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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: (2/6) Mark 10:1-16

Feb6

A 5-day per week study.

February 6– Reading Mark 10:1-16

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter in.”  Mark 10:15

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The Gospel according to Mark 10:1-16.

Vulnerable people: unwanted wives, little children.  Who will love and care for them? Are adult men the only ones suitable for the Kingdom?   Jesus teaches otherwise.

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Vss. 1-2.

Jesus and the disciples now move south into the region of Judea, then east across the Jordan River. This area is the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas (who murdered John the Baptist). Crowds flocked to Him as usual, and He taught them.

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Vss. 3-12.

Some Pharisees came from Jerusalem to “test” or “trap” Jesus. The posed the question, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”  

This is not a question THEY really wanted to know the answer to, for they had well made up their minds already.  There were two schools of thought among the famed rabbis about divorce.  1) Divorce was allowed for ANY reason. (The wife was a bad cook, or the man found another, more desirable woman, etc.)   Or, 2) Divorce was allowed ONLY in the case of her adultery.   The Pharisees thought Jesus would side with one group, angering the other.

Jesus would NOT be trapped by any of their trick questions.  He asked one in return. ‘What did Moses command you?”  Jesus did not abide by rabbinical interpretations, but by the Scripture alone.

They piously answered, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.”  (See Deuteronomy 24:1-4).

Jesus agreed and told them why.  “Because of your HARDNESS OF HEART, he wrote you this commandment.”  (Because otherwise, men who were dissatisfied with their wives could simply (and cruelly) send them away with no home or financial protection. That “certificate” served as her formal release from the marriage, and allowed her to remarry, assuming she was not guilty of immorality.)

Jesus then quotes Genesis 1:27 and 2:24.  “But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.”  and  “Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two but one flesh.” 

Regarding His stand on divorce as the Creator, Jesus says, “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Jesus had not answered the Pharisee’s trick question.  He had sided with neither of the extolled rabbis.  He, as the Son of God, spoke with divine authority.  The Jewish leaders had nothing to say in return. (Foiled again!)

But later, in the privacy of the house where they were staying, Jesus answered the disciples’ question.  He told them that whoever divorces his wife (or her husband) and marries another person commits adultery. (Because in God’s sight, they are still one with the first spouse.)

In the times when women were often considered merely as “chatel”, this was God’s hand of Fatherly care and protection on those who were also created in His image.  Praise God!

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Vss 13-16.

Later, when Jesus was again outside, teaching and healing, parents brought their little children (Luke calls them “infants”, 18:15) to Him so He could lay His hand on them and bless them. (A practice parents often did with prominent rabbis.)  The self-important disciples rebuked these parents and tried to send them away. (THIS, after Jesus had just recently told them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me…” See Mark 9:37.)

Jesus was indignant with their actions.  He told them, “LET the children come to me, do NOT hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.  Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child, shall not inherit it.”

Then Jesus tenderly took them into His arms and blessed them.  (What a glorious sight for these parents, and us!)

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(When we feel insignificant in God’s kingdom, perhaps useless, impotent, and helpless, these words of Jesus should encourage us.  God cares for each one of us! )

 

 

 

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: (1/22) Mark 6:1-12.

Jan22

 A five-day-per-week study

January 22 – Reading Mark 6:1-12

Read and believe in Jesus. 

“And Jesus marveled because of their unbelief.” Mark 6:6

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The Gospel according to Mark 6:1-12.

After raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead, to keep the crowds from growing even larger and pressing Him so He couldn’t teach or minister, Jesus took His disciples 50 miles SW to His hometown of Nazareth. It was small and of little importance, and most of the crowds would not follow Him there.

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Vss. 1-6.

On the Sabbath, they went into the local synagogue, and Jesus began to teach. Many who heard Him were “astonished.”

In the synagogue in Capernaum, the people who heard Jesus were also “astonished” at his teaching.  To them, “he taught as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.”  (See Mark 1:22)

Not so in Jesus’ hometown.  Notice the questions that came from the people of Nazareth after their astonishment at His teaching….

