What does it mean to live a life of integrity and internal coherence? How do you stand up for truth and justice, especially when it is costly? Even more than that, how do you stand in allegiance to Jesus when it is costly? In this passage, we see that both Jesus and Peter are on trial. Their different responses teach us valuable lessons about where we find the resources to become the people we know we should be.
What do you do when there’s a conflict between something you really want and something God commands you to do? Or, if you’re not a Christian, but you’re investigating it, what do you do when you’re exploring the claims of Christ and you encounter something that challenges the way you want to live or something you believe? This passage has a lot to show us about that, because that is exactly what Jesus wrestles with in this agony in the garden.
In the weeks leading up to Easter, we're looking at the events leading up to Jesus' death from the gospel of Mark. Each week we're seeing how each one of these events shows us something about how Jesus is not just our example, he's our substitute. This week we look at the institution of the Lord's Supper. It's easy to think of this as a mere ritual, a sentimental ceremony that Jesus gives us to remember him by, but with little deeper significance or impact on our lives. In reality, Jesus is giving us a profound and life-changing understanding of his death, and a practice that has lasting power to change us if we take it deeper into our lives.
The "cleansing of the temple" is one of the most famous episodes in the life of Jesus. Popularly, it gives us an image of Jesus the "radical." Indeed, he's being very radical here. But not in the way we might initially think. Especially when viewed side by side with the story of the fig tree, this passage shows us something incredibly important about the deepest needs of our heart, and how Jesus moves powerfully and sacrificially to provide that need.
If you ask people the question, "Why did Jesus die?" you'll get many different answers. Especially in our culture, it's common for people to think of Jesus' death on the cross as an example of sacrificial love. But to see it as a substitutionary sacrifice for sin on our behalf is increasingly rejected. But what did Jesus himself think about his death? Is it possible to find out? In this passage, and for the rest of the gospel of Mark, we will take a look at what Jesus said and taught about his death, and see how he was not just our example, but our substitute.
When we think about poverty, it's easy to think only in material/economic terms. Very rarely, if ever, do we think there might be other forms of "poverty." In this passage, Jesus challenges us all to ask the question: "What is your greatest treasure?" But even more than that, he challenges us to consider that our pursuit of that treasure actually makes us poorer as a result. This week, we welcome guest preacher Dr. Vince Bantu to help us see all that Jesus has to show us here.
As the gospel of Mark moves along, things become progressively darker. At this point, Jesus begins his journey to Jerusalem, and, hence, to suffering, crucifixion and death. Things are getting dark. But right in the middle of the darkness comes the Transfiguration. The Transfiguration is one of the most famous, and mysterious, events in the life of Jesus. And when we understand what it's really showing us, it becomes one of the most precious and powerful resources we have for facing the darkness of our own lives and the darkness of the world.
Experiencing the delay of our most deeply cherished dreams can be on of the most painful and disheartening struggles we can go through. This passage explores God's timing versus our timing. But it also shows us how God deals with an even bigger struggle and an even deeper pain.
The gospel of Mark revolves around two huge questions: Who is Jesus, and what does it mean to follow him? This passage offers some of the most life-changing and powerful answers to those questions. And they are life-changing answers precisely because they are all about the power of Jesus.
We all know "the way things are" is not "the way things are supposed to be." And one of our most powerful yearnings is to see the world become the place we know it's meant to be. But what does that look like? How does it happen? Is it even possible? In this passage, Jesus answers our questions by teaching us many surprising and wonderful things about "the Kingdom of God."
This is one of the most famous healing stories in the gospels, and it's also one of the most startling. The things Jesus does and says here have confused and shocked people across the centuries, and for good reason. In this narrative, Jesus challenges us to consider what is the deepest need of our hearts and lives, and where the fulfillment of that need comes from.
One of the biggest questions in every heart is: “Do I matter? Does my life make a difference?” The story of Jesus calling his first disciples is a direct answer to that question. Not only did his call transform their lives, it changed the world and history. By understanding and responding to his call, it can change our lives also.
Who is Jesus - really? Why did he come, what did he do, and why does it matter? The Gospel of Mark is the first eyewitness account of the life of Jesus, and one of the best places to look for answers to these questions. Find out who he really is, and how getting connected to the real Jesus is the only way to find a truly transformed life.
What is God's answer to the biggest problems of the world? The harsh realities seem to stare us in the face, and it can be hard to know how to face them, much less how to make any kind of difference. But if we learn to see what the first Christians saw in the last two chapters of Revelation, we can get a living hope that not only enables us to face suffering and evil, but to live meaningful lives of good in this world.
Understanding Christmas means understanding grace. But understanding what grace really means holds many surprises for us. If we listen to the message the angel had for Mary, we come not only to a deeper understanding of grace, but also how we should respond to it.
"Faith" is a contested term in our culture, especially the nature of religious faith. But a healthy, mature faith can also form the foundation of a life of greatness. How do you get there? This passage contains aspects that might seem repellent or difficult for us on the surface. But when we dig down into what it's really showing us, we find the secret for a life of true faith, and true greatness.
One of the most painful and debilitating things you can experience is discouragement. When life doesn't go the way you hope, it is easy to become disillusioned and even depressed. In this encounter with Sarah, this passage shows us how God meets us in our discouragement and brings hope and renewal to our lives.
Understanding and growing in faith necessarily means wrestling with doubt. It seems like every morning we are confronted with something on the news that makes faith in God seem unlikely, or even ridiculous. This famous passage helps us by showing the true nature of our doubts and questions, and even more importantly, how God responds to our doubt to bring us into a deeper relationship with himself.
It is impossible to understand God's purpose for the world, and the meaning of the whole Bible, without understanding Abraham and especially God's call on his life in Genesis 12. His story also shows us the meaning of faith, and how to grow in such faith ourselves. As we begin the season of Advent, we continue our series in Genesis with the story of Abraham, the man of faith.
Where do you find hope for the world? One of the biggest challenges facing our society today is the tendency to be so focused on our own cultural identity that we end up in competition or even hostility with those of differing identities. Therefore, one of our greatest needs is to find a basis of hope that is big enough to include us all, but without erasing our own personal cultural backgrounds and identities. Fascinatingly enough, it is that challenge this passage addresses, and it is that need the gospel meets.