during the time of the Maccabees when Antiochus Epiphanes sacrificed a pig on the altar. But it would be duplicated in the end times by the Antichrist, who would also set up an image of himself in the Holy place.)

Jesus tells them that those living in Judea at that time should immediately flee to the mountains. (He says, “Let the reader beware,“ speaking to those who live in the end times, and not to His disciples.)  The tribulation in THOSE days will be worse than ever before, since Creation.  Many will try to duplicate Jesus and deceive people.  But the Lord says again, “Be on guard!”

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Vss. 24-27.

Jesus tells them that after “that” tribulation (the Great Tribulation in the end times), horrific signs will occur in the literal heavens (sun, moon, and stars) and in the spiritual heavens (the “powers” will be shaken).

And THEN, they will see “the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.”  And He will send out His angels to gather His elect from the ends of the earth.

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Vss. 28-31.

Jesus seems to return to the disciples’ initial question, “When will this happen, and what is the sign of your coming?”  Perhaps His gaze took in that withered fig tree from a day ago, and He said, “From the fig tree (a healthy one), learn its lesson.  When its branch puts out leaves, you know summer is near. So also when you see these things taking place, you know that He is near, at the very gates.”   

Jesus then says that “THIS generation,” meaning the one who lives in the end times, “will not pass away until all these things take place.”

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Vss. 32-37.

Then to keep the disciples, and indeed US READERS. from predicting exactly when Jesus will return, He says, “Concerning that day or that hour, NO ONE KNOWS, not even the angels in heaven, NOR THE SON, but only the Father.  Be on guard, keep awake. For YOU do not know when the time will come.”

It’s like a master going away (Jesus says) and leaving his servants to stay awake and watch for his return.  The servants won’t know if he is to return in the evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or in the morning.  They are just to stay awake and be ready to open the door and welcome him in.

Jesus concludes with, “What I say to you, I say to all: STAY AWAKE.”

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(NOTE:  Take some time with your Bible and a Bible commentary, and read this again. See where Jesus is talking about the disciples, and when He tells about the times still future to us, when the Antichrist will appear, the Great Tribulation will happen, and Jesus’ glorious second coming in the clouds.

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Also, realize that these disciples do not know that their world is about to be turned upside down. Jesus is about to be arrested, tried, and crucified in just a matter of days.  All their beliefs of becoming partners in His earthly reign NOW, will be replaced by fear and confusion. Then, the resurrection, the ascension, and the Holy Spirit’s power on them.  They won’t be thinking of beautiful walls falling, or crowns on their heads.  They will begin fulfilling the Great Commission to take the Good News throughout the world.

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (2/16) Mark 12:1-12

Feb16

A 5-day per week study.

February 16– Reading Mark 12:1-12.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenents and went away.”  Mark12:1b

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The Gospel according to Mark 12:1-12.

Jesus had ridden into Jerusalem on a donkey to the wild acclaim of the people.  Their King had come!  He was going to end Roman rule and free Israel.  But, early the next morning, Jesus had instead ended the Sadducee-approved buying, selling, and money-changing in the Temple area.

The next day, these men had accosted Him, demanding to know on whose authority He had done such a thing.  When they refused to answer His question about John the Baptist, Jesus refused to answer their question.  Again, their fear of the adoring crowds kept them from arresting Jesus.

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Vss.1-5.

It is still the same day, a few minutes later, and Jesus spoke TO THEM in a parable.

(Remember, earlier, Jesus had told His disciples that He taught in parables because of the hardness of the people’s hearts. They would not receive truth, so He veiled it in stories.)  He did that here, looking directly at the chief priests, scribes, and elders as He spoke.  They KNEW this parable was directed to them, and they fumed.

The Parable of the Tenants would have instantly reminded these teachers of Israel of Isaiah 5:1-7.  Please DO read this now!)  

They understood that the vineyard represented Israel, and the tenants were a picture of THEM.

Jesus’ parable told of evil, greedy tenants who wanted ALL the harvest for themselves, not just the 10% they earned.  So, as each of the slaves that the landowner sent to collect his portion of the profit arrived, they beat him up or killed him.  MANY of them.

This, of course, represented the many prophets God had sent to Israel and its leaders to correct their evil ways, and to “collect” the love, obedience, and worship He so rightly deserved.  The religious leaders had ignored the prophets and many times killed them. (Read Matthew 23:34-36)

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Vss. 6-9.

Jesus then tells them that the landowner had ONE SON (a picture of Himself) whom He finally sent to get the “harvest” He deserved.  But the wicked tenants, seeing this as their last chance, KILLED THE SON.  “Now… it’s all ours,”  the thought.  THEY THOUGHT!

