The four miracles in Mark 4-5 all have this in common: God brings hope to hopeless situations. Jesus reveals himself as God, as creator. He is our refuge in times of trouble. In all the miracles, death was threatening, and Jesus brings life. He is the atoner! Structurally, the center of today's passage is the woman being healed, and power going out…

Jesus is one with the Father, so the Old Testament laws of uncleanliness do not apply to him. The woman with the issue of blood simply put her faith in him to heal her, and Jesus not only healed her, but made her pure! Our Lord is the ultimate purifier; the unclean doesn't render him unclean, but is rather purified by his sheer holiness. As followe…

The stories of Jairus's daughter and the woman with the issue of blood are told together, and intertwined. The girl was 12 years old, and the woman's issue of blood had lasted 12 years. The girl experienced death, and due to Levitical laws, the woman was associated with death for 12 years. Both the woman and Jairus were desperate for healing, and J…

When Jesus resurrects Jairus's daughter, he shows he is Lord even over death. He says she wasn't dead, "only sleeping"... Does that mean when we die, we go into soul sleep until the resurrection of the dead? The Bible says no in multiple places. Jesus says "sleeping" as a way of describing our eternity; it's more accurate than saying "dead". Becaus…

God's love for his lost bride (humanity) is profound. We can trace it through history: creation, the fall, Abraham and Isaac, the tabernacle and priestly garments, the Song of Solomon, and our redemption through Jesus' sacrificial death and resurrection. God is committed to rescuing and restoring his people despite their unfaithfulness. His ultimat…

Following Jesus is challenging. The world may hate us, just as it hated him, but this persecution is essential for our spiritual growth. We're called to be the salt of the earth, preserving a decaying world even when it hurts. Our response to trials and persecution can be a powerful witness to others. Are we living for our own false glory or the tr…

Jesus' resurrection is centrally important to the Christian faith. The four Gospels offer distinct, non-chronological accounts of the resurrection, each highlighting particular theological themes. Mark ends with fear and confusion. Luke focuses on women's perspectives and eyewitness accounts. John emphasizes the garden setting, drawing parallels to…

On this Easter Sunday, we delve into Jesus' resurrection, as recorded in John 20. This pivotal event is not just a historical fact, but the cornerstone of our faith. The empty tomb proclaims that Jesus is who He says He is - the Son of God, victorious over death! The resurrection is what sets Christianity apart from all other religions. It's not ab…

Structurally, the focus of today's passage is verse 13: "So he gave them permission." Jesus has such authority that the demons need to ask him before they act! - Jesus has the authority. Same as the story of Jesus calming the storm. - The opposition to Jesus in the beginning was the demons... At the end, it was the gentiles. - At the end of Mark 4 …

The end of Mark 4 ended with a question... who is this that even the wind and the sea obey him? Jesus and the disciples were already tired from the storm at sea, and they're immediately faced with a demon-possessed man! He was strong, violent, had a legion of demons, lived among the dead, and couldn't be contained. These demons know who Jesus is, e…

Structurally, Mark 4:35-41 is a chiasm, with the central point being the disciples waking Jesus and his rebuking the wind and sea. This emphasizes the faithlessness of the disciples compared to the faith of Jesus. This passage begins as Jesus gets away from the crowds to rest with his disciples; he escapes the crowd to rest with us as well. The sto…

As he calms the storm, Jesus is the God of Genesis 1, whose voice brings order! Creation listens to his voice. In the beginning, the earth was without form, chaotic. God speaks and brings order to it all! As Jesus calms the storm, he shows that he is one with the Father. When life becomes chaotic, we need the Word of the Lord! Order will come about…

This week, Mark Traeger teaches on the investments we're called to make in Jesus. God first calls us to invest our lives in him! In our Christian walk, if we want a better prayer life, we must invest time in prayer; if we want to know God's Word better, we must invest our time and effort into it. All the world offers is temporary, but an investment…

In the parable of the lamp, the lamp is illuminating Gospel truth throughout the world. The Word should be proclaimed, and the light of Christ should shine, openly. The Kingdom will expand, shining God's light to the whole earth. As you share the light of his Word, more will be given to you! As you reject it, more will be taken from you, until you'…

The Kingdom is indeed eternal, but it's also here now. Jesus is Lord of the Kingdom, and Lord of all. Demons shudder over his authority! Satan doesn't want us to know about the Kingdom. Being in the Kingdom means we're under the King! He is our Lord! He brought the Kingdom down to us. In the parable of the lamp, we see he didn't give us a light to …

Thorns (worldly concerns) grow up with the wheat; we must make sure not to let these concerns choke out our faith. Verses 10-12 are the chiastic focal point, showing that parables are like riddles, meant to teach God's people but confound unbelievers, conveying judgment on the hard-hearted. Jesus gives an allegorical interpretation of the parable o…

People who are like good soil... - They hear and continue to hear! They meditate on it, abide in it! They hear the word and keep hearing it. - They accept the word, welcoming the whole counsel of God, and keeping it. They don't want the word on their own terms... they adhere to its hard truths, trusting its veracity even if it doesn't agree with ou…

