The Gospel of Mark – Part 54 The Bible and its Message – Mark 16:9-20 Mosaic Rockford – Dave Spooner – Oct. 4th, 2020 Intro: Today’s sermon is going to be different because of a note we see in our bibles. At this point, we have been happily following along in the book of Mark, going through it one passage at a time.  We have gone through Jesus’s life, ministry, miracles, teaching, trial, death, burial, and resurrection. And then right after verse 8, we run into a statement like this: [Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9–20.]. I remember running into this statement for the first time, and I was like, “What is this about?” Perhaps you have the same type of question. So, in order to answer that question, you need to know how we got the Bible in the first place and then how this passage fits or does not fit into the rest of the Bible. Then we are going to look at the passage itself. This message is centered around three questions: Can we trust the Bible? Why are there questions about this passage? What does the passage say?  Can we trust the Bible?  This video is produced by the Canadian Bible Society and gives us helpful information about trusting the Bible.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPaeo19sQXw (8:30) What the Bible says about itself  2 Tim 3:16 ESV All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 2 Peter 1:21 ESV For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Accurate – The earliest copies (25 years for the New Testament), the number of copies (24,000 copies) and the accuracy of the copies (99.5%). The Bible is the most accurately preserved and verified document of the ancient world. Reliable – Trusted and true (history and archaeology). Jesus referred to the OT books as scripture and quoted from most of them. Relevant – Answers timeless questions: Where did everything come from? Why are we here? What happens when we die?  True – 40 authors, 13 centuries, 3 continents, 1 message – video is oversimplistic in the message of the Bible. Perhaps the best one verse for the purpose of the Bible is summed up by the apostle John when he wrote the purpose of his gospel John 20:31 ESV but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. How we came to the “canon” of the Bible – Composed/Circulated/Consistent/Collected/Confirmed (early 300)  Heb 4:12-13 ESV For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. We don’t read it, it reads us.  Why are there questions about this passage?  Why is there a question about this passage? The following information is from the Expositor’s Bible Commentary (1984):External Evidence – The earliest church “fathers” do not give any evidence that they had this longer ending (Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Eusebius, Jerome). The oldest and most reliable manuscripts don’t have these verses. However, the longer ending (9-20) is contained in the great majority of the newer manuscripts (after 150 AD). Therefore, we have the heading [Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include 16:9–20.].Internal EvidenceVocabulary – slightly over 1/3 of the words used in this section (9-20) are not used anywhere else in the book of Mark, making it difficult to believe this section came from the same author. Style – weird transition from verse 8 to verse 9. It is almost as if Mary Magdalene had not been mentioned before, the other women were not mentioned at all. Mary was described as having seven demons “cast out” and this is not mentioned in Mark before this. The angel at the tomb said Jesus would meet the disciples in Galilee, but in this section, He me

The Gospel of Mark – Part 53 Alive – Mark 15:40-16:8 Mosaic Rockford – Dave Spooner – Sept 27th, 2020 Intro: Over the past several weeks, we have seen what Jesus endured and what He accomplished from the night of His betrayal to the moment of His death. This morning, I want you to witness through the eyes of those who were there, His death, burial, and resurrection. This will help you to know the facts about what happened, and build your faith upon the truth and understanding of how this impacts your life and eternity.   Witness His death Mark 15:40-41 ESV  There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem. These are women who knew Jesus personally, were dedicated to Him, and followed Him all the way from Galilee. They were a witness to His life, and they were a witness to His death. They knew Jesus and would not mistake someone else for Him.     Mark 15:42-45 ESV And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. 45 And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph. The day of Preparation was the day the Jews were to get all their work done before the Sabbath started on Friday night at 6pm (the Sabbath runs from 6pm Friday to 6pm Saturday). Jesus died around 3 pm, and since there were only a few short hours left to prepare for the Sabbath, Joseph immediately acted.Joseph was from the town of Arimathea, which was about 20 miles north of Jerusalem. He was a righteous man, wealthy, well-known, and a well-respected member of the Sanhedrin (Jewish leadership council). He was not in agreement with his fellow leader’s choice to condemn and crucify Jesus. He was “looking for the kingdom of God” and was a secret disciple of Jesus (see Matt. 27:57, Luke 23:50-51, John 19:38). Joseph “took courage,” overcoming his fear of the other Jewish leaders discovering his true allegiance, and asked Pilate (the Roman Governor) for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised that Jesus was already dead (in some cases, those being crucified lingered for days), and he verified Jesus was dead from the centurion who was in charge of the crucifixion. The captain of the Roman guard who was in charge of crucifixions made sure the people were dead before they were taken off the crosses because if the person crucified did not die, the centurion would lose his life. Because this crucifixion was on a Sabbath, the Jews asked that the bodies would be taken down by 6pm. The request was granted, and they broke the legs of the two criminals that were being crucified next to Jesus.When they came to Jesus, they “saw that He was already dead.” Just to make sure, they pierced His side with a spear and out came both blood and water. Ordinarily, after someone dies, blood does not flow since there is no blood pressure because the heart has stopped pumping.  