"No one can ever buy back another person or pay God a ransom for his life" (Psalm 49:7). What no-one else could ever do for us, God has done for us - "... the Son of Man came ... to give His life as a ransom for many people” (Mark 10:45). "God forbid that I should …
Continue reading What no-one else could ever do for us, God has done for us.
Mark 11:1-11 More than a journey into Jerusalem - a journey to suffering, crucifixion and death. No shortcut to resurrection - Jesus must go by way of the Cross. At the Cross, we see Jesus, the King of love. Why did He not defend Himself? - Because He loves us. He shows His love by …
Mark 2 What was the first thing that Jesus said to the paralyzed man? He said, “Son, your sins are forgiven” (verse 5). What did Jesus say to Levi? He said, “Follow me” (verse 14). From forgiveness to following: We do not receive forgiveness as a reward for following Jesus. Forgiveness is God’gift, We have done nothing to deserve his …
Mark 1 What's the first thing that Mark tells us about Jesus Christ? He tells us that Jesus is "the Son of God" (verse 1). This is so important. If we think that we're reading about an ordinary man, we're missing the point. Jesus is the Son of God: Where does this come from? It …
Continue reading The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God
Those who seek to be mighty before men must learn to be humble before God. “Moses went up to God… “, “Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all the words the Lord had commanded him to speak” (Exodus 19:3,7). “Very early in the morning, while it was still …
Continue reading Exodus 19:1-20:26; Mark 1:29-2:17; Psalm 22:12-21
There is a world of difference between legal obedience and Gospel obedience. It is the difference between “old wine” and “new wine” (Mark 2:21-22). The religion of the Pharisees was legalistic. The obedience of Jesus was truly spiritual. These men could not stand Jesus - “the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the …
Continue reading Exodus 21:1-22:31; Mark 2:18-3:30; Proverbs 5:1-14
The people of Israel were called by God to celebrate His goodness: “Celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the firstfruits of the crops you sow in your field” (Exodus 23:16). A good harvest is used by Jesus as a symbol of a rich, spiritual harvest – “Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, …
Continue reading Exodus 23:1-24:18; Mark 3:31-4:29; Psalm 22:22-31
The Lord’s people were in the wilderness. Nevertheless, the Lord’s presence, symbolized by the tabernacle, was with them (Exodus 25-26). Jesus’ disciples were caught in the storm. Nevertheless, the Lord was with them, and He brought peace (Mark 4:35-41). The greatest wilderness, the greatest storm is death itself. Through faith, we can say, “Even though …
Continue reading Exodus 25:1-26:37; Mark 4:30-5:20; Psalm 23:1-6
What an extraordinary man Jesus was! His teaching and his miracles proclaim him to be the Son of God. Nevertheless, the Lord's power is not released where there is a "lack of faith" (Mark 5:6). The gospel calls us to faith. We are to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the way of …
"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (Mark 1:1). When Mark begins to present to us "the gospel of Jesus Christ", what's the first thing that he tells us about Jesus? He tells us that Jesus is "the Son of God." Quite clearly, we're moving beyond the world of the …
Jesus came, preaching the Kingdom, but he did not only preach. He demonstrated the Kingdom.His words were spoken with power - the power of God. We see this in the mighty miracles, which declare the coming of the Kingdom among us. This Kingdom was set against the kingdom of darkness. The coming of God's Kingdom …
"They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 ‘What …
Continue reading Heaven came down, and glory filled my soul.
This is the story of Jesus. There are, however, sub-stories within it. There is the sadness of Peter and the tragedy of Judas. Supremely, however, there is the assurance of Jesus, as he faces the cross with confidence in God. The story of Jesus is a story of apparent defeat (the crucifixion), which turns out …
There is a seriousness about Jesus' teaching, as He speaks of His first coming, in the parable of the wicked tenants, in chapter 12, and His second coming, in chapter 13. The Christ, who was rejected by men, has become "the keystone" (chapter 12). This will be clearly seen when He comes "in the clouds …
There is, in chapter 10, a third prophecy concerning Jesus' death and resurrection. Jesus, also, speaks of "the cup", which He must drink. It is "the cup" of our condemnation. He drinks from this cup so that we might drink from the cup of His salvation. Jesus enters Jerusalem (chapter 11). He is moving steadfastly …
In these chapters, we see Jesus, looking ahead to His death and resurrection. On two occasions, He speaks to His disciples of these events, which lay ahead of Him. Following the first prophecy, Jesus emphasizes taht the way of the cross is the way of discipleship (chapter 8).
