Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.

Mark 6:14-29

Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. Mark 6:20

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 6:14-29. Excerpts from second (of three) division (vv17-20):

• The title of the first division per the commentary: "Expect That Some Will Try to Stop You." 
• John spoke truth to Herod about the sinful marriage he had with Herodias - the commentary refers us to Leviticus 18:16 and 20:21.  This drove Herodias to seek John's death. 
• The commentary contrasts John's boldness in telling the truth about sin vs Herod's fear.  Note also, Herod's weakness in the face of his ruthless wife's desire to kill John. Herod knew in his heart John was correct about the sin but would not stand firm against his wife nor obey John to repent. 
• Note below an excerpt from the commentary comparing John to Herod. 

 

• Herodias needed the right moment to seize to put John to death thereby eliminating opposition to her marriage. This moment is about to arrive in the next division vv21-29.

Once again, as posted a couple of days ago, John stood firm in speaking truth to anyone, including those in power such as Herod.  I am drawn to the assassination of Charlie Kirk - another faithful man who spoke truth to power. We should all pray that we would submit to God to such an extent that we would speak  boldly - even to power - about Jesus and the Gospel.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me.  Thank You Jesus! Thank You for Your Word that allows the Holy Spirit to work in my life.  I am not deserving of my salvation nor how You work in my life.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”

Mark 6:14-29

King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” Mark 6:14-16

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 6:14-29. Excerpts from the commentary's introduction for this text and for the first (of three) division (vv14-16):

• The main idea per the commentary for the entirety of the text vv14-29 is "[f]aithful service to God may cause the kings of this world to oppose you, even kill you, but it will bring great pleasure to the true King, Jesus."  
• The title of first division per the commentary: "Expect That Some Will Fear You." 
• Pointing to Mark 10:29-30, the commentary shares: "sometimes the rewards and spiritual benefits include persecution....Yes, you may lose your life for faithfully serving King Jesus. You may actually lose your head, as John the Baptist found out." 
• "This tragedy in many ways foreshadowed the miscarriage of justice when our Savior was put to death on the cross. In both cases cowardly men capitulated to pressure and executed God’s man. A servant is not greater than his master. If they treated Jesus with cruelty, they will do the same to His followers. The life of John the Baptist perfectly illustrates what we might expect as we faithfully serve our God."  
• "This wicked, henpecked politician [Herod] did not know what to do with a man like John. He feared John (v16) and was “very disturbed” by him."  
• While Herod wondered what to make of John the Baptist (and by extension Jesus), the commentary urges us to see how (and we should) our "good works should honor Jesus name and haunt others." 
• "John was a man of great courage and moral fiber. Herod was not. John loved God and boldly proclaimed His Word. Herod did not. John denounced sin and called people to repentance and a radical change in life. Herod murdered an innocent man, a prophet of God. It haunted him, and rightly so. John’s blood was on his hands."
• "We need not defend ourselves if we walk with God. We need never employ methods of violence and coercion as we represent King Jesus and extend His kingdom. Our good works will honor us before men, and our good works will haunt those who oppose us, now or in eternity."

Scripture calls believers to be "set apart" from the world and to be holy because He is holy.  We are to follow Christ's example both in life and in death - and this is a high bar indeed because few of us will ever be in a position of death based persecution because of our faith.  Even if we don't lose our physical body, believers still stand to lose much in world that rejects God, sometimes violently.  We must be unafraid to stand firmly on our faith and proclaim the gospel, which again is to repent and see how God is good and saves.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are an awesome God that loves me and who saved me - thank You Jesus!  I know what You have done and You are not finished with me - thank You for Your amazing grace.  I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me and help me turn from and overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.

Mark 6:14-29

Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. Mark 6:20

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 6:14-29, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: God allows evil and sin in the world - albeit temporarily.  God will defeat Satan, evil and sin during the final days as written in the book of Revelation - no one knows the day or hour but we can take comfort that the victory is already assured. In the same way, we see people "carried away" by their sin as God allows sin to overcome and condemn them (see James 1:14-15).  Only God hardens - preventing salvation - and softens hearts - enabling salvation.  We see that God was softening the heart of Herod.  Although Herod ultimately has John the Baptist killed, Herod did fear God and God is worthy of our fear - reverent fear. 
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: People's passions and temptations for sin, as driven by Satan are strong and we must be able to recognize them before "giving way" to them as Herod allowed the influence of Herodias and her grudge against John the Baptist to play a role in his death (see v26 where Herod was exceedingly sorry but nonetheless at least somewhat beholden to someone else's sin).  Beware of these kinds of influences on your own life!  Satan is on the prowl - 1 Peter 5:8.    
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We should avoid sinful influences and becoming comfortable around such influences - as previously indicated they can drag us away into sin and eternal condemnation.  We should follow John's the Baptist's obedience to continue to share the Word and to repent - although of course this means death or some other harsh earthly consequence.  We can rest in how God saves.      

