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Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/30) Mark 8:1-21

Jan30

A 5-day per week study.

January 30 – Reading Mark 8:1-21.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“And He said to them, ‘Do you not yet understand?'”  Mark 8:21

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The Gospel according to Mark 8:1-21.

Jesus and the disciples are perhaps still in the Decapolis region on the southeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. (See your Bible map.) It’s a mostly Gentile area. It looks as if Jesus has been traveling around, and a crowd of people has been following Him. He’s probably done a lot of healing and hopefully some teaching as well.

It’s a seasonally dry area with barren soil and dried grass (not like the green grassland where Jesus fed the 5,000, see Mark 6:39).  And Jesus has compassion for this crowd. (Those who had come a long distance probably had food to begin with, but now it was all gone.)

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Vss. 1-10.

As in the other crowd-feeding, Jesus asked His disciples what food they had. They were discouraged to find but seven loaves (rolls) and a few small fish. 

(Now, WHY didn’t they remember the miracle Jesus had done not so long ago and EXPECT Him to do likewise?  Did they so easily forget that astonishing miracle??)

After Jesus gave thanks to His heavenly Father and distributed the food in an orderly manner, there were seven LARGE baskets of pieces left over.  These were not lunchbox-sized baskets as before, but BUSHEL baskets.  A whole lot more bread and fish than they began with. 

THEN Jesus sent away the crowd, their bellies now full and their strength renewed.  He and the disciples got into a boat and sailed straight across Galilee to the area of Dalmanutha (near Magadan or Magdala).

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Vss. 11-13.

They’d hardly stepped off the boat when some Pharisees came and began once again to argue with Jesus.  They wanted “a sign from heaven” to prove that He was the Messiah that He claimed to be.  Yes, Jesus had done tons of miracles (signs),  but they wanted something else, something supernatural from on high.  (An astronomical sign? God’s audible voice? What?)

Jesus knew they weren’t struggling to BELIEVE.  No, they were TESTING Him, to find a fault that they could run back to Jerusalem with.

Sighing deeply, Jesus said, “No sign will be given to this generation!”

With that, Jesus led the men back into the boat, and they went north to Bethsaida.

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Vss. 14-21.

On the long sail to Bethsaida, the disciples realized they had once again forgotten to bring the bread. (What IS the matter with them???)

With that on their minds, Jesus’ words confuse them. He said, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

Huh? 

Truly, the disciples had their minds on physical things, while Jesus was thinking of spiritual truths.

(This is so often my own case. I tend to ponder and worry over earthly problems, while Jesus wants me to “set my mind on things above.” Colossians 3:2)

The disciples were thinking about bread to eat. Jesus was thinking about leaven to avoid. 

So…. what WAS Jesus talking about?  He was thinking about the acid conversation He’d just had with the Pharisees. Their stubborn hearts questioned His mission and denied the good news of the Kingdom He was bringing.  They were like leaven spreading in a lump of dough. Not the good everyday bread, but that of Passover, symbolically His body, free from sin. 

Trying to elevate their thoughts, Jesus fired eight questions at them.

  1. Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread?
  2. Do you not yet perceive or understand?
  3. Are your hearts hardened?
  4. Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear?
  5. And do you not remember?
  6. When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?  Twelve.
  7. And the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?  Seven.
  8. Do you not yet understand?

Did they?  Do we?

The “leaven” of the Pharisees was their false teaching and their hypocritical behavior. The “leaven” of Herod was his immoral, corrupt conduct. 

How to beware of these?  Keep ourselves buried in God’s Word and the teaching of our Lord Jesus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/28) Mark 7:1-23

Jan28

A 5-day per week study.

January 28– Reading Mark 7:1-23.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”  Mark 7:15

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The Gospel according to Mark 7:1-23

Mark begins this section with “defilement” being digested and ends with “defilement” being regurgitated.  (Another nice “Mark” sandwich.)

The ever-watchful Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem begin to harass Jesus, accusing His disciples of not observing the “traditions of the elders.”

Remember, they were not concerned with keeping the Mosaic Law itself, but with the extreme extent to which the ancient rabbis (elders) had padded it and twisted it.