"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). Love, joy, peace ... - Is this what we find when we look within ourselves? or Do we find something very different? What does Jesus tell us about ourselves? Does he pat us on the back and tell as that, at …
"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will …
Jesus Christ is the Saviour of sinners. We are not asked to make ourselves worthy before coming to the Saviour. If we could make ourselves worthy of God's love, there would be no need for a Saviour. Jesus Christ does not merely help us to save ourselves. He is the Saviour of sinners. Jesus did …
Hosea 14:1-9; Hosea 6:1-3; Mark 2:1-22 We begin our approach to the Lord's Table with words which are found in both Hosea 14:1 and Hosea 14:2 - "Return to the Lord." To those who return to Him, God gives wonderful promises: (a) "I will love them freely" (Hosea 14:4); (b) "I will heal their backsliding" …
Revised Common Lectionary Year B - First Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37 Jesus Christ is God’s Answer to our prayer. We confess our sins to God - ‘We sinned... All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy …
"Jesus was going to Jerusalem" - to be "betrayed", "condemned to death" and to "come back to life" (Mark 10:32-34). Hallelujah! What a Saviour! "Teacher, we want you to do us a favour" (Mark 10:35) - This sounds so self-centred. What does Jesus say about this? - "Whoever wants to be great among you will …
Continue reading When we really begin to see things from Jesus’ point of view, we will follow Him.
Mark 4:1–34 God’s Word carries this message: ‘He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says...’ (9; Revelation 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22). We must listen for the voice of the Spirit. Grace has been ‘given’ to us (11). It is God's gift. To God be the glory! Sadly, some refuse to listen. Think …
1st July: Exodus 20:21-21:32 So many instructions - Don't get bogged down in details. Remember this: We do not live by an ethic of legalism. This is an ethic of redemption (20:1-2). Forget the God of redemption, and you have nothing but a lot of rules and regulations. Become obsessed with rules and regulations, and …
What a difference there is between Jesus giving a sign and the Pharisees demanding a sign! Miracles are given when the Lord decides - not when we demand: "If these people are given a sign, it will be far different from what they want!" (Mark 8:12). A blind man came to Jesus. His sight Was …
Before we move on to Jesus' resurrection and His return to heaven, we must turn our thoughts to His death and His burial. The world doesn't want to hear about death, but this is something about which we must speak. There is no Gospel, if we stop short of Jesus' death, if we speak only …
Mark 7:24-37 The Gospel is for both Jews and Gentiles (Romans 1:16). The Gospel isn't just for long ago. It's for today and tomorrow - as well as yesterday. What about our response to the Gospel? - "They were extremely astonished and said, He has done everything well!": We worship the Lord, and we are …
Continue reading The Gospel Is For Today And Tomorrow – Not Just Yesterday.
