Today’s passage: Mark 14:12-25

Helpful thoughts:

• Jesus was a wanted man in Jerusalem.  God provided a place for He and His disciples to eat the Passover meal and inaugurate the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
  • This would have taken place Thursday night.  Before the sun comes up on Friday morning, Jesus will be betrayed and arrested.
• The ESV Study Bible calls attention to these four significant aspects of this Passover meal and why Jesus would have wanted to make sure they observed it prior to His crucifixion:
  • It (The Passover meal) represented the founding of the nation of Israel.
  • Jesus Himself was about to become the true Passover Lamb…this Passover meal was the last in long centuries of celebrating it while looking forward to the Messiah.
  • Jesus knew the meal would richly symbolize the giving of His body and blood for the disciples to earn salvation for them
  • This Passover meal itself looked forward to the “marriage supper of the Lamb” in heaven.
• Jesus also reveals His betrayer will be one of the twelve.

Questions to consider:

1. Which aspect(s) of this Passover meal is/are the most striking?  What was the significance?  How might our lack of experience with the nation of Israel in the Old Covenant prevent us from appreciating what we read to its fullest?
2. How do the connections we see in this passage and in redemptive history remind us of the fact that God is the Author of it all?  What grand story has He written?  What is our part in it?  How can we give Him the praise He is due?

Today’s passage: Mark 14:1-11

Helpful thoughts:

• The outline of today’s passage works out in a very interesting way:
  • Verses 1-2 – The Jewish leaders devise a way to have Jesus killed.
    • Verses 3-9 – A woman sacrifices much to worship Jesus.
  • Verses 10-11 – Judas devises a way to betray Jesus.
• A denarii was worth one day’s wage for normal labor.  This ointment was worth nearly a year’s salary.  Judas (And possibly some others at the time) saw the money being wasted.  This woman saw Jesus as more than worthy.
• Verse 9 was just fulfilled again…and is every time we read, write and teach about this passage.

Questions to consider:

1. What is the connection between Passover (Verse 1) and the coming death of Jesus (Exodus 12:13)?  What was the blood of the Lamb about to accomplish?
2. We do what we do because we want what we want.  What does it appear Judas wanted more than anything else?  How did his selfish desire affect his words and his actions?
3. Why were the Jewish leaders glad in verse 11?  How could religious leaders be glad (Perhaps even seeing Judas’ actions as a “gift from God”) when they were about to sin against the Messiah?  What was wrong with their consciences?  What had and had not shaped their consciences?  How can reading the Word of God with an intent to learn and obey shape our consciences in accord with the will of God?

Today’s passage: Mark 13:14-37

Helpful thoughts:

• After a thorough warning about looking for signs in the previous verses, Jesus now gives the disciples and Christians insight into what is to come.
  • The abomination of desolation is taken from Daniel 9:27, 11:31, and 12:11.  The antichrist will go to the temple and declare himself to be God (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).
• Jesus is coming back, and there will be no doubt and no confusion when he does!
  • The false christs will do all they can to lead astray even the elect, “if possible” (Verse 22).  That, “if possible” should encourage the elect, because this phrase reveals that it is, in fact, impossible.
• Verse 30 has been interpreted in many different ways.  The main questions are these: Who is “this generation?” And, what are “all these things?”:
  • It is my opinion that “all these things” is referring to the events of the end times only (starting from verse 14) and “this generation” is referring to the generation alive at the time the “end times” begin.
    • All the events Jesus was speaking about (once they begin) will take place quickly, within a generation.

Questions to consider:

1. Why do you think Jesus chose to use the words, “the elect” when referring to God’s people in this passage?  What are we to know about ourselves?  Why are we God’s people?  If God has made this to be true, who do we ultimately rely on to keep us secure?
2. What does it mean to “stay awake” (Verses 34-36)?  How could Jesus’ exhortation from the first half of this chapter help answer this question?
3. With all of the difficulty and tragedy of the tribulation ahead, how do we know it will end (Verses 26-27)?  How could this give the elect confidence in that day (If it should happen to be after our time on earth has ended)?  How can the sure victory of Christ (And ours with Him) give us confidence through the challenges of today?

Today’s passage: Mark 13:1-13

Helpful thoughts:

• Great buildings come and go.  God’s kingdom is forever.
• When the disciples ask Jesus about signs, He warns them not to be led astray.
  • People often read this passage and start to look for wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, etc.  But, Jesus is telling the disciples not to fear when these things come because they are only the beginning.
• Instead of giving the disciples a specific marker to know the exact moment of the end, Jesus tells the disciples what their life will be like and encourages them to persevere.

Questions to consider:

1. What does it mean to be ready for Christ’s return?  Is it a correct prediction of the date or a life being lived for His glory?  When we take Christ’s imminent return into consideration, what should it compel us to do?
2. With all of the events Jesus listed in this passage, what is the actual command He gives?  Are we supposed to scout for signs or be cautious of them?  How does the end of verse 5, the first half of verse 7, the beginning of verse 9, and the end of verse 13 give us great instruction as we continue to await His return?
3. Who will persevere to the end?  Will there be true Christians who do not persevere?  What do passages like 1 John 2:19, and Romans 8:29-30 teach us about the perseverance of the saints?