This evil vividly depicts what the chief priests and elders were going to do to Jesus in just a couple of days.  HE knew it.  He’d told his disciples three times (Had they heard at all?).  And in the minds of these religious leaders, that was JUST what they wanted to do … if they could only figure out how to do it.

Then Jesus said something in the parable that I’m sure the Jewish leaders did not understand.  “The tenants would be destroyed, and the vineyard would be given to others.”

Yes, Jesus would be crucified, but He would be resurrected.  His church would begin and grow from the small band of Spirit-empowered followers with Him.  Churches would be established where believers would worship and glorify God.   AND … in a mere 40 years, Jerusalem would be destroyed, along with the Temple, the sacrifices, and all the priesthood.

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Vss. 10-12.

Jesus then quotes Psalm 119:22-23.

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the LORD’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.”

Jesus connects the Son that the tenants killed to the “Stone” (Himself)  that the builders (religious leaders) rejected.  The resurrected Son would be the Cornerstone of the church, upon which the prophets and apostles would build.

The religious leaders fumed.  They seethed.  They WANTED to arrest Him, but, once again, feared the people.  So, they left Him and went away.

(But they would soon come at night, when no crowd’s adoration could protect Him.  And they would have their way with Jesus, just as the evil tenants had with the landowner’s son. )

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Just as God had planned it all from eternity past.

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (2/13) Mark 11:27-33

Feb13

A 5-day per week study.

February 13– Reading Mark 11:27-33

Read and believe in Jesus.

“And they said to Him, ‘By what authority are You doing these things?’”  Mark 11:28a.

 

The Gospel according to Mark 11:27-33

Yesterday (in the “meat” part of Mark’s writing sandwich), we saw Jesus enter Jerusalem and drive out the buyers and sellers of animals and the money-changers (extortionists) that He found “desecrating” the Temple area.  He was indignant that they should be making what should have been “a house of prayer” into a “den of robbers.”

Today, we look at the reaction this caused.

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Vss.27-33.

After checking out the withered fig tree and hearing Jesus’ teaching about having faith in prayer, Jesus and the disciples entered Jerusalem.  Jesus immediately went to the Temple Mount. He walked around, probably checking to see if any of the animal sellers or money-changers had oozed back inside.

Immediately, Jesus was confronted by the entire entourage of Jewish religious leaders: chief priests (Sadducees), scribes/teachers of the law (Pharisees), and elders, which included the “captain of the Temple.” All these had benefited from the money-changing extortion and inflated animal prices, which Jesus had eliminated.  When you touch a man’s “pocket,” sparks fly.

“By what authority are you doing these things?  Who gave you this authority to do them?” they demanded of Jesus.

Jesus calmly countered, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.” 

Perhaps He paused to look at each of them before asking, “Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?” 

This was throwing their question back at them. First, they had to evaluate John’s authority to baptise and hail Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah. In confirming John’s authority, they would also be confirming Jesus’ authority.

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They bunched into a tight group to discuss what their answer might be.

“If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?'”

“But shall we say, ‘From man?'”   Not a chance because they feared the people who believed (rightly) that John really was a prophet.  They were between the proverbial “rock and a hard place.”  (What a curious and funny dilemma!)

So they responded to Jesus’ question with, “We don’t know.”

I can imagine Jesus smiling and, as He turned away, saying,  “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

(Foiled again!)

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(NOTE: In these confrontations with the leaders of Israel, Jesus always comes out on top.  This shows clearly that when He is actually arrested, sent to trial, and crucified, it is HIS OWN DECISION AND TIMING.  Jesus’ life was NOT taken from Him.  He laid it down of His own accord, exactly in the perfect time and manner He chose.

(John 10:18 – “No one takes it [My life]  from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.”)

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We’ll see in the next chapters that Jesus continues to teach the people on the Temple Mount and to respond to confrontations with the Jewish leaders.

 

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (2/11) Mark 11:1-11

Feb11

A 5-day per week study.

February 11– Reading Mark 11:1-11

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!  Hosanna in the highest!”  Mark 11:9b-10

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The Gospel according to Mark 11:1-11

Last time, we saw Jesus and His disciples moving from east of the Jordan River, through Jericho, stopping to heal blind Bartimaeus, and then going “on the way.”  This means “towards Jerusalem” (and His death, which He’s been foretelling to His disciples for months).  The crowds are still with Him, and many others are heading towards the Holy City too for the upcoming Passover Celebration in less than a week.

