Mark 14:1-11 1 It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, 2 for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.”
3 And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 4 There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. 6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. 9 And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” 10 Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray him. The twelve disciples had been following Jesus by this point for over three years. Every day Jesus had been teaching them something new. As the Holy Spirit was moving powerfully through Jesus Christ it would have been amazing to know that each and every day Jesus would do something or say something that would give them a deeper understanding of God and of the plan of salvation. There was so much to learn and Jesus was the best possible teacher. He knew each of the disciples better than they knew themselves and He knew exactly the best way to teach them. But along with the many blessings that came with being taught directly by Jesus also came personal hardship. The opposition to Jesus continued to increase as Jesus’ earthly ministry continued and at this point in the book of Mark it was just days before Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus had triumphantly entered into Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt accepting the praise of the people who publicly worshipped Him as the Christ- the Savior who had come to rescue them. Jesus was on a collision course with the religious leaders in Jerusalem. They did not want to give up the power and authority that they had in Jerusalem. Every religious authority challenged Jesus in the Temple in a war of words and He was able to defeat them all (described in Mark 12). They were desperate to have Jesus killed but He was popular among the general public (as was John the Baptist previously). They were willing to hear any plan to have Jesus killed but they didn’t want to do it now during Passover as there were Jewish people in Jerusalem from all over the known world to celebrate God delivering their ancestors from Egypt thousands of years earlier. They desired to kill Jesus in secret and not in a public scene. Then comes this surprising scene in Bethany which was near Jerusalem. Out of the blue, a woman pours a large flask of expensive perfume on Jesus’ head. We all naturally cringe when we see something very expensive broken by accident. A glass of spilt milk isn’t a big deal but a shattered TV screen or a written off vehicle from an accident hurts deeply for the one who incurs the cost. When the disciples saw this very very expensive perfume poured over Jesus they were shocked! What was this woman thinking? Was this an accident? How would she make up for such a loss? As they continued to watch they realized that this was an act of deep love and affection of which Jesus accepts and even confirms. But what she had done even she did not fully understand. She had anointed Jesus for His burial. Jesus once again confirms that He will die of which the disciples still could not accept or comprehend. How does Judas Iscariot respond? We next read that Judas Iscariot goes to the chief priests in order to betray Jesus. He would be paid by them to betray Jesus. Now he only needed to come up with a plan. Judas Iscariot consciously decided to switch allegiances after seeing this woman anoint Jesus with this expensive perfume. We read in John 12:6 that as the treasurer he had been pocketing money from what was donated to Jesus (people would donate money to cover the cost of their expenses as they traveled). Judas Iscariot saw what he had perceived as wasted money that he wanted for himself: John 12:6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Ultimately Judas Iscariot came to the conclusion that this wasn’t the Kingdom that he had signed up for. Judas Iscariot was more than willing to follow Jesus as long as it benefited him but now it was getting more dangerous to follow Jesus and it was obvious that they weren’t going to reign with Him in Jerusalem any time soon (Jesus had just explained to His disciples in Mark 13 that Jerusalem would be destroyed in A.D. 70 and that the disciples would suffer great personal hardship in the future and that Jesus would come again in the future to judge the world). Jesus’ actions with the woman who anointed Him with perfume only confirmed to Judas Iscariot that now was the time to jump ship before it was too late. The fact that Judas Iscariot was the only disciple from that part of Israel (Judea) may have also contributed to his decision as he gravitated back to what he previously knew and believed and what was comfortable to him. He had tried to follow Jesus and changed his mind and the only way he could prove that he was loyal to the chief priests instead of Jesus was to betray Him. If Judas Iscariot didn’t betray Jesus he still could be accused of being a follower of Jesus. Why not profit? But his decision would prove costly as it would cost him his very life and his very soul. After betraying Jesus, Judas Iscariot hanged himself (Matthew 27:3-10). To follow Jesus is a life and death situation. It is costly to follow Jesus but it is absolutely worth it. God will test our love for Him and it will require sacrifice but the reward of knowing Jesus Christ is eternal life. It is the greatest gift and to reject Him is the greatest mistake. Sadly there are many who start off following Jesus with much excitement. They believe that they love Jesus Christ but they are really only looking for the benefits that they can receive from Him. They, like Judas Iscariot, justify skimming from the top and have never come to a true place of repentance and faith. If push comes to shove they will be willing to betray Jesus to save their own skin or to profit for themselves. Examine your heart. Are you truly loyal to Jesus Christ? Mark 8:35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. Pastor Murray Hack
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Mark 13:32-37 32 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”
