Mark
Jesus Chooses Matthew as a Disciple
The scene now shifts to the seaside (v. 13). Jesus chooses one man, Matthew to join Him as a disciple (v. 14). He was employed by the Roman government as a tax-gatherer which was a lucrative position. Tax collectors were renowned for dishonesty and extortion. They were detested t …
Hard for the Rich to Enter God’s Kingdom
Jesus was often criticized for spending too much time with the wrong kind of people. Even the disciples thought He should be spending more time with what they considered the important people. Jewish mothers wanted their children to be blessed by what they considered a distinguish …
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath
The Pharisees seemed to think there was real merit in the act of fasting. Only one fast day was prescribed in the Old Testament Law which was the Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:27). However, the Jews added many fast days to their calendar. By the time of Christ, the Pharisees were fas …
Jesus is Questioned about His Authority
While Jesus was walking in the temple He was confronted by the priests, the scribes, and the elders who together were known as the Sanhedrin (v. 27). They challenged Him with a question, “By what authority doest thou these things?†(v. 28) which was obviously in reference …
Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus
On this final trip from Galilee to Jerusalem, Jesus and His disciples were passing through Jericho which is in the Jordan Valley about 15 miles from Jerusalem (v. 46). Jericho was a popular resort city in the Judean wilderness, not far from the Jordan River crossing from Perea. I …
Jesus Feeds 5000 in a Jewish Area
The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle that is recorded in all four gospels. It takes place right after the disciples return from a successful preaching tour and Jesus had decided they could do with some needed rest (vv. 30-31). He had gotten into a boat with …
Jesus Gives Responsibilities to His Disciples
Jesus decided to ask some of his disciples to go up on a mountain with Him and it was there that He chose 12 of his Apostles to go out with Him and preach (vv. 13-14). They were Simon Peter, James son of Zebedee, John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Al …
Pharisees Ask Jesus About Paying Poll Tax
Herod the Great ruled all of Palestine as a Roman King. When he died in 4 B.C. his kingdom was divided into three parts of which Archelaus was given Judea and Samaria. He was a failure and in 6 A.D. the Romans stepped in and made Cyrenius governor with direct rule. This placed th …
Jesus Sends His Disciples as Missionaries
Returning to His hometown, Jesus went into the synagogue where He had worshiped as a lad and began to teach (vv. 1-2). Remember that He did not leave Nazareth until He was about thirty years old. People knew him well and were far from being impressed by His message. Instead they …
The Parable of the Four Types of Soil
Why is it that the hearing of the Word of God does not produce the same results in every heart? As the Word of God is taught to a group of people there are varied responses to it. It is said that it makes some mad, some glad and some sad. The answer is given by the Lord Himself a …