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are an awesome God who loves and who is full of incredible grace and compassion.  Thank You for softening my heart and saving me.  I am not deserving of my salvation.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

Mark 6:7-13

So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. Mark 6:12-13

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 6:7-13. Excerpts from the commentary's for the fourth and final (of four) division (vv12-13):

•  The title of this division per the commentary: "Go Preaching the Word and Doing the Work of the Kingdom." 
• "[The disciples] were not to compromise their message even if it brought rejection and persecution. They had to have the courage to tell the truth about Jesus and the gospel." 
•  "If “repentance” was the first word out of the mouth of John, Jesus, and the apostles (Acts 2:38), it must be an important component of the gospel and the Christian life." 
• The commentary refers us to Thomas Watson's treatise on repentance - The Doctrine of Repentance - where Watson outlines "six ingredients necessary for true repentance...including sight of sin, sorrow for sin, confession of sin, shame for sin, hatred for sin, and turning from sin and returning to the Lord."  We are further referred to Joel 2:12, Acts 26:20, and Ezekiel 14:6.
• "We are called to turn away from all our abominations—not just the obvious ones or the ones that create friction in others. The goal of repentance is not to manufacture peace among others with perfunctory repentance, but rather to turn to God wholly." 
• "Repentance is rooted in a hatred of sin and a joyful awareness of God’s loving-kindness, which leads to joy: “God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance” (Romans 2:4)."

Indeed Repentance must be stressed as core to the gospel - Satan is waiting to consume and eternally condemn those who do not.  We should be sharing the Gospel as Good News, so good that it should motivate us into the arms of the One True God who offers what no other can - life to the full now and for eternity!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of incredible grace and compassion - saving me and all other believers not because of what we have done but because He is SO good.  I am not deserving of my salvation as my sin is great and it continues....daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.”

Mark 6:7-13

And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” Mark 6:10-11

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 6:7-13. Excerpts from the commentary's for the third (of four) division (vv10-11): 

• The title for the third division is "Go Where You Are Welcomed and Move On When Rejected."
• The commentary emphasizes how the text shares how there will be times when we share the Gospel that it is rejected....if only for now.  Before we move on the shaking of dust from our feet from the text represents "a merciful prophetic act" that warns people of the consequences of rejecting God.   
•  We are referred to Ezekiel 33:1-20 where it shares how thinking of oneself as good and living righteously is insufficient - as not a single person cannot claim to be without sin (1 John 1:8). The text of Ezekiel shares how we must share from the gospel both how Jesus saves (now and for eternity) and how one is slave to sin and condemned if God is rejected. 

Warnings about rejection of God must be done mercifully however - see also Jude 22-23 where it shares how we are to "have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh." John Piper has a great word on here on DesiringGod.com how if fear alone is the only motivator to drive someone into the arms of Christ for salvation - "so be it."  Sometimes our act of mercy is to emphasize the punishment....

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and who saves...now (in this life) from being slave to sin, and for eternity by saving us a place in Heaven.  Thank You Jesus for my salvation - the greatest gift of all time!  I am not deserving of such a gift.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.    

He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics.

Mark 6:7-13

He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. Mark 6:8-9

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 6:7-13. Excerpts from the commentary's for the second (of four) division (vv8-9): 

• The title for the first division is "Go Mean and Lean with Nothing Nonessential."
• "To be effective in God’s work, we must do what we do unencumbered, with no excess baggage that could impede our mission. Further, we must go in radical faith and dependence on our God." 
•  "The four items required of the Twelve are identical to what God told the Hebrews to take on their flight from Egypt (Exodus 12:11)." 
• The commentary details the parallels between the Old Testament exodus and how Jesus sends out The Twelve under the authority of the new and greater Moses (see also Hebrews 3:1-6).  
• Dependence on Jesus for all things is emphasized, particularly in the mission field.

For believers, God calls upon us constantly and fear and anxiety often accompany such calls - to step into the unknown.  God called Moses in Exodus 3 to rescue Israel from bondage.  This triggered much fear and anxiety in Moses, and God quelled this fear and anxiety, speaking to Moses and revealing His plan for this effort in Exodus 3:15-22, and sharing how Aaron will be his helper in this mission in Exodus 4:1-17.  God gives all believers a role in the Great Commission and we should lean on Him in prayer, etc. to equip us and to give us courage to step out into these roles. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of incredible grace and compassion - You saved me while still sinning and an enemy and hostile to You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving for how You save, equip, provide, and lead in the roles You design for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.

Mark 6:7-13

And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. Mark 6:7

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 6:7-13, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary - which offers four divisions for this text. Excerpts from the commentary's introduction to the entirety of the text (vv7-13) and for the first (of four) division (v7): 

• The commentary's main idea for the vv7-13 is "[e]ven in the face of rejection or death, our mission is to preach the gospel and advance the kingdom."
• The title for the first division is "Go with Jesus’ Authority and as a Team"
• Upon rejection (see vv1-6), [Jesus] may be disappointed (as all of us will be from time to time), but He is not deterred from fulfilling the will of His Father." So He continues with His mission to share the Gospel.  
• "After discipling and mentoring the Twelve for an extended period, it is now time for them to get their feet wet, to move to the next level. Though all aspects of their training and instruction do not apply to us, we would be wise to consider some significant principles in our particular assignment as we join hands with Jesus to 'advance the kingdom.'"  
• This first division includes two principles we should apply as we consider mission work.  The first is that we should go as a team for both safety and mutual support.  The commentary then refers us to Old Testament text where it describes how the law (see Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15; 2 Corinthians 13:1) required two witnesses to verify a matter. 
• The second principle is how we are sent by God on His behalf and He equips us with authority and power. See also 2 Corinthians 5:20a.