  • Where did this man get these things?
  • What is the wisdom given to Him?
  • How are such mighty works done by His hands?
  • Is not this the carpenter?
  • The son of Mary? *
  • The brother to James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? **
  • The brother to his sisters?
  • “And they took offense at Him.”

Unbelief, pure and simple.  

And Jesus acknowledged it.  He told them, “A prophet is not without honor … except in his hometown, and among his relatives, and in his own household.”

Jesus could do no miracles there except that He laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.

How sad. This town missed out on the huge blessings of Kingdom teaching and miracles … just because they would not accept Jesus for His claims (and Mary’s) 

So, Jesus went about among other villages teaching.

 

*Note: Calling Jesus the ‘son of Mary’ was degrading. Usually, a man was named after his father. (Simon, son of Jonah, James & John, the sons of Zebedee). With this title, they were saying they knew Jesus was conceived by a woman who was not married.)

**Note: Of Jesus’ brothers, James and Judas (Jude) did finally believe in Him and were saved.  James became the leader of the Jerusalem church and wrote the book of James. Judas also wrote the book of Jude and ministered in Galilee.  But now?  Now these brothers teased Him about his “visions of grandeur.”

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Vss. 7-12.

Away from Nazareth with its unbelief and Capernaum with its massive crowds, Jesus began another teaching exercise for the ‘Twelve.” He would send them out in pairs into the towns and villages in the area. And He gave them authority over unclean spirits. (Jesus had all authority, to give to whom He would).

There were requirements for their experience that would prepare them for later missionary work, when they would take the Gospel throughout the known world.

  • They were to take nothing except a staff – used for walking and protection against criminals and wild animals.
  • They were to take no food, no normal traveling sack, and no money. (This would be a faith-builder.)
  • They were to wear sandals, but only one tunic, so they could identify with the common people. (Those with comparative wealth would wear two tunics.)
  • They were to remain in the first house they approached that welcomed them for the duration of their stay. (Even if the neighbor had better accommodations or yummier food!)
  • If any home or town would not receive them, they were to “shake off the dust from their feet” as they left. This would show that the people had rejected Jesus and the gospel, and that they were rejected by the Lord.

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It’s interesting that Jesus chose the pairs of men to send out to different communities.

Don’t you wonder who made up those six teams?   Did the two sets of brothers go together, or did Jesus choose a fisherman with a scholar?  Did He send the tax collector out with the Roman-hating Zealot?  Who was sent with Judas Iscariot?

Jesus knew their hearts.  They each would be learning from the other and adjusting to circumstances every day.

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And so these men went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 

Did Jesus do the same, or did He go to a quiet place and spend days fasting and praying to His father for them, and for His own gruesome mission?

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/19) Mark 5:1-20

Jan19

A 5-day per week study.

January 19 – Reading Mark 5:1-20.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you.” Mark 5:19b

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The Gospel according to Mark 5:1-20

First, Jesus was “mobbed” by the crowds seeking healing. Then He taught the parable of the soils, and it seems the crowd disappeared. Next, Jesus spoke to His own followers, explaining the parables and why He would use them to teach.  And when He decided to go to the quiet of the other side of the lake, the disciples saw the creative power and majesty of Jesus as He calmed the fierce wind and sea with His word. 

“Who then is this, that even the wind and sea obey Him?” they asked each other.

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Vss. 1-6.

Arriving at the Eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, in the country of the Gerasenes, when Jesus had barely stepped off the boat, immediately a “crazy” man ran towards Him.  (It seems the disciples remained in the boat, taking it all in.)

First, a raging sea and now a raging man, for indeed the man was tormented and out of his mind. He was filled with so many demons you couldn’t even count them!

Facts:

  • He lived among the tombs.
  • No one could bind him, not even with chains.
  • He broke off shackles and chains like they were threads.
  • No one had the strength to subdue him.
  • Day and night, among the tombs and on the mountains, he was always screaming and cutting himself.