Anyone living through the COVID era has had hand washing drummed into them.  And it IS a good idea to wash your hands before you eat, especially when you’ve been shopping. It was even a better idea in those days when marketplaces openly displayed both live and butchered animals, with their accompanying flies.

But the “elders” had made a ceremonial ritual of the washing.

            Example: Someone had to pour water from a jar onto your hands, with your fingers pointing upward, so the water would run off your wrist. Then another jar would be poured over your hands with your fingers pointing downward.  After this, each hand would be rubbed with the fist of your other hand.   (Notice: no soap.) 

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Vss. 1-5

Jesus and His disciples were probably still in the town of Gennesaret, ministering to multitudes of sick people.  Perhaps they went to a street vendor in the marketplace and bought some falafel-pita sandwiches for lunch.  Maybe they wiped their hands on their robes or on an inside handkerchief. Maybe not. 

Soon they were chowing down on some yummy food.

Like unwanted flies, the religious leaders appear.

“Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders but eat with defiled hands?” the spokesman of the Pharisees and scribes demanded of Jesus.  (At least they were honest about their traditions vs The Law.)

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Vss. 6-16.

They were probably not ready for Jesus’ multi-part answer.

First, He quotes scripture to them.

“’THIS people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of MEN.’”  (Isaiah 29:13)

Then, Jesus nails some of the ways they do that.

  • MOSES SAID: “HONOR your father and mother,” and “Whoever reviles father and mother must surely die.”  (Exodus 20:12 and 21:17)
  • YOU SAY: “If a man tells his father or mother, ‘Whatever you could have gained from me is Corban (dedicated to God).” THEN, you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition. 
  • And you do MANY other things like this!
  • (NOTE: Jesus was not saying that your possessions or land property can’t be given to God as an offering.  He WAS saying that just slapping a “CORBAN” sign on these things while you are still using and enjoying them, because you are mad at your parents and don’t want to help them, is vile, unloving, selfish, and using God for your own purposes.)

Then Jesus tells the Pharisees and the people a parable.  “It is NOT what goes INTO a person that defiles him, but the things that come OUT of him that defiles him.”

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Vss. 17-23.

Later, in private, Jesus clarifies what He was saying to the religious leaders, who weren’t open to His words.

(Remember that Jesus speaks in parables to those He knows have already closed minds and hearts.)

“Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him since it enters not his heart but his stomach and is expelled?”  

  • (Thus, He declared all foods clean, says Mark, reminding his readers about what later happened to Peter in Joppa when God brought down the sheet of unclean animals and told Peter to “kill and eat.”)

Jesus continues,

“What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the HEART of man come:  evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.   All these evil things come out from within and DEFILE a person.” 

(In Matthew 15: 20, Jesus adds, “To eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”)

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See also:  Matthew 12:34b-35, Galatians 5:22-24, and James 3:17-18, for the “good treasure” that comes out of the hearts of those who belong to Jesus Christ.

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“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O LORD, my strength and my redeemer.”

Psalm 19:14

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/27) Mark 6:45-56

Jan27

A 5-day per week study.

January 27 – Reading Mark 6:45-56.

Read and believe in Jesus.

Immediately, He spoke to them, ‘Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.’ Mark 6:50b.

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The Gospel according to Mark 6:45-56

Jesus has just performed a colossal miracle. A crowd of up to 15K have been fed to their fill by a handful of bread and fish. What if He could do it again? What if He could/would do it always? No one would have to work in the fields or go fishing… wow!

According to John’s account (John 6:14-16), this is basically what the well-fed crowd was thinking. “Let’s make Jesus KING!!!” They weren’t at the point of saying it. They were still thinking of Him as the great prophet Moses spoke about. But Jesus could read their hearts. He sent away his disciples before they could be caught up in the fervor, then firmly dismissed the people. To keep any die-hards from mobbing Him, Jesus slipped away up the mountainside. (The Eastern side of Galilee is mountainous, with steep cliffs and a plateau. Perfect for quiet prayer.)

While the crowd dispersed, the disciples began to row across the unpredictable Sea of Galilee, and Jesus fell to His knees and prayed to His Father. (Praise, fellowship, petition, submission. The hours passed. Oh, to have been there!)

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Vss. 47-48.

