Concluding any sermon series is always a bitter-sweet affair. The sadness of leaving the study of a book of the Bible is only balmed by the excitement of venturing into another one. There is one moment in particular that cements this transition. At the beginning of every series, I take my core resource books off …
Author Like the other Gospels, Mark is technically anonymous; however, as the title declares, tradition has long held John Mark to be the author. Theme Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Background John Mark is first spoken of in Acts 13. When Paul set out on his first missionary journey with Barnabas, we …
And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that …
And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you …
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.” And he left them, got into the …
Continue reading Beware the Leaven of the Pharisees | Mark 8:11-21
Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. And taking him aside from the crowd …
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. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. …
Continue reading Let the Children Be Fed First | Mark 7:24-30
And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” And when he had entered the house and left …
Continue reading Evil Things Come from Within | Mark 7:14-23
When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he came, …
Continue reading Making Void the Word of God by Traditions | Mark 6:53-7:13
The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a …
B. C. Newton 