And yet he ran towards Jesus and fell down before Him. (Only in Jesus is there hope for this man.)

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Vss 7-13.

The voices of the many demons spoke through the man’s lips, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?”

Jesus: “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit.”

Demons (through the man’s mouth):  “I beg you by God, do not torment me!”

Jesus: “What is your name?”

Demons: “‘Legion,’ for we are many.”  (NOTE: A Roman legion is made up of 6,000 infantrymen.)  “We beg You, don’t send us out of the country. Send us… into those pigs!”

Jesus: “GO!”

All the demons were instantly transported into the large herd of pigs on the hillside.  The whole herd went instantly mad and plunged down the hill and over the cliff into the sea, where they all drowned.

(NOTE: Don’t, like me, question the sovereignty of the Son of God in this matter.  If nothing else, that huge herd of swine going mad was a picture to the man of what he had been ‘saved’ from.)

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Vss. 14-17.

The swineherds, the men, ran away. They told what happened in the city and all over the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened. 

What did they see?  (Not pigs, that’s for sure.)

They saw the formerly tormented man sitting there, clothed and in his right mind.  And the people were TERRIFIED! (NOT relieved. NOT happy. NOT praising God.)  No, they begged Jesus, “Go away, Jesus!  Leave our region!”

And Jesus complied. 

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Vss. 14-20.

As He was stepping back into the boat, the man came to Him and begged to go with them. But at this time, Jesus was discipling only Jewish men.  (Later Gentiles would join His sheep, but not now.) 

Instead, Jesus commissioned the man to be a “missionary” in his own hometown and to his family and former friends.  “Go, tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.”

And the freed man obeyed.  “He went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis (Ten Greek-influenced Cities east of the Jordan River) how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone who heard him marveled.

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(Jesus knew when He got into the boat with His disciples at Capernaum, that this tormented man would be awaiting them. Perhaps that’s why that fierce storm came, and the disciples called out, “Don’t you care if we perish?”  YES, Jesus cared.  And He cared about this demon-possessed man who was also “pershing”. 

Perhaps the disciples needed to see Jesus’ command of the wind and sea so they wouldn’t completely ‘lose it’ when they saw the man screaming and running towards their boat.  Jesus’ control and calm words over a ‘legion of demons’ were the same as they’d witnessed during the storm. 

Who is this, then?  Truly, the Son of God.

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/13) Mark 3:20-35

Jan13

A 5-day per week study.

January 13 – Reading Mark 3:20-35.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”  Mark 3:35

 

The Gospel According to Mark 3:20-35. 

Two groups responded to what Jesus was doing in Galilee: His family and some scribes (Pharisees) who came from Jerusalem.  Seeing Jesus “spending Himself” on the needs of the crowds, one group said He was crazy; the other said He was demon-possessed.  Let’s look at the first group first.

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Vss. 20, 31-35. Family.

After Jesus went up to a secluded spot on the mountain and chose His twelve special disciples to train for ministry, He went “home.”  This meant that He went back to Capernaum to Peter’s house, where He was staying. (See Mark 2:1)  

As soon as he got there, the crowds began gathering and maybe even accosting Him again, pressing in and seeking healing from their many health issues, and deliverance from foul spirits.   Before Jesus went up into the mountain, Mark says the crowd was about to “crush” Him. They pressed Jesus so much to heal them that He didn’t even have time to eat.

We might wonder why Jesus didn’t tell them to “back up” or “get in line,” or even “come back at two o’clock, after I have lunch.”  But Jesus didn’t.  He continued to meet the crowd’s needs, hour after hour.  In Mark 6:34, it says Jesus had compassion on the crowd because they were like sheep without a shepherd.  (The religious leaders of the day certainly were not “shepherding” them.)

Somehow, Jesus’ family (mom, sisters, and brothers) heard how hard and long He had been ministering to the crowds, some from as far away as Lebanon and the other side of the Jordan River. His family couldn’t understand this and came to “rescue” Jesus by force if needed.  They thought he was “out of His mind.”