Mark mostly tells us what Jesus did, more than what he said, but in Chapter 4 (as well as Chapter 13) he emphasizes what Jesus taught. Here Jesus is teaching from the water, protecting him from the encroaching mob. He commands his followers to listen! In the parable of the sower, he describes the various kinds of people who have encountered his min…

In today's passage, Jesus teaches in parables, like riddles. Parables were a language of judgment on the hard-hearted; even the apostles didn't always understand them immediately. Jesus is the chief sower, but we also sow the Word of God, the truth of Jesus' story, God's Kingdom. 1 - Seed along the well-traveled path... people have heard it before.…

Why did Jesus' family think he was crazy here? They never saw him perform miracles, so they struggled to believe. Mark places the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit as the center of the story. Jesus has power over the demonic, and the scribes attack Jesus, attributing his power to evil. They're trying to undercut the claims that he's Messiah. He responds…

Scribes accuse Jesus of being possessed by demons simply because he commands them. But he's binding Satan before plundering his house. Everything you've ever done can be forgiven. Christians today have the Holy Spirit. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, the only unpardonable sin, is the repeated and final rejection of Jesus. Biblically, if you're given …

Pastor Rick explores the concepts of joy, peace, and fruitfulness in the Christian life, rooted in Jesus' teachings from John 14 and 15. It's essential that we as Christians abide in Christ, understand God's sovereignty, and experience the transformative power of God's love. True peace and joy come from trusting in God's plan, even amidst life's ch…

So many people from all walks of life are coming to Jesus, including Gentiles, that he retreats to the water to escape the dangerous crowd. The Pharisees don't know who Jesus is, but the demons do. Jesus calls the twelve apostles ("sent ones" or "messengers"), a select group of leaders chosen by Jesus, who met with him personally, and had authority…

The apostles didn't choose Jesus; he chose them! Not for their skill, righteousness, wisdom or faith. We love him because he first loved us, because he is good! Jesus is calling us so we can be with him, have authority to preach, and cast out demons (resist Satan). The Christian life, to sum up: Draw near to the Lord, stay in him, be sent out, and …

Jesus doesn't excuse sin, but emphasizes there are weightier issues in the law. Lying is bad, but murder is worse, and choosing to lie to protect someone from being killed is the better choice. The Pharisees missed the spirit of the law on favor of the letter of the law. Exodus 4:5ff... one of God's signs of his presence to the people is his healin…

The Pharisees were turning the law into a heavy yoke; they fell into the trap of letting tradition replace God's Word. Jesus expressed the spirit of the law. He heals a man on the Sabbath, and they plot to kill him. On judgment day, don't weep for the prostitute, weep for the self-righteous, weep for the unfaithful pastor. Jesus was willing to heal…

Jesus eats with such deplorable people; shocking at the time. Like Moses in Exodus 10, he wants to save as many people as he can, and eating with them fostered intimacy and implied forgiveness of their sins. That said, we are still called to live holy lives; Jesus accepts us as we are but teaches us to not stay as we are! Ephesians 2:4-10 - We're s…

The scribes and Pharisees were self-righteous. They didn't see themselves as needing a savior. But the sinners sitting at the table with Jesus knew they needed help. And he wants sinners! We've all fallen short of the glory of God, and don't deserve to eat a meal with Jesus. But if God grants us entry into heaven, we'll feel the warmth of Jesus' gl…

Mark was at Peter's house, a large, nice home, for today's passage. He's among family when the paralytic is brought through the roof. In 2 Kings 13:20-21, there's a very similar story of healing in the Old Testament, where a dead man is revived after his body touches the dead body of Elisha. Even this early in Mark, the story of the paralytic estab…

The Pharisees liked some of what Jesus said, but in rejecting some of it, they denied his authority. The paralytic and his friends had great faith. His friends carried him through the crowd for who knows how long, lifted him up to the roof, somehow got him through the roof to the inside... So much faith! And Jesus forgave him and healed him. Often …

We must never lose hope in the work of the perfect leader, Jesus Christ. People are fallible, but church is about God. The body of Christ points to him. Despite human failings, we must assemble together! Israel wanted a king. But God created Israel to have him as king! The Bible doesn't record the failures of the Hebrew people so we can judge them,…

Almighty God dwells within us; we inherit the perfection of his works. As he produces fruit in us, we are his example to the world. Our hearts are above all desperately wicked. We need Jesus; we can't live the Christian life without him. He lives in us, and is for us! He's the second Adam, perfect, without sin. We cultivate the garden by raising ou…

Psalm 4 closes with David asking God to protect us through the night, and Psalm 5 opens with David meeting the Lord in the morning, giving thanks and worshipping him. He recognizes that it's only because of the goodness of God that he will enter God's house. There's evil inside each of us, and David asks God to keep him from it and make him righteo…

