“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

Mark 12:35-40

“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” Mark 12:38-40

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 12:35-40, 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 fulfillment of prophecy - vv35-37 - He is both the Son of God and the promised messiah from David's line.  See also 2 Samuel 7:9-17.   
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: People are sinful and broken and without God they seek glory for themselves - vv38-40.  They also fail to obey God's Word (see yesterday's post as an example) to love others and as a result the poor and widows suffer (see v40).  The scribes' hearts are hardened towards God and ultimately will be eternally condemned. 
• 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 not seek glory for ourselves but instead for God - we exist to bring Him glory. See 1 Corinthians 10:31.  This means we are assume a posture of humility, to pick up our cross daily, and to deny ourselves - loving God first then others. Of course Christ is our example.  

The text emphasizes humility.  Yes we are encouraged to understand God's Word.  But the scribes and Jewish elders used God's word to "puff" themselves up as described in 1 Corinthians 8:1-3.  Our understanding and knowledge of God's word should be used to renew our minds as described in Romans 12:2 such that His desires and will become our desires and will. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  Thank You Jesus for loving me first and saving me.  I am not deserving of my salvation. 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 in Your 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 second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Mark 12:28-34

The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Mark 12:31

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 12:28-34.  Excerpts from the commentary's second (of two) division (vv31-34):

• The title of the second division per the commentary is "We Are Commanded to Love Others Genuinely." 
• "How you respond to the first [command] (loving God) will determine how you respond to the second (loving your neighbor). When you obey the second, it shows that you have embraced the first."  
• "Jesus adds Leviticus 19:18 to complement Deuteronomy 6:4-5. Growing out of my love for God, I love those who have been created by God in His image. “Neighbor” is not used here in a restrictive sense. All of humanity, even my enemies, are in view (see Luke 10:25-29)."  
• We are referred to a Don Carson sermon where he looks at the Parable of the Good Samaritan and Leviticus 19 and how the text instructs us to love our neighbors as ourselves, including commands from Leviticus 19: "care for the poor (19:10),  not steal (19:11),  not lie (19:11),  be fair in business dealings (19:14),  care for the deaf (19:14),  care for the blind (19:14),  deal justly with all (19:15),  avoid slander (19:16),  not “jeopardize” the life of your neighbor (19:16),  not “harbor hatred against your brother” (19:17),  rebuke your neighbor when necessary for his and your good (19:17), and not take revenge or bear a grudge against others (19:18)." 
• The commentary highlights v33 from the text for today and how Old Testament rituals "have no real meaning unless they are expressions of our love for Jesus and others."  We are referred to 1 Samuel 15:22, Proverbs 21:3, and Hosea 6:6.
• "Obeying rules and regulations will never get me into the kingdom because I can never measure up to God’s perfect standard. No, I need a new me. I need a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26). I need the grace and mercy of my God who can make me a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). I need to draw near to Jesus, who has brought the kingdom of God near (Mark 1:15). One draws near and enters the kingdom not by religion but by a relationship with Jesus, a relationship that results in loving God supremely and others genuinely."  
• The commentary for today's text wraps by sharing 1 John 4:7-12. 

Comment and discuss this post.

 My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You loved me first and while I was still an enemy and hostile to You, I was snatched from the fire and saved.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such 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.

Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

Mark 12:28-34

Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ Mark 12:29-30

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 12:28-34.  Excerpts from the commentary's introduction and the first (of three) division (vv28-30):