However, Jesus was erect when he died, the flow was due to the effects of gravity. He was pierced between the ribs through the top of a lung and into his heart. Therefore, the water came from His filled lungs and the blood from His stilled heart. They did not need to break His legs, because there was no doubt that Jesus was indeed dead (see John 19:31-37). This event also fulfilled Old Testament prophecy. The Passover lamb was not to have its bones broken (Ex. 12:46), the Messiah would not have His bones broken (Psalm 34:20), and He also would have his side “pi

The Gospel of Mark – Part 52 Jesus, The Son of God – Mark 15:33-41 Mosaic Rockford – Dave Spooner – Sept 20th, 2020 Intro: Today, we are continuing to focus on Jesus as He fulfills the work, will, and word of the Father by giving himself as the final Passover Lamb that takes away the sin of the world. Last week, we observed “love so amazing” as we saw Him fulfilling Scripture, warning the weeping, forgiving the ignorant, saving the criminal, and providing for His family, all the while enduring unimaginable pain and ridicule.  At this point in the story, Jesus had been betrayed, beaten, denied, ridiculed, falsely accused, condemned, whipped, tortured, punished, mocked, berated, humiliated, and belittled. And then He was crucified and hung a tree to die a slow and agonizing death, one breath at a time. Jesus received the judgment of God Mark 15:33-36 ESV  And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35 And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” 36 And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.”  Darkness in both the Old and New Testaments are connected to judgment when it comes during a time when there should normally be light (see Deut. 28:29, Isa. 13:9-10, Joel 2:10, Acts 2:20, Rev. 6:12). There was darkness that lasted for a period of 3 days when Moses was dealing with the pharaoh in Egypt, the final plague before the Passover and the Passover lamb being slain (Ex. 10:21-23). This darkness came over the land as well and lasted for a period of 3 hours (12:00 pm – 3:00 pm) when the sun should have been at its highest; the land was full of darkness as Jesus received the judgment of God. God revealed to the prophet Amos some exact details of the day the Messiah would die.  Amos 8:9-10 ESV “And on that day,” declares the Lord God, “I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. 10 I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on every waist and baldness on every head; I will make it like the mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day. The exact hour of 12 noon (sixth hour) was mention on the day of God’s judgment. Like the mourning for an only son (John 3:16) and the end of it like a bitter day, this was the bitterest of all days. In the judgment of God seen in the plagues on Egypt, darkness came, and then the Lord brought the final blow of His just judgment by taking the lives of the first-born sons. Jesus was the Son that took the right judgment of God as the Passover lamb for the sins of the world. He was “forsaken” (abandoned, discarded) by His Father, which was the most heinous thing of all (imagine being in a perfect, harmonious, committed, eternal, relationship, and then to be forsaken, forgotten, abandoned, rejected). If you want to know how God feels and what God thinks about sin, look to the cross. The cross is what sin deserves; “for the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23a).Those who were around Jesus thought that He was crying out to be rescued by Elijah (Eloi sounds similar to Elijah), so they gave him bitter wine, the prophesied drink (Psalm 69) on the most bitter of days, as they continued to mock Him.   Jesus completed His mission on earth Mark 15:37 ESV And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.  John 19:30 ESV When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Notice that Jesus said, “it is finished,” not “I am finished.”  Jesus was gone, but He would not be gone for long.  The “it” was His task on earth.  Mark tells us earlier in his book the main reason th