Meanwhile, that cranky wind over the Galilean Sea was pushing against the disciples’ progress. The sail was of no use, so they got out the oars. The harder they rowed, the stronger it blew. It felt like they were laboring in the same spot for hours. Arm and back muscles began to sting and weaken.

They were tired, and – unbelievable as it seems – they had forgotten to bring those twelve baskets of bread pieces and fish. They were hungrier than before!! And now it was the “third watch,” somewhere between 3:00 and 6:00 in the morning.

Jesus saw their plight from the mountain. Not as a speck on the water, but as His own men, struggling, tired, and hungry. So Jesus went to them, walking on the top of the water. Imagine that! The seawater, always yielding to its Creator’s will, supported the weight of Jesus as He went to His disciples.

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Vss 49-52.

In the boat, the men saw what they thought was a ghost (phantom) approaching them. They screamed in fright. They frantically tried to row faster. What else would this endless night bring? But then they heard that familiar voice of their Master.

‘Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

They recognized His voice and His “I AM” authority. What relief when their Master climbed into the boat, and immediately the wind behaved itself, calming to a breeze, and the choppy water smoothed out.

John’s account (John 6:30-31) says that as soon as Jesus got into the boat, they were IMMEDIATELY at the other shore. What? Wow! What kindness the Lord showed to His bone-weary disciples.

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“Come unto Me, all ye who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:29-30

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Vss.53-56.

At Gennesaret (the north-western side of Galilee, south of Capernaum), they moored the boat. As soon as they got out, the people immediately recognized Jesus. They ran throughout the area and began bringing the sick people on their beds to Jesus.

As Jesus and the disciples walked through this town and others in the region, the people laid their sick before Him and begged Him that they might touch the fringe (tassels) of His (prayer) garment, as the woman with the issue of blood had done. And ALL who touched it were made well.

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(Of those who were healed, how many believed in Jesus as Messiah and Savior? Not many. Like the ten lepers who were healed and only one returned to thank Jesus, the people who were made well were excited and happy, but only a few, like the woman with the issue of blood and the demoniac in Decapolis, had faith to believe. After Jesus’ resurrection, only 500 people met Him in Galilee, of all in Israel who’d witnessed or experienced His miracles.

We should be praying for healing, yes, but MORE so for our hearts to be filled with faith and a desire to be with and serve Jesus.)

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: (1/21) Mark 5:35-43

Jan21

A 5-day per week study.

January 21 – Reading Mark 5:35-43.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Do not fear, only believe.” Mark 5:36b

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The Gospel according to Mark 5:35-43.

Synagogue ruler, Jairus, had come to Jesus for help. He was in desperate need.  His 12-year-old daughter was deathly ill, at death’s door. “Please come and lay hands on her that she may live,” he had begged Jesus.  And Jesus went with him.

But there was a delay.

Another amazing healing.

A woman released from a daily “death.”

And while Jairus waited, anxious and fearful… his daughter faded.

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Vs. 35.

While Jesus was still speaking (to the woman), there came from the ruler’s house someone who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”

Imagine the pain in his heart. The grief that almost caused him to collapse. The wistful questions, “If only I’d come sooner. If only that woman hadn’t interrupted.”

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Vs. 36.

Jesus overheard the message, although it was probably spoken in a low voice for Jairus’s ears only.  He looked right at Jairus and said, “Do not fear, only believe.”

Jairus had a choice at that moment.  He was to believe.  But whom?  The servant from his own house, or the Teacher-healer, Jesus?

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Vss 37-40a.

When Jesus and His inner three disciples (Peter, James, and John) began walking quickly towards Jairus’ house, the synagogue ruler followed, hope rising in his heart. 

But at his house, the mourners they’d hired (in case) had already begun their loud dirge, weeping and wailing, fists to the sky.  Perhaps Jairus’ hope plunged.  It was true. His little girl was dead. It was too late…

Then Jesus spoke, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping?  The child is not dead but sleeping.”  Jairus’s heart beat wildly. Sleeping?  Not dead? 

But the mourners laughed at Jesus. They were professionals. They had seen death many times. They knew the girl was dead. 

Jesus put them all outside.  Then, taking His three disciples and Jairus and his wife, He entered the room where their daughter lay.  Taking her by the hand He said to her, “Talitha cumi.” (Little girl, I say, arise.)  And immediately the girl got up and began walking!   Everyone (except Jesus) was overcome with amazement!