Anything in your life that's contrary to Jesus is making your life worse. You may think it's not noticeable, but others will see and feel its effects. There is no such thing as a free sin. Satan wants this culture to believe that truth is relative... your truth, my truth, etc. Not true, there is only Truth! God blesses the righteous and covers us w…

In God's presence, we enjoy the abundance of his creation. We are reflections of the Trinity; we are a family. The tabernacle was a representation of a banquet, with the ark being the banquet couch, where God rests with his people. In Exodus 25, the showbread was called the bread of faces, laid before the face of God, with the wine, a glorified for…

Why did Jesus come into the world? To save people from their sins through his death and resurrection! At the virgin birth, deliverance is coming for God's people, and God's judgment is coming to those who reject him. We're born of sin; salvation must come from outside ourselves. That's why Jesus came! When we stand before God on judgment day, all w…

Matthew shows us how Israel has degraded to an Egypt-like state. Herod started as a courageous, capable leader, trusted by Caesar, but in his corrupt pagan heart, he became consumed with self-preservation and political power above all else. The star announcing the arrival of a new king meant to him that this king had to be killed. Though the world …

Trust and follow Jesus!!! You will NOT survive without him. We are prone to wander. There are people today like Herod, who are filled with the spirit of the antichrist. They will lie and flatter you because they live for themselves and want their own way. We are to be patient, forgiving, slow to wrath, but there is also a time to walk away, if you …

Astrology was a sin in the old testament, but regardless, God knows this is how to reach the wise men from Arabia. God is using the star of Bethlehem to reach out to these gentiles even before Jesus is born! The wandering star is the Holy Spirit, similar to the glory cloud in the wilderness in Exodus, resting on the tabernacle. At Jesus' birth, the…

Fear is a horrible god; people can lose their minds over it. Proverbs 29:25: don't let fear run your life! Psalm 56:3: When you're afraid, trust in God! We must resist the temptation to fear. If we can trust and believe he can get us through, fear will evaporate! Calling Jesus King of the Jews was a political threat to Herod. Jesus is the King we s…

Jesus becomes famous, then hides away from the public to talk with his Father. His focus was on preaching in synagogues, not on miracles; miracles were to lend credence to his teaching, to give weight to his message. Jesus prayed! If he needs to pray, so do we. We must set aside dedicated time alone with the Lord. Lepers were to isolate themselves …

If you want to avoid terror at the second coming, you must accept the gentle first coming! This passage tells us where the church's focus should be: the Word of God. Faith is going to God, knowing he can do whatever he wills. True faith says, "Your will be done." Mark is all about action, showing Jesus as always moving; he's communicating what Jesu…

We must counter the devil's lies with God's truth, and fill our lives with worship. Peter spoke in love, but the devil spoke in fear. We must come to Jesus with not only our words or our thoughts, but our hearts. We must be all in. Mark is intent on showing Jesus as King. He shows many parallels between Jesus and David. When Peter was called into m…

The darkness hates the light! Jesus shows up and demons flee. If I want God to heal me or fix my situation, is it for good reasons, or just so I can go on sinning? Is it for his glory or my own comfort? The woman Jesus heals immediately gets up and serves her family. We too should have an eager desire to serve God in our healing. Jesus' name is abo…

It's good to give thanks to God, walking in him and abounding in thanksgiving! Even in tough times, we grieve with hope, and rejoice. Continue steadfastly in prayer and be vigilant in thanksgiving! Find reasons to be thankful. God's word contains many examples associating thankfulness with sharing a meal. Every time we eat together dinner at the ta…

Trust Jesus in the face of death. God allows trials because we're forced to go to him for help. He works on his terms, not ours; he uses people and experiences we wouldn't have chosen to allow us to grow. When we sin, we should feel shame; shame is holy! Often we need to be silent, be still, and wait for God to speak and act. Once you taste the glo…

Jesus and the Father are one, bringing the same message! Mark is informing the gentile Christians that they are NOT a sect or weird branch of old testament believers; Jesus preaches with the same authority as the Father. Repentance is a gift. It means there's still time to come to the Lord and say you're sorry, and that time is now! In about 40 yea…

The beatitudes (being meek, peacemakers, pure in heart, hungering for righteousness, etc.) are the Kingdom attitudes, how we should be living! As subjects of the King, he is either our Lord or our enemy. Jesus started a good work in us so we can be a blessing to each other. Our loved ones need us to act more and more like Christ! We are brought her…

John Mark traveled with Peter and Paul, and was the cousin of Barnabas. He was a man of good character, according to Peter, and a man of useful skills according to Paul. The Gospel of Mark is not chronologically ordered, but split into 3 sections: Jesus in Galilee, Jesus on the way to Jerusalem, and Jesus in Jerusalem. Mark likes to write chiastica…

Mark was written in the mid-to-late 60s AD by Mark, aka John Mark, cousin of Barnabas. He became Peter's follower, interpreter and transcriber. His writing was very accurate, though not in chronological order. He introduces John the Baptist, whose life parallels that of Elijah. John's words are full of sweetness and judgment, and his ministry point…