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Vss. 1-3

Bethphage and Bethany (where Mary & Martha lived) were on the east slope of the Mount of Olives, which stands just before Mt Zion, on which Jerusalem is built.   Jesus tells two of his disciples to go into “the village in front of you,” (probably Bethphage).  (I wonder which two He sent…)

Anyway, they would immediately find a colt tied up. (Matthew mentions that its mother was also there.)  They were to untie it (them) and come back to Jesus.  If anyone asked what they were doing, they were to say simply, “The Lord needs it.”

And so it happened.

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Vss 4-10.

Many of the crowds witnessed this and wondered.  What was Jesus doing?  Some began thinking of, and maybe quoting, the scriptures, especially when a cloak was thrown over the back of the colt, and Jesus mounted it.

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  • Zechariah 9:9 – “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is He, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey!”
  • Isaiah 62:11 – “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your salvation comes; behold, His reward is with Him, and His is recompense before Him.'”
  • Psalm 118:25b-25a – “Save us (Hosanna), we pray, O LORD!  O LORD, we pray, give us success!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!”

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They began cutting palm and other branches, waving them and laying them down with their cloaks, on the road before Jesus: a colorful, leafy green path to the Holy City.  (Jesus, with the steady hands of its creator, calmed the young colt in this chaos.)

The whispered verses from before were said aloud, then shouted with joy.  He IS the king!  THEY KNEW IT from when He fed the multitude in Galilee! And here He was entering the city to be crowned… to free Israel from oppression!  Hallelujah!  “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” Hosannah!  Hosanna in the Highest!”

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(Luke 19:39-40 tells of some Pharisees coming to Jesus as he approached the city and demanding that He stop the crowds from saying these things. Jesus answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”)

(Luke 19:41-44 also mentions Jesus weeping as He nears Jerusalem. He foresees the time when the Holy City is destroyed, it and its people… “because you did not know the time of your visitation.”)

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Vs. 11.

Inside the city, Jesus dismounted and sent the donkeys back to their owner.  The crowds watched or went their own way.  With kingly authority, He went to the temple, “and looked around at everything.”  

Jesus inspected the buildings and the grounds, missing nothing…. including the noisy moneychangers and merchants, the loud animals and birds, and their messes… in the Temple.

It was late, so He and the disciples went back to Bethany.  But He would be back the next day… and they had better watch out.

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/29) Mark 7:24-37

Jan29

A 5-day per week study.

January 29 – Reading Mark 7:24-37.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“And He entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet He could not be hidden.” Mark 7:24b

After the open confrontation with the Pharisees and scribes about the washing of hands, Jesus gave a simple explanation to the people and further details to His disciples in private about what actually defiled a person.

Then he left the city.  He even left Israel, walking far up the coast into what is today Lebanon.  Jesus probably wanted quiet time to rest and further prepare His disciples.  He did not plan any ministry there.

But our Lord always responds to faith.

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Vss. 24-30. (with verses from Matthew 15:22-25)

Jesus barely had time to take a breath when a Canaanite woman approached Him, crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.“

(NOTE: “Son of David” was a Messianic title, so she definitely had heard about Jesus.) 

Jesus did not answer or pay any attention to her, but she kept up her crying. 

The disciples asked Jesus to “Send her away!“

Finally, Jesus spoke, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

But she came and knelt at His feet. “Lord, help me.“

“Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs,” Jesus said, not unkindly.

“Yes, Lord,” she said. “Yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

This unusual conversation was Jesus testing the Gentile woman’s faith, seeing it grow with each statement she made. 

Yes, it was Jesus’ responsibility to offer God’s blessings of redemption and salvation to the Jews first.  Yes, the Gentiles would be offered salvation later as well. (Jesus commanded the disciples to go and preach to all the world after His Resurrection.)  

And Jesus did not use the word for “dogs” that the Jews used in a derisive way towards Gentiles. He used the word for children’s “pets” or “puppies.”

Jesus answered her persistence, “For this statement, you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.”

‘”O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” (Matthew)

She went home and found the child lying in bed, the demon gone!

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Vss. 31-37.

“Then He returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis.”

If you have a Bible Map, you will see that Jesus did have some time alone with his disciples, though it might have been while walking, hiking, or camping out.  Jesus first went from Tyre to Sidon (about 20 miles north).  From there, He went east through the low mountains and crossed the Jordan River.  Then he went south along the eastern shore of Galilee down to the area of Decapolis (Ten Cities). 

It was in this “Greek/Gentile” area that the demoniac (remember the man with a legion of demons Jesus cast into the pigs?) went and told everyone about how Jesus delivered and saved him.

And the people brought to Jesus a man who was both deaf and a mute, begging Him to lay His hands on him and heal him.

Jesus took the man aside privately (hoping to avoid crowds?).  Using His own kind of sign language to show the man what He was going to do, Jesus put His fingers into the man’s ears, and after wetting his fingers with spit, touched his tongue. 