In Mark 14:66-72, we read about Peter denying his Lord three times. Was this the end of the road for Peter? No! In John 21:15-17, we read of Peter declaring his love for Jesus - three times, once for each denial! In Acts 2:41, we read of three thousand people being brought to faith in …
"Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). From "Christ for you", we move on to "Christ in you." Christ was crucified for us. Beyond his crucifixion, there is his resurrection. And, beyond his resurrection, there's his return "in great power and glory."* We do not only remember a past event: He died for …
Continue reading Looking forward to being with Christ, forever
"When Herod listened to John, he would become very disturbed, and yet he liked to listen to him" (Mark 6:20). There are people who like to listen to God's Word, but they refuse to be changed by God's Word. Listening to God's Word is of no value, if it doesn't lead to being changed by …
Psalm 118:19-29; Mark 12:1-12 There were many servants. There is only one Son. We read Jesus' parable in the light of Peter's confession - "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mark 8:29) - and God's declaration - "This is My Beloved Son" (Mark 9:7). In this parable, Jesus is speaking to …
Mark 9:14-41 If we are to walk with the Lord in His way of holiness and wholeness, (a) our life must be based on Jesus Christ - His death for us and His resurrection for us (Mark 9:31); (b) our life is to be a life of faith (Mark 9:23); (c) our life is to …
"Who will roll away the stone ... ?" (Mark 16:3). "The stone had been rolled away" by God (Mark 16:4). What man cannot do, God has done! - Jesus "has been brought back to life" (Mark 16:6). "Shock and trembling overwhelmed them ... they were afraid" (Mark 16:8). This was the initial reaction. They came …
Mark 15:1-39 "the King of the Jews" (Mark 15:2,9,12,26), "the King of Israel" (Mark 15:32) Jesus is more than this - He's "the Son of God" (Mark 15:39). He's "King of kings and Lord of lords" (Revelation 19:16). "At the Name of Jesus everyone in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will kneel and …
We already know about Judas: what He was planning to do. Of the other eleven disciples, Peter wasn't the only one who failed the Lord: "All the other disciples said the same thing as Peter" (Mark 14:31), and, like Peter, they let the Lord down. They kept well out of the way, making sure that …
Jesus, the Saviour, takes the place of Barabbas, the sinner. Each one of us can see ourselves in Barabbas: the sinner for whom Jesus died. "He saved others, but He cannot save Himself" (Mark 15:31): This is missing the point of Jesus' death. It was by sacrificing Himself that He saved others. We look at …
Continue reading Jesus – the Saviour – takes the place of Barabbas – the sinner.
"They were in a lot of trouble... because they were going against the wind" (Mark 6:48). We make a lot of trouble for ourselves when we go against the wind of the Spirit. John 3 and Acts 2 compare the Spirit to the wind. We need to go with the wind of the Spirit if …
Continue reading Go With The Wind Of The Spirit – And Be Blessed By The Lord.
“As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’ 18 At once they left their nets and followed him. 19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son …
Genesis 1:1-3‘Genesis’ means ‘beginning’. Its opening verses challenge us to get our priorities right. (a) the priority of God(1) God comes first. Before anyone else is mentioned, He is there. (b) the priority of God’s Word (3) God is the first to speak. Before any human word is spoken, there is the Word of the Lord. (c) the priority …
Continue reading A New Beginning: Some thoughts from the Scriptures
God has given us a great promise - "my word that goes out from my mouth ... will not return to me empty" (Isaiah 55:11). When we feel that God's Word is returning to us empty, we have this Word of encouragement: God's Word will not return to Him empty. God gives us His great …
Continue reading The seed shall sprout and grow, the sower does not know how … (Mark 4:27).
Mark 1- 3 With the command, ‘Follow Me’, there is the promise, ‘I will make you fishers of men’ (1:17). Jesus prayed (1:35). Jesus was mighty before men. The power of God was flowing freely. Jesus knew where the power comes from - He was humble before God. There is a world of difference between …
* The beginning of Jesus' ministry "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15). - The kingdom has come. We need not create it in the present, and it is not merely in the future. - It is good news - "the gospel …
"You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High" (Luke 1:31-32) - What a special person Jesus is! He's the Son of God - and he's our Saviour! "And there were shepherds living out in …
Continue reading The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord
"Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear" (Mark 4:9). Jesus is calling us to listen to him. What he says is important. It's what we need to hear. Sadly, we're poor listeners. Again and again, we fail to hear what he's saying to us him. Listening to him isn't always the most important thing …
Mark 12:1-12When the prophets had said and done all that they had to say and do, there was still more to be said and done. When the prophets had come and gone, there was still someone else to come - God's Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ (Mark 12:6). Jesus speaks to us about His death …