In the shadow of the cross, just before His crucifixion, Jesus teaches His disciples about the future. Jesus Christ came to this world in the flesh the first time, over 2,000 years ago, to provide for our salvation. Jesus died upon a cross to pay the penalty of our sin and to save all who are willing to repent and believe in Him. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection we can find forgiveness for our sins and the power to overcome sin. But one day in the future Jesus Christ will return to judge all the nations who have rejected Him. Those who deny Him will fear Him when He comes but for those of us who love Him, we will rejoice that our salvation will be revealed in full! One day in the future all sin and evil and the curse of the fall will be removed and Jesus Christ will reveal His perfect eternal kingdom in new heavens and a new earth! As Jesus speaks of His second coming here in Mark 13:32-37, He repeats Himself multiple times: “Stay awake!” He is emphasizing the need to be ready and prepared for His coming. The truth is that apart from being born again by the Spirit of God the sinner is asleep in his or her sin. When a person enters into this world as a baby they are physically alive but spiritually dead. They can understand the world around them through their five senses but they cannot understand God. Because of the sin nature inherited from their first parents, Adam and Eve, they cannot have fellowship with God and they are unaware of the actual condition of their heart. The sinner is asleep in their sin. As Richard Baxter wrote in 1673, “The sinner has eyes and sees not, and ears but hears not, and a heart that understands not, nor feels anything.” Not only is the sinner actually asleep but the great enemy of God, the devil, will do all that he can to keep the sinner asleep. He will do all that he can to bring the sinner into a deep sleep- a sleep so deep that even if the sinner reads the Word of God or hears the Gospel message they will never lay it to heart. Richard Baxter also writes, “The devil is awake and is rocking your cradle! None of your enemies are asleep and yet will you sleep, in the thickest of your foes? While he can keep you asleep, the devil can do almost what he likes with you.” Not only does the sinner sleep under the care and control of the devil but they also remain under the judgment of God unaware of what awaits them. Richard Baxter says, “You sleep in irons, in the captivity of the devil, among the walking judgments of God, in a life that is still expecting an end, in a boat that is swiftly carried to eternity, just at the entrance of another world; and that world will be hell, if grace does not awake you: you are going to see the face of God, to see the world of angels or devils, and to be accompanied with one of them forever; and is this a place or case to sleep in? Is your bed so soft? Your dwelling place so safe? God stands over you, man, and do you sleep? Christ is coming and death is coming, and judgment is coming, and do you sleep?” For those who are moved by the Holy Spirit, they have been awakened from their sleep and Christ has shone upon them (Eph. 5:14). They have come to experience the grace of God and are anxiously awaiting the second coming of Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior! They will be among those who are waiting ready for their Lord whom they love with all of their heart! They will persevere to the end and will not be surprised at His coming! They will stay awake! The deception is that there are also those who will appear to have been awakened to the Gospel and who will appear to be awake (at least for a season). They may even be on fire for God but for one reason or another they fall back asleep. It may be the cares of this world or persecution or a lack of true understanding of the Gospel. It may be a false repentance or simply a desire to “try Christianity” or an attempt to imitate what they see in a person they admire. But the reality is that such a person will not remain awake when the Lord returns. They have been or will be lulled back to sleep by the devil and do not know the love of Jesus Christ. They may still believe they are awake and yet they are asleep. Such is the warning that Jesus gives. Such was the case with one of the twelve disciples. Judas Iscariot seemed to be awake but he fell back asleep and was used by the devil to betray Jesus. But one day in the future all will be awakened including the sinner and the false convert. Richard Baxter goes on to say, “If you will not soon awake, death and vengeance will awake you. You will wake when you see the other world, and see the things which you would not believe, and come before your dreadful Judge! ‘Your destruction is not asleep.’ (2 Peter 2:3) There are no sleepy souls in heaven or hell, all are awake there: and the day that has awakened so many shall awaken you. Watch, then if you love your soul, unless the Lord comes suddenly and finds you sleeping.” Today is Easter Sunday, the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many years ago the God-man Jesus Christ died the most cruel death imaginable to man as He was crucified and then buried in a tomb. On the cross He died for you and for me. On the cross He declared, “It is finished.” Then, on the Lord’s Day He awoke from the dead. He walked out of that tomb and He lives forevermore! Have you yet been awakened by Jesus Christ or are you yet asleep? Did you wake up this morning rejoicing in what Jesus Christ has done for you or does this event in history mean nothing to you? Seek Him while He may be found. Turn to Him before it is too late. Beware of the devil who is doing all that He can to prevent you from coming to know the love of Jesus Christ. And believe in the power of Jesus Christ to keep you awake. He is able to bring you to the end ready for His return! He is able to keep you for Himself when all you may have known before is failure and despair! You can be made free from the bondage of the devil! Jesus Christ alone has the power to save you and to save me! He overcame the grave! Even now He desires nothing more than for you to know His enduring love! Awake! Stay awake! Pastor Murray Hack Mark 13:14-31 14 “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, 16 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 17 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 18 Pray that it may not happen in winter. 19 For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, and never will be. 20 And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. 21 And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23 But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.