2 Corinthians 5:20a is key in multiple respects, including how we should be mindful of our role as Christ's ambassadors and how our words and actions may reflect poorly not just on us but by extension on Christ. This is a heavy responsibility that believers should take very seriously and it should drive us into the arms of Christ in prayer and to deepen our relationship in Him through study of His Word, etc.  As God works in our hearts and life (renewing our mind - see Romans 12:2), we become more like Him and of course we are utterly dependent on Him (as we go out we are instructed to go "lean" as reminder that it is Him that equips and provides - see also v8).

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that saves, provides, equips, etc.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You save and bless.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

Mark 6:7-13

And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. Mark 6:11-13

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 6:7-13, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: God both calls and sends (v7), implying that God gives us something to do and a place where we are to go.  The sending is a mission function in that we are called to serve a specific community often first by traveling to this community. God also equips in that He gives us power (v7) and we should trust that He provides as we serve (vv8-9). We are reminded that it is God alone that softens hearts and saves - we share the gospel, and He saves (v11).    
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: There are those who have not and will not receive the gospel and repent - we should continue to share, but move on from those who do not repent (v11).    
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We are to listen for God's call and to go where He wants us to go.  God gives us power as He works through us and in the same way, He provides.  As we serve, we can trust in Him to work in and through us and to provide.    

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God You are an awesome God that loves and saves.  You saved me, of course while still sinning and an enemy and hostile to You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You save.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.

Mark 6:1-5

And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching. Mark 6:5-6

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 6:1-5, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary - which offers three divisions for this text. Excerpts from the commentary's third (of three) division (vv5-6): 

• The commentary's title for the second division is "When You Consider Jesus, Are You Guilty of Unbelief?"
• Noting that Jesus could have performed more miracles in His hometown, the commentary shares how these works reinforce faith of those who are healed, yet "[m]orally and spiritually He was constrained not to reveal His power in such an environment of rejection and unbelief."  We are referred to Hebrews 11:6 where the text shares how God works for those who belief and have faith in Him.     
• "Only twice in the Bible is Jesus said to be amazed. In Luke 7:9 He saw the faith of a Roman centurion who believed He could heal from a distance with just a word. And in Mark 6:6 He was amazed by the unbelief of those of His own hometown."  Those in Jesus' hometown seemed shocked that a man from their town, of such humble beginnings, could do what Jesus was doing - they should have known from scripture (Isaiah 55:8) how God's ways and thoughts are not our own.  Unfortunately, scripture describes how Israel as a nation failed to see Jesus was the One promised from Old Testament prophecies.    
• We are challenged to see and accept Jesus for who He really is and by the Gospel and what it offers. "Are we “scandalized” by the simplicity of His gospel? Are we offended by the unfairness of its message that says a child molester or even a serial rapist and murderer on death row can be made right with God by childlike faith in Jesus Christ? Or do we allow the biblical evidence to slay our biases and reshape our preconceived notions of who Jesus must be for us to accept Him and trust Him? Or again, have we become so familiar with Him, having been raised in church all our lives, that His words no longer convict, His miracles no longer astonish, and His death on the cross no longer strikes the chord of “Amazing Grace”?"

We should be wise to how there is a battle for our souls and Satan seeks to drag as many as possible into the lake of fire or eternal condemnation.  Consequently, we should not be lulled into comfort with the world but instead "be sober-minded and watchful" (1 Peter 5:8) for how Satan works. Believers should daily remind ourselves of how Jesus reached into the pit and saved us - loving and saving us while we were still an enemy and hostile to Him (Romans 5:8-10), how we are undeserving of such salvation, and how His mercies never come to an end are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).  God does amazing things every moment of every day and we should be "watchful" of how He works.  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are an awesome God who loves me, saved me, and whose mercies never cease and are new every morning.  You never cease to amaze.  I am not deserving of how You love and save.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.”

Mark 6:1-5

Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” Mark 6:3-4

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 6:1-5, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary - which offers three divisions for this text. Excerpts from the commentary's second (of three) division (vv3-4): 

• The commentary's title for the second division is "When You Consider Jesus, Are You Offended?"
• Those from Jesus's hometown in Nazareth could not grasp His true identity.  The commentary notes that "Jesus’ teachings and miracles do not automatically produce faith." We are referred to 1 Corinthians 1:23 where Paul notes that Christ crucified serves as a "stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles."  
• "In spite of overwhelming evidence [the Nazarenes] will not believe He is the Christ, the Son of God....They knew Him but could not explain Him, so they rejected Him. His hometown, His relatives, even His own household cast their ballot against Him....Sometimes we spend so much time with someone that we no longer appreciate them. For those of us raised in a Christian environment, this is certainly an ever-present danger we must guard against. In a sense we should never get comfortable with Jesus. His goal is not to make us comfortable. His goal is to bring us to repentance and faith, humbly falling at His feet confessing Him as Lord and God. He is not your homeboy, your buddy, or your soul mate. He is not your genie in a bottle obligated to grant your every wish." 