  • (Note: Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:13-14a, “if we are ‘beside ourselves,’ it is for God, if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ constrains/controls us … that those who live, might no longer live for themselves but for Him, who for their sake died and was raised.”  
  • This was Paul’s dedication to others. And Jesus’s.  Self-sacrificing LOVE.

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Vss. 31-35.

Jesus was finally inside Peter’s house.  There were still crowds around the house and even inside.  (Remember when the four men had to let down their paralysed friend through the roof?)  

A message from his family, who were outside, came to Jesus.  They wanted Him to come out.  They probably wanted him to go with them, to get some “peace and quiet,” a meal perhaps, to rest, and “catch His breath.” 

Jesus said, “Who are my mother and my brothers?  HERE are my mother and brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.“

Do you think Mary was “hurt” to hear this, or was this another truth that she “pondered in her heart”?  Did it anger His half-siblings?  They teased Jesus about His ministry until after His death and resurrection, when at least two of them became believers (James and Jude). 

The verses don’t say, but it’s probably true that Jesus’ earthly family eventually went away, not understanding.  One day, they would.

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Vss. 22-30.  The scribes/Pharisees.

More religious leaders came from Jerusalem to check out Jesus. (Perhaps the local leaders sent for them after Jesus healed and cast out a demon on the Sabbath Day.)  These scribes, sometimes called lawyers, were mostly Pharisees, although a few were Sadducees. 

These ultra-religious men observed Jesus casting out unclean spirits. Did they envy this power? They knew that only a prophet sent from God could have such authority.  And yet they said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul (Satan), and by the Prince of the demons, He casts out the demons.”  

Did they think about what they were saying?  WHY would Satan cast out his own demons???

Jesus caught that too and said, “How can Satan cast out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided … he can’t stand and is coming to an end.”

Then Jesus – in a parable of sorts – tells them that HE is the only one who has power over Satan and his minions.  “No one can enter a strong man’s house (Satan’s domain) and plunder his goods (cast out demons), unless he (Jesus Himself) first binds the strong men.  Then he can plunder as he wishes.”

Then Jesus turns to these scribes, who knew the Law and the Prophets in detail, and proclaimed a very chilling statement.  (Which has sent terror into the hearts of people even today.)

“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, BUT whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit NEVER HAS FORGIVENESS, but is guilty of AN ETERNAL SIN.”

Why is this so?

Because, in deliberately slandering the person and ministry of the Holy Spirit who points to the lordship and the redemption of Jesus Christ, they completely forfeit any possibility of present or future forgiveness of sins.  There is NO OTHER WAY.

Serious stuff.

 

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/12) Mark 3:13-19

Jan12

A 5-day per week study.

January 12 – Reading Mark 3:13-19.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“And He appointed twelve (whom He also named ‘apostles’) so that they might be with Him and He might send them out to preach.” Mark 3:13-19

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The Gospel according to Mark 3:13-19.

We left Jesus last time with an ever-growing crowd of needy people following and then almost crushing Him in order to get near and be healed.  He healed the sick of all diseases and cast out the demons who possessed others, silencing them as they left. 

The fishermen disciples had prepared a boat for Jesus, and at the end of the day, he got into it along with them and went to a deserted place. 

 

Vss. 13-15,

From there, Jesus went up on the mountain and called to Him the men whom He had chosen to be the special “Twelve.”  By His sovereign will, Jesus CHOSE these twelve men from among the many who followed Him.  He called them “Apostles” so they might 1) be with Him, and 2) He might send them out to preach and to have authority to cast out demons.

(A ‘disciple’ is a student being taught by another.  An ‘apostle’ is a qualified representative who is sent on a mission.)

These (with the replacement for Judas) are the foundation of His church. (See Ephesians 2:19-21.)

 

Vss. 16-19.

