And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

Mark 9:1-13

And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.” Mark 9:12-13

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 9:1-13.  Excerpts from the third (of three) division (vv9-13):

• For the third division, the title is: "Learn from the Suffering of God’s Servants."
•  "[Today's text includes] our Lord’s last command to silence and the only one that receives a time limitation. After the resurrection, proclamation will be the order of the day!" 
• "The “Son of Man” title appeared only twice in the first half of Mark (2:10,28). Now it will occur with great regularity, especially in the context of His suffering (8:31; 9:9,12; 10:33,45; 14:21,41). The title hearkens back to the heavenly man of Daniel 7:13-14[.]" 
•  "Jesus makes a surprising connection. “‘Elijah does come first and restores everything,’ He replied. ‘How then is it written about the Son of Man that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt?’” Wow! They did not see that one coming! The same divine Scriptures that predicted the coming of Elijah prior to the Day of the Lord also predicted a suffering Messiah. How did they miss Psalms 16; 22; 110; Isaiah 52:13–53:12? Read the whole of the Old Testament in light of Genesis 3:15, and all of it unfolds from there. The Son of Man will suffer, be treated with contempt, be killed, and then rise from the dead."  
• "As for Elijah, he has come in the person of John the Baptist (see Matthew 17:12-13). They rejected his message and killed him. They will do the same with Jesus. John fulfilled the assignment given to him by God, and so would our Lord. God would faithfully see them through their suffering and greatest hours of trial! Might we not be able to trust Him to do the same for us?!"   

 

 

Peter, James and John could not understand that Jesus would suffer and die - all as part of a divine plan that would ultimately lead to Christ's resurrection and ascension to Heaven.  We as Christians can see throughout redemptive history how others suffered and died on behalf of the mission Christ gives us in Matthew 28:19-20 to share the gospel to all nations.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer:  Father God You are an awesome God who loves and saves.  You sent Your Son Jesus to suffer and die so that I could have life now to the full and for eternity in Heaven.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a blessing - the greatest gift of all time.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me and help me turn from and overcome my 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 energy and wisdom.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord 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 a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

Mark 9:1-13

And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” Mark 9:7

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 9:1-13.  Excerpts from the second (of three) division (vv5-8):

• For the second division, the title is: "Listen to the Voice of God the Father."
• "In these verses only two persons speak: Peter and God the Father. Jesus does not say a word. He doesn’t need to! Peter’s words we can set aside and even excuse in light of his fear (v. 6) and his being suddenly awakened from a nap (Luke 9:32). We must hear the Father’s words and heed them. Our spiritual lives depend on it."  
• The cloud overshadowing them here in the Transfiguration (v7) is similar to how God "enveloped" the tabernacle as Moses and the priests led worship during Israel's time in the wilderness (Exodus 40:35, 1 Kings 8:10-11).  The commentary also emphasizes how despite Peter suggested how tents should be constructed for Jesus, Moses and Elijah, no such tents are necessary in the presence of God. 
• Of course God's words and exhortation to listen to Jesus echo His words during Jesus' baptism (Mark 1:11).  We are also referred to Deuteronomy 18:15 where God shares a prophecy of a coming Messiah.
• "When the cloud disappears, Elijah and Moses vanish, and “Jesus alone” remains. Moses and Elijah were great revealers of truth along with all the other prophets, but the voice of God commands us to listen to His Son, Jesus. Give Him your ears."

From an earthly perspective, we may claim many physical needs for food, water, shelter, etc. but most importantly we need Jesus.  It is from Him where all provision comes and He saves providing our daily bread and the "living water" and if we drink of this water we will never thirst again (John 4:13-14).

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are SO good providing for not just my physical needs but also for my emotional and spiritual needs as You save and You pour out mercies for me daily that overflow and never cease.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You provide 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. 

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.

Mark 9:1-13

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. Mark 9:2-3

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 9:1-13.  Excerpts from the commentary's introduction to the entirety of the text and for the first (of three) division (vv1-4):

• The title the entirety of the text (vv1-13) is "A Glimpse of Glory: The Transfiguration of Jesus," and the main idea is "The transfiguration reveals the glorious true identity and deity of Jesus Christ."
• "Although He is not the kind of Messiah Savior the nation of Israel was expecting, He is exactly the Messiah Savior they needed. He looks defeated, but He is actually victorious. He dies and is buried by men, but He will be raised and exalted by God. He looks like a regular dude, but in actuality He is deity!"  
• "The transfiguration is something of “a preview of coming attractions.” It follows Peter’s great confession (Mark 8:27-30), Jesus’ prediction of His death (8:31-33), His call to radical discipleship (8:34-38), and His promise that some standing with Him will see the kingdom (9:1). These events are related."  
• "What happened to Moses in the early stages of redemptive history prefigured a greater Moses, a greater exodus, and a greater salvation. Note the following comparison table (adapted from Garland, Mark, 342)[.]"