• The title of this chapter of the commentary covering this text is "Two Great Commands/Two Great Loves" and the main idea for the entirety of the text (vv18-27) is "[c]itizens of Christ’s kingdom are called to love God supremely and to love their neighbor unselfishly." 
• "Our response to [the] two [greatest] commandments exposes our hearts, lays bare our souls, and reveals what matters most to us." We are challenged with understanding and confronting what is that we cherish and value the most in our lives? Is it Jesus?  
• The title of the first division per the commentary is "We Are Commanded to Love God Supremely." 
• "So, without malice, [one of the scribes] asked Jesus a question that was often batted around in religious circles: “Which command is the most important of all?” This is not as easy as it sounds. The rabbinic tradition had identified 613 commands in the first five books of the Bible. Of these, 365 were negative, and 248 were positive. Some were “light,” making less demand, while others were viewed as “heavy,” with severe repercussions for disobedience. So this scribe asked Jesus to “declare Himself.” Our Lord gladly obliges, and His answer takes us to the core of what really matters in life."   
• "Jesus quotes what Israel called the “Shema,” found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5: “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” This confession was recited by every devout Jew morning and evening. Edwards explains, “It was and is as important to Judaism as is the Lord’s Prayer or the Apostles’ Creed to Christianity” (Edwards, Mark, 371)."  
• "Our God is God alone, and our worship, love, devotion, and allegiance must be exclusively to God or He will not accept it. Teachers and theologians could debate all they want, but Jesus begins by bringing them back to the fundamentals, the nonnegotiables of the faith. We should love this God because of who He is: He is our God."   
• "What kind of God is He? Exodus 34:6-7 describes Him as perfect in His gracious love and His pure justice."  
• "Furthermore, the context of the Shema is instructive. To love God is to obey His commandments and statutes “all the days of your life” (Deuteronomy 6:2). To love God means you will teach these commandments to your children and grandchildren (Deuteronomy 6:2), when you sit, walk, lie down, and rise up throughout the day (Deuteronomy 6:7), remembering He is the God “who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery” (Deuteronomy 6:12). To love God supremely means you must “not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you, for the Lord your God [Yahweh your Elohim], who is among you, [because Yahweh] is a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 6:14-15)."  
• "The repetition of the word “all” (four times in Mark 12:30) emphasizes the comprehensive nature of how we are to love Yahweh our Elohim, the Lord our God. It calls for a total response of love and devotion to God."  
• "The heart speaks to our emotions, the real me on the inside (see Exodus 20:3). The soul speaks to the spirit, the self-conscious life (see Psalm 42:1-2). The mind speaks to our intelligence and thought life (see 2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Strength speaks to our bodily powers, perhaps even the will (see Romans 12:1). 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and saves....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 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. 

Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:28-34

Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31

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 12:28-34:, 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?: We see Jesus understanding scripture - and following both keys aspects of the greatest commandments to love God with all of your mind (v30) and understanding (v30) God gives You, and to love others (vv31, 33).  Jesus understands that all of the ten commands (Exodus 20) "depend on" on these two greatest commandments (Matthew 22:40).  Jesus is also obedient - perfectly.  He not only ultimately follows God's will to die on the cross, but He also fulfilled all prophecy to build a church (through His ministry described here in Mark and elsewhere) to share the gospel to all corners of the earth throughout all redemptive history.     
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: We see at least one of the scribes understanding God's will - given this understanding from God - that God does not want "whole burnt offerings and sacrifices" as empty rituals.  The ceremonial law (vs moral law) goes away with Jesus.  Jesus seeks for us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1).  Building on this command, Jesus seeks for us - as an overflowing expression of His love for us and ours for Him - to bring glory to God in all that we do (1 Corinthians 10:31).  In v34, the one scribe questioning Jesus "not far from the kingdom of God" - meaning perhaps moving closer to being an ally of Jesus or believing in Him.  Yet going forward Jesus' crucifixion is not far off because they cannot trap Jesus into blasphemy (no more questions to be asked), but the Jewish leaders still want to destroy Jesus so they proceed with condemnation and murder of an innocent man.  Broken sinful people (the scribes, Jewish elders, etc.) are used by God to be part of His plan.  This includes us and others both unwillingly and unwittingly.  
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Love God - with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength - and love others.   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are good, true, and perfect. Thank You for the blessing of Your Word and for my salvation.  I am not deserving of either.  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 Your 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 as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”

Mark 12:18-27

And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.” Mark 12:26-27

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 12:18-27.  Excerpts from the commentary's introduction and the third (of three) division (vv26-27):

• The title of the second division per the commentary is "The Divine Power to Do What God Promises." 
• "Jesus defeats the Sadducees on their own turf, the books of Moses. The doctrine of resurrection finds Old Testament support in places like Job 19:25-27; Psalm 16:9-11; and Daniel 12:2. Jesus in grace meets the Sadducees where they are and takes them to the “burning bush” story found in Exodus 3:6. There God speaks to Moses in the present tense: “I am . . . the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Though they died physically, they are alive spiritually right now!" 
• "Further, being their God implies covenant, and it is inconceivable that the eternal God does not maintain an eternal covenant with His people, which is exactly what we find in the covenant God made first with Abraham (Genesis 12) and later with David (2 Samuel 7)."  
• The commentary then encourages us to dig deeper into the glory of Heaven which, while not possible for our earthly minds to fully comprehend, will truly be amazing!  The commentary then shares seventeen observations on Heaven, providing the below table: 

 

 

 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are amazing!  You created the Heavens and the Earth and You hold all of this in Your hands and reign with love and compassion and perfect justice!  You reached down into the pit to save me while still an enemy and hostile to You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings nor 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. 

Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

Mark 12:13-17

Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. Mark 12:24-25

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 12:18-27.  Excerpts from the commentary's introduction and the second (of three) division (vv24-27):

• The title of the second division per the commentary is "The Perfect Plan for Heaven." 
•  "Jesus tells [the Sadducees] plainly that they are “deceived,” in error. Jesus accuses the theological elite of His day of error in their area of expertise! What they claim to know best, the Torah, they actually know least. And because they misunderstand the Bible, they also misunderstand God! Misinterpreting the Scriptures inevitably leads to a distorted view of God. It always leads to your god being too small and impotent to be the God of the Bible!"  
• "Jesus begins correcting them in verse 25. The world of resurrection is different from the world we live in. There is continuity, to be sure. I will be me, and you will be you, but we will live for all of eternity in an entirely new reality. In Revelation 21:1, it is called a “new heaven and a new earth.” Why? Because 'the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.'"  
• "Jesus addresses the Sadducees’ question. (1) There will be a resurrection. (2) There will be no marriage relationship as we know it in this life. (3) We will become “like angels,” probably in the sense that we will no longer procreate and we will never die. Therefore marriage will not be necessary, at least for that purpose."  
• "No one will be disappointed in any way when they get to heaven! No one will be deprived of one thing that is necessary for maximum joy, optimal happiness, and complete satisfaction. Our relationship with Jesus and with all of our brothers and sisters will be so intense and so filled with love and affection that all earthly marital bliss will seem shallow and small in comparison. Heaven is indeed God’s perfect plan for His children who have come to Him through His Son Jesus."

Scripture from 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Hebrews 12:1 and Philippians 3:20-21, Ephesians 2:19 comes to mind as further text to clarify an appropriate application after reading this text from Mark 12:24-25.  We should continue to persevere, endure and run the race has given us in this life with the ultimate goal of reaching Heaven where our true citizenship lies. See also 1 Corinthians 4:16-18.  

Comment and discuss this post.

My God, You are an awesome God that has already defeated death and sin so I have assurance the final victory is already won and can rest knowing this.  Thank You Jesus and thank You for the mercies You pour out for me daily that never cease, and of course for my salvation.  I am not deserving of such blessings and gifts.  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 Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection.

Mark 12:13-17

And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. Mark 12:18

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 12:18-27.  Excerpts from the commentary's introduction and the first (of three) division (v18-23):

• The title of this chapter of the commentary covering this text is "Will There Be Sex in Heaven?" and the main idea for the entirety of the text (vv18-27) is "[t]hose who are in Christ are promised a future resurrection and fullness of life in the presence of King Jesus." 
• The title of the first division per the commentary is "The Hypothetical Problem from Skeptics." 
• "The parade of opponents continues. The chief priests, scribes, and elders took their shot in 11:27–12:12 and went down in flames. The Pharisees and Herodians took Him on in 12:13-17, and He shut their mouths. Now the Sadducees come with a trick question they had probably used to frustrate the Pharisees. They will now try it out on Jesus."
• "[The Sadducees] did not believe in the immortality of the soul or in a future bodily resurrection. Josephus said, “The doctrine of the Sadducees is this: souls die with bodies” (Antiquities, 18:1, 4). Because of their truncated Scriptures, they were not looking for a Messiah King from David’s line."  
• "Their trick question was grounded in the issue of “levirate [Latin for ‘brother-in-law’] marriage” mentioned in Genesis 38:8-10 and in the book of Ruth. It is explained in Deuteronomy 25:5-6[.]"  
• "The Sadducees created what we call a reductio ad absurdum argument, reducing things to the absurd or the ridiculous."  
• "The Pharisees and most rabbis believe the world to come is basically an improved and better version of this world, which therefore would include things like marriage. Assuming monogamy (which they would have), to whom then will she be married in the world to come?  The Sadducees argue such a scenario is absurd, and it shows the foolishness of believing in a future resurrection. Look at all the problems it could potentially cause. No, God is too smart for that, and the books of Moses (which are the undisputed Word of God) do not mention a future resurrection. Therefore, it must not exist."

Yet believers know that Jesus Himself rose from the grave and for this we have assurance that the final victory over sin and death is assured.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer:  Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and who is a full of incredible grace - amazing grace!  You saved me while still an enemy and hostile to You.  Thank You Jesus! 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.