Here are those Jesus called and chose:

  1. Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter),
  2. James, the son of Zebedee,
  3. John, the brother of James (to whom He gave the name “Sons of Thunder”).
  4. Andrew,
  5. Philip,
  6. Bartholomew (or Nathaniel),
  7. Matthew (or Levi), the tax collector,
  8. Thomas,
  9. James, the son of Alphaeus,
  10. Thaddaeus (or Judas, the son of James),
  11. Simon, the Zealot,
  12. Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him. (Iscariot = Ish Kerioth, “a man of Kerioth,” a town south of Hebron. (He was the only disciple from Judea and not Galilee.)

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Believers today are also called and chosen of God. (See John 15:16, and Romans 8:28-30.)

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/8) Mark 2:18-28

Jan8

A 5-day per week study.

January 8 – Reading Mark 2:18-28.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”  Mark 2:27

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The Gospel according to Mark 2:18-28.

In today’s reading, we see the Pharisees becoming more vocal in their displeasure with Jesus.

When the paralytic man was forgiven and healed, they criticized Jesus “in their hearts.”  When Jesus had dinner with a tax collector and other “sinners,” the Pharisees spoke their criticism aloud, but only to each other. 

Now, they openly confront Jesus with a question that is actually an accusation.  They will get an answer, alright, and it will be outrageous.  But first…

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Vs. 18.

John the Baptist still had some followers as he preached and baptized people for the forgiveness of their sins. These were super loyal to him, especially now that he was in prison.  They would have supplied him with food and carried messages, including the haunting question they later took to Jesus from John and Jesus’ answer. They also told Jesus the news of John’s death. 

These disciples of John adhered to the strict Pharisaic practice of fasting twice a week.  The Pharisees used this unnecessary practice to “promote their holiness” in the eyes of the people.  God only required His people to fast on ONE DAY per year, the Day of Atonement in late autumn. (See Leviticus 16:29, 31).  (Sometimes, in a time of national crisis, a special fast might also be called.)

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Vss. 19-20.

This concerned the people who daily crowded around Jesus. Eventually, they asked Him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast… but YOUR disciples do not fast?”

Jesus’s answer might have confused them at first, but they would have understood what He meant after thinking about it.  “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?  As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and THEN they will fast … in that day.”

Um…. was there a wedding somewhere? 

Was Jesus getting married? 

Who would be taking “this bridegroom” away?   

Then, the people saw the analogy.  A wedding was a time of celebration. No one fasted, but rejoiced and ate and drank.  Jesus wasn’t getting married, but His time among them with His teaching and healing miracles WAS a time for rejoicing … LIKE a wedding. And after He was gone, yes, THAT would be a sad time. Fasting would be suitable. 

(Of course, no one – even the disciples – realized that Jesus was talking about His death on the cross.) 

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Vss. 21-22.

Jesus continues with some illustrations about the “new life” He was bringing to them, and how the “old traditions of the Pharisees” just wouldn’t mesh with it.  The people were certainly acquainted with the examples he gave.

  1. “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth onto an old garment. If he does, the patch will pull away from it (when washed), and a worse tear is made.”
  2. “No one puts new wine into old (stiff) wineskins. If he does, the wine (as it ferments) will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are destroyed.  New wine is for new wineskins.” (New life is for changed hearts.)

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Vss. 23-24.

We know what “the Sabbath” is. (Sabbath actually just means “seventh.”)  After God’s six days of Creation, He “rested” on the seventh day.  He declared the day “holy,” which just means “set apart for Him.” 

God gave this GIFT to his people, Israel.  No longer would they be required to labor nonstop for seven days per week, month after month, year after year, as they had in Egypt.

They would now have a legally mandated day of rest.  Even the women would not be required to cook meals that day.  Rest, glorious rest.  God wanted them to also think of Him, as their Creator and Savior, and have a heart of gratitude.

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Centuries later, the rabbis of Judaism, to protect the commandment to “NOT WORK” on the Sabbath, created 39 detailed restrictions on what constituted “work” on the Sabbath. 