24 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. 28 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Many of the prophecies in the Old Testament contain a description of both the first coming and the second coming of Jesus Christ which could naturally lead to a misinterpretation of the meaning of the prophecies. The Jews all thought that when the Christ would come, He would defeat the enemies of Israel and Israel would rule the nations. This was the general belief as to how the Kingdom of God would be established. But this was never God’s plan of salvation. As the very Son of God entered into creation to save us from our sins He would establish a new spiritual Kingdom that would transcend the nations as the Church was formed. Instead of Israel being exalted they would be rejected because of their rejection of Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ. There will yet be a great harvest among the Jews before the Lord returns but when Jesus spoke these words to His disciples He was revealing to them in greater detail the darkness that was associated with His coming. There was intense darkness as Jesus died upon cross and there would be intense darkness in Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and there will be intense darkness in the present world before Jesus Christ returns someday soon in the future. In A.D. 70, about 40 years after Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, Roman general Titus invaded Jerusalem to crush a Jewish revolt. He entered the temple, destroyed the building, and carried off the lampstand and other temple artifacts to Rome. This was all new and unexpected teaching. It did not fit what the disciples had been taught previously. The destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 was a judgment from God for the rejection of Jesus as the Christ. The Christians who were in Jerusalem at the time were to flee for their safety. Right up until the last moments they were to declare the Good News of Jesus Christ to the lost souls that had no idea of their impending destruction. The same is true in our day. There is an impending destruction of the entire world when God not only judges one nation but all the nations for their rejection of Jesus as the Christ. We, who are born again Christians, are called to continue to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to lost souls right up until the last moments before the Lord returns coming in the clouds with great power. Nobody likes to hear a negative message and yet Jesus declares that heaven and earth will pass away (verse 31). We all recognize that there is evil in this world and just like the disciples we should recognize that God must ultimately deal with the problem of sin and the enemies of God but we tend to have an idealistic view as to how this will be accomplished. We dislike the idea of great challenges and difficulties in order for God’s plan of salvation to be fulfilled. Jesus reveals there will be many false Christ’s and false prophets. Jesus reveals that the antichrist will reign. Jesus reveals that there will be great darkness throughout the entire world. There is going to be a time of separation and God has always done this throughout all history. He separates those that are His true children from those who are not. But there are particular times when this separation is intensified as God completes a purifying work in relation to His judgment. When Jesus died upon the cross He allowed His enemies to defeat Him. There are many times throughout the history of the true Church and in the nation of Israel when the enemies of God appear to be triumphant. We all as born again Christians will go through such times as our faith is tried. We will be led by the Holy Spirit to discern the true from the false. We will not be led astray by the false Christ’s and the false prophets. We will not be overcome by the darkness in this world but at times it may appear so. The disciples were soon going to learn this. God allows His enemies to have their day revealing their wickedness. He gives them time to repent but their guilt still remains upon them if they are not willing to surrender to Jesus Christ. But when God does finally judge the wicked He will separate His true children from the false. He will gather the elect from the four winds. They will be safe in the arms of Jesus. When He does this His children will recognize the signs that precede His judgment and they will be spared from His wrath. They will be separated from those whom God judges. Jesus uses the picture of the fig tree’s branches becoming tender and leaves forming to recognize the coming of summer in Israel. Likewise the disciples would know when to leave Jerusalem when the judgment came in A.D. 70. But at this point the disciples did not understand any of this. At this point they were blind to all that was to come. Jesus reveals these truths beforehand to once again prove that He is indeed the Christ. Truly His Words will not pass away. He alone knows the end from the beginning. He alone can help us to understand the deep truths of God. Are you among those who are in the Kingdom of God and who will be spared from His wrath or you among those who have rejected Jesus Christ and His free gift of salvation? Pastor Murray Hack Mark 13:1-13 1 And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”
3 And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5 And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. 6 Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7 And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet. 8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains. 9 “But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. 10 And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12 And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13 And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. We all like to have the ideology that there must be good in this world. And there is. In spite of being born into a world cursed because of the original sin of Adam and Eve the goodness of God can still be seen in His kindness to all people- even to those who hate Him. But there is much darkness. There is much evil. The devil is real and the corruption of the human heart is real. There is death, sickness, disease, abuse, famines, wars, etc. As the disciples marveled at the Temple building in Jerusalem, days after Jesus had publicly revealed that He is indeed the Christ- the Savior of Israel as He entered into Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt, they were still under the impression that they would soon rule with Him. After all, Jesus had just defeated all those who opposed Him in a war of words in the Temple. Jesus had shown that He had a greater understanding of the Scriptures than the Pharisees, the Herodians, the Sadducees, and the scribes. It was only a matter of time in the eyes of His disciples when Jesus would rule from Jerusalem over Israel and they along with Him. They were afraid to be in Jerusalem as they knew that the religious leaders desired to kill Jesus and in turn themselves, but their fear still was overcome by the hope that, as they continued to follow Jesus, He would soon formally establish His Kingdom. And as Jesus began to rule, in the minds of His disciples, all His enemies would be defeated. All evil would be overthrown. Everything would be made perfect. Their ideology was the same as most people in our day- some day soon everything will be as it should be. We just need to hope beyond hope for the best. But this was not God’s plan of salvation. Jesus must die in order that we may be saved. He had to suffer the punishment that our sins deserve as the wrath of God the Father was to be poured out upon Him upon the cross. Without His suffering for me and for you, none of us could be saved from sin and know the forgiveness and fellowship of God. Without His death the darkness could not be overcome. And so as the disciples were meditating on the greatness to come and how wonderful it would soon be too rule in the Temple alongside Jesus, they would have been shocked and confused by the declaration of Jesus that it would all be destroyed (which occurred in A.D. 70 when the Romans utterly destroyed all of Jerusalem in a silencing of the nuisance that the Jews had become to the Roman empire). Jesus had already declared to His disciples three times that He must die and rise again which they could not comprehend and now Jesus was also saying that the Temple itself would be destroyed. How confusing for the disciples. As the disciples asked Jesus to explain further what He means by the destruction of the Temple, Jesus challenges them personally to beware of the opposition that they would yet face. Up to this point their walk with Jesus had been relatively easy. They had ultimately been protected and shielded by Jesus Himself. But soon it would become much more difficult. As Jesus would return to heaven following His resurrection in order to send the Holy