The commentary for the text emphasizes Jesus' identity, and that we should never lose sight of who He is - the One True God.  It is wholly appropriate then that out of reverent fear we rush to Him as our refuge.  He saves!  We must also worship Him with the entirety of our lives (vs animal sacrifice) and seek renewing of the mind through a daily lifelong relationship with Jesus where we go to Him daily in study and reflection on His Word as He renews our minds and makes us more like Him.  As He makes us more like Him, He brings about greater and greater obedience to His will (Romans 12:1-2). 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God You are an awesome God that saves and provides Your Word so that we can know, love, and please You.  Thank You!  I am not deserving of how You save and how You bless.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “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 and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

Mark 6:1-5

And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “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 and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Mark 6:2-3

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 6:1-5, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary - which offers three divisions for this text. Excerpts from the commentary's introduction to the entirety of the text and for the first (of three) division (vv1-3): 

• The commentary's title for the entirety of the text 6:1-5 is "Jesus: A Prophet Without Honor!" and the main idea is [w]e cannot come to Jesus on our terms. We must see Him for who He truly is[;] the title for the first division is "When You Consider Jesus, Are You Only Amazed?"
• "This is Jesus’ second recorded, and His last, visit to His hometown of Nazareth as far as we know. His previous homecoming did not go well at all (Luke 4:16-30). Initially impressed by His preaching (Luke 4:22), the town He grew up in turned on Him and attempted to murder Him (Luke 4:28-30). In spite of such treatment, Jesus returns, this time with His 12 apostles. It will be a painful training time." 
• "As we consider how Jesus was treated by His own hometown, His own family and friends, it might be good for us to reflect on how we treat this Servant King and how we respond to the One who was rejected by those who were certain they knew Him best. It is critically important that we see Jesus as He truly is and as He is revealed in Scripture, not as we might hope, wish, or want Him to be." 
• The questions posed by the Nazarenes who witnessed Jesus's miracles and His teaching were meant to be disparaging.  
• "His teachings should astonish us, but that is not enough."
• Jesus's miracles at this point in the New Testament are many including healing Peter's mother in law, healings in Capernaum, etc. all chronicled in Mark 1:29-31, 32-34, 40-45, 2:1-12, 3:1-6, 7-12, 4:35-41, 5:1-20, 25-34, and 35-43. Unfortunately, they were not enough to move the Nazarenes to belief in Jesus for who He really is. Instead they saw Jesus for what they thought He was an ordinary man from their hometown.  

Without passing judgement on the Nazarenes here (God alone is judge), it is instructive for us to examine our own response to Jesus.  Do we see Him as a good man and role model (I did for a long time)?  Or do we truly see Him as the Son of God and as our Savior.  This is crucial for us - if we don't see Jesus as God and our Savior, then we should be encouraged to know Jesus more through study of His Word and through a disciple relationship with a mature believer than can sharpen You in Your understanding of Jesus and demonstrate Jesus through action (love of God and others, service, etc.).  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an amazing God who loves me and who is full of incredible grace and compassion for me....saving me while still an enemy and hostile to God.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of my salvation nor any of the blessings You pour out for me.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief.

Mark 6:1-6

And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. Mark 6:5-6

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 6:1-6, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: God could have done more mighty works in Nazareth - we must remember that God is all powerful.  We must also remember that God came to seek and save the lost and this salvation requires faith.  Although some are saved others reject belief in Jesus.  See also Matthew 10:14, Acts 13:51, Mark 6:11 and Luke 9:5. God both hardens and softens the hearts as He wills.  
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: There will be people we encounter whose heart is hardened towards God.    
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We are to seek and save the lost as Jesus did and to proclaim the Gospel - but to remember that it is Jesus alone that hardens and softens hearts and saves.  Our role is to be messengers and to be light demonstrating the Gospel.   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God You are an awesome God who loves me and who saves!  Thank You Father God for softening my heart and saving me!  I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.”

Mark 5:21-43

 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” Mark 5:36

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus continues to be a commentary-assisted review of Mark 5:21-43, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary - which offers three divisions for this text. Excerpts from the commentary's third (of three) division (vv35-43): 

• The commentary's title for the third division is "Jesus Has Authority over the Power of Death."
• Noting the mocking Jesus endured by those who laughed at Him (v40), the commentary shares: "[h]ard-core realists who breathe the air of skepticism will always be with us. They will mock our faith in a crucified Jew and ridicule our trust in a God we cannot see. They will laugh at your love for the Savior who has cleansed you of sin’s defilement and given you spiritual life by His atoning work on the cross. Nevertheless, believe. Have faith—not faith in faith, which is spiritual nonsense, but faith in the omnipotent, sovereign Lord Jesus whose authority and power are absolute and know no rival." 
•  Jesus touches the dead girl - taboo according to Old Testament law. 
•  The commentary then asks and responds to five questions similar to the Sword Bible Study Method.  
• "What does this text teach me about God? God honors the faith of all who come to Him through Jesus. Social status, gender, or any other distinction does not matter. God cares for the demon possessed, the man of distinction, the outcast woman, and the little girl who is powerless."
• "What does this text teach me about sinful humanity? Disease and death are realities we must face in our fallen and sinful world."
• "What does this text teach me about Jesus Christ? Jesus cares for the hurting. Jesus does His work on His timetable. When Jesus touches the unclean, they become clean as He takes on their uncleanness. Jesus gives healing and life to those who trust Him as He takes on our diseases and dies our death (Isaiah 53)."
• "What does God want me to know? We can come to Jesus with our request no matter who we are or what we have done. We must come to Jesus in faith, believing and not fearing[.]" 
• "What does God want me to do? God wants you to come to Him with any and every request. God wants you to trust Him regardless of the circumstances or situation."