 

 

• "A new and greater Moses has arrived, the long-awaited prophet He had promised (Deuteronomy 18:15-20). Yes, Jesus is God’s eschatological prophet. He is also God’s much-loved Son." 
• For the first division, the title is: "Look at the Glory of the Son of God."
• We are exhorted to see how v1 offers great encouragement as Jesus refers to the Transfiguration and later His resurrection as a preview of the full "kingdom of God after it has come with power."  The commentary points to Psalm 104:1 and shares that the Transfiguration represents how via "a brief moment our Lord’s true identity is allowed to shine forth in all its glory. Here is the Christ they will see when He triumphantly comes the second time, to establish His universal kingdom (Revelation 19:11-16)." 
• For a more full understanding of the Transfiguration the commentary refers us to Luke 9:31 where the text shares how Jesus is talking with Moses and Elijah and Jesus talks with them about His death - His pending crucifixion at Jerusalem and how "Jesus would lead the people of God out of the bondage of sin in a new exodus through His death (a new Passover) and resurrection, and He would constitute a new people called the church." 
• We are also referred to Malachi 4:4-6 as the commentary shares: "[w]ith their appearing, the Law and Prophets are signaled as being fulfilled in the coming of Messiah who has brought the kingdom of God near (cf. Mark 1:15). This is not Mount Sinai all over again. No, this is a gospel mountain, not a law mountain. Here the law of God and the grace of God converge in the One who is God incarnate and the fulfillment of all the Old Testament promised. Look at Him and believe His gospel."

Thank You God for the richness of Your Word and for resources such as this commentary for me to better understand important Biblical moments such as the Transfiguration and how the Old Testament and New Testament are connected into a single redemptive Truth that all points to Jesus!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God You are an awesome God who loves me and who blessed me with Your Word so that I can know and deepen my love and desire for You.  You saved me while I was still an enemy and hostile to You.  Thank You Jesus.  You continue to bless me richly and I am so not deserving.  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 a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

Mark 9:1-13

And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” Mark 9:7

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 9:1-13, 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?: Jesus is patient with Peter, James, and John, even dealing with their peculiarities (v6) as they - as do all the disciples - struggle to comprehend who Jesus is.  Jesus here - via special revelation - reveals more about Himself to three of the disciples.  Each have a special place in the Bible and church history and God seeks to build them up as leaders of His church by equipping them with what they need to know about Him and giving them confidence and encouragement to perform their roles. Peter will be the foundation of the church (as well as Paul).  Click here and here for how God selected James and John (together with Peter) and for how He equipped them.  The Transfiguration highlights one of Jesus' attributes as Holy and perfect - v3.
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: Our experiences of Jesus often terrify us (v6) - by witnessing His awesome power.  We should live in reverent fear of who God is, and this should drive us into Jesus' arms.  See this post from John Piper who refers to this reverent fear as a "preservative" that keeps us close to Him and prevents us from falling away. 
• 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 must listen to Jesus - see v7. We must also suffer as Jesus shares He will (and does) - vv12-13.  Paul comforts us by sharing that to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). We are to become Holy because He is holy (see also text here).   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, thank You for revealing Yourself to me through Your Word, creation, etc.  I am not deserving of how You save and reveal Yourself to me - softening my heart to be saved. Thank You Jesus. But I am not deserving of how You save.  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. 

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.

Mark 8:27-38

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. Mark 8:34-35

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 8:27-38.  Excerpts from the commentary's third (of three) division (vv34-38):

• For the third division, the title is: "You Must Understand and Accept That Jesus Calls You to Die."
• "Jesus lays out the essence of “the normal Christian life,” the basics of discipleship, which sadly in our day looks like “the radical Christian life.” Being Jesus’ disciple requires three essentials."  
• "Deny yourself.  Live as Christ directs.  Treasure and value Jesus more than yourself, your comforts, your aspirations. Put to death the idol of I! Say no to you and yes to Jesus!"
• "Second, take up your cross. Die! Luke 9:23 adds the word “daily” because that is what we must do. This is not normal or natural, but it is necessary to be Christ’s disciple. And it is a slow, painful death.  Finally, follow Me! Are we willing to believe and obey Jesus? It will be radical, not comfortable, because it involves a death to the self-centered life." 
• "Following Jesus involves risking it all—safety, security, satisfaction in this world. But He promises us that it leads to a reward this world can never, ever offer."  
• "Your life is set free to live the normal/radical Christian life when you see death as reward, when you can say with Paul, “For me, living is Christ and dying is gain” (Philippians 1:21)."

Upon some reflection of the text and the commentary today - one can see this as a negative - that we are denying something that we truly want.  Yet the more we understand, know and love Jesus, the more we set our mind on the things of God.  At this point, obedience to God is not a burden (1 John 5:3).  We seek His will because we know God and know that He loves us and blesses us more richly than the world ever will.  John Piper refers to this as Christian Hedonism where God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and blesses richly those who love Him.  You bless beyond anything we could ever imagine.  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 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 turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Mark 8:27-38

But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Mark 8:33

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 8:27-38.  Excerpts from the commentary's second (of three) division (vv31-33):

• For the first division, the title is: "You Must Learn and Affirm the Ways of God and Not Man."
• "The first half of Mark focuses on who He is. The Gospel tells us the King has come! Our response is to repent and believe. The first confession comes from an insider when Peter says, “You are the Messiah!” (8:29). The second half focuses on what He came to do. The Gospel tells us the King must die! Our response is to take up our cross and follow Him." 
• "A King who dies is not what they expected or wanted. It is, however, what they desperately needed." 
• "Jesus begins a new chapter in the disciples’ education. It is time for them to graduate, even if they are not ready."  
• "God’s way will be different from what a world that exalts power would expect: He will suffer, be rejected, especially by the religious establishment, be killed, and rise three days later." 
• "All of this must happen. It is necessary. It is what the Scriptures promised. This is why He came. This is what sin’s payment demands and we cannot provide. This is where the law of God and the love of God will meet! This is where judgment and grace kiss! Rob the word “must” of its meaning, and you empty the gospel and the cross of its glory. God’s ways are often hard but clear."  
• "Peter offers Jesus the crown without the cross. He thinks he has a better plan than God does. Peter wants a Jesus who fits his agenda. He thinks he knows the kind of Messiah Jesus needs to be and attempts to reshape and redefine Him to fit his conception."  
• "No, you and I must learn and affirm the ways of God, not man. You may not fully understand it. It may not be easy or safe. It will, however, be best. In fact, it will be perfect (Romans 12:2)."

A full appreciation of who Jesus is, His ways and thoughts, can only be understood once we get face to face with Him.  Until such a time, we can lean on scripture and prayer to gain as much of an understanding that God wants to reveal to us.  We do know that God seeks humility....it's not about us...we must surrender our lives to Him and allow Him to work through us.  It's His will we seek, not ours.  

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My Prayer: Father God, Your ways are good, true, and perfect.  I know this as I have experienced this in my own life and have seen the work of Your hands.  Thank You Jesus for working in my heart and life.  I am not deserving of my salvation nor how all things work together for good through You.  My sin continues...and it is great.  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 asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”

Mark 8:27-38

And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” Mark 8:29

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 8:27-38.  Excerpts from the commentary's introduction for the entirety of the text and for the first (of three) division (vv27-30):

• The main idea for the entirety of the text is: "The normal Christian life involves dying to self that we may find life in Christ."
• Quoting David Platt, the commentary shares:  "[w]e American Christians have a way of taking the Jesus of the Bible and twisting him into a version of Jesus that we are more comfortable with. A nice middle-class American Jesus. A Jesus who doesn’t mind materialism and would never call us to give away everything we have. A Jesus who is fine with nominal devotion that does not infringe on our comforts."  
• "This text will provide the answer to three crucial questions: Who is Jesus? What did He come to do? What does He expect of you? It is the beginning of the “Great Discipleship Discourse” (8:31–10:52), in which three times Jesus predicts His passion (8:31-33; 9:30-32; 10:32-34). Immediately following each time, He instructs them concerning true discipleship and what it means to truly follow Him because they just do not get it!"
• "[Jesus] explains what the normal Christian life looks like and what it means to follow a King who came to die and serve, who calls His followers to die and serve as well." 
• For the first division, the title is: "You Must Know and Personally Confess Who Jesus Is."
• "Jesus takes the Twelve north for a time of private instruction. Caesarea Philippi is an unlikely location for the first human proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah. It represents the outer regions of paganism, idolatry, and hostility to the Hebrew faith. We are at a crucial turning point. As Jesus brought gradual physical sight to the blind man of Bethsaida (8:22-26), He will now bring gradual spiritual sight to the disciples concerning who He is and what kind of Messiah He will be." 
•  The commentary emphasizes that as Jesus asks the disciples who He is, this is a question all believers must respond to with the only acceptable answer.  He is Messiah: God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 
• Peter responds accurately, yet later in this chapter Peter is rebuked for setting his mind on things of man vs of God.  
• We are encouraged to "[p]ersonally, publicly, and even proudly declare your allegiance to Jesus proclaiming He is the Son of God, the Messiah, the One and Only Savior of the world."

We must also remember that a critical part of developing this allegiance is to read and study God's Word.  John 1:1 shares how from the very beginning  "the Word was God."  We can attend church on Sundays but this is not enough.  We must develop a hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6) and this is accomplished by reading and studying God's Word.  Romans 12:2 highlights how God renews our mind and sets our minds on the things of God vs man and the world.   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  Thank You Jesus for 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 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 accept 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. 

For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Mark 8:27-38

For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:38

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 8:27-38, 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?: This passage focuses on Jesus teaching the disciples about His identity.  Jesus continues to reveal who He is about Himself and He wants His disciples to be clear about who He is - this is important because all believers should be clear about who Jesus is.  Jesus is God.  He is Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit - the Triumvirate God.  Although in this passage of scripture explicitly, Jesus reveals through Peter that He is The Christ which in an of itself must be unpacked.  We also understand that Jesus must die on the cross (v31) - Jesus becomes the perfect, spotless lamb of God that takes upon Himself the sin of the world and the resulting punishment - death - as a substitution and atonement for all of humanity's sins throughout redemptive history.  This must happen and as with anything relating to God's plan - it cannot be stopped. Jesus seeks for His disciples and followers to be humble and to follow His example of humility...to be more like Jesus.  
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: People may not like what God is doing - for example Peter does not like that Jesus shares that He must die at the hands of the Jewish elders.  Despite how Peter does not like Jesus' plan to die on the cross, it's not something he should take upon himself to intervene.  We should be as clear minded as possible about our circumstances to discern what God is doing and pray for wisdom about what God wants us to do in our circumstances.  We should not be rash about what we think we should do from an earthly perspective.  We should also not be ashamed about God or our faith - see v38.  We must boldly claim the Gospel.  The world may not want to hear the Gospel but we are commanded to share it.     
• 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 must avoid taking things into our own hands but instead see what God is doing in our circumstances and seek Him in prayer for wisdom and direction.  We should set our minds on the things of God - scripture and prayer - renewing our mind (Romans 12:2). We should be humble (vv34-35).  We should claim God's promise that if we deny ourself, follow Jesus and have faith - we will be saved (v35). We should not be ashamed of our faith nor about sharing the Gospel.  

V38 in particular is convicting - implying that we must be unabashed in our faith and in our efforts to live and proclaim that Christ is King, and that all must repent and belief to be saved.  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that saves and whose Good News is perfect and worthy of sharing throughout all corners of the world.  Your Word has allowed me to see You, and to deepen my understanding and love of who You are.  It has molded me into more of Your image - I know there is more to go but I am grateful for my salvation and the work You are doing in me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such 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. 

Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

Mark 8:1-26

Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Mark 8:25

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 8:1-26.  Excerpts from the commentary's fourth (of four) division (vv22-26):

• For the fourth division, the title is: "The Blind May See, but It May Come Gradually."
• "These verses constitute a visual parable that, though historically true, also symbolizes the spiritual pilgrimage of the disciples. Mark purposely sandwiches it between 8:14-21 and 8:27-38. The two-step healing Jesus uses is intentional. It is meant to portray the gradual, step-by-step understanding of the disciples." 
• "Jesus could have healed this man instantly. That He doesn’t is pedagogical. The disciples are slowly coming to see and understand that Jesus is the Messiah. However, even after Peter’s great confession in 8:29, they still have only partial sight and understanding. He is not the kind of Messiah they expected. Only after the cross and resurrection do they finally get it. They are just like this blind man who received his sight gradually."
• Quoting commentary from Sinclair Ferguson, this commentary shares that '[the disciples] spiritual understanding did not come instantaneously, but gradually. They, too, needed the second touch from the hands of their Master.' 
• "We will never be disappointed when we bring our friends to Jesus, and neither were [those who brought the blind man to be healed by Jesus]!"

Similar to the story here, Jesus could mold all believers into His exact image in an instant - He is God of course! Yet just like the blind man and the disciples, sanctification is a lifelong journey for believers that starts with our salvation and Jesus brings us home.  God wants us to depend on Him for all things and to trust Him on our faith journey that He will continue and complete a work in us. See also Philippians 1:6.  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God thank You for starting a work in me and for giving me faith that You will complete this work.  You are an incredible God who is so full of compassion and grace!  I am not deserving of how You bless 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.  

Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?

Mark 8:1-26

Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? Mark 8:17c-18

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 8:1-26.  Excerpts from the commentary's third (of four) division (vv14-21):

• For the third division, the title is: "Disciples Will See Great Works but Fail to Fully Understand."
• "[Jesus] cautioned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.” A small amount of leaven will permeate a whole batch of bread dough. The leaven of unbelief has gripped the hearts of the Pharisees and Herod and has taken control of their entire lives. Watch out! Don’t let unbelief take you down and away from the divine truth you see and hear in Me."
• "[Jesus'] questions were not intended to shame but to instruct." What compassion!  
•  We are encouraged by the commentary to lean on text where it shares (1) believe that all things are possible with God - Luke 1:37; (2) how to be content in all circumstances and to see how through Him all things are possible and how He provides - Philippians 4:12-13, and 19.

V18 in particular is key as we should remember what God has done as constant reminders of what God has done will keep us focused on who God is, and how we are utterly dependent on Him for all things - big and small. See also this post from a couple of days ago.  God is always at work, and for those who love Him, He is able to make "all things work together for good" (Romans 8:28).

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 - You reached down into the pit, while still an enemy and hostile to You, and saved me.  You continue to pour out an inexhaustible supply of grace and mercy every day - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You save and love.  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.

The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

Mark 8:1-26

The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” Mark 8:11-12

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 8:1-26.  Excerpts from the commentary's second (of four) division (vv11-13):

• For the second division, the title is: "Unbelievers Will Demand a Sign but Reject One."
• "They ask for “a sign from heaven,” something that would demonstrate what He is doing, something they amazingly do not deny is truly of God. Their motive was “to test Him.” Their goal is again to discredit Him before the people, not to test Him with a view of authenticating His ministry. It is one thing to put the Lord to a test in faith. It is another thing to test Him in unbelief." 
• "For the second time in two chapters, our Lord “sighs” with deep emotion. This time His anguish was directed at minds that refused the evidence, hearts that remained hard, eyes that refused to see, and ears that refused to hear (cf. 8:17-18). In effect He said, 'You want a sign? Read the Scriptures! Listen to My words. See what I do!....If you cannot see God at work in Me, no evidence will convince you otherwise. Your demand is just an expression of unbelief. I will not play your evil and wicked game.'" 
• "These religious zealots were physically so close to our Lord, but they had never been further away where it really mattered: in their hearts. They have lost Him. Not long from now they will crucify Him. Unbelief is evil and tragic when it says no to the gospel and God’s Son."

It is tragic when we encounter unbelief as the ultimate consequences are eternal for the unbeliever.  At the same time, only God knows when such unbelief (or doubt) is temporary.  God could be working in an unbeliever's heart and have a plan to soften the heart and bring this person to faith.  Jude 22-23 shares how we are to show mercy to those who doubt. We should have discernment about doubt vs disbelief - see this post from DesiringGod.com for a good perspective.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that loves and is full of mercy....thank You Jesus for the mercies You have poured out on me when I doubt.  I am not deserving of such mercies...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 having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. And there were about four thousand people.

Mark 8:1-26

And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. And there were about four thousand people. Mark 8:7b-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 8:1-26.  Excerpts from the commentary's introduction for the entirety of the text and for the first (of four) division (vv1-10):

• The title for this chapter of the commentary is "Sometimes We Just Don't Get It," and the main idea for the entirety of the text is "Jesus has the power to overcome our spiritual blindness and open our eyes that we may see."
• "Remembering what we have seen our Lord do in the past should help us trust Him in the present. Unfortunately, we are sometimes forgetful and even hard-hearted (8:17). In spite of seeing the Lord work in our past, we are not sure He can handle our present. We just don’t get it."
• For the first division, the title is: "Jesus Always Has a Plan, but We May Only See a Problem."
• "Once again Jesus involves His disciples in the problem. This is another teachable moment. So He calls them to Himself (v1), shares His heart (v2), and explains the situation (vv2-3). The Twelve respond with a question. It is not one of unbelief as much as it is of their bad location and lack of resources (v4). The implication is, “We can do nothing. What then will You do? Jesus, You are the only hope!” Good!"
• "Twice He has taught the people to thank God for their daily provision and to trust Him as their sole and sufficient resource to give them what they need."

The commentary also emphasizes how repetition is often needed to reinforce an important lesson. In Mark 6 we see Jesus feeding the five thousand, and here in chapter 8 Jesus feeds the four thousand.  The lesson of course is how all good and perfect gifts come from above (James 1:17) and how Jesus provides for all of our needs - apart from God we can do nothing (John 15:5).  We should always be thankful for how God provides, not take it for granted how God gives us the breath of life, etc. See also this post from a study in Leviticus. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an incredible God who loves, saves, provides, etc.  Thank You for pulling me out of the pit of sin and saving me - while still an enemy and hostile to You.  Incredible!  I am not deserving...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 Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?

Mark 8:1-26

And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? Mark 8:17-18

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 8:1-26, 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?: Crowds gathered everywhere God - v2 - and He had compassion on them, seeking to not just teach and meet their spiritual needs, but also their physical needs. Yet there are those who's hearts remain hardened and fail to understand - it is God alone who softens hearts and brings about an understand of who Jesus is.  See also v12 where Jesus shares how "no sign will be given to this generation" in response to the Pharisees - they had no faith.  This is in contrast to those who demonstrated desperate faith (hunger and thirst). Jesus seeks those who have faith.  Jesus warns us of the influences of those without faith - v15.  
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: Jesus seeks desperate faith from us - that all things are possible - Philippians 4:13.  We are often worried or have doubts (see v4,16) that Jesus can do what He says - we can take comfort in knowing that "all of God's promises find their yes in Jesus (2 Corinthians 1:20).  People often see Jesus as a vending machine - that He has done something and they seek for Him to do it again - this is not faith in Jesus.  Alternatively, Jesus wants those who are truly seeking a healing to come to Him (v22).    
• 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 must avoid seeking to test God as the Pharisees in v11 (see also Deuteronomy 6:16, Matthew 4:7, Luke 4:12).  We must also remember what God has done - see v18.  Believers all have testimony where they can share at any given moment what He has done in their lives and in those around them - see also Acts 4:20.  We should have desperate faith such as those whom Jesus has healed. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and never stops working for me - You reached down into the pit and saved me - while still an enemy and hostile to You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving.  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 they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Mark 7:24-37

And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” Mark 7:37

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 7:24-37.  Excerpts from the commentary's second (of two) division (vv31-37):

• For the first division, the title is: "Jesus Is the Savior Who Does All Things Well."
• "Perhaps this particular miracle had special significance to Peter, the eyewitness source for much of Mark’s Gospel, because he saw it as a physical parallel to his own spiritual experience. I can identify with that!" 
• "As Jesus looked up to heaven, first He sighed. I believe this is an expression of our Lord’s love and compassion for this man and also His great grief over the fall of man and the terrible consequences of sin. It is the sigh of God over a broken creation." 
• "Mark’s conclusion has deep theological significance. “He has done everything well (good)” echoes creation and God’s work in Genesis 1–2. “He even makes deaf people hear, and people unable to speak, talk” recalls Isaiah, who wrote that when the Messiah comes, “the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then the lame man will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy, for waters will gush in the wilderness, and streams in the desert” (Isaiah 35:5-6). 
• Quoting yet another commentary - from Sinclair Ferguson - the commentary shares: "Jesus takes the man aside. His attention is personal and compassionate. Entering the man’s world, our Lord uses sign language....'The man could not hear Jesus and he was also incapable of verbal communication. So Jesus “spoke” to him in the language he could understand—sign-language. The fingers placed in his ears and then removed meant, “I am going to remove the blockage in your hearing.” The spitting and the touching of the man’s tongue meant, “I am going to remove the blockage in your mouth.” The glance up to heaven meant, “It is God alone who is able to do this for you.” Jesus wanted the man to understand that it was not magic but God’s grace that healed him.' 
• Quoting yet another commentary - from James Edwards - the commentary shares: "[t]he allusion of Isaiah 35 is of supreme significance for Mark’s presentation of Jesus, not only because the restoration of speech signals the eschatological arrival of the Day of the Lord but also because the desert wastelands of Lebanon (Isaiah 35:2) will receive the joy of God. The regions of Tyre and Sidon are, of course, precisely the Lebanon of Isaiah 35. Jesus’ healing . . . in the Decapolis becomes the first fruit of the fulfillment of Isaiah 35:10, that Gentile Lebanon will join “the ransom of the Lord [and] enter Zion with singing”! Salvation thus comes to the Gentile world in Jesus, who is God’s eschatological redeemer from Zion."

Once again, we have scripture that describes how Jesus fulfills Old Testament prophecy - on multiple levels. He meets us where we are and heals.  He DOES do all things well because He works in all of the details - not just healing and saving but doing so in a way that it becomes clear that He is God.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that exists in all details and does all things well so that we can see You in all....You are so full of love and compassion that even while I was still an enemy and hostile to You, You saved me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and compassion.  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 from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden.

Mark 7:24-37

And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. Mark 7:24

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 7:24-37.  Excerpts from the commentary's introduction to the entirety of the text and for the first (of two) division (vv24-30):

• The title for the commentary's chapter: "Jesus Christ: The God Who Astonishes."  The main idea is "[n]o one is so unworthy that they cannot receive the blessing of Jesus Christ."  
•  "Mark sets side by side two healing miracles that take place in pagan, Gentile territory. One is the healing of a demon-possessed little girl (vv24-30). The other is the healing of a deaf man with a speech impediment (vv31-37). Both demonstrate that God’s kingdom has come and that Jesus is God’s man for all peoples. Contrary to religious and racial bigots, no one is so unclean that they cannot receive the blessing and the touch of Jesus Christ—the God who astonishes (v37)."
• For the first division, the title is: "Jesus Is the Savior Who Cannot Be Hidden."
• "Our Lord knew that His Father had mapped out His life from beginning to end. It would involve days of happiness as well as times of trial and opposition, pressure and disappointment. Jesus has just engaged the Pharisees in a heated discussion over religion versus the gospel (vv1-23). Things are building to an inevitable showdown that will result in His crucifixion. However, it is not yet the appointed time." 
• Jesus went to Phoenicia to get rest and to escape notice.  But not in v24 how He could not be hidden. 
•  We should note how "[a]s best we can tell, this is the only time Jesus ventured beyond the borders of Israel. Further, Tyre and Sidon were inhabited by pagan Gentiles, and the region had a long history of opposition to Israel. This had been the home of Jezebel (1 Kings 16:31-32). Both Ezekiel (ch. 26) and Zechariah (ch. 9) prophesied against her."
• "Jesus goes there and graciously expands the scope and reach of the Messiah beyond what Israel expected. Unfortunately, like Jonah, too many Jews of that day could not imagine that God would extend His salvation beyond the borders of Israel...This Savior is not for just one nation. He is for all nations, and we should be as well." 
• "A pagan, Gentile woman could not have been further from “the citizenship of Israel” (Ephesians 2:12). No doubt she knew how socially unacceptable it was for her to approach a Jewish rabbi on any level. Yet she “kept on asking” Jesus “to drive the demon out of her daughter.” She came boldly but humbly (“she fell at His feet”), and she was persistent."
•  The commentary shares how the words used by Jesus in His response to the Gentile woman is not one of insult but of clarification that He first seeks to save the Jews then the Gentiles. See also Romans 1:16.
• The Pagan woman's response is of that shared by any parent desperate to help their child.  She is willing to eat the scraps from the table that have fallen to the floor - just so she can have for her daughter a taste of the healing power Jesus offers. 
• "What a magnificent picture of salvation we have in this story! Yes Lord, we are all dogs under the table with no rights whatsoever as members of the family. I acknowledge I don’t deserve a place at the table, but I believe there is enough even for me on the table! Just a few crumbs will be enough. That I believe. Then in amazing grace and mercy our Savior lifts us up, no longer a dog (sinner) but a child (saved), no longer under the table but now a member of the family at the table."

Such desperation and complete dependence on Jesus is how we are to approach Him.  We all sin and need a Savior (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8).  We are completely and utterly dependent on God for every detail of our lives both physical and spiritual.  We must acknowledge our spiritual state and go to Him in desperation - see also Psalm 42:1-2.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that loves and saves...You go after the one sheep who is lost just to save it...that is me and every other believer...thank You for coming after me and for saving me!  I am not deserving of my salvation nor any of the blessings You pour out daily 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 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 Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Mark 7:24-37

And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” Mark 7:36-37

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 7:24-37, 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?: Jesus is the incarnate Son of God and during His ministry, although He sought the Messianic Secret - that is He not be more fully revealed who He is until the appropriate time - it is difficult to fathom how Jesus could perform the miracles He did and word not spread about Jesus.  At the same time, John Piper describes a preventing "illumination" of the disciples in particular but also others and us by extension (see vv24, 36).  Piper explains how this "preventing" forces us to acknowledge how badly we need Him.  God's ways are difficult to fathom (Isaiah 55:8) but it is not difficult to fathom how desperately we need Him.  We all desperately need Jesus just as  the woman/daughter and deaf man in the text do.  God heals and saves.  God had a plan and regardless of how others could not follow His plan to prevent the spread of Him, Jesus' plan could not be stopped and Jesus ministry continued until the appointed moment where He died and rose again.  Jesus sought His Father's help in prayer - see v34. 
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: People, once they acknowledge the saving power of Jesus Christ, cannot help but share the Good News (v36, Acts 4:20).   
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Jesus wants us to share who He is - not just what He did.  Yes Jesus performed miracles but most importantly He Saves!  We can also lay claim to the promise that, yes, although we don't know how God works, we do know that He does (Romans 8:28) and that once He starts a work in us, He will continue a work in us until completion - sanctification. This process may be slower than we like but it is according to plan!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are a good, good God.  Perfect in all Your ways.  I may not know how You work but I know that You do, and that You love and save.  I also know that I NEED a savior and You are that Savior.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and 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. 

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

Mark 7:1-23

 “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Mark 7:20-23

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 7:1-23.  Excerpts from the third (of  three) division (vv14-23):

• The title for the third division is: "Legalists Are Confused Concerning the Source of Defilement, Resulting in a Lack of True Understanding."
• "The most deadly contamination is not what I touch. The most deadly contamination is what is in my heart." 
• "When His disciples ask the meaning of this parable, Jesus once again (cf. 6:52; 8:17-18) chides them for their lack of understanding. This is one of the most critically important spiritual lessons in the whole Word of God. Jesus explains that corruption is not external but internal. Impurity is not a matter of the stomach but of the heart. Defilement is not what goes in but what comes out." 
• "The basic problem of fallen humanity is not what we do but who we are! Real filth, impurity, and defilement are inside and unseen, but eventually they will show themselves, as verses 21-23 make clear." 
• "Inevitably, sin’s root will produce sin’s fruit. And it is an ugly, destructive crop to behold. Jesus provides a selective list of sin’s fruit." 
• "There are basically only two approaches to religion, each of which can be summed up in a single word: do or done. The world says the problem is out there, and the solution is to answer the question, What can I do? The Bible says the problem is inside of us, and the answer is what Christ has done! You see, in legalism we think better of ourselves than Jesus does. But in salvation we think the same of ourselves as Jesus does: we are hopeless, helpless sinners in desperate need of a Savior." 
• We are referred to 1 Samuel 16:7 where Samuel is seeking God's anointed king to replace Saul who has lost favor in God's eyes.  In David, God seeks and finds a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14).

I have seen first hand how God has entered my heart and changed me from the inside out - into more of His own image.  What an incredible blessing it is to be saved and one of God's elect.  I am not deserving of such a gift - the greatest gift of all time.  God also gave me a desire to know and pursue Him.  Thank You Jesus!  An answer to prayer indeed!

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My Prayer: Father God, thank You for my salvation, thank You for giving me a desire to know and pursue You, and thank You for the blessing of growing in my heart and transforming me into more of Your image.  I am not deserving of any of this!  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  I also know there is more work to do and that You are not done with this transforming work.  Please keep going and use me - fully.  Help me grow in my faith.  Please give Lisa and myself wisdom and energy.  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. 

“You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!"

Mark 7:1-23

“You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!" Mark  7:9

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 7:1-23.  Excerpts from the second (of  three) division (vv9-13):

• The title for the first division is: "Legalists Make Void the Word of God, Resulting in Spiritual Disobedience."
• "Not all traditions are bad. They become bad when we put them on the same level as Scripture or in the place of Scripture. It is a “Bible-plus” kind of religion. In adding to the Bible, you for all practical purposes make void the Bible and nullify its truth and power in your life (v. 13). Jesus makes this crystal clear as He moves into round two with the Pharisees." 
• "They set aside what is the revealed Word of God and replace it with “made up” traditions of men....First, they teach the commands of men (v7). Then they leave the commands of God (v8). Next they reject the commands of God (v9). And finally they make void the Word of God (v13)." 
• Jesus responds to the Pharisees by referring us to Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16, Exodus 21:17, and Leviticus 20:9 where the text commands us to honor our mother and father. 
• "However, the Pharisees created a theological loophole. They simply declared what they would have given to their parents “Corban,” a Hebrew term referring to “a gift dedicated to God.” This allowed them to dishonor their parents by neglecting their needs, but they still feel good about it because it was done in service to God." 

God's Word is perfect and inerrant - and reinforcing the commentary, we should be very careful not to add to or subtract from the Word.  How do we do this?  First and foremost we study - voraciously - per Matthew 5:6 where we "hunger and thirst for righteousness." We should seek out wise Bible teachers and Gospel centered resources (i.e. commentaries) that shed light on and deepen our resources.  For example, the commentary's helpful context about a historical tradition of Corban is helpful to understand as a man-made tradition vs God's Word (see also this resource). Humility and prayer are also important as scriptural disciplines to draw near to God and to seek His will as He is the source of wisdom (see Proverbs 1:7). 

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My Prayer: Father God You are an awesome God who loves, saves, guides, directs and provides Your Word as a measure of and proof of all of these blessings - thank You!  I am not deserving of such 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.

“‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

Mark 7:1-23

“‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” Mark  7:6-8

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 7:1-23.  Excerpts from the commentary's introduction for the entirety of the text, and for the first (of  three) division (vv1-8):

• The main idea for the entirety of the text is "Jesus calls us to trust not in our own external righteousness (legalism) but in His perfect work on our behalf." 
• "Amazingly we can have a passion for God yet not know God. We can be deceived, captured, and enslaved by the deadly lure of legalism. Tragically, those who have been raised in the church are the most susceptible to this deception. Our pride in our religious rituals, church practices, and cultural traditions blind us to both our great sinfulness and the great Savior who alone can rescue us from our sin."   
• The commentary describes how a false belief of faith, confidence in doing all the right things (particularly in our own powers) above all, is based on pride and how this leads to all other sins.  We are referred to Psalm 31:23, Proverbs 15:25, 16:18, Isaiah 13:11, Jeremiah 49:16, Luke 14:11, and James 4:6.
• "Why is God so opposed to pride? It is because human pride is in opposition to God. It thinks more of itself than it should. It thinks more of itself than God does!" 
• The title for the first division is: "Legalists Honor God with Their Lips, Resulting in False Worship." 
• "All [the Pharisees'] religious washing had a good intent, namely to remind Jews that they were unclean before God. But they were completely off base on the true source of their impurity. Their problem was not outside but inside. It wasn’t their hands but their hearts." 
• "Jesus begins with a scathing indictment, calling the Pharisees and scribes “hypocrites”! They were nothing more than religious actors and pretenders. The prophet Isaiah also condemned their hypocritical religion (Isaiah 29:13). They say the right things about God, but their hearts are still ungodly. Their religion is all words and show. The result was vain, purposeless worship—worship that God neither welcomes nor receives." 
• "Some potential examples of this legalism in the contemporary church can be found in church business meetings, deacons meetings, church discipline, and religious practices (e.g., church names, meeting times, dress, worship styles, public invitation or no invitation)." 

Of course humility is the anti-dote for pride.  There is nothing we can do to earn our favor from God - we must recognize that God alone saves and God alone moves at His discretion in all things.  Colossians 1:16-18 informs us that God created all things and He holds all things together.  God is provident over all matters and all details big and small.  He is all powerful, all knowing, and ever present - since the beginning and until the end.  We must start here and recognize that God holds our lives in His hands and it is only by and through Him that we are able to do anything (John 15:5).