The Gospel of Mark – Part 51 The Crucifixion – Mark 15:21-32 Mosaic Rockford – Dave Spooner – Sept 13th, 2020 Intro: We are now at the point of the story where Jesus is crucified on the cross. He is betrayed, bloodied, and beaten. He has been falsely accused, denied, and condemned, yet He continues to walk according to the will of the Father, and He continues to minister until the very end. In this message, we are going to see Jesus fulfilling the scriptures, warning the weeping, forgiving the ignorant, saving the criminal, and providing for His family as He continues to receive the judgment of God for the sins of the world.    Fulfilling the scriptures This event of the crucifixion was described and prophesied in many places in the scripture—none of them as vivid as we read in Psalm 22. We are going to read the first 18 verses of this psalm together, and I want you to keep in mind the details of this psalm as we compare them to what is recorded about the death of Jesus—forsaken by God.  Ps 22 ESV My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. 3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. 4 In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. 5 To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. 6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.7 All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; 8 “He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” 9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother’s breasts. 10 On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother’s womb you have been my God. 11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help. 12 Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; 13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; 15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet—17 I can count all my bones—they stare and gloat over me; 18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. Notice the details of this psalm and now notice the details of Christ’s crucifixion:  Mark 15:21-32 ESV And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the Father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. 22 And they brought him to the place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull). 23 And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24 And they crucified him and divided his garments among them, casting lots for them, to decide what each should take. 25 And it was the third hour when they crucified him. 26 And the inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” 27 And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left. 29 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, 30 save yourself, and come down from the cross!” 31 So also the chief priests with the scribes mocked him to one another, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. 32 Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him. Actual people and places: Simon of Cyrene, Father of Alexander and Rufus (Rom. 16:13).Golgotha, the place of the skull, was outside the city and was more than likely not a hill but a place of crucifixion (good evidence it is at the church of the holy sepu

The Gospel of Mark – Part 50 Perseverance Through Suffering – Mark 15:1-20 Mosaic Rockford – Dave Spooner – Sept 6th, 2020 Intro: Jesus continued to submit himself to the will and word of God His Father. He never stepped out of bounds, He never rebelled, He never sinned. These things had been demonstrated in every moment of His life and ministry. The depth of His commitment to follow the will and the word of His Father was seen in His suffering. Jesus verbally committed and submitted His will to the Father’s in the Garden of Gethsemane, and physically and fully fulfilled His vow and His mission.   Isa 53:10 ESV Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief;  when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. The will of the Lord prospered in His hands. And may the will of the Lord prosper in your hands as you give yourself to it.  As Jesus prayed in the garden, He was betrayed by one of the 12. He was abandoned by the disciples, He was falsely accused and condemned by the council and He was denied by His friend.   Luke 22:63-65 ESV 63 Now the men who were holding Jesus in custody were mocking him as they beat him. 64 They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” 65 And they said many other things against him, blaspheming him. In all these things, Jesus continued to submit Himself to the will of the Father, and persevered through suffering.    Perseverance under religious persecution   Mark 15:1-5 ESVAnd as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. 2 And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.” 3 And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4 And Pilate again asked him, “Have you no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against you.” 5 But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed. Those who claimed they could “see” were blinded by their pride, jealousy, and hardness of heart.  They did not see or believe the word of God and the identity of Jesus as the Christ. After they condemned Jesus for claiming that He was the Christ, they brought the whole council together first thing the next morning. They had decided to kill Him and wanted to do so by the hands of the Romans. So, they brought Him to Pilate who was the Roman governor of the region.They knew the Romans were wary of people rising up and rebelling against them, as that happened in that region time and time again.  So, the Jewish leaders thought that Rome would take Jesus out if He said that He was “King of the Jews.” Jesus, indeed, was the king of the Jews, but much more than just the king of the Jews. He was the King that was above all kings. He did indeed tell them the truth, but He did not tell them what that meant.  Luke 23:4-18 ESV Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no guilt in this man.” 5 But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee even to this place.” 6 When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. 7 And when he learned that he belonged to Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. 8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him. 9 So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11 And Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him. Then, arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. 12 And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they