Spirit to speak to them intimately through their inner man, they would have to face all the opposition in the world directly and without Him as their shield. There would be those who would rise up and try to deceive Christians to turn away from following Jesus Christ. There would be much evil in the world and opposition to the message that they would preach. There would be divisions in families and many people would hate them for being associated with Jesus Christ. And so Jesus calls them to endure to the end. It would all be worth it but much difficulty and struggle was yet to come. How often do we look at the Christian life in the same way that the disciples did at this point? We like the idea that following Jesus is easy. We like the idea of the benefits of being in His Kingdom and the comforts and pleasures that may come from following Him. At the same time we block out the reality that there is a cross that we all are called to carry. We block out the reality that Jesus was led to a cross in His ministry as the consummation of His love to God the Father. We block out the truth that it will cost us dearly to follow Jesus. There is an evil in this world that is absolutely opposed to God. There is an enemy, the devil, who will do all that he can to destroy you and to destroy me as a follower of Jesus Christ. If you have come to a true place of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ you will have to endure to the end. It will not be easy to follow Jesus. There will be many people who will come against you. Many people whom you love will oppose you. They will not understand. They will hate you for being a follower of Jesus Christ. Jesus said in verse 13, “You will be hated by all for my name’s sake.” There is no easy road to heaven for the Christian. Sadly for many they are not willing to endure to the end. Sadly there are many who are not willing to suffer for His Name. But if you have truly tasted the love of Jesus Christ and have come to be consumed with Him, you will endure. You will carry on no matter how difficult the journey may be. The Holy Spirit within you will be your guide and give you the power and the strength to keep on getting up when you stumble and to stand up for Jesus even when it costs you dearly. You will prove that you love Him and He will be glorified in you and you will be made ready to receive your eternal reward! Pastor Murray Hack Mark 12:38-44 38 And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces 39 and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 40 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
41 And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” This passage in Mark is Jesus’ final rebuttal against all the different religious leaders who came against Him during the days leading up to His crucifixion. No one could deny that He was indeed the Christ as He had publicly revealed and declared on Palm Sunday as He entered into Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt surrounded by people worshipping Him. Jesus revealed that He is indeed the Son of God who walked on this earth in order to provide for our salvation. The words and actions of Jesus Christ over two thousand years ago are still significant today as it is only through His perfect life and obedience to God that we may be justified in the sight of God. All of us fail to love God as we should and none of us live up to the standard of God that He requires. As all of mankind is created in the image of God we are responsible to God to reflect His glory- to honor and obey Him. Only Jesus Christ has done so. Only Jesus Christ has defeated sin and the devil upon the cross. It is through the cross of Jesus Christ that our salvation is provided for as we surrender to Him and turn from our wicked ways. We receive His righteousness as He took our sins upon His body and as they were destroyed in Him. Sadly the religious leaders in Jerusalem who should have recognized the Christ when He came, rejected Jesus of Nazareth and the same is true in our day. Although we may not walk physically with Jesus as the Israelites were able to do so, we have the Word of God as found in the Bible which gives us all the knowledge that we need for salvation. We can read about these events in history through which a person like you or me not only lived a good life but a perfect life and also brought the solution to all that is wrong in this world. Everyone should be looking for a way out of this darkness. In spite of the goodness of God still seen in creation, we all know that there is much evil and corruption in this world as a result of the fall. And as the underlying root problem is found within the very heart of mankind, without the inner man being transformed and healed, any other attempt to correct evil and to end darkness will ultimately fail. Jesus Christ can and will transform the heart of anyone who will repent and believe in Him and one day He will return to this world to complete the plan of salvation. He will establish His perfect eternal Kingdom and all sin and evil will be removed forever. There will be a new creation and the curse of sin will be ultimately removed and righteousness will reign forever. As Jesus silenced His critics here in the Temple you could say that He was laying claim to His throne. He alone is worthy and able to rule over all of mankind. He will rule His Kingdom perfectly with only those subjects that are loyal to Him and who love Him. Those who reject Him and hate Him will be cast away forever. And so, even in our day, these events in history carry great weight and significance. Jesus teaches the people to beware of the Scribes who were the experts in the Old Testament Scriptures. Not only did they not recognize Jesus as the Christ in spite of all that the Son of God had made known about Himself in the Old Testament but they loved the limelight that their positions had brought them. They presented a false glory. The glory of God could not be seen in them in spite of their long robes and the special status they had among the people. All the knowledge they had acquired about God by their intense study of the Word of God had not led them to see Jesus Christ. They received many blessings for their efforts and yet they were still outside the Kingdom of God. How many people in our day have managed to gain recognition among others in society and the glory that they hold to will all one day fade away? What a contrast with the poor widow who put a penny into the offering box. Jesus Christ could see everything clearly. He knew the motives of every action taken by anyone He saw. He knows the motives of every action you take. On the surface the widow had given very little and what she had given would not contribute significantly to the work in the Temple. But her actions showed her love to God in a manner of which the Scribes did not understand. It was not that she was poor or specifically the amount out of her total remaining money that she gave that made Jesus draw attention to her but rather the manner in which she gave. She gave out of a transformed heart. She gave out of her love to God. The glory of God was seen in her actions. She reflected the glory of God in her humility in what appeared to be an insignificant event. Do you feel that your actions are insignificant at times? Do you feel that you may not ever be significant to God? Don’t forget the widow with the penny. He sees all. He doesn’t love one person more than another. He loves all of His children equally. If you are born again by the Spirit of God, you are precious to Him. He loves you with an infinite love. He loves to see you glorify God with your life in whatever manner that may be. But He does despise those who reveal a false glory. The scribes were among the enemies of God. They would receive the greater condemnation. Why? Because they knew the Word of God and yet still would not repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Because they were leading others away from the way of salvation. It is truly sad to be among those who reject the love of Jesus Christ. Jesus died for all. There is not a sinner who cannot come to Jesus for salvation if they will only truly repent and believe. Those who reject Him will be eternally condemned and it is truly sad as they did not have to go to destruction. They will one day be finally condemned in the final judgment. But there are those like the scribes that will receive a greater condemnation. It is a scary thing to be in a place of leadership within the Church and yet be eternally lost and yet there are many such people. They will receive the greater condemnation as they, of all people, should have recognized Jesus as the Christ and yet they did not do so. Do not think that every church leader is of God. The devil can be in the midst of the Church. Remember how Jesus condemned the scribes and all the religious leaders who were about to crucify Him. Pastor Murray Hack Mark 12:28-37 28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.
