"The Sanhedrin turned Jesus over to Pilate... he asked are you the king of the Jews and Jesus answered yes... so Pilate gave the people a choice of a popular release of a prisoner between Jesus and criminal Barabbas and the people chose to have Barabbas released and Jesus crucified... then the soldiers led him away and put a crown of thorns on his head... saying hail, king of the Jews... and mocking him... and they took Jesus to Golgotha where they crucified him together with 2 robbers... and everyone mocked Jesus saying he saved others but can't save himself... and between the 6th and 9th hour there was a total eclipse of the sun at the end of which Jesus asked God why he had forsaken him?... then with a loud cry Jesus breathed his last... and the temple veil was torn from top to bottom... and the nearby centurion said surely this man was the son of God... and many women watched at a distance... and Pilate gave Jesus' body for burial to Joseph of Arimathea... and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb where he buried Jesus... and Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid".
Monday, 17 August 2026
Mark 14 (résumé): Jesus anointed at Bethany and the Lord's Supper
Mark 14 relates how in Bethany a woman poured lots of expensive perfume on Jesus' head much to the criticism of the disciples for "wasting money which could have gone to the poor". However Jesus halted the criticism saying she was in fact preparing him for his burial and her beautiful gesture would always be remembered. Then Judas Iscariot agreed betrayal terms for Jesus with the chief priests! Next Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with the disciples and Jesus predicted his betrayal by one of the 12. Then Jesus broke bread and said: "Take it, this is my body". He then shared the cup saying, "this is the blood of the covenant which is poured out for many". Then they sang a hymn and went to the Mount of Olives. Jesus predicted the falling away of all the disciples, but Peter swore allegiance which Jesus contradicted saying Peter would deny him three times before the cock crowed twice. Then they went to Gethsemane where Jesus went to pray having Peter, James and John near at hand. Jesus battled with the stress of his imminent death and prayed that "if possible the hour might pass from him". 3 times Jesus withdrew for agonizing prayer only to find the disciples sleeping on his return. Then Judas appeared with a motley crowd to arrest Jesus and Judas kissed Jesus as the sign to the mob that he was the one they wanted. They took Jesus before the Sanhedrin but the witnesses against him didn't agree. The High Priest asked if Jesus was the Christ and he said "I am". "They all condemned his as worthy of death". They spat on Jesus and punched him, and then the guards took him and beat him. Peter, meanwhile, was below in the courtyard and 3 times he was questioned as to his links with Jesus which he denied... then the cock crowed twice... and Peter broke down and wept.
Mark 13 (résumé): Signs of the End of the Age
Then Jesus said of the temple that "not one stone would be left on another". When, asked by some of the disciples, what will be the signs of this happening? Jesus told them to watch out for fraudsters... and "there will be wars and rumours of war... earthquakes and famines... be on your guard... you will be flogged in the synagogues... you will stand before governors and kings... and the Holy Spirit will give you what to say... brother will betray brother... all men will hate you because of me... when you see the abomination of desolation flee to the mountains... it will be dreadful for pregnant women... there will be days of unequalled distress... and if the Lord didn't cut short those days then nobody would survive... false Christs and prophets will appear... and the sun will be darkened and the stars fall... then men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory... and he will gather the elect from the four winds... learn the lesson of the fig tree and know that summer is near when the twigs are tender and the leaves appear... and this generation won't pass until these things have happened... no one knows the day or the hour... be alert... keep watch... for you don't know at what time the owner of the house will return... so don't let him find you sleeping!
Mark 12 (résumé): The Parable of the Tenants
With the Parable of the Tenants a landowner rented out his vineyard and at harvest time he sent servants to receive his part of the fruit, but the tenants beat them up! This sorry scene was repeated many times so the landowner decided to send his own son as he felt surely they would respect him... but they killed him! So the owner of the vineyard, said Jesus will kill the tenants for: "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone!" Then the Pharisees and Herodians sought to trap Jesus on the question of tax asking if we should pay tax? Jesus said "give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's". Then came a question from the Sadducees about what would happen to a woman in eternity who had had 7 husbands. "Whose wife would she be at the resurrection?" Jesus replied none of them, because in eternity "we will be like the angels". Next came a question from a teacher of the law concerning the most important commandment which was to love God with everything, said Jesus, and love your neighbour as yourself. Then Jesus pointed out that David declared in Psalm 110:1 "The Lord said to my Lord... how then can he be his son?" So Jesus is asking how the Messiah can be merely David's son when David himself calls him his Lord? Finally Jesus talked about offerings at the temple. A poor widow gave 2 coins which was all she had and so gave proportionally more than the rich that gave out of their wealth.
Mark 11 (résumé): The Triumphal Entry
In Mark 11 Jesus enters Jerusalem riding a young colt, and many people cast cloaks and branches on the road before him and cried out: "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" Then Jesus cursed a fruitless fig tree before clearing the temple of money changers and salespeople saying: "My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves". Then Jesus taught on prayer saying, "whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours". Then the chief priests questioned Jesus' authority so Jesus asked whether John the Baptist's authority had been heaven or men? The priests refused to answer so Jesus said he wouldn't answer their question either concerning his authority!
Mark 10 (résumé): Divorce, children etc.
Once again Jesus teaches on the matter of divorce in Mark 10. Jesus says that Moses' permission for divorce "was because your hearts were hard" and that any divorcee commits adultery if they remarry. Then the disciples rebuked people for bringing children for Jesus' blessing, but Jesus was fine with the children and told the disciples not to hinder them "because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these... and then he took the children in his arms and blessed them". Then a rich young man asked what to do to inherit eternal life? Jesus referred him to obedience to the law, which the man assured him he kept. Then Jesus told him to sell his goods and give to the poor which left the man sad as he was wealthy. So Jesus commented about how hard it was for the rich to enter the kingdom of God... but all things are possible with God... and all those that have left all for Jesus, like the disciples, will receive a hundred times in this life plus eternal life. Jