Book of Mark Part Two

Grace be unto you,and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Chapter Seven
Tradition versus the Word of God. Here we see the religious leaders criticizing Jesus because His disciples ate with unwashed hands.
Pg 85. They came all the way from Jerusalem to meet Him,and their attitudes were so negative and faultfinding that what they saw was unwashed hand. They couldn't see the greatest movement of redemption that had ever touched our planet-a movement that was cleansing of the minds, souls and bodies of men. Their big eyes were opened wide to the little and marginal,and blind to the big. So history forgets them, the negative-forgets them except as a background for this impact of the positive Christ. They left criticism; He left a conversion.They picked flaws; He picked followers.

The leaders had devised the scheme to secure property for religious purposes and to quiet persons from all trouble of conscience about the Word of God. It was God Who called on man to honor his parents,and who denounced all slight done to them. Yet here were men violating, under cloak of religion, both these commandments of God! This tradition of saying "Corban," the Lord treats not only as a wrong done to the parents, but as a rebellious act against the express commandment of God.

Pg 86

 The tradition of Corban was tantamount to murder. Parents could die of starvation before this wicked vow could be broken. Evil thought generated in our heart unite with one's will to produce evil words and actions. Sexual immorality, theft, murder, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness. All these evils defile a person, and have thier source from inside, from one"s heart. So Jesus took focus of attention away from external ritual and placed it on the need for God to cleanse one's evil heart.

Chapter Eight

Pg 86-87

Let the children be filled first. This might sound harsh. Actually it was a test of her repentance and faith. As a Gentile, she had no claim on Jesus or His benefits. Because of such a reply,"Even the dogs eat under the table the children crumb." Her point yes Lord. I am only a little Gentile dog. But I notice that puppies have a way of eating crumbs that children drop under the table. That's all I ask for- some crumb left over from your ministry to the Jews. This faith was remarkable. The Lord rewarded it instantly by healing the girl at a distance. When the womman went home, her daughter was fully recovered.

Pg 87

At any rate, He pictures the sinner, deaf to the voice of God and therefore unable to speak to others about him. Disobedience can never be justified, no matter how well-meaning the person might be. The first mircale in this period intimated that crumbs of bread might fall from the table for the needy Gentiles; here they may be an intimation that Jesus, rejected by His own people, is to give His life for the world,and is to be the living Breas for all nation.

Pg. 88-89

Standing in front of them was the greatest sign of all-the Lord Jesus Himself. He was truly a Sign who had come from heaven, but they had no appreciation for Him. They heard His matchless words, saw His wonderful miracle,came in contact with an absolutely sinless Man-God manifest in the flesh-yet in their blindness aksed for a sign from heaven.

Jesus led the blind man out of town. Every case of healing is different, as is every case of conversion. Some gain remarkable spiritual sight as soon as they are converted. Others see dimly at first, then later enter into full assurance of salvation.

Chapter Nine

Pg 89

The very snare to which we are also exposed: the desire of saving self; the preference of an easy path to the cross. Peter could not understand why the Messiah should go through all this path of sorrow. Had we been there, we might have said or thought yet worse. Peter remonstance was not without strong human affection, He heartily loved the Savior too. But, unknown to himself, there was the unjudged spirit of the world.

Even if a believer could gain the world's wealth during his lifetime, what good would it do him? He would have missed the opportunity of using his life for the glory of God and the salvation of the lost. It would be a bad bargain. Our lives are worth more than all the world has to offer. Shall we use them for Christ or for self? may his words 'ashamed of me...in thise adulterous and sinful generation. Speak to our hearts. How incongruous to be ashamed of the sinless Savior in a world that is characterized by unfaithfulness and sinfulness!

PG 89-90

The Servant transfigured. The argument of the passage is that anything we suffer for Christ's sake now will be abundantly repaid when He returns and his servants appear with Him in glory. The condition which prevailed on the Mount foreshadow the millennial Reign of Christ.

Pg 90

The cloud may have been the shekinah or glory cloud which stayed in the Holy of Holies tabernacle and temple in Old Testament times. It was visible expression of God's presence. The voice was the voice of God the Father,acknowledging Christ as His beloved Son. Moses and Elijah their work was done and they were superseded.Jesus, not Moses or Elijah, is now God's authorized Ruler and Spokesman.

The death of John the Baptist was  an advance token of what they would do to the Son of Man. They rejected the forerunner; they will reject the king.

Pg 91

Faith in the living God is always rewarded.No case is too difficult for Him. Lord help my unbelief. We want to believe,yet find ourselves filled with doubt. We hate this inward, unreasonable contradiction, yet seem to fight it in vain. Why  the disciples wasn't able to heal. Which of us is not faced at times in our Christian service with a sense of defeat and frustration? We have labored tirelessly and conscientiously, yet there has been no evidence of the Spirit of God working in power. The disciples had failed because they had not prayerfully depended on God's power. Apparently they had trusted in past success and had failed.

Pg 91-92

To illustrate servanthood Jesus set a little child from the home of perhaps Peter among His disciples. Jesus knowing what they had argued about, gave them a lesson in humility. He said that the way to be first was to voluntarily take the lowest place of service and live for others instead of self. He emphasized that a kindness shown in His name to the least esteemed, the least renowned,was an act of greatness. It was as if the kindness were shown to the Lord Himself, yes, even to God the Father.

The man was not teaching false doctrines or living in sin. He simply did not join up with the disciples. The question was not the person or work of Christ, but the matter of one's associates in the service of the Lord. Here there must be tolerance and love. Whoever is not against him in service must be against Satan and therefore on Christ's side.

Chapter Ten

Pg 92

Salt if the believer goes back on his vows, or fails to deal drastically with sinful desires, then his life will be savorless, worthless,and pointless. Therefore he should eradicate anything from his life that would interfere with his divinely-appointed mission,and he should maintain peaceful relations with other believers.

Pg 92-93

This paragraph shows Christ's concern not only for the sanctity of marriage, but also for the rights of women. Christianity gives to women a standing in honor not found in othe religion. Adults have to become like small children in order to enter the kingdom. Certainly these verse should impress the servant of the Lord with the importance of reaching littles ones with the Word of God. The minds of children are most plastic and most receptive. Be your best and give your best to the children.

Pg 93

What shall I do to inherit eternal life. The Lord took the man back to the Ten Commandments to produce conviction of sin. The rich man's unwillingness to share his possession showed that he did not love his neighbor as himself. He should have said, 'Lord, if that's what is required, then I'm a sinner. I cannot be save myself by my own efforts. Therefore I ask You to save me by Your grace. But he loved his property too much. He refused to break.

Pg 94

It was true in the old Testamnet that riches were a sign of God's favor.Instead of a mark of the Lord's blessing, riches are a test of a man"s devotedness. A camel can go through a needle eye more easily than a rich man can go through the door of the kingdom. Rich man faces obstacles that the poor man isn't aware of. Christians who lay up treasures on earth generally pay for their disobedience in the lives of their children.

Forsake all and follow Me. The future reward is eternal life. This does not mean that we earn eternal life through forsaking all. Eternal life is a gift.Here the thought is that those who forsake all are rewarded with a greater capacity for enjoying eternal life in heaven. All believers will have that life but not all will enjoy it to the same extent.

Pg 95

James and John request and Jesus answer. They professed to be able,and He said they were right. They would suffer because of their loyalty to Him,and James at least would be martyred. But He explained that position of honor in the kingdom were not bestowed arbitrarily. They would be earned.It is good to remember here that admission to the kingdom is by grace through faith, but position in the kingdom will be determined by faithfulness to Christ.

Among the unconverted, great men are those who rule with abitrary power, who are overbearing and domineering. But greateness in CHRIST'S KINGDOM IS MARKED BY SERVICE. Whoever desires to be first should become a SLAVE TO EVERYONE. Bartimaeus recognized and addressed our Lord as the Son of David. It was ironical that while the nation of Israel was blind to the presence of the Messiah, a blind Jew had true spiritual sight. His persist pleas for mercy did not go unanswered. His specific prayer for sight brought a specific answer.His gratitude was expressed in faithful discipleship, following Jesus on His last trip to Jerusalem. It was a good thing that Bartimaeus sought the Lord that day because the Savior never passed that way again.

Chapter Eleven

Pg 96

Mark recorded the disciples carrying out Jesus  instruction demonstrating the detailed accuracy of His predicition. Pre-arranged plans with the colt's owner, or did this event reflect His SUPERNATURAL knowledge.The promising but unproductive fig tree symbolized Israel spiritual blindness despite divine favor and the impressive outward appearance of their religion. Although the primary interpretation of this passage relates to nation of Israel, it has application to people of all ages who combine high talk and low walk.

Pg 97

My house shall be call  a house of prayer. At the outset of His public minsitry, Jesus had driven commercialism out of the temple environment. He again entered the court of the temple and drove out those who were profiteering from sacred activities,He even stop the carrying of ordinary wares through the temple area. Combining quotation from Isaiah and Jeremiah, He condemned descreation,exclusivism,and commercialism. od had intended the temple to be a house of prayer fora ll nation, not just for aIsrael. They had made it a religious market, a hang-out for shysters and racketeers.Often time people will question us about who called you to preach and teach the Gospel.

The chief priest and the scribes and the elders came to Christ in and offical capacity putting forth the question regarding authority,which was the paramount issue. These men were not men of principles, for they considered answereing according to popular response and not by conviction. Since either of the possible answers would create a negative reaction, they remained silent,claiming ignorance. Jesus, however, was straightforward, neither do I.

 

Chapter Twelve

The man who planted a vineyard was God Himself. The vineyard was the place of privlege then occupied by Israel. The hedges was the Law of Moses, which separated Israel from the Gentiles and preserved them as a distinct people for the Lord. Repeatedly, God sent His servants, the prophets, to the people of Israel, seeking fellowship, holiness,and love. But the people persecuted the prophets and killed some of them. Finally God sent His beloved Son. Surely they would respect Him. But they didn't. They plotted against Him and finally killed Him.

The believer is to obey and support the government under which he or she lives.He is not to speak evil of his rulers or work to overthrow the government. The claim of God must come first. In upholding those claims, the Christian should always maintain a good testimony before the world.
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First they should know that the marriage relationship does not continue in heaven. Believers will recognize one another in heaven and will not lose their distinction as men and women, but they will neither marry nor give in marriage. In that respect, they will resemble the angels in heaven.

Jesus began by quoting from the Shema, a jewish statement of faith taken from Deuteronomy 6:4; Hear,O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Then He summed up man's responsibility to God: Love Him with the entirety of one's heart,soul, mind and strength. God is to have the supreme place in man's life. No other love can be allowed to rival love for God. The other half of the Ten Commandments teaches us to love our neighbors as ourselves. We are to love God more than ourselves,and our neighbor as ourselves.

Chapter Thirteen

The disciples were occupied with the architectual triumphs involved in erecting the enormous stones. The Savior pointed out that these were soon to be destroyed. Not one stone would be left upon another when Roman armies would invade Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Why be occupied with things that are only passing shadows?

The beginning of sorrow. Question asked by Peter,James, John,and Andrew, when would the temple be destroyed. First be not decieved by false Messiah. Many false Christ would appear,as seen in the rise of so many cults, each with its own anti-Christ. Secondly, they should not interpret wars and rumors as a sign of the end times.In addition, there would be great cataclysms of nature-earthquakes, famines,and troubles. These would be but preliminary birthpangs, ushering in a period of unparalleled travail.

Gospel preached to all nations before the Rapture.it should be proclaimed world-wide and perhaps it will be, but to say that it must be is to state something the Bible doesn't state. No prophecy needs to be fulfilled before Christ's Coming for His saints; He may come at any moment!

They would not need to prepare their case in advance; perhaps there would not be time. The Holy Spirit would give them exactly the right words.This promise should not be used as an excuse for not preparing sermons or gospel messages today; but is a guarantee of supernatural help for crisis times.

Darkness will shroud the earth both day and by night. The stars of heaven will fall and the powers on the heaven will be shaken. Son of Man will come in the clouds,escoted by myriads of angelic being and of glorious saints. From one end of the earth to the other-from China to Colombia-they will come to enjoy the benefits of His wonderful thousand year reign on earth. His enemies,however,will be destroyed at the same time.

The chapte closes with a exhortation. A man goes away from home on a long trip.He leaves instruction with his servants and tells the watchman also to be on the lookout for his return.Jesus liked himself to the traveling man. He may come back at any hour of the night. His people, serving as night watchman, should not be found sleeping.So He left this word for all His PEOPLE" WATCH!

Chapter Fourteen

Though the chief priests and the scribes detrmined not to kill Him during the feast,divine Providence over ruled them,a nd the Pachal Lamb of God waskillled at that very time.

Jesus anointed at Bethany. As a jeweler palces a diamond against black velvet, the Holy Spirit and human writer Mark skillfully highlight the radiance of a woman's love for our Lord between th dark plotting of the religious hierarcchy and that of Judas. The fragrance of that perfume reaches down to our generation.Jesus said that she would be memorailized worldwide. She has been-through the Gospel record. The treachery of Judas the woman prized the Savior highly.Judas, by contrast,valued Him very lightly. Though he had lived with the Lord Jesus for at least a year,and had received nothing but kindness from Him,Judas now sneaked off to the chief priest with a guarantee to betray the Son of God into their hands. The First Lord's Supper, the bread signified His body given the cup His blood shed. By His blood He ratified the New Covenant. For Him there would be no more festive joy until He returned to earth to set up his kingdom.

Betrayer had prearranged signal. He would kiss the One whom they should seize. So he strode up to Jesus,addressed Him as Rabbi and kissed Him. Jesus before Pilate taken  before the civil court on a charge of treason. Pilate asked the Lord Jesus if He were the King of the Jesus. People chanted savagely, "crucify him". So Pilate did what they wanted-he released Barabbas, flogged Jesus and delivered Him over to the soldiers for crucifixion. It was a monstrous verdict of unrighteousness. And yet it was a parable of our redemption-the guiltless One delivered to die in order that the guilty might go free.

Chapter Fifteen

The Crucixion place is called Golgotha is the Aramaic name meaning skull. Clavary is the Latin name. Perhaps the area was shaped like a skull or received the name because it was a place of execution. The passer by were probably Jews who were ready to keep the Passover inside the city. Outside they paused long enough to hurl an insult at the Paschal Lamb.

They misquoted him as threatening to destroy their beloved temple and to rebuild it in three days. If He was so great, let him save Himself by coming down from the cross. The religious leaders also challenged Him to come down from the cross if He were the Messiah, the King of Israel. Then they would believe, they said. Even the criminals reproached him!

Threee hours of darkness between noon and three o clock the whole land was shrouded in darkness. He said Eloi, Eloi, Jesus cried out with strength and triumph then breathed His last. His death was an act of His will, not an involuntary collapse.

At that moment, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This was an act of God indicating that by Christ's death,access into the sanctuary of God was henceforth the privilege of al believer. A great new era had been ushered in. It would be an era of nearness to GOD, not of distance from Him.

 

Yours In Christ,

Andrew Blackman