  • You couldn’t spit on the ground, for it might make a groove in the dust, and that would be “plowing,” or it might make a little mud, and that would be “mixing mortar,” which would be “building.” 
  • You could have nothing in your pockets or wear a piece of jewelry, for that would be “carrying a burden.”  
  • Untying a knot was prohibited because it couldn’t be done with one hand.
  • You couldn’t cut your nails or trim your beard. It would be considered “shearing.”
  • AND, you couldn’t pluck grain, rub it in your hands to remove the chaff, and then blow the chaff from your hand.  THAT would be “reaping,” “threshing,” and “winnowing.”

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Vss 25-28.

Well, one Sabbath, Jesus and his disciples were walking by a grainfield.  As they walked, the disciples began to pluck heads of grain to eat.  (God’s law allowed this. See Deuteronomy 23:25).  The “extra” rules of the Pharisees did NOT allow this.

“Look!  Why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath??” they demanded, no doubt pointing fingers.

Jesus, like a ‘mama bear,’ turned to protect his disciples.  He was harsh.  “Hey, you, Teachers of the Law, haven’t YOU read the Scriptures?   David, when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him entered the house of God (the Tent of Meeting) and ate the bread of the Presence (Showbread), which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to his men.

Life or bread. Which is more important?  “The Sabbath was made FOR men, not man for the Sabbath.”

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 Jesus would later emphasize this whenever He healed someone on the Sabbath.  If they could rescue a sheep in a pit on the Sabbath, why couldn’t He “rescue” one made in the image of God who had been suffering long with a disease or demon possession?   “The Sabbath was made FOR men, (for their health and welfare).  It was a kindness from their God.  Having food, helping others – this was good.

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After this incident, the Pharisees and religious leaders kept an eagle eye on Jesus, and pounced on Him for every good deed He did on the Sabbath.  It was part of the case against Him that would later lead to their demand for His crucifixion. 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/7) Mark 2:13-17

Jan7

A 5-day per week study.

January 7 – Reading Mark 2:13-17.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“I came not to call the righteous, but sinners”  Mark 2:17b

 

The Gospel According to Mark 2:13-17

Vss. 13-14.

Jesus is again beside the Sea of Galilee (it was near Peter’s home).  The crowd was coming to him, and He was teaching them. (Standing by the water and speaking up the sloping land made for great acoustics. Many people were able to hear Jesus’ voice clearly.) 

Then, Jesus continued along a certain path, but this time He wasn’t looking at the boats.  He knew where He was going and who He would find there. And as he’d specifically called the two sets of fishing brothers to Himself, Jesus now spoke to a Tax Collector sitting at his tax booth.  

“Follow me,” Jesus said, looking into the man’s eyes.  (I almost expected Him to say, “…and I will make you a ‘Collector of Men’,” but of course He didn’t say that.)  The tax collector, Levi, got up, left his coveted Roman franchise booth, where he’d become a rich man at the expense of his fellow Jews, and followed Jesus.  

Don’t you wonder what Peter, Andrew, James, and John were thinking?  Levi had probably extorted money from their family’s fishing businesses many times. And Jesus was calling… him?  How did the richly ornate robe of the Publican blend with the simple attire of local fishermen?  

(I’m so glad that Jesus calls all types of people to follow Him.)

Like with the fishermen, I believe Levi had heard Jesus speak before as He made his way along the shore of Galilee.  Perhaps he’d witnessed miraculous healings too, as he watched from inside his booth.  Whatever he’d seen and heard, Levi’s heart was now toward Jesus.  The instant the Master called, Levi was out of the booth – leaving the quills, ledgers, and piles of coins behind – and walking with Jesus.

(By the way, this man’s other name was Matthew.  And this careful calculator wrote the wonderful Gospel by his name, specifically to the Jews about their Messiah.)

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Vss. 15-17.

Peter had invited Jesus to headquarter in his home. Now, Levi asked Jesus (and disciples) to a feast at his house. He also invited a bunch of other tax collectors (and “sinners”) that he knew. 

