Read Mark 14:32-42 Jesus takes Peter, James and John to the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus asks them to remain awake while he prays. By now Jesus was agitated, “I am so sad that I feel like I am dying” he tells these disciples, “just stay here and stay awake” he asks. Jesus then goes a little further into the garden by himself…
Read Mark 14:22-25 Jesus shares the Passover meal with his disciples, including the disciple who would betray him. The Passover meal served as a reminder to the Israelite people of God’s deliverance from slavery to the Egyptians, but it also pointed forward to the one who would come who would take away the sin of the world. In Jesus the Passover meal…
Read Mark 14:10-21 Judas, one of twelve disciples, who has travelled with Jesus, learnt from Jesus and had every opportunity to experience who Jesus was, makes a decision to betray Jesus. Approaching the chief priest, Judas agrees to betray Jesus in exchange for money. How sad it is that when offered a relationship with God, some people would rather choose material wealth.…
Read Mark 13:1-37 All through Everyday Following Jesus we have been reading small sections of the book of Mark to focus on different events and to tease out a life application from each section or event. However I believe that chapter 13 is best read as a whole so as to keep each statement clearly embedded in the context of what else…
Read Mark 12:28-34 A religious teacher approaches Jesus with an incredibly complex question. “Which commandment is the most important?” And Jesus with his typical simplicity sums up not just the ten commandments but all of Israel’s laws with two very simple statements. Addressing the teacher, Jesus says “Love God, love him completely with all your heart, soul and mind – with everything…
Read Mark 12:13-17 When I was travelling in New Zealand a couple years ago a t-shirt grabbed my eye, in bold letters the shirt proclaimed, “I support two teams, the All Blacks and whichever team is playing the Wallabies”. It’s amazing how a common enemy can unite people, allowing them to set aside their own differences in order to rally against someone…
Read Mark 12:1-12 As Jesus begins to tell the story of a vineyard, you need to remember how familiar his audience would have been with the stories of the prophets. So as Jesus starts to talk about a vineyard, an ancient song from the Prophet Isaiah would have sprung to mind (Isaiah 5:1-7). But Jesus’ story takes a different twist to that…
Read Mark 11:12-14, 20-25 Early in the morning travelling back into the city from Bethany, Jesus approaches a fig tree hoping that there may be something to satisfy his hunger. And yet not surprisingly, at least to the author, there is nothing on the tree as it is not the season for figs. Jesus then curses the fig tree “May no one…
Read Mark 11:1-10 The journey has been long and anticipation hangs in the air. The crowd has been following Jesus for a while now as he arrives in Jerusalem. Passover is near, and crowds of faithful Jews have also made the pilgrimage to the Holy City, to the Holy Temple of their Almighty God. The crowds expect a showdown. Is Jesus the…
Read Mark 10:35-45 Remember just a little while ago, Jesus talked to his disciples about what true greatness is? Well I’m glad you do, because it turns out the disciples have forgotten already. The two brothers James and John, sons of Zebedee, approach Jesus and ask for a favour. I love the way they ask, they’re pulling no punches here – before…