The application shared in the last bullet from the commentary excerpts is key - all details of our lives are in God's hands - big and small.  He seeks for us to be utterly dependent on Him for all of our needs and we should not take for granted how He provides for all of our needs.  Often our circumstances may tempt us to question whether God is at work or not, but rest assured God is in all things and working all things for good for those who love Him (Colossians 1:15-17, Ephesians 4:6, Romans 8:28). Our fear and anxiety is driven by our lack of faith.  During times of fear and anxiety turn towards Jesus. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that loves and who knows our circumstances, empathizes with all of our concerns, hears our cries and responds to our cries.  You are good and You love and saved me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You love and save.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

Mark 5:21-43

But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” Mark  5:33-34

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 5:21-43, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary - which offers three divisions for this text. Excerpts from the commentary's second (of three) division (vv24-34): 

• The commentary's title for the second division is "Jesus Responds to the Pain of the Diseased."
• The text focuses on Jesus's healing of a woman with discharge of blood for twelve years (v25), and the commentary first points us to Old Testament law (see Leviticus 15:25-30, 22:1-9, Numbers 5:1-4) led to those with discharge to live not just with their malady, but also with heavy stigma of being labeled as "unclean" and "ostracized" from the community.  This is of course a heavy burden with which to live. Yet once again, we Jesus help this woman.  
• Not fully understand who Jesus is, the woman did nonetheless believe that Jesus could heal her so she simply touches His garment. She believed and was healed immediately.  Upon being discovered by Jesus that she did this, she fell at His feet acknowledging her act.  Jesus demonstrates love and compassion as she serves as an example of why Jesus came - to heal.    

If you are an unbeliever, you must start with acknowledging that all of humanity is unclean without Jesus - Romans 3:10-12, 23, and 1 John 1:8. Just as He did with the woman in the text, Jesus heals us both spiritually and physically (per Revelation 21:4 upon death our bodies will be perfect and never decay).  If we confess our sin, seek forgiveness and then acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and Savior then we are saved (Romans 10:10).  Jesus seeks this type of faith where if we believe that Jesus will help us, then He will, and we must be prepared in desperate circumstances, like this woman, to fall down before Jesus in prayer.  Jesus saves and He hears and responds to our prayers.   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of incredible grace and compassion for me - saving me while an enemy and hostile to You.  You have seen me through desperate circumstances, You never leave or forsake me, and You provide for all of my needs.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of my salvation, nor any of the blessings You pour out for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “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.” And he went with him.

Mark 5:21-43

Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “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.” And he went with him. Mark  5:22-24

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 5:21-43, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary - which offers three divisions for this text. Excerpts from the commentary's introduction for this chapter and for the first (of three) division (vv21-24): 

• The main idea for the text vv21-43 is "[w]e can come to Jesus with our requests, and He will honor even imperfect faith when the object of that faith is Him"
• The commentary's title for the first division is "Jesus Hears the Cries of the Distressed."
• "This text has what we call a “sandwich structure,” beginning with the story of Jairus (5:21-24), interrupted by the story of a suffering woman (5:24-34), and ending with Jairus again (5:35-43). The purpose is to make comparisons." 
• We are urged to see how "Jesus cares for those in trouble," and how Mark 4 and 5 present text for how Jesus has providence over creation, demons, disease, and even death. He has performed signs and wonders and is now drawing great crowds at this point in His ministry.  
• Jairus is presented as a ruler of the synagogue (v22) and the commentary emphasizes how this is a man of distinction and respect but he comes to Jesus with great humility as v22 continues describes him falling at Jesus's feet "implor[ing] him earnestly."  This is "in spite of [Jesus's] growing opposition of the religious establishment, he bucks the trend and comes to Jesus."    
• This humility is what Jesus seeks for us and the commentary reminds us that must not only have humility but also utter dependency and faith that we should come to Jesus with urgency that He is the one who holds our lives in His hands and we must rest on Him for all of our needs.  

While prayer is not explicit in the text today, I am drawn to how we must cast our cares and concerns on Him (1 Peter 5:7), and acknowledge how "apart from [Jesus], [we] can do nothing" (John 15:5).  Just as Jairus did, we must fall on our feet and go to God and for believers this is prayer. God hears and responds to our prayers!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer:  Father God You are an awesome God that is able to do it all - all knowing, all seeing, and all powerful.  I can do nothing without You.  In spite of my sin, You saved me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You save.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.

Mark 5:21-43

Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live. Mark 5:23

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 5:21-43, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: God is all powerful, able to do what no mortal being can do - He raises Jairus's daughter from the dead and heals the bleeding woman (after she had spent all that she had with doctors and her condition not only did not improve but grew worse).  God is also one of great compassion, referring to those who come in faith as daughter (v34) and He takes Jairus's daughter by her hand (v41) - He wants us to be part of His family which is a family with bonds much stronger than with earthly families.  
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: People are desperate for Him, yet they don't fully understand who is He is as He is still referred to as Teacher.  Of course He is Teacher but He is the One True God and it is only the demons that recognize Him at this point in scripture - they even laugh at Him (v40).  People both seek Jesus and they fear Him (v33) for His power - this is a reverent fear and it is appropriate because if we anger or disappoint Him, He holds our lives in His hands  
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We can claim the promise that Jesus heals - this is guaranteed both spiritually and physically and while it may not be in this life, it will be in Heaven (see Revelation 21:4). Jesus came to seek and save the lost so we should as well - following His lead as well as those such as Paul who mission work and fruit is detailed in Acts and much of the New Testament. Our faith should follow those of Jairus and the bleeding woman who sought simply a touch. I am reminded of the Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32). 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and who is seeks for us to be part of His family - You care for us SO much that You sent Your One and Only Son Jesus to die for us.  Thank You Father!  I am not deserving of such a gift - the greatest gift of all time.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

“Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

Mark 5:1-20

“Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled. Mark  5:19-20

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 5:1-20, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary - which offers three divisions for this text. Excerpts from the commentary's third (of three) division (vv14-20): 

• The commentary's title for this division is "Jesus Commissions the Delivered."
• The demon possessed man who has now been healed is emphasized as "a new creation" and we are referred to 2 Corinthians 5:17.
• The reaction of the townspeople is remarked as fear over this rabbi Jesus and His amazing powers and over loss of two thousand pigs. They certainly did not care for the demon possessed man.  This is contrasted with God's grace towards the man.  The commentary shares: "[t]he townspeople may not have cared for the demoniac’s soul, but the Son of God did. Jesus made him a new man. Heaven was glad, but his fellow humans wanted him gone. What a sad commentary on the wickedness and self-centeredness of the human heart void of the grace of God."  
• While the man sought to stay with Jesus, Jesus instead sought for the man to spread the word about what just happened: “[t]ell them of My mercy,” Jesus basically tells the man. “Be My witness; give your testimony. You were lost but now you are saved. You once belonged to Satan, but now you belong to the Son of God.”  We should note that Jesus gave this mission to the man who will now live among those who feared Jesus - they will hear the Truth about Jesus's love, mercy, and compassion for the man and how Jesus seeks to save.  We are referred to Luke 7:47 where the text shares how those who are forgiven much love much.  

We all have a story to tell about how we were forgiven much and saved by Christ.  This should compel us to love Jesus and others as Jesus loves us.  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, what an awesome God that You love me - saving me while still sinning and hostile to You.  You pour out Your mercies ceaselessly and every day for me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of my salvation nor any of the blessings that You pour out for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.

Mark 5:1-20

So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea. Mark  5:13

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 5:1-20, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary - which offers three divisions for this text. Excerpts from the commentary's second (of three) division (vv6-13): 

• The commentary's title for this division is "Jesus Conquers the Destructive."
• Emphasizing vv6-7, the commentary describes how the demonic man threw himself at Jesus's feet, "not [as] an act of worship, but an acknowledgement of authority."  
• "[The demons] knowledge of Jesus’ identity is superior to the disciples’ knowledge, at least at this point in their journey. The demon’s confession in 5:7 answers the disciples’ question in 4:41. The demoniac knows who Jesus is, and he knows his existence is at stake. His time has run out."
• "[The demonic man's] only hope was in a Liberator whose power and authority were greater than what now possessed him. That Liberator was Jesus Christ, the Son of God."
•  "In a microcosm of the battle between good and evil, Jesus gives a preview of the fate of Satan and his demons. The demons, through the voice of the man, keep begging Jesus not to send them out of the region. The tormentor is now the tormented as he contemplates his destiny." See also Luke 8:31 for more details on this account.  They begged and bargained with Jesus - see v12.
• As the man was cutting himself with stones, the commentary insists that Satan was so tormenting this man that he was driving the man to suicide. The commentary points to William Lane who shares that "[f]irst, Jesus recognized the time of the ultimate vanquishment of the demons had not yet come; his encounter and triumph over the demonic does not yet put an end to Satan’s power. It is the pledge and the symbol of that definitive triumph, but the time when that triumph will be fully realized is yet deferred. It must await the appointment of God. Therefore, Jesus allows the demons to continue their destructive work, but not upon a man. The second element is related to this: Jesus allowed the demons to enter the swine to indicate beyond question that their real purpose was the total destruction of their host."
• "The event demonstrates that God cares more for man, whom He created in His image and recreates in salvation, than He does for animals that do not bear His image."  

Jesus has total dominion and authority over everything in the universe, including Satan and evil.  Believers know and can take great comfort in knowing that Jesus has already defeated death and victory over Satan is assured - see also Revelation 20.  We also know that Jesus seeks to save as many as He can and tell us to "have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire" (Jude 22-23). The demon-possessed man was desperate for help but not beyond salvation.  If you feel beyond help, be encouraged!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  Thank You for the comfort in knowing that victory over sin and death is already won and assured.  I am not deserving the salvation You give me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones.

Mark 5:1-20

And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. Mark  5:2-5

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 5:1-20, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary - which offers three divisions for this text. Excerpts from the commentary's introduction to this chapter and the first (of three) division (vv1-5): 

• The commentary's title for this chapter is division is "Can the Demonized Be Delivered?"
  and for the first division is "Jesus Confronts the Demonic."
• The main idea for the chapter is "Jesus is the Servant King who liberates those enslaved in a fallen world by wielding absolute authority, even over demons." 
• "Jesus believed Jesus believed demons were real, and that should settle for all of us the question of their existence. Yet beyond this fact, we see in our Lord’s encounter with the Gerasene demoniac the power, mercy, and authority of the Son of God, who commands the demon with merely a word."  
• In the last chapter, v41, after witnessing Jesus rebuke and calm the winds and the sea, the disciples wonder who Jesus is and here the commentary emphasizes how chapter 5 reveals for the disciples Jesus' true identity, although it is the demon who does this not Jesus.  
• Old Testament ritual law stated that touching of a dead body meant that you were unclean and here in the text we see a demon-possessed man living among the dead so he would have been deemed defiled and unclean - Satan "conquered and captured." 
• We are referred to John 10:10 and 1 Peter 5:8 where the text shares how Satan seeks steal, kill, destroy and devour. The commentary indicates that this was Satan's attempt with the demonic man in the text - that he sought to drive this poor soul to death and eternal damnation. 
• Yet even in death, as we see in death bed confessions, God is at work looking to save as many as possible as we shall see in vv6-13 (the next division). 