Mark 12:1-12 When the prophets had said and done all that they had to say and do, there was still more to be said and done. When the prophets had come and gone, there was still someone else to come - God's Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ (Mark 12:6). Jesus speaks to us about His …
Mark 1:1-20This was a new beginning (Mark 1:1), but it was based on what had gone before (Mark 1:2-3).Those who speak of Jesus Christ, their Saviour, are "voices crying in the wilderness", but their ministry is blessed by the Lord (Mark 1:3,5). We must never forget this, and we must pray that we will be like …
Continue reading A New Beginning – Based On What Had Gone Before
2 Chronicles 30:6-12; Mark 1:1-13 "Then the runners went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the king" (2 Chronicles 30:6). A message had been given to them. They passed the message on. They "spoke according to the command of the king" (2 Chronicles 30:6). What we see here, in 2 Chronicles 30, …
Continue reading A New Year Sermon: 2 Chronicles 30:6-12; Mark 1:1-13
“Good News” - “the forgiveness of sins” and “baptism with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:1,4,8). This Good News is centred on Jesus Christ, God’s beloved Son (Mark 1:11). Jesus was empowered by “the Spirit” (Mark 1:12). He comes to us with “the Good news of God” (Mark 1:(14). He calls for our response - “Change …
Continue reading Good News – Reaching Out To Us And Reaching Out Through Us
"Jesus was going to Jerusalem" - to be "betrayed", "condemned to death" and to "come back to life" (Mark 10:32-34). Hallelujah! What a Saviour! "Teacher, we want you to do us a favour" (Mark 10:35) - This sounds so self-centred. What does Jesus say about this? - "Whoever wants to be great among you will …
There were many people who tried to silence blind Bartimaeus. Here was the voice of prayer – and they were saying, “Shut up’! Thank God – he didn’t shut up. He shouted out. They more they said, “Shut up”, the more he shouted out. Because our praise is loud, that doesn’t mean that it’s real …
Continue reading “Many warned him to be quiet, but he cried out all the more … ” (Mark 10:48).
Mark 8:27-9:8 I've borrowed part of this title from Robert Schuller. He used the letters of the word, Lent, to say something that we all need to hear - Let's Eliminate Negative Thinking. * Let's Eliminate Negative Thinking about Jesus Christ. In his short three-year ministry, Jesus encountered much criticism and controversy. The religious leaders, known …
Continue reading Let’s Eliminate Negative Thinking about Jesus Christ.
“Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!” (Mark 11:9).Blessing is in Jesus. Blessing comes to us through Him. There's no direct route to God's blessing without going by way of Jesus. He is "the Way, the Truth and the Life." We come to God the Father through Him (John 14:6). When …
Continue reading Blessing Is In Jesus. Blessing Comes From Him.
In Mark 12, we see that much of Jesus' ministry must be understood within the context of conflict. The religious leaders were out to get Jesus, and Jesus didn't miss them when He spoke of their hypocritical religion. Mark 12 ends with a deeply moving picture of true devotion. It's a call to love the …
"… the seed shall sprout and grow, he himself does not know how …" (Mark 4:27).God has given us a great promise – “my word that goes out from my mouth … will not return to me empty” (Isaiah 55:11). When we feel that God’s Word is returning to us empty, we have this Word …
"Repent and believe in the Gospel" (Mark 1:15).We hear the Gospel and we are changed by it. That's where repentance and faith come from. The come from the Gospel. They are what the Gospel does to us. The Gospel brings us out of unbelief and into faith. The Gospel makes us new men and women. …
“Many warned him to be quiet, but he cried out all the more … ” (Mark 10:48).There were many people who tried to silence blind Bartimaeus. Here was the voice of prayer – and they were saying, “Shut up’! Thank God – he didn’t shut up. He shouted out. They more they said, “Shut up”, …
Continue reading Physical Blindness – And Spiritual Blindness
Mark 6:30-44"He saw a huge crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.Then He began to teach them many things" (Mark 6:34). Salvation comes from the love of God. We are sinners without a Saviour. He teaches and He shows us the Good News of His salvation. "This place …
The power of the Lord Jesus is seen in His miracles. It is the power of His love. His power is sen in His resurrection. This power is the power of life. Life triumphs over death. When we seek power for ourselves, we do not glorify the Lord. There is power in humility. We recognize …
"You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead! ... Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone everywhere ... And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked with them, confirming what they said by many miraculous …
"The Christian mind remains unsatisfied until all of existence is referred back to the triune God" Herman Bavinck
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Psalms 18:2 (KJV) The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
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