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?
Transforming Ordinary People into Extraordinary Followers of Christ
Sermons on Matthew
In previous sermons, we learned what are not signs of Jesus’ return. But God wants us to know what is a sign of Jesus’ return. In Sunday’s message, we learn what happens when Jesus returns and when it begins.
In Sunday’s passage from Mark, Jesus talks about the appearance of an individual who will defile the Jewish temple just prior to His return. But who is this mysterious individual? Pulling together many threads of both Old and New Testament prophetic Scripture, many Biblical scholars have concluded that this person is none other than the end-time Antichrist. Sunday, Pastor Doug sketches out the details of God’s prophetic plan for the future.
In this passage in Mark, Jesus heals Bartimaeus. What traits did Bartimaeus demonstrate that all of us should imitate?
Divorce and remarriage: opinions flourish around this subject but what does the Bible say? In this message, Pastor Doug surveys the biblical teaching on divorce and remarriage and answers the common questions Christians ask.
The disciples encounter someone who is attempting to cast out a demonic spirit in Jesus’ name. They try to stop him because he didn’t belong to their little group. Jesus took this opportunity to teach three lessons: 1. We should have a more accepting ecumenical spirit towards other believers. 2. No sin should be so cherished that it keeps us from God. 3. We should avoid actions that could cause a brother or sister in Christ to stumble in their faith.
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.
In this passage, Jesus heals two people. First, He casts out a demon from the daughter of a Gentile woman. The Gentile woman continued to beg for mercy, even after Jesus referred to her as a Gentile dog! What is going on here? With Jesus, it is always more than meets the eye! Next, Jesus heals a deaf-mute man. These two healings shed light on how we should approach Jesus and why we should approach him this way.
Jesus conveys much more than we typically understand in this next passage from the Gospel of Mark. It is about a revolutionary doing a revolutionary act. It is about our understanding that God had called his people to do the impossible. It is about wholeness and brokenness. And it’s about laying down your life for the benefit of others.
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…