The Gospel of Mark – Part 49 Despised and Rejected – Mark 14:53-72 MOSAIC ROCKFORD – LEE ECLOV – AUGUST 30, 2020 Introduction: Illus.: Years ago Bill Hybels told about seeing a newscast of a big Vietnam veterans parade in Chicago. Part of the commemoration was a mobile Vietnam wall like the one in Washington, DC, bearing the names of all the soldiers who had died there. “One newscaster asked a vet why he had come all the way to Chicago to visit this memorial and to participate in this parade. The soldier looked straight into the face of the reporter and with tears flowing down his face he said, ‘Because of this man right here.’ As he talked he was pointing to the name of a friend whose name is etched in the wall. And as he pointed to the name, he traced the letters of his friend’s name in the wall. And he continued to answer the reporter by saying, ‘This man right here gave his life for me. He gave his life for me.’… As the news clip ended, that sobbing soldier simply let the tears flow without shame as he stood there continuing to trace the name of his friend with his finger.” [#2602; PT#43There is, of course, someone who gave his life for us. I don’t want to grow dull to Jesus’ death for me, but I’m afraid I do. So Mark comes to meet us and remind us of what Jesus has done. Turn to Mark 14.Mark began tracing how Jesus gave his life for us at the beginning of ch. 14. Last Sunday Pastor Dave took us to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus surrendered to the will of his Father. We also saw his disappointment with his disciples who could not stay awake and pray with him. And then Jesus was betrayed by Judas and arrested. Today we pick up the story in Mark 14:53-54…  They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came together. Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire. So there are two stories before us, two scenes. One is this courtroom scene where all the leaders of the Jews gather to hear the case against Jesus—71 of them. The other is what Peter does while he waits outside. Before we look at those stories I want to take you back to Isaiah 53 because what Isaiah prophesied is what we’re going to witness. Is. 53:7-8 is like a frame for what Mark tells us.He was oppressed and afflicted,     yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,     and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,     so he did not open his mouth.By oppression and judgment he was taken away.     Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living;     for the transgression of my people he was punished. Now, back to our story in Mark 14:55-65… Trace your finger across that story. Jesus began giving his life for us when he bowed to the Father’s will in Gethsemane, and again here in these stories.  I.      JESUS WAS OPPRESSED AND CONVICTED BY THE VERY NATION HE CAME TO SAVE (14:55-65) Jesus faced two trials that night, one in a Jewish court and the other in a Roman court before Pilate. This Jewish trial was a farce. This one before the High Priest, Caiaphas, breaks so many Jewish laws that some Jewish leaders today say it could have never happened. Mark doesn’t dwell on the illegal hour (who calls a court to order in the middle of the night?!), or the improper venue, or the unlawful rush to judgment, but he does highlight the false witnesses. Why did they focus their lies on what Jesus said about the temple? In that culture, to threaten the temple was to defame God himself, and was a crime punishable by death. Jesus had said that the temple of his body would be destroyed and raised in three days. Jesus did say that the temple building would be destroyed, torn stone from stone, which happened in 70 AD at the hands of the Romans. But he didn’t say what they accused him of. [John 2:19-21]  The obvious question is, w

The Gospel of Mark – Part 48 The Dark Night – Mark 14:26-52 Mosaic Rockford – Dave Spooner – Aug. 23rd, 2020 Intro: This is Jesus’ last night before He would be crucified. He and the 12 had participated in the Passover; Judas had left to join the Priests to lead them in betraying Jesus. This was all happening as scripture had foretold and Jesus had proclaimed. The word had been spoken, the trap had been set, the dark night had come. Jesus came so that we may have life, and life to the full. In order to gain that life, there is a walk through the valley of the shadow of death and all the while Jesus continued to follow the will and the word of His Father. We all have a choice in how we respond to the will and word of the Lord. How you respond matters in this life and the life to come.   The Word and the warrior   Mark 14:26-28 ESV And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 27 And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”  Jesus gave His disciples the bottom line, “You will all fall away.” He told them what they would do, and He supported this conclusion by quoting a passage in the Old Testament from the Prophet Zechariah. Zech 13:7 ESV “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me,” declares the Lord of hosts. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; Notice who the principle actor is in this passage: “the Lord of hosts.” He is the one who called for the sword to strike the shepherd. It was His will and His word to do this. Why was this so?  Isa 53:10-11 ESV Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief;  when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. This was done to make many to be accounted righteous. There was a greater good and a bigger story that was in play. This was a one-time act that would have results and reward for all time. This was a temporary moment for an eternal reward. Jesus was then going to be raised up and go before them in Galilee. But when He was struck, the sheep were scattered, and they would fall away. But Peter would have none of it.   