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that loves and who saves....not because of anything I've done but solely because of Your grace and mercy.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving....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. 

For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.

Mark 7:1-23

For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person. Mark 7:21-23

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 7:1-23, 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 cares about our heart condition not about what we do that we think pleases God - our motives and our heart condition towards God matter most.  The Pharisees were more concerned about washing of hands and external cleansing - but this did not matter to God as much as love of Him and others.  It is our heart that requires cleansing and only Jesus can forgive us and cleanse us from the stain of sin.       
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: The Pharisees were more worried about being right about tradition than they were about pleasing God.  God does not seek empty rituals that are devoid of any love of God.  The Pharisees are not alone in what they do as we often do the same thing.  
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): People often chase things to do thinking they are pleasing God - instead we should understand that we cannot earn God's love or His favor.  Nobody can do this - we should all understand that we all sin, we all need a Savior, Jesus is that Savior and that God saves not because of anything we do but because He is full of grace and compassion.  This should drive us into the arms of Jesus for us to know, love and surrender to Him such that the Holy Spirit does a work in us to make us more like Him....and this will be Him doing the work!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome that saves - not because of anything we do but because You are full of grace and compassion towards us.  Thank You Jesus for this grace and compassion!  I am not deserving of such grace and compassion and for 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. 

And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

Mark 6:45-56

And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well. Mark 6:56

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 6:45-56.  Excerpts from the commentary for the second (of two) division (vv53-56):

• The title for the second division is "Jesus Is the One to Whom We Should Come When We Hurt."  
• "Once more the compassionate shepherd will care for His sheep without hesitation or discrimination. They hurt, and He heals. What a wonderful Savior He is!'  
• "Jesus most certainly can be sought anywhere, anytime, and by anyone in need. There is not one whom He will turn away."  
• "Jesus knows you better than you know yourself. He loves you more than you love yourself (which is a great deal). He is more compassionate than you could ever hope. He is more powerful than you could ever imagine. And He knows your needs more perfectly than you or I could ever comprehend. This “Bread of Life” allowed His body to be broken that your soul might receive the spiritual nourishment it needed. He walked the stormy waters through the dark night that led to the cross, so that He might rescue us and that we might never again be terrified or afraid.  Through the wonderful touch of His bloody, redemptive hands, we can forever be healed of sin’s diseases and made well forever. He walked across the stormy waters of judgment in our place, and He took on our sicknesses in His own body. “Take heart,” He says. Understand, 'I AM!'"

We all have needs - most importantly spiritual needs to have forgiveness of sins and salvation from the wages of sin (Romans 6:23).  We can approach Jesus in confidence knowing "that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16)."  Jesus forgives and saves.  Praise God that He sent His Son to save us!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, what an amazing gift You provide through salvation to those who confess and believe!  The greatest gift of all time - thank You!  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. 

But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”

Mark 6:45-56

But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” Mark 6:50b

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 6:45-56.  Excerpts from the commentary for the introduction to the entirety of the text and for the first (of two) division (vv45-52):

• The main idea for the entirety of the text is "Jesus’ miraculous acts of walking on water and healing point to His true identity as the great 'I AM.'"  
• The title for the first division is "Jesus Is the One in Whom We Should Have Faith."  
• "Jesus has just fed 15 or 20 thousand people (Mark 6:30-44). Messianic excitement is at a fever pitch. The crowds want to make Him king now (John 6:14-15). However, it is neither the time nor the means whereby He would receive His kingdom. A throne awaits Him, but there is a cross on the way." 
• In vv45-52 we see Jesus command the disciples to get into the boat and they then find themselves in rough seas.  The commentary shares: "Jesus may indeed send us into trouble and difficulty but with a redemptive purpose. There our understanding of His providence and power is increased. There our faith and dependence on Him and Him alone grow. His plans are not always easy or what we want, but they are always best. Believe! Don’t doubt." 
• RE: v46 where Jesus prays: "[p]rayer for Jesus was intense. It was war. John Piper well says, “Until you believe that life is war, you cannot know what prayer is for” (“Prayer”). Jesus knew this better than any of us. He sought His Father in the heat of the battle raging about Him. No doubt He prayed for Himself. No doubt He prayed for the crowd for whom He had compassion. And I suspect He prayed for His disciples who were in need of His prayers and His power." 
• Vv48-51 is unpacked by referring us to Exodus 33:18, 20-23 and 1 Kings 19:11 where God reveals His glory to Moses and Elijah. Jesus' response to the disciples fear is the same as what God spoke to Moses in Exodus 3:14 about who He is. 
• V52 shares that the disciples still did not see and understand. Yet the disciples still do not "receive [a] rebuke from their Master, the compassionate Shepherd (Mark 6:34). He knows they still have much to learn and endure. He will not give up on them. Praise God, He did not give up on us in our ignorance and hard-heartedness either!"

Indeed, there are many times throughout our lives when we question who God is, that He exists or that He is at work or working for us - all of which should be without question.  The great news is just as Jesus did not give up on the disciples during their times of doubt, He does not give up on us either - we just need to press on, bringing our cares and concerns to Him.  He hears and responds to our cries. I am drawn to the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:1-20 where even in her struggles she found the power to pray. 

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My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God the never stops working for me, and You hear my cries and respond to all of them.  You are SO good.  You also save!  Thank You Jesus for saving me and for Your great patience even as I struggle and doubt.  I am not deserving of how You are so full of grace.  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.