Churching Today

As Jesus continues His ministry work we should notice that the tone o the conversations will take on a more personal nature. Jesus had introduced the concept of the death burial and resurrection to the disciples, and we see that Peter had an emotional response, and as we see the narrative start to change, we will see how Jesus wants His disciples to react, but because they have their minds towards the things of this world, they continue to be distracted. Mark 9:30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, The need for more secrecy is that the Jewish leadership is tracking Jesus, and Jesus also needs time alone with His disciples, the matters that need discussing are of a deep theological nature. Jesus has to get the disciples to unlearn what they have learned about the Messiah. Remember to these men the Messiah is a political military figure, one who comes to throw out the Romans and reestablish the Kingdom of Israel. Mark 9:31 for ...

  In the prior verse of Mark 2 Jesus starts to work on dismantling the traditions and practices of the Pharisees, these man-made regulations, rule and traditions push the bounds of what God had given the people of Israel by which to govern their lives. What most likely had started off with good intentions by the Jewish leaders after the exile to Babylon, the traditions of the elders had become a yoke on the people, one Jeus intended on removing, and His next target was the Pharisees teaching on the Sabbath. Mark 2:23 One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. Mark 2:24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” Now our Roman reader may have some questions about this concept of the Sabbath, and frankly I do not think that the average Christian today is in any better position than the Roman. The concept of the Sabbath is a widely misundersto...

Jesus, Peter, James and John return to the rest of the disciples from the mountain where the transfiguration had taken place. Let’s remember that not all the disciples went on this trip, they had stayed behind still doing the ministry work that Jesus had called them to do. That’s right, the boss has gone away, you are still expected to do the same work that you did when the boss was with you. But when they get back do they find them doing the work of the ministry? Well, sort of. Mark 9:14 And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. Our Roman reader would not find this strange at all, open public discussions was a hallmark of the Roman people, one could normally see crowds of people gathering around two individuals having a discussion, and others in the crowd peppering the two with questions to either support or challenge one of the speakers. This is an age old practice, free and open speech at its best. As many of you...

Jesus is starting to reveal more and more to the disciples, last week our Roman reader discovered that Jesus had flipped the script, going from a very positive message to one that was based on suffering and death. Jesus did also mention raising from the dead, but it is hard to believe in such a thing, one would remark such things as the ranting of a mad man, because we know that dead people stay dead, and yet Jesus raised the little girl from the dead, ok well that was Him doing it for someone else, how does one raise themselves from the dead, how does that even work, they are dead. At the end Jesus reminds them not to focus on the things of this world, gaining everything that this temporal existence has to over, what good is it if you forfeit your eternal soul. Now Jesus is closing out that teaching here in the beginning of chapter 9, but to our Roman reader it is a seamless story. Mark 9:1 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste d...

  After Jesus attempts to teach the disciples about the Pharisees additions to the law but has to re-direct them from worrying about bread and filling their stomachs, Jesus arrives in Bethsaida this was the place that Jesus had sent the disciples in Mark 6:45 when Jesus came walking on the water. Bethsaida is just north of Decapolis. Our Roman reader has learned much about Jesus, but these next several verses are going to open up a whole new perspective for the Roman and introduce concepts that he will have to ponder and maybe do some extra education about. If there is anything about the Christian faith that our Roman ruler has learned is that Christianity does not treat you like an infant, it does not hand you information on a platter and explains everything like you are 5. God expects you to engage that brain of yours, to work through the text, and to seek answers to the questions that the text presents. This would be the case here; Jesus is going to ask questions and is going to...

  Jesus leaves the Decapolis area and returns to Galilee, and it is not long before He is confronted by the Jewish leadership. We will see these encounters become more frequent. This our course is out of concern that Jesus has been in the areas of the Gentiles teaching them. Our Roman reader already understands and sees the tension between Jesus and the Jewish leadership, it is only how hard each are willing to push the other. Mark 8:11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. Miracles have a specific reason, everything that Jesus does has a purpose, and the healings, the casting out demons, the feeding, the raising from the dead, it all has a purpose of giving a sign to people namely the Jews to demonstrate that not only is Jesus sent from God, but that He is the prophesied Messiah. However, the Pharisees are asking for a specific type of sign that comes directly from heaven. They wanted an Elijah moment, when Elijah c...