I can imagine her parents hugging her, running their hands through her hair and down her arms. Yes. YES! She was alive. O praise, God, she is alive!  Our daughter, who was dead, is now ALIVE!” Such joy and celebration. They wanted to tell the world.  

But Jesus strictly charged them not to let anyone know this.  Then, to keep her parents busy and also to help their daughter, He told them to get her something to eat.  (She’d probably gone days or more without food when she was sick.)  

Mark doesn’t tell us, but it’s likely that Jesus quickly dispersed the mourners. They were wrong. She is okay and eating a meal. 

Mark’s next chapter has Jesus leaving Capernaum and going to his hometown of Nazareth.  It seems the miracle of resurrection WAS kept a secret.  Or maybe that’s why Jesus and his disciples left Capernaum for a while. We’ll see what’s next tomorrow.

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( Ponderings:  It’s interesting that this little girl was twelve years old, and the woman with the discharge had suffered her affliction for twelve years. Her illness had begun the year the girl was born, and now it was near the time for the girl to begin her monthly issue.  In a society that honored boys and men, Jesus lovingly took time to touch and heal an “unclean” woman and the “unclean” body of a dead little girl. Another picture of why Jesus came … to ultimately heal our fatal sin problem and give us new spiritual life in Him.  Thank You, Jesus!)

 Now, if I were a historical fiction writer, I would write this story as a book and connect these two “women” in some way.

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/20) Mark 5:21-34

Jan20

A 5-day per week study.

January 20 – Reading Mark 5:21-34.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” Mark 5:34

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The Gospel according to Mark 5:21-34.

Jesus and His disciples had been on the Eastern side of the lake for a day, and now they were back in Capernaum.  It was as if Jesus had just “popped” over there to free the man possessed by demons.  Now he was back “at headquarters,” and again the crowds ‘thronged’ around him, all with desperate needs.

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Vss. 21-24

As soon as Jesus left the boat and began to walk among the crowd, one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, came and fell at His feet, pleading earnestly, 

“My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.”

Jesus went with Jairus towards his house. And the great crowd went along, also calling and pleading for help.

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Vss. 25-28.

In that crowd was a woman who was suffering from a condition that made her not only physically weak but ceremonially “unclean.”  She had “an issue of blood,” and that meant she could not enter a synagogue or the temple.  And if anyone touched her, THEY would become unclean too. All who knew of her condition shunned her… almost like a leper.

We might automatically think this was something to do with her monthly period, but it had persisted for twelve years. Perhaps it was a cancerous tumor that was causing the constant bleeding.

This poor woman had gone to doctor after doctor until her money was gone, but none helped her.  She was desperate. But then Jesus came to her town. She’d seen him with the sick, the paralyzed, the leper.  He was kind. He touched them. And He healed them all. An unfamiliar hope rose in her.  Perhaps, if she could but touch His garment…..

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Vss. 29-34.

Finally, the woman got near enough to Jesus to reach out and touch the “fringe” of His garment. This could have been one of the four tassels on the corners of the prayer garment that all Jewish men wore, including Jesus. It was a flimsy thing, a few blue and white strings.  But this “unclean” woman touched it, and immediately she felt in her body that she was healed. 

She was going to slip away quietly to rejoice and take the ceremonial mikvah (bath), so she would be “clean” again….

“Who touched me?” Jesus said, pausing and looking around, for He had “perceived that power had gone out of Him.”

“Master,” the disciples said in amusement, “You see the crowd pressing around You, and You ask, ‘Who touched me?'”

The crowd had stopped, too. They stood around Him as Jesus scanned the crowd. Did His eyes stop on the woman an instant before she came forward?  She came in fear, trembling, and fell at His feet.  She confessed the whole truth. (Did the crowd move back a step when she mentioned her bleeding?)  She also confessed to the healing she KNEW she’d received.

What would Jesus do?  What would He say?  She and the crowd waited in silence.

“Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

 WHOA!  Now she could rejoice openly.  And Jesus’ proclamation of healing had also freed her from condemnation and shunning by the people around her.  Oh, PRAISE GOD!  Her heart must have swelled in worship as she left.