I don't know know anyone who reads this text and sees himself as the demonic man - while this may be, we should see how all believers are unclean and condemned for eternity without Jesus.  See Ephesians 2:1-3.  Some of us may believe that we are so unclean and not worthy of salvation - but God came to seek and save the lost - Luke 19:10.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God and I am beyond grateful for my salvation - I was deeply lost in my sin and spiritually dead and condemned without You.  Yet You reached down into the pit and saved me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of my salvation nor any of the blessings You pour out for me...daily.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!”

Mark 5:1-20

And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” Mark 5:6-8

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 5:1-20, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: God is full of compassion, as He seeks to heal all of our affliction - spiritual, emotional, and physical.  He engaged with the man with the unclean spirit to heal Him.  Ultimately, God seeks to save us spiritually.  God is all powerful and has providence over all matters including Satan and sin - He was able to heal the man that others could not even subdue.
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: People often fail to understand who Jesus is - and in this instance they saw what He was able to do and perhaps marveled at what He was able to do but other than the cleansed man, no one else recognized Jesus for who He is as the herdsmen and people from the region sought for Jesus to depart.  They cared perhaps more about the lost pigs than they did the life of the cleansed man.  
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We can claim the promise the Jesus heals both inside and out - physical ailments will ultimately be healed if not in this life but when we get to Heaven - see also Revelation 21:4.  We should follow the example of the cleansed man told by Jesus to tell his friends how much the Lord has done for us and how he had mercy on [him] (vv19-20). 

Every believer has a story of how God cleansed us from the inside out and we should be prepared to share with everyone we know what God has done for us.  See also 1 Peter 3:15.  We are to be a light.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that has healed me from the inside out and produced fruit - not through anything I did but because of everything You did starting with loving me and saving me while I was an enemy and hostile to You. Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me for my sin and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Mark 4:35-41

And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” Mark 4:41

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 4:35-41, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary - which offers six divisions for this text. Excerpts from the commentary's sixth (of six) division (v41): 

• The commentary's title for this division is "The Identity of Jesus Is an Issue We All Must Settle." 
• "The text says they were “terrified.” The fear of the disciples at what Jesus has done and who He might be exceeds the fear they had over the storm. The presence of God is far more frightening than the most destructive forces of nature. One can take your life. The other can claim your soul....Despite their recent experiences with Jesus as He taught and performed miracles, they still aren’t sure just who He is." 
• From the conclusion of this chapter of the commentary looking at the entirety of vv35-41, the commentary shares: "The parallels between Jesus stilling the storm and the story of Jonah should not surprise us. Jesus called Himself the true Jonah in Matthew 12:40. He is the true Jonah who was consumed by the stormy sea of God’s wrath as He hung on the cross. He endured the storm so that we could find peace and be saved. Jesus calmed the only storm that could truly drown us: God’s wrath and judgment. He went down in the storm only to emerge three days later as the One who stilled the just and righteous wrath of God against sinners." 

All of us, believers or not must make a decision for Christ or not and if we choose wisely then we are saved.  If not, we will experience eternal damnation.  Unbelievers may not acknowledge it, but they are slaves to sin and worshiping some other god then the One True God.  Believers are encouraged to be merciful to those who doubt, as we seek to save others from the fire (Jude 22-23).  We must also remember that we are not doing doing the saving, so we must pray for Jesus to soften hearts to save and to be a light so that unbelievers can see and experience Jesus through us. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, Jesus, You are an awesome God that saves and Your mercies are ceaseless and they are new every morning.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of my salvation nor any of the blessings or mercies You pour out for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

Mark 4:35-41

But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Mark 4:38

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 4:35-41, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary - which offers six divisions for this text. Excerpts from the commentary's second (of six) division (v38): 

• The commentary's title for this division is "Jesus Is Human Aside from Sin." The commentary actually offers two divisions for v38 - I already posted about the second of these here, but because I missed the first one, I came back to it today. 
• Believers know the Jesus is both fully man, and fully God.  He came to us as the Incarnate Son of God to both experience life as we do, and then to die for us, taking upon Himself God's wrath as one perfect spotless sacrifice that served as the final sacrifice for all of humanity throughout all of redemptive history.  The commentary emphasizes this as well as sharing how Jesus lived without sin and He "had no sin nature."  We are referred to to 2 Corinthians 5:21, and Hebrews 4:15.
• "Both His humanity and His deity are put on display in this story, and it is humanity that appears so clearly when He is in stern of the boat, fast asleep on a cushion. The Bible repeatedly teaches our Lord’s full and true humanity. He got hungry (Matt 4:2). He got angry (Mark 3:5). He cried (John 11:35). He died (the cross). Now we see He slept. He had an exhausting day, and He kept on sleeping right through the storm. This is the only time in the Gospels that we read of Jesus sleeping."
• "[Jesus] had complete trust in the providential care of His Father. The veteran seamen may be terrified, but the Carpenter from Nazareth [slept] soundly."  