Mark 14:29-31 ESV Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” 30 And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 31 But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same. Now you would think that by this point they would take Jesus for His word. Everything He said happened. And yet Peter still resisted and rose up against the word of the Lord. Why? He did not want to believe the truth about himself. He thought that his strength was enough to overcome the will of the Lord. He wanted his plan over the plan of the Father. Because of his failure to submit himself to the word of the Lord, his pride had to be poured out in order for him to be used.   These things keep us and all people from resisting the word and will of God. People can’t hear it because they don’t want to hear it because they don’t want to believe the truth about themselves and give themselves over to the word and will of God, which is always right and always good. But that does not mean that it is without cost.  The right response to the difficult word of God should have been out of submission and sorrow and prayer and petition. I want you to compare now how Peter and the disciples responded to the word and will of God vs. how Jesus responded to the word and will of the Father.   The Word and

The Gospel of Mark – Part 47 The Last Supper – Mark 14:12-26 Mosaic Rockford – Dave Spooner – Aug. 16th, 2020 Intro: Jesus arrived in Jerusalem as the Savior King. He restored the purpose of the temple and avoided the traps of the Priests. He continued to teach the people and train His disciples. He told them what was to come and what they should watch for. He was anointed for burial while the plans were laid for His betrayal. His final moments before His death were at hand.Jesus was still the Master, even until the end. He prearranged and prepared, He predicted and proclaimed, He provided and He promised. He, indeed, was the final Passover lamb that would receive the just wrath of God for the sin of the many.     Question and Preparations  Mark 14:12-16 ESV And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13 And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” 16 And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover. The day of the Passover had arrived. The Jewish people who were present were to bring a spotless lamb and slay it on the Passover. Then they were to eat it within the city’s walls. There was much preparing that needed to be done, and they needed a place where they could be together.  Jesus knew all these things and He had prearranged that the place would be prepared for them.  He has also prepared a place for us (John 14:1-4). Trust in God, trust in Jesus, do not let your hearts be troubled. In God’s sovereignty and prearrangement, we still have a part to play.      Eph 2:10-11 ESV For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. It is indeed a mystery how God’s sovereignty and our responsibility work together, but they do.  God always does His part, and He invites us to do our part. The disciples asked Christ where they would like them to go to get ready for the Passover. Jesus then gave them instructions as to what they were to do, and He sent two of them to do it (Peter and John, Luke 22:8). They went back into the city and spotted a man carrying a jar of water, which would have been an odd sight, because it was women who typically gathered water. They were to follow the man with the jar of water and go into the house where he entered. This was a covert operation. They did not want people to know where they were, in order that Jesus could spend time alone with just the 12. And many believe this was done so Judas the betrayer would not know beforehand where they would be to ensure that this event was going to happen without interruption and arrest.  The master of the house had the room reserved and everything arranged just as Jesus said that He would. He was expecting them. Everything happened the way that Jesus said that it would happen. As it was then, so it will be. The disciples did what they were asked to do, and so should we. Trust in God’s sovereignty and fulfill your responsibility.       Truth and Consequences  Mark 14:17-21 ESV And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18 And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19 They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” 20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. 21 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betra

The Gospel of Mark – Part 46 Anointing and Opportunity – Mark 14:1-11 Mosaic Rockford – Dave Spooner – Aug. 9th, 2020 Intro: In our last chapter, Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple and answers questions from His disciples about the end of the age. This morning, we are turning to Mark 14, where we read about the plot of the priests to kill Jesus, the worship of a woman of Jesus and the betrayal of Jesus by a brother. This passage contains important keys for understanding and focusing your faith in relation to Jesus and ministry. Jesus had been teaching on the temple ground for two days. The religious leaders were furious that Jesus had “cleansed the temple,” exposed their evil and warned the people about them. They were extremely jealous of His following and popularity.  They tried to trick and trap Him, but they could not. They were determined and desperate to destroy Him.    