Archives for January 2011

In Mark chapter 7 the Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem show back up on the scene. Opposition, we know, is imminent. The question is simply, "what will trigger it?" Verse 2 tells us that this time it's Jesus' disciples eating a meal with unclean hands. Jesus spends no time getting past this though and challenging the Pharisees and the scribes on the real issue at ha...

The amount of misunderstanding surrounding Jesus is amazing sometimes, especially when both Jesus' actions and words point so clearly to His true identity. Yet people, from the time that Jesus was living and ministering on earth through the present, have continued to fail to see and realize just who He is. People both then and today have misunderstood or failed to recogn...

Last week's text ended with verse 30 which said, "The apostles returned to Jesus and told Him all that they had done and taught." They had counted the cost and answered the call to serve Him and returned excited about all that had taken place. But is that what it's all about? Serving and performing well? Jesus' response in verse 31 will answer that question. And in th...

Ask most American Christians if they really treasure Christ and most of them would probably answer 'yes.' But why are so few actively serving and why are so few willing to deny themselves some of the things that make them comfortable in order to better spread the good news of the gospel? In this passage of Scripture we'll see that Jesus presents His followers with a call...

In this week's text we see a surprising response from the people of Jesus' hometown of Nazareth when He returns and they begin to hear His teaching and news of His extraordinary miracles. It's not the same kind of response that we are used to in our culture. While we love to celebrate our hometown heroes the people of Nazareth don't celebrate Jesus at all. We'll consider...