35 And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 36 David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ 37 David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly. The days just before Jesus’ crucifixion He was challenged in the Temple. On Palm Sunday He had entered Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt and Jesus allowed the crowds to worship Him as the coming Christ- the Saviour of Israel. Nobody understood that He would be the Saviour of all mankind for whoever will repent and believe. Nobody understood that He would take our sins upon His body and suffer the punishment that we all deserve for our rebellion against God. To this day, the salvation of the human soul is dependent upon a proper understanding of these events and genuine faith in Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ alone is the wisdom of God and we see His wisdom on full display as He faces the questioning of the scribes. The scribes prepared the copies of the Old Testament Scriptures and would teach the Jewish law to the people. They attempted to stump Jesus by asking Him which of the 613 laws that had been given to Moses was the greatest. Jesus quotes to them Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18. He sums up the Law perfectly as He fulfilled the Law perfectly. Jesus, as the Son of God, is the only person ever to walk upon this earth to fulfill all that God has required. He reflected the glory of God. But what is fascinating about Jesus’ dialogue with the scribes is that they end in agreement. The scribes confirm that what Jesus states is correct. Jesus doesn’t flaunt His wisdom and authority over them in how He responds but challenges them to go further but they refused to do so. Jesus was leading them on and yet there was no response. What did He say that silenced them? He simply said in verse 34, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” Why didn’t they say, “What do you mean? How can I come into the Kingdom of God?” It is because they knew exactly what He meant. Jesus, in this statement, confirms that He is the Christ- that He is the one sent from God to save them. But because He did not fit their image of what they had expected of the Christ, because they did not ultimately think that they needed salvation, they remained quiet. Jesus had silenced them in unbelief. How foolish can someone be to be so close to the Savior and yet still reject Him? How crazy is it to be so unwilling to see what is so obvious and clear? And yet this was the case with the scribes and it can so easily be the case with anyone in our day. They were unwilling to believe that Jesus could be the Christ. They did not want to be saved. Even now, when many are presented with the truth of the Gospel they do not run to Jesus and embrace Him as their Saviour but they remain silent. They don’t want to know any more. They would prefer not to know. What a terrible reflection of the depravity of mankind. What a form of condemnation against the Son of God who came to this earth to show His love for them. Truly if anyone rejects the Christ, Jesus will reject them in the final judgment. Jesus then shows the people in the Temple what the scribes had not taught them in regards to the coming Christ. The scribes had taught the people that the coming Christ would be the son of David meaning that He would be a descendant of David (which of course He was). As Jesus teaches those in the Temple about Psalm 110:1 which was written by King David, He asks why David, when speaking about the Christ, doesn’t address the Christ as a descendant of his own flesh but rather as Lord? By stating that the Christ was Lord, David recognized that his descendant would be greater than him. How could this be? It could only be if the Christ was God in the flesh. It could only be if the Christ was eternal and wasn’t just sent from God but was actually God in the flesh. Jesus claimed to be the Christ in what He declares and He also claims to be equal with God which of course was true as He is the Son of God. Do you understand the significance of what Jesus declares here? Do you see the wisdom and authority in every word that Jesus speaks? Are you moved to draw nearer to Him? Are you in awe as the crowd was? If you were present to hear these words spoken would you be among those who heard Him gladly? Or would you be silenced in fear and step back from His midst? The words of Jesus are powerful. They will either draw us to Himself or we will be repulsed by them. No one can truly hear the words of Jesus without one of these two responses. Why? Because they are the very words of God. So many people today question the existence of God and are looking for supernatural responses. But when they are confronted with the very Words of God as revealed in the Bible they are silent. They don’t draw near. They don’t care or understand their significance and don’t recognize the voice of God speaking to them directly. They look at the words in the Bible as the scribes did, words on paper to be studied like any other book rather than a living person. The scribes were speaking to the Word in the flesh (John 1:14)! The scribes were speaking to the Christ who has always been, the Son of God, who spoke through the men of God who were chosen to write the books in the Old Testament. It was through these Old Testament saints in their union to the coming Christ by faith that Jesus brought the very words that they spoke of His coming into existence. The scribes were looking in the face of the very author of the writings that they so carefully studied and yet did not recognize Him. They saw David but they could not see Jesus. They saw Moses but could not see the Son of God. Do you see Jesus everywhere as you read the Word of God as revealed in the Bible? Do you rejoice in Him and the salvation that He has provided for all who will believe? Pastor Murray Hack Mark 12:13-27 13 And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. 14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” 15 But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” 17 Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.