The plot of the priests  Mark 14:1-2 ESV  It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, 2 for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.” Two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (this was the celebration and recognition of God’s deliverance of the people of Israel from their slavery in Egypt) puts these events on a Tuesday night (the Last Supper was on a Thursday and the betrayal, trial and crucifixion was on a Friday). The chief priest, the guys who lead the religious leaders, and the scribes, the experts in the law, both were seeking to arrest Jesus “by stealth” and kill Him. The people who thought they were working for God were actually working against Him. The people who were considered the religious “insiders” were actually religious “outsiders” when it came to Christ and the Kingdom of God.  They were more concerned and afraid of the reaction and opinion of the people than they were the reaction and opinion of God. They were seeking to hide their actions for the eyes of men, but they could not hide their actions from the God who see everything. You can work to veil who you are to the eyes of people, but you will never do so to the eyes of God. Always put the opinion of God higher than the opinion of people.  The religious leaders had made up their mind that they were going to kill Jesus, they were just waiting for the right time and opportunity.In the meantime, we see Jesus with His disciples in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper.  And while they were there, a woman demonstrated her devotion to Jesus.  The worship of the woman  Mark 14:3-9 ESV And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 4 There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. 6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”  Here you have Jesus, spending His time with “outsiders” of the religious establishment, who were in actuality “insiders” with Christ and His kingdom (they were outside of the holy city, in Bethany). There was Simon, who at one time, was a leper and more than likely healed by Jesus, and an unnamed woman, considered a “second class” citizen.When everyone in the house was together at mealtime, a woman came with an alabaster flask of oi

The Gospel of Mark – Part 45 The End of The Age Part 2 – Mark 13 Mosaic Rockford – Dave Spooner – Aug. 2nd, 2020 Intro: This morning we are going to look at the teaching of Jesus about the end of the age. From His teaching we will be equipped by knowing what to expect and what we are to do. This chapter is an important road map for the future of humanity, and the wise person will take note and take these things to heart. In doing so, you will have perspective, peace and productivity in the work of the Kingdom. Jesus finished His day of ministry at the temple, and Jesus and His disciples were heading out of the city. As they were leaving the temple Jesus, warned them of its destruction. He said the temple will be destroyed. There will not even be one stone left on top of another (fulfilled in 70 AD).  Know that the words of Jesus are true and what He says will happen.At the close of the age we are to make sure no one leads us astray in claiming they are the Christ. Don’t believe them. There will be wars, rumors of wars, kingdoms will rise against kingdoms, earthquakes and famines we be one the earth and all of these things are the beginnings of “birth pains.” Be on your guard- even family members will betray family members to religious counsel and government officials because you believe in and proclaim the name of Jesus. The Holy Spirit will give you words to say so do not be anxious, you will bear witness before them.  The gospel must be proclaimed to the end of the world before the end will come and you will be hated for the name of Jesus in the whole world.  Make sure you endure to the end, in doing so you will be saved.  Next Jesus talks about the “abomination of desolation” which is the anti-Christ.  The abomination of desolation Mark 13:14-23 ESV “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, 16 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 17 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 18 Pray that it may not happen in winter. 19 For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be. 20 And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. 21 And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23 But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.  The “abomination of desolation” was first named in the book of Daniel (9:27, 11:31, 12:11). It is an abomination (a vile, shameful, detestable thing) that causes desolation (destruction, death, misery, despair) standing where it should not be (the temple in Jerusalem) . . . (let the reader understand). What the reader is to understand is that this has multiple fulfillments, one for each temple (with each getting worse). First temple – Maccabean period – Antiochus IV (167 BC), Second Temple – Titus and the Roman Army (70AD), and the logic follows that there will be a Third Temple built and then the third and final “abomination of desolation” will “stand where he ought not to be” which is believed to be the anti-christ.  This will be a time of intense tribulation – there has not been a time this difficult or as horrible, nor will there be a time as horrible after it. (This event it yet to come.) There will be believers on the earth (for the sake of the elect – He will shorten the days). We are warned again to “be on guard” and not to believe that this is the Christ, because this person is a false christ and a false prophet (a