Today’s passage: Mark 12:35-44

Helpful thoughts:

• Jesus quotes Psalm 110:1 as the words of David “by the Holy Spirit.”  This is because the Holy Spirit inspired these words (2 Peter 1:20-21).
  • Jesus teaching in verses 35-37 make the argument that the Messiah must be born in the flesh as a descendant of David, yet still be David’s Lord.  Jesus is the Son of David and the Son of God.
• The Jewish leaders were rebuked for using their public offices to take advantage of people.
  • Widows are often used as an example to refer to all those who are unable to care for themselves.
  • Godly leaders use their positions of influence to serve and protect those who cannot help themselves.
• In verses 41-44, Jesus is not commanding everyone to give everything they have.  Instead, He is emphasizing God’s perspective on our giving.  God’s economy of giving is different than what we might expect.

Questions to consider:

1. How does honest, humble faith approach the Word of God (With verses 35-37 in mind)?  When we read the Bible, what should we be looking for?  Whose objective should we be seeking?
2. How does honest, humble faith approach serving and giving (With verses 38-44 in mind)?  Whom should we seek to please (2 Corinthians 5:9)?
3. Who is Jesus?  Why is it actually quite ridiculous to use religion or church to gain attention and praise for ourselves?

Today’s passage: Mark 12:13-34

Helpful thoughts:

• Different leaders over the Jewish  people (The Pharisees and Herodians) had a common enemy, Jesus.  They united to ramp up the pressure against Him.  But, no human authority can intimidate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
• Jesus gave a striking rebuke of the Sadducees.  Their errant question was a result of ignorance of the Scriptures and the power of God, certainly things they would have prided themselves on.  The Chief Priests were from the sect of the Sadducees.
• Jesus affirmed the commands from Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18 as the greatest commandments in Scripture.

Questions to consider:

1. What is the heart motive of all these questions?  How did the Pharisees and Herodians think they had Jesus duped?  Why did the Sadducees think they had Him cornered?
2. What is the difference between the scribe in verses 28-34 and those who had already questioned Jesus?
3. Why didn’t the people “dare” to ask Jesus more questions?  What kinds of questions would Jesus have gladly invited?  What else did the scribe need to know to find the kingdom of God?

Today’s passage: Mark 12:1-12

Helpful thoughts:

• In this parable, Israel is the vineyard (Isaiah 5:1-5), the tenants are her leaders, God is the owner.
• The way the tenants treated the son was directly indicative of their respect (Or, lack thereof) for the owner of the vineyard.
  • The quote from verses 10-11 is taken from Psalm 118:22-23.  This was a known Messianic Psalm.  The Jews would have known Jesus was calling Himself the “stone” or the Messiah.
• The Jewish leaders also knew that Jesus was talking about them!  They had just been told they were striving against God and rejecting the Messiah.  Their response?  Seek to arrest Him.

Questions to consider:

1. What “inheritance” did the Jewish leaders want for themselves?  How could their fear in verse 12 help answer this question?  What did the Messiah have that they wanted to badly?
2. What did this opposition to God lead to?  Did their opposition change God’s plan?  Did they thwart Christ?  What is there to be gained from rebelling against the Lord?
3. In whose eyes is the Lord’s doing, “Marvelous?”  How did the rejection of the “stone” produce that which is marvelous and become the cornerstone for what God now continues to build? (1 Peter 2:4-8)

Today’s passage: Mark 11:12-33

Helpful thoughts:

• Two accounts are told in conjunction with each other in today’s passage.  This suggests there is a connection between them
  • The cursing of the fig tree:
    • In the Old Testament, the fig tree was used as a metaphor for Israel (Jeremiah 8:13).
    • When the fig tree’s leaves come, it has the appearance of bearing fruit.  But no fruit was found.
  • The cleansing of the Temple and Jewish leaders’ response:
    • The Temple was called a house of prayer for the nations in Isaiah 56:7.
    • Because of the hypocrisy and greed of the leadership, the Temple had an appearance of godliness but it was not bearing fruit in keeping with repentance.
• The “moving of a mountain” was used as a metaphor in that culture.  Jesus was not challenging them to move literal mountains, but encouraging them to ask for what they would consider to be impossible.
• Jesus responded to the religious leaders’ “gotcha” question with a question of his own.  All of the religious leaders’ cleverness and safety in numbers could never had stood a chance against God and the truth.

Questions to consider:

1. What are the “leaves” of apparent godliness in our day and age (Or, in our church background)?  Meaning, are there some ways a person could be part of our church and appear godly without others ever knowing if they truly love the Lord?  How do we grow in sincerely encouraging one another in fruitfulness?
2. How does verse 25 (Along with James 4:3 and 1 John 5:14) help us as we think about our heart’s motives in prayer?  What are the kinds of mountains which God would delight to move in response to our prayers?  What should our heart be toward others and toward the Lord when we pray?
3. What can we learn from Jesus’ response in verses 27-33?  What were the religious leaders really living for?  Why did they fear to answer Jesus’ question?  How does the fear of the Lord and confidence in the truth repel the fear of man?

Today’s passage: Mark 11:1-11

Helpful thoughts:

• In Jesus’ Triumphal Entry, he is hailed as the promised Messiah in Jerusalem.
• In riding into Jerusalem on a young donkey, Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9.
• The people cried out words from Psalm 118:25-26.
  • The people are looking for freedom from the Romans, not from their sin.
  • The palm branches were a national symbol.  Jesus riding into the city at the beginning of Passover (Celebrating their freedom from Egypt) would have been equated with what they’d hoped he would do for Israel now that they were under the authority of Rome.

Questions to consider:

1. On this day, the Jews called Jesus their Messiah.  What would they do at the end of the week (Mark 15:12-14)?
2. In what way was Israel so close to understanding who Jesus was?  In what way were they so far away?  What was it they wanted?  Who did they want Jesus to be for them?
3. From what had Jesus come to save His people?  Why is it right to cry out, “Hosannah!” (Matthew 1:21)