18 And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring. 21 And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. 22 And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.” 24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.” Here in the Temple, days before His crucifixion, Jesus battles the Pharisees, the Herodians, and the Sadducees. Different groups that were at odds against each other united in their attack to defeat Jesus of Nazareth and the wisdom of God. Jesus had publicly declared to all that He was the Christ as the people worshiped Him on Palm Sunday as He entered Jerusalem on a donkey’s colt. Before these enemies of God would unite in blood to kill Him they attempted to defeat Jesus through their words. These were experts in the Old Testament scriptures. They had different views and interpretations and yet were very persuasive among their followers. And yet none of them could trap Jesus in all their attempts to make Him less than what He claimed. Jesus was indeed the Christ- the perfect sacrifice who came to take away the sins of the world but no one at this point understood what He would yet do. The Herodians were loyal to King Herod- the family of figurehead kings that were appointed to rule over parts of Israel in the time of Jesus. The Pharisees added all kinds of laws on top of the Old Testament Law. These Herodians and Pharisees united in trying to trap Jesus. They thought they could defeat Jesus if they could prove that He was against the Roman government. They tried to trap Jesus with a question about taxes. They first flatter Jesus to try and get Him to let down His guard and to trust them. But Jesus cannot be tricked. He cannot be deceived. Jesus replies with the wisdom of God by simply showing them a coin with the face of Caesar. “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” The people who were watching marveled at the simple and clear explanation of submission to civil authority even if the people wanted to be free from Roman rule. The Herodians and the Pharisees were silenced and put to shame. Jesus responds perfectly in every situation. He is worthy to be praised! Next up were the Sadducees. They thought they could make a fool of Jesus by proving their view of the ridiculousness of the resurrection of the dead. They used a scenario of a woman who marries a man and is widowed. She remarries his brother but each time she again is widowed after marrying all seven brothers. In the minds of the Sadducees if there was a resurrection of the dead there would be no way to determine who was her husband. But Jesus points out their lack of understanding of the eternal state. For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. In the eternal state, those who are born again by the Spirit of God will be united to Christ in the union of Christ and the Church. Jesus could not explain this in full to the Sadducees at this point who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead at all so He then goes on to prove their error again in a simple but profound way: by describing the words of God to Moses at the burning bush “‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” By speaking in the present tense Jesus makes it clear that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were alive after death. There was no question that Jesus could not answer. There was no way that Jesus could be tricked or overcome. He is perfect in every way! The Christ has come! Just think if you were in the Temple when Jesus was debating with these experts who attacked Him with their best arguments. The true versus the false was revealed. There is an absolute truth as is seen in the person of Jesus Christ. No one who witnessed these conversations would question the authority and wisdom and the truth that was to be found in the words of Jesus. He was above any opponent that came against Him. Many people don’t believe there is absolute truth. Many people believe that we must believe the experts of the world but the only source of true wisdom and Truth is revealed in the Word of God. Jesus reveals that He is the Truth in the life that He lived. This final confrontation in the Temple shouts this loud and clear. Do you marvel at Jesus? Are you amazed at His Words and His actions as He walked upon this earth? Do they impact you today? Is He everything to you? Or are you trying to argue with Him as these great men once did? Are you trying to defeat Him and claim you are greater than Him? To become a child of God we must submit to Jesus. We submit to His every word. Jesus must become our ultimate authority. He is the one that we look to first for help in our time of need. He is our rock and our guide. We stand upon Him. We trust Him and we love Him. But if you have not yet come to a place of submission to Him, examine His life. Examine who He really is. Don’t take someone else’s word for who Jesus is. Examine the Scriptures and decide for yourself. If you truly read about the life of Jesus with an open heart and without prejudice you will marvel! You will see that He is God in the flesh! You will see that He came to this earth to save you by dying on the cross in your place if you will only repent and believe! Pastor Murray Hack Mark 12:1-12 1 And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. 2 When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. 6 He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this Scripture:
“‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 11 this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” 12 And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away. Have you ever been in a situation where you could cut the tension in the air with a knife? We’ve all experienced times when there is an intensity of emotions or feelings. Fierce opponents are about to face each other or a terrible wrong is about to be committed. Such was the environment when Jesus spoke in the Temple in Jerusalem on the days leading up to His crucifixion. He had publicly revealed that He was indeed the Christ by allowing the people worship Him as He entered on a donkey’s colt singing praises to His Name. Jesus cleansed the Temple a second time (like at the beginning of His public ministry) exposing the system of religion that was practiced in His Temple that was contrary to the will of God. The chief priests and scribes and elders would not stand by as Jesus came to take His rightful place. They would oppose Him with all their might. They would kill Him. But how would they complete their purposes? In Mark Chapter 12 we read of the battle that took place in the Temple. A battle not with swords but with words. At the end of Mark 11 Jesus’ authority is questioned which He rebuts, silencing His opponents. Now Jesus speaks to them a parable. Parables are intended to hide truth from the unbelieving and reveal truth to those who will believe. But by this point it would have been so obvious to anyone witnessing these events of what was going on. The chief priests and scribes and elders were against Jesus and Jesus was against them. There was no unity between them. They were fierce enemies and a fierce hostility existed between them. Their words were not intended to accommodate the other but to defeat their opponent. The irony is that Jesus’ fiercest opposition came not from the most wicked people in society but from the religious elite who should have been looking for His coming as the Christ. Never think that all religious people represent God. We see from the life of Jesus that people who claim to be Christians can often be the farthest from God. The judgment of the hypocrite is more severe than the “known” sinner. Why? Because the hypocrite knows the truth and yet intentionally denies it. The “known” sinner does not care to know the Word of God but just wants to gratify their sinful desires. They too are guilty in the sight of God but the hypocrite claims to be following God and yet will directly oppose Him. Hypocrisy is a great danger in the Church and can be so destructive. It must always be guarded against. Sadly, the Temple in Jerusalem had not instantly become in this depraved and wicked state. The hypocrisy would have creeped in slowly and subtly until all its religious forms were superficial and deceptive. Jesus could see through it all and stood against it all. And so, in the parable that He now speaks, Jesus describes an owner of a vineyard who had to go to another country and who leased out his property. But who was left in charge of the