The commentary here wraps by also sharing that just as Jesus had a work to do (His ministry) before He went to the cross how we also have a work to do and just as Jesus did, we can endure what He endured because He gives us the Holy Spirit, He never leaves or forsakes us, He knows everything about us and can sympathize with us (Hebrews 4:15), etc.  We have an awesome God who equips us to weather the storms of life!  Praise Jesus!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God You are indeed an awesome God who loves us and who saves and equips us to weather the storms of life.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of my salvation nor any of the blessings You pour out for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”

Mark 4:35-41

He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” Mark 4:40

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 4:35-41, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary - which offers six divisions for this text. Excerpts from the commentary's fifth (of six) division (v40): 

• The commentary's title for this division is "Trials and Difficulties Come for the Benefit of Our Faith."  
• Describing the disciples likely reaction to Jesus's mild rebuke of them for the lack of faith, the commentary shares that "[b]y now they should have a greater comprehension and increased faith in His person. This was a golden teaching moment, but they came up short. In the eye of the storm, rather than trusting Him, the disciples accuse Jesus of forsaking them (v. 38). Unfortunately, this will not be the last time Jesus must point out their lack of faith (7:18; 8:17,21,33; 9:9). Until they see the resurrected Christ and fully understand what He did for them on the cross, they are going to struggle." 
• At the same time, we are encouraged us to grow in our faith as the commentary shares: "[w]e, in contrast, have no excuse. We know Jesus is all-powerful and all-knowing God. We know He has taken care of all our sin. We know He rose from the dead. We know He can be trusted no matter what! Trials and difficulties are divine appointments to strengthen our faith."   

Until we meet Jesus once again upon our death (glorification) or until He returns (second coming), all believers are a work in progress as we strive to grow in in our knowledge and love of Him, and as a result become more like Him (sanctification).  This is a day-by-day progressive process - we may often feel as if this process is too slow but we can be comforted that God is always at work.  Importantly, God is at work in the trials and difficulties of life.  See also Colossians 1:17b where the text shares that Jesus "holds all things together."  We don't know what He is doing (Isaiah 55:8), but we can take comfort that God is in "all things [to] work [them] together for good" (Romans 8:28).  We of course should also know that we will also overcome the world (John 16:33) and see Jesus face to face and at that point our sanctification will be complete!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that I know is at work in me.  Thank You Jesus for working in my life and heart and of course for my salvation.  Please continue because I know I am still a work in progress and there is more sin to shed.  Please forgive me of this sin and help me turn from and overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.    

And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Mark 4:35-41

And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Mark 4:39

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 4:35-41, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary - which offers six divisions for this text. Excerpts from the commentary's fourth (of six) division (v39): 

• The commentary's title for this division is "Jesus Has Authority over Nature Because He Is God."  
• "God and only God is thrice “omni.” He is omniscient: He knows all things (actual and potential). He is omnipresent: He always exists everywhere. He is omnipotent: He is all-powerful."
• "Jesus’ gracious humility is on display as He does not chasten the disciples for their less-than-charitable summons. In a simple, non-magical statement He rebukes the wind and says to the sea, 'Silence! Be still!'"
• The commentary highlights in the the original Greek, Jesus uses the same word from Mark 1 to rebuke the demons as He does here to rebuke the wind.
• We must understand that only God has such authority - Jesus must be God! 

For readers of scripture today, we can only read about Jesus's death and resurrection, and about the miracles from His ministry.  We must take it as faith the scripture is Truth and inerrant. While we cannot experience the miracles as Jesus's disciples did, we have all seen God's hand in our own lives.  I saw my own mom profess faith and be baptized at 81 years old - she died 3 years later.  My mom was Jewish her whole life and lived 2000 miles away from me - Jesus was at work for sure as He is in all salvations because only He softens hearts and brings people to faith - Ephesians 2:8-9. There is so much more I can say about God's hand in my life and miraculous things He has done in my life.  God is SO good!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves, saves, never leaves or forsakes, etc. Thank You Jesus, but I am not deserving of how You save and how You never stop working for me interceding on my behalf. My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?

Mark 4:35-41

But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing? Mark 4:38

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 4:35-41, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary - which offers six divisions for this text. Excerpts from the commentary's third (of six) division (v38): 

• The commentary's title for this division is "We Panic When We Lose Faith in the One We Should Trust." 
• "[The disciples] demand, “Do you not care that we are perishing?” They question His love and concern for them. Frustrated by what appears to be indifference to their plight and facing a desperate situation they have no hope of handling themselves, they lash out in a rude outburst rather than exhibiting faith in the One who has proven Himself trustworthy." 
• The commentary reminds us that we all have these moments where our faith is tested and we lash out in frustration or panic.

It's important that we not stray far from God's Word, His people, prayer, etc. for us to remind ourselves that God is in everything and that He never leaves or forsakes us. Anger is often one of my responses.  Yet I have seen God's hand in helping with my anger and I am reminded by James 1:2-4 that I will experience trials of "various kinds." Surely, I can cry out to God but I should avoid using words to tear down and anger - see James 3:6, 8b-9, and James 1:19-20. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, what an awesome God You are that You love me and are so full of mercy, patience, and compassion for me - even when my trust in You fails and I sin by lashing out in anger and frustration.  Thank You Jesus for Your mercy, compassion, grace, and patience.  I am not deserving of my salvation nor these blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.