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But what of Jairus and his desperately ill daughter?  He must have been waiting anxiously, fearful, while Jesus took time with the woman.

We’ll catch up with him tomorrow.

 

 

 

Reading the Gospels in 2026: (1/16) Mark 4:35-41

Jan16

A 5-day per week study.

January 16 – Reading Mark 4:35-41.

Read and believe in Jesus.

“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”  Mark 4:38b

The Gospel according to Mark 4:35-41.

Jesus and his disciples were in Capernaum. He had taught the crowd in a detailed agricultural parable about a Sower sowing seeds on different kinds of soil.  This left the people scratching their heads as to what Jesus meant, including the disciples.  But later, He explained to His disciples that the seeds were the Gospel message and the soils represented the hearts of people. 

Jesus said he would now speak only in parables to the crowds. They werem’t really interested in WHY He came, only in WHAT He could do for them. Their ears and eyes were blinded to the truth. They would get no more, while the disciples would receive MORE light.

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Vss. 35-38.

Now, Jesus wanted some quiet time away from the “maddening crowd.”  He got into the boat from which He’d been teaching earlier, and, with the disciples, started out to the other side of the lake.  Exhausted, Jesus went to the stern of the boat, lay down on some cushions, and was immediately asleep.

Then, as often happened on the Sea of Galilee, a storm came up suddenly.  The wind blew like mad, at almost hurricane strength, and soon the waves were pouring into the boat.  They couldn’t bail fast enough, and it was filling with water.

And Jesus slept on. 

In their need and exasperation, they turned to the sleeping Jesus. “Don’t you care that we are perishing?” they yelled over the noise of the wind. 

What a question!  In another sense, this was the very reason Jesus, the glorious Son of God, had become flesh and lived among them.  God cared so much for the world, which was perishing, that He sent Jesus to save them.  Yes, Jesus cared. He cared enough to die an agonizing death for them.

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Vss. 39-41.

At their desperate plea, Jesus woke up. And, perhaps while still sitting on the cushions, He rebuked the wind. (‘Hey, stop!’)  Then He said to the sea, “Peace! Be still.”  

Immediately, the wind ceased, and there was a great calm on the water. The elements of the storm recognized the voice of their Creator and obeyed!

Then Jesus turned to the disciples who had been freaking out at the storm (and who were now more terrified at what Jesus had just done), and said, “Why are you so afraid?  Have you still no faith?”

They had seen Jesus heal hundreds of sick people and even witnessed demons obeying His voice, but this…?  The wind!  The raging water!  Obeying His voice!!

And as Jesus (maybe) lay back down, they whispered to each other, “WHO then is THIS, that even the wind and sea obey Him?”  The disciples were beginning to see just WHO Jesus was. Not only the Messiah, but …. God.

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Lots of truth can be drawn from this short passage.  

It’s okay to REST when we are tired. 

Sometimes we feel driven to keep on “serving the Lord,” especially in busy, material ways, even to the harm of our health.  THAT is a form of “works” for approval, a temptation of the devil that we may not be worthy, and we need to work harder.

In His physical body, Jesus became exhausted. (Think of the constant “crush” of the needy crowds around Him until all hours, and the healing power going out of him. Think how stressful it was to teach the truth of the Kingdom, only to see people walk away.  Remember His early morning risings to pray to His Father, or even all-night prayers.)

God is a fan of rest.  Hey, He made a whole day for us to rest in, and at least 8 hours of darkness to sleep in every night.

“(My shepherd) … makes me to lie down in green pastures.  He restores my soul.” Psalm 23:2-3

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8

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The disciples were terrified and desperate in the storm. They were at their wits’ end. They could do no more to save themselves!

I’ve felt fear like that in other “storms” in my life, like when I got my cancer diagnosis.  THAT seemed overwhelming, as if I was sinking.  I may not have called out, but surely I said something like it in my heart.  “Don’t You care, Lord?”   And it was a while – an eternity, it seemed – before He sent calm and peace to my heart.  But it DID come, and it amazed me.  I felt ashamed of doubting Him.  

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word (gospel) of Christ.” Romans 10:17.

“Increase our faith!”  Luke 17:5.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.