property claimed it as their own. Any time the owner sent someone to take some fruit of what was rightfully his, they were beaten, struck on the head, and even were killed. When the owner sent his son who was also the heir of the property they killed him intentionally so that they could claim the property for themselves. The owner obviously represents God the Father, the servants sent to take some fruit are the Old Testament prophets, and finally the son is Jesus Christ. Their opposition were the religious leaders in Jerusalem to whom Jesus spoke the parable. They knew they were coming against the owner (God) but justified it in their own eyes. They knew that they were coming against the son (Jesus Christ) and yet would not surrender to Him. They were right. They would not be opposed. They would not back down. They would hold on to their religion without God. How foolish is the hypocrite that opposes God to his own destruction! How foolish were the religious leaders to think that they could defeat Jesus Christ! What is one of the most shocking and amazing truths in God’s plan of salvation is how He will use hypocrites in His plan of salvation. They will ultimately be condemned without repentance and faith in Jesus Christ but God often uses evil from within to further His purposes. It does not destroy His plans. Jesus says, “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” What is more shocking than what appears to be a terrible defeat is revealed to be a triumph? Often a church will go through a terrible problem because of some hypocrisy within. God’s Name is tarnished and brought low and spit upon and yet out of the ashes of what appears to be defeat God births forth a new and blessed ministry. Jesus would be rejected and killed by these leaders who knew that Jesus was speaking about them, and yet He would still be victorious! Have you been hurt by the Church? Have you been disillusioned by the Church? Have you been confused when you thought God would intervene but He didn’t? Ask God for more clarity on your situation. There is likely more to what has transpired than what you may have realized. Be careful to identify the true believer from the false. Be careful to identify hypocrisy versus the truth that is found only in Jesus Christ. And recognize that God can yet use the evil that you have experienced for His good. It may yet to be revealed but He will always bless and uplift those who are willing to suffer for His Name as He exposes the evil for what it is. Jesus was fiercely against the religious leaders who opposed Him and He is against hypocrites in the Church today. But also beware of becoming a hypocrite yourself. It is easy to think we are on the right path when we are in fact on the wrong one. Examine your heart and your motives. Pastor Murray Hack Mark 11:20-33 20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22 And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
27 And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, 28 and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” 29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” 31 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. 33 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” This passage related to the fig tree in Mark 11 almost seems out of place. Jesus had just cursed the fig tree after His triumphant entrance into Jerusalem. Jesus had publicly declared that He is indeed the Christ by allowing the people to worship Him. This was the same week that He would be crucified. The religious leaders would not let Him overtake their authority. But who really had the authority? Of course Jesus Christ was the one who was in control and His death occurred according to the will of God to provide for our salvation. Jesus curses a fig tree signifying Israel’s time as a blessed nation of God was coming to an end. The Gospel would now be open to the Gentiles (the foreign nations). But Jesus then shifts His attention not to the condition of Israel but to teach His disciples a lesson in relation to where they were at in their walk with God. Jesus’ disciples wanted to rule in His Kingdom but they did not yet understand what it meant that He would die and rise again. They continued to struggle to understand how different the Kingdom of God is from the kingdoms of this world. And because of this, their faith in God was not steady and consistent. It was wavering. One moment they believed God and the next moment they doubted. One moment they understood what Jesus was saying to them and the next moment they were completely confused. This is how every single one of us enters into the Kingdom of God. In the beginning, when we have come to a place of true repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, we don’t yet know all that Jesus knows. We will often be confused and bewildered questioning God and what He is doing. We will have doubts that creep into our heart. We will question our salvation. Although we may be standing upon the rock of our salvation we don’t feel sure in our footing. We feel like we may slip and fall to our own destruction but once you truly stand upon the Rock who is Jesus Christ you will never ultimately fall away for He will hold you fast and preserve you to the end. Jesus had faith in God. He was absolutely confident in His relationship with God the Father. He knew the plan of salvation. He knew He was loved by God the Father and He loved Him in return. He does not doubt. He is not uncertain. He is sure and steady and unwavering. And so Jesus uses the cursing of the fig tree to remind His disciples of what they should be striving for in their relationship with God. If they had faith in God by which they did not doubt in their heart they would be able to influence creation itself. They would be able to curse a fig tree and it would wither or they could throw a mountain into the sea. But I don’t believe Jesus is talking about rock removal without construction equipment or plant care without tools. He is speaking about spiritual obstacles that stand in our way because of our lack of faith or because of doubt in our heart. The greater the obstacle the more power or strength is needed for them to be removed. But Jesus connects the two. It is no more difficult for God to curse a fig tree than it is for Him to move a mountain. It is not dependent upon our power or spiritual strength but rather our unwavering faith in God. If we have faith in God and do not doubt there will be no spiritual obstacle that cannot be overcome. This is directly tied to Jesus Christ’s authority. Jesus had publicly made known to all of Israel that He is indeed the Christ with His entrance into Jerusalem on the previous day. He also had shown His authority in clearing the temple of the money-changers who were cheating the people for their own profit. The chief priests and scribes and elders question His authority but in Jesus’ response He flips the tables again upon them. Jesus questions them about the baptism of John who went before Jesus preparing the way for Him. The religious authority in Jerusalem would not submit to the teaching of John the Baptist just as they would not submit to Jesus’ teaching and they were afraid of the people who did highly regard John the Baptist. And so the chief priests and scribes and elders wavered in their response. They appeared foolish in responding, “We do not know” to Jesus’ question. There was never a question that Jesus could not answer and as we grow in faith in God we too will be able to answer more and more difficult questions. For in the Bible is contained all the answers of life. Within the Word of God is revealed the complete plan of salvation and the more we know what it says, the more faith we can and will have in God. We can come to a place in our walk with God where we do not doubt our salvation and we do not act with uncertainty in God. We can have complete confidence in Him and we can be unmoved by the fear of man. But as we grow in confidence in God we must not disregard the importance of forgiving others and being forgiven ourselves by others. Our faith in God will be obstructed and hindered by unforgiveness. We will not be able to break through spiritual obstacles until we forgive or have been forgiven. Do you still doubt your relationship with God? Strengthen your faith by the Word of God! Grow in confidence in Him! Forgive and be forgiven! Seek Him with all your heart! Pastor Murray Hack Mark 11:12-19 12 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.