(Another tax collector – Zacchaeus – did the same thing in Luke 19.  This is SO like what happens to a person who has truly been converted. They want to share “the good news” with others. They want friends and family to know Jesus, too.)

Jesus, of course, accepted the invitation. He is comfortable with anyone who truly seeks Him.  Did other “sinners” there believe in Him and follow His way too?  

Outside, the Scribes (probably the same ones who’d observed the paralytic man being healed) had sour faces.  “Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  (THEY would never do that!)

Jesus heard what they said as He left Levi’s house.  He looked these self-righteous men in the eyes and said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick do. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” 

Did they understand what Jesus meant?  What DID Jesus mean? 

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Did He truly see these Jewish rulers as “righteous,” not needing forgiveness and salvation?  Absolutely not.  Psalm 14:2-3 says, “None is righteous (good), no, not one.”  Jesus was speaking about the “self-righteous” who “think” they don’t need a savior.

Later, in Luke 18, we will see that Jesus tells a parable about a Pharisee and a Tax Collector. Was He thinking of Levi and these men?   He told this story “to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt.”

In the story, the Pharisee stood and bragged of all his good works and accomplishments, and how he had never done such sinful things as the extortioners, adulterers, the unjust, or even… the tax collector…

The Tax Collector, on the other hand, could say nothing but, “God, be merciful to me a sinner.”  (Were those Levi’s words that Jesus quoted?)   Jesus told his audience that the Tax Collector went to his house JUSTIFIED, while the braggadocio Pharisee did not.

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Here, in Capernaum, the Jewish leaders were just beginning to spar with Jesus.  It would get worse. Would any of them recognize their lack of true righteousness before it was too late?

 

 

 

 

Journaling through the Bible Chronologically in 2025, Day 360

Dec26

Day 360 – Reading – 1 John  1 – 5
Read and believe in Jesus!

1 John

(An aside: I just noticed that this is Day 360. 360 degrees is a perfect circle. That’s interesting because John writes this letter/sermon in a very circular manner, returning to and repeating things he’s already said, but in different ways. See if you notice it as you read.)

The author is John, the “beloved disciple” of Jesus.  He’s already written the Gospel of John.  He will write this letter/sermon, two more very short letters, and the massive book, The Revelation.   The Gospel and these letters were probably written while he was at Ephesus.  The Revelation was written while he was in exile on the island of Patmos.  John was an old man when he became an author. He was the last remaining “eyewitness” disciple of Jesus.

After the threat of “legalism” in Paul’s day, it is “Gnosticism” that now threatens to destroy the churches. It’s the belief that matter is evil and spirit is good. This means they taught that Jesus was God but not human (to preserve Him from that evil).  However, if Jesus were not human, He couldn’t have died as the redeemer of humanity. John emphasized that Jesus WAS human.  John was an eyewitness. He saw Him, heard Him, and TOUCHED Him. A test of a true believer was someone who would affirm that “Jesus has come in the flesh.” (1 John 4:2-3)

Also, since “the body” was evil, it didn’t matter what sins it committed. Indulgence and immorality were permissible. They could deny that sin even existed.  John boldly confronted this idea. (1 John 1:8-9. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us…..But if we confess our sin… )

1 John is a call “back to the basics of Christianity.”  God had preserved John for such a time as this, and he wrote with true apostolic authority. 

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1 John 1.

Credentials:   “That which was from the beginning (Jesus), which we have HEARD, which we have SEEN WITH OUR EYES, which we looked upon and have TOUCHED WITH OUR HANDS….” The word of life — that which we have seen and heard, we PROCLAIM to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us.“

And what did John (and true believers) PROCLAIM?  

  • “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.
  • If we SAY we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie…
  • If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all SIN.
  • If we SAY we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
  • If we CONFESS our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us… and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 
  • If we say we have NOT sinned, we make Him a liar, and the truth is not in us.”

John’s first “chapter” refutes Gnostic beliefs.

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1 John 2.

John speaks more about sin.  It’s a real thing. It is against God’s laws.  His readers (and we) DO IT. And it’s wrong.

“Little children, I’m writing these things to you so that you may NOT sin. But IF anyone does sin, we have an ADVOCATE with the Father: Jesus Christ the Righteous.  He is the PROPITIATION (appeasement) for our sins.”

John offers some proofs that they really “know” Christ (and are saved).

  • “If we keep His commandments, we know “we know” Him.
  • Whoever says he knows Him, but does NOT keep His commandments, is a liar.
  • Whoever KEEPS His Word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.
  • Whoever SAYS he abides in Him ought to WALK in the same way in which He walked.”

John does a little wordplay with “old” and “new” commandments from Jesus.

  • The “old” commandment is still the same:  LOVE.
  • Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
  • Love “others’ as (you love) yourself.

Jesus raised the standard of love for others to a new level for His followers.

  • Love “others” as “I have loved you.”  (Sacrificially, to the death if need be.)

Again, SAYING and DOING make all the difference.

  • “Whoever SAYS he is in the light (saved) and yet hates his brother, is still in darkness (unsaved).
  • Whoever loves his brother, abides in the LIGHT, and there is no cause for stumbling.”
  • But… whoever HATES his brother is in the darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.  (Speaking about false teaching.)

And more on what NOT to LOVE.

  • “DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD, or the things of the world. 
  • If you do, the love of the Father is not in you.”
  • Everything in the world (lust, greed, and pride) is NOT from the Father and is passing away.
  • Whoever does the will of God abides forever.

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Next, John warns them about the false teachers, liars, antichrists, and deceivers.

Many antichrists have come already!  They are already here, in the form of those who would lead them astray.

“Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?

If you confess the Son, you have the Father too, and eternal life.  You also have the anointing of the Holy Spirit, who teaches you what is true.  Abide in Jesus, so when He appears, you may have confidence.

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1 John 3.

“What love the Father has for us – that He calls us His children.  We are His children now, and when Jesus appears. we shall be like Him, because we shall SEE Him as he is.  WE have this HOPE, and it makes us want to live pure lives, as He is pure.

In Him, there is no sin. No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either SEEN Him or KNOWN Him.   Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil!  And the reason the Son of God appeared was TO DESTROY the works of the devil. NO ONE BORN OF GOD practices sinning.

Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God….. nor is anyone who does not love his brother. (Anyone who hates his brother – like Cain – is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal LIFE dwelling in him.)

Instead of killing, we should be “laying down our own lives” for the brothers.  And we should be loving, not in “talk” only, but in DEEDS and truth.

This is His commandment, that we BELIEVE in the Name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Faith, love, and obedience.

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1 John 4.

Warning: Do NOT believe EVERY spirit, but TEST the spirits to see whether they are from God.  By THIS you will know the Spirit of God – that he confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.  By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

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“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

(Yes, I sang the song as I typed that!)

“And this is how the love of God is made manifest (evident) to us, that God sent His only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. He loved us and sent His son to be the propitiation (appeasement) for our sins.”

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1 John 5.

  • “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God.
  • Everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of Him.
  • By this, we KNOW that we love the children of God, when we LOVE God and OBEY His commands.
  • Everyone who has been born of God overcomes the World.
  • He who overcomes the world is the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 

John says three things testify that Jesus is the Son of God.  It’s the SPIRIT and the WATER and the BLOOD. The witness of God via the Spirit at Jesus’ baptism, and His blood shed on the cross for the redemption of sinners. 

HE IS GOD. HE DID COME IN THE FLESH. IN THE FLESH HE DIED AS THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TOOK AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD. HE AROSE, ASCENDED, AND NOW INTERCEEDS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE TRUSTED IN HIM BY FAITH.

  • We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning.
  • We know that we are from God, and the world lies in the power of the evil one.
  • We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding to know Him who is true.

Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.