Jesus said, “Be opened!” (in Aramaic) and instantly the man could hear and speak. 

Jesus told them NOT to tell anyone about the healing. (yeah, right!)  This also was Gentile territory, and He’d healed another Gentile. But Jesus’ intention was not to have a public ministry among them. 

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(NOTE: Chapter 8 says Jesus once again has a great crowd gathered around him. It’s here that He again multiplies bread and fish to feed 4,000.  This may have been while they were still in Decapolis, after the deaf-mute man was healed.)

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I am so thankful that Jesus lovingly healed these two Gentiles, since it showed that His heart was for “us” too.  Our time would come, and it did.  Praise God.

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/23) Mark 6:13-29

Jan23

A 5-day per week study.

January 23 – Reading Mark 6:13-29.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe.” Mark 6:29a

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The Gospel according to Mark 6:(12)-(30) – one extra verse on either end of today’s reading.

I stretched the regular amount of verses to show something that Mark often does.  He sandwiches something between two incidents or facts. (Jairus’s daughter/woman with issue of blood/ Jairus’s daughter, etc.)  If you follow these, it helps the flow of the “story” he is painting of Jesus and His men.

  • Verses 12/13 – “So they (the Twelve) went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.”
  • Verse 30 – “The apostles (sent ones) returned to Jesus and told Him all that they had done and taught.”

Let’s see what happened between them.

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Vss. 14-15.

When King Herod (ruler of Galilee), heard of all the healings and exorcisms that Jesus and His disciples were performing in the towns under his administration, he told his servants, “This is John the Baptist raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him!“  (Matthew 14:2)  And, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”  

John had rebuked Herod severely and openly for his unlawful marriage to Herodias.  Not only had Herod Antipas taken her from his brother Philip’s marriage (adultery) to marry her himself, but Herodias was also his niece (incest).  Herodias hated John for his accusations and schemed to have him killed. 

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Vss. 16-20.

Herod had finally arrested John and put him in prison, probably at Machaerus, his hilltop palace-fortress near the north end of the Dead Sea.  Weirdly, Herod liked to debate with John.  He also feared the prophet, knowing he was a righteous and holy man, so he kept him safe from Herodias’s evil machinations.

But she was more devious.

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Vss, 21-28.

A BIRTHDAY PARTY!! 

To celebrate another of his years, King Herod held a grand birthday banquet for his nobles, military commanders, and the leading men of Galilee.  Everyone ate and drank to their fill – especially Herod.  To impress his guests, he called for Herodias’ sexually enticing daughter to dance for them.  She came into the hall on silent slippers, bowed to the king, and began to dance.

The gauzy veils and skimpy, flowing skirts, her sinuous movements, and alluring eyes mesmerized the guests and the king.  The men shouted their approval, and when the dance was over, the king beckoned for her.  When she stood before him, and he said, “Ask me for anything you wish, and I will give it to you.  Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.”

The men shouted their approval once more and waited.  

Salome (her name) bowed and, with graceful steps, approached her mother at another table.  A few minutes later, she returned to the king with these instructions.

“I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

The banquet hall was dead silent. No one had expected that, including the king. His mouth dropped open, and his eyes were wide. He did not want to and was even afraid to kill the holy man.  He was sorry for his vow. But he looked around at the men, his guests, all eager to see if he would keep his oath, and he caved.

He ordered a servant to tell the executioner to behead John and bring back his head … on a platter. Then the party went on, even though everyone waited tensely to see what would happen.  Eventually, there was a ruckus at the door, and the big executioner walked into the banquet hall.  He carried a silver platter with the bloody and gruesome head of John resting on it, his long Nazarite hair hanging over one edge.  

He bowed and gave it to Salome. (Did she flinch, grimace, or scream?  Or did she already have her mother’s mindset?)  She brought the platter to her mother, and then to her unlawful stepfather, King Herod. (A vision for future nightmares!)

(Herodias reminds me of the wicked Queen Jezebel, who lusted for the head of the prophet, Elijah. after he killed all her prophets of Baal.)

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Vss. 29-30.

John’s disciples retrieved their teacher’s body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.

At the same time, the Twelve returned – joyful and exhilarated – and told Jesus all that they had done. They told Him about some who had repented at their message.  They told Him how they’d cast out many demons, and had anointed the sick with oil, and they were healed.  

I know Jesus was happy to hear them, but He said,  “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.”  So they got into a boat and sailed across the Sea to a quiet place by themselves.

Jesus knew they needed rest and privacy.  And he would also tell them of John.  He would explain how discipleship wasn’t all victories and miracles.  There was a cost to proclaiming the Good News.

It might even mean their lives.