15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 16 And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. 19 And when evening came they went out of the city. Prior to this passage recorded in the book of Mark, Jesus had just made His triumphant entry into Jerusalem. He had publicly declared to the world that He is the Christ as He allowed the people to worship Him as the Messiah, the Christ who came to save Israel. But He didn’t just come to save Israel but anyone who is willing to call upon his Name! He came to save us from our sins for we are all born into this world separated from God because of the sin nature within us inherited from our original parents Adam and Eve. How would we be saved? Through His death and resurrection. Jesus had prophesied that He would die. Three times He told His disciples what would happen but they could not understand. Soon He would reign but first He must die. But who would kill Him? Jesus had already told His disciples that the He would be killed by the Jewish religious leaders as well as the Romans. All of mankind would come against Him. Truly the sinner is an enemy against God at heart. We all by nature, apart from being born again, hate God for we love our sin. Until we come to a place of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ we will oppose God. But as of yet Jesus had not told His disciples what would happen to those who would have Him killed. What would God do with them? Surely no person could kill the Son of God without there being a consequence. Here, after Jesus enters into Jerusalem, Jesus for the first time reveals what will happen to those who will continually reject Him. They will be cursed. Israel had been given the special blessing of God for thousands of years. They were the chosen nation. They were blessed of God above all the other nations. God spoke to them directly. They heard the voice of God. They had the Word of God. They were given the Law of God and had the special protection of God. And yet when the Christ made His glorious entrance into Jerusalem the majority of the people within the nation of Israel did not recognize Him. The religious leaders would do everything in their power to have Him killed and He would be dead within less than a week. Jesus saw who came to worship Him. He knew the hearts of those who saw Him ride the donkey’s colt throughout the city. He witnessed the public depravity in the Temple- the place where God’s very presence was to be manifest. How could the Jews claim they were a holy and a special people when the worship in the Temple showed all kinds of outward evil and rebellion against God? Jesus had already cleared the Temple at the beginning of His ministry (John 2:13-21) and so soon after it was already in the same state of wickedness. And so Jesus uses the picture of the fig tree. Jesus looks for a fig from a tree that was already in leaf. It was not the season for figs but this tree already had leaves. The fig tree is unique in that the fruit grows before the leaves. So Jesus goes to look for figs on this one tree that should have had fruit. But he found none. And so he curses the fig tree. No more would it produce fruit. This fig tree was a picture of the nation of Israel. Israel should have produced all kinds of fruit. It should have had all kinds of righteous people reflecting the glory of God and worshipping Jesus as the Christ. But there were so few. It was like a barren fig tree. And so God would now reject Israel and open up the Gospel to the rest of the fig trees that were not yet in harvest. The Gentile nations would come into the Kingdom of God and Israel’s time of blessing would be over. No more would Israel have the unique position among the nations. God will yet be faithful to Israel for the sake of His promise to Abraham and there will be a great harvest of Jews that will come into the Kingdom of God before Jesus’ second coming but for now they remain cursed. So when Jesus clears the Temple the second time this is a grand statement He is making. No more will you know My presence. No more will I make Myself known to you. They had rejected Him and so He would now reject them. Jeremiah 8:13 When I would gather them, declares the LORD, there are no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree; even the leaves are withered, and what I gave them has passed away from them.” When Jesus first cleared the Temple they could claim that they did not know who He was. But by the second time they should have known. They should have worshipped Him. They should have been living in a manner worthy of His coming but sadly this was not the case. And yet the tremendous mercy of God was still seen in Israel. In spite of their rejection of Him, God would not destroy Jerusalem until A.D. 70. He would still give people time to repent. For 40 years they would still have time to believe in Jesus Christ and He was willing to yet save them. How foolish are we to think that God’s mercy is unending. If we continually reject God there will be a consequence. No matter who we are, our life is going to come to an end. Some people are given more time than others but we all must stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. On that day how will Jesus Christ see us? Will our body (our temple) be clean? Will we be washed by His blood? Will we be found ready for His coming? Will we be living a transformed life by the power of the Holy Spirit actively at work in us? Or will we be like Israel when Jesus made His grand entrance into Jerusalem? Do not think that you can go on rejecting Jesus Christ forever without there being a consequence. Do not think that you can go on sinning against God forever without there being a consequence. Turn to the Lord Jesus Christ before it is too late. There is still time to turn. It is not too late. And His love is so amazing that He will receive the worst sinner! He can and will save all who turn to Him! He died for all who will receive Him! Pastor Murray Hack |
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