Sunday we look at the first Messianic prophecy. It hints of a human redeemer who will give Satan a mortal wound while sustaining what amounts to a wounded heel. As future revelation unfolded, this prophecy became clearer. This redeemer was born on the first Christmas–his name is Jesus!
In this message we will take a deep dive into Jesus’ final hours on the cross. We learn as much about him in his death as we do in his life. The day of his crucifixion changed forever those who witnessed these events first hand and continue to reverberate through history.
When Pilate asks Jesus directly, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replies simply, “You say so.” Pilate is amazed that Jesus does not defend himself against this charge!
Later, an angry crowd shouts for the release of Barabbas instead of Jesus. When asked what to do with Jesus, this guilty mob lobbies for the execution of an innocent man, chanting, “Crucify him!”. Little do they know that Jesus is the key to their own divine pardon! Next Jesus will be mocked, scourged and led away to be crucified.
In this message we explore Jesus’ betrayal, his arrest, his sham trials, as well as Peter’s three denials. In all this Jesus displays a supernatural calm in the midst of intense interrogation and ridicule. He endured all of this because of his great love for humanity.
In this portion of Mark’s gospel, Jesus’ disciples prepare for the Passover meal, not realizing that they will be eating with the long awaited Passover Lamb of God! Jesus inaugurates a New Covenant, one made by God and ratified by his own blood.
In this portion of Mark’s Gospel we see a stark contrast between an extravagant act of devotion and a heinous act of betrayal. It raises the question, whose actions will we emulate–those of Mary or those of Judas?
All of us want to live lives of significance. We want our lives to count. We want to be somebody! The problem is that our culture tends to shape the kind of somebody we want to become. In Sunday’s message, we see the disciples being influenced by the values of their culture. They wanted to be great. They wanted positions of power in Jesus’ kingdom. To reframe their vision of greatness, Jesus directs them to the cross.
Faith in Jesus’ sacrifice guarantees our entrance into heaven, but how does God deal with those who are too young to exercise saving faith or those who are mentally infirm and can’t distinguish good from evil? Pastor Doug uses Sunday’s passage to explore this dilemma.
Here Mark records the transfiguration of Jesus. This event is a powerful revelation of Jesus’ divine identity and his centrality to God’s salvation plans.
TaLKING POINTS / WALKING POINTS View the sermon summary or dig deeper into the message during the sermon, in your personal Bible study, or with your family or Community Group in application-driven discussion. TAKE ONE STEP Each week, write down one doable concrete step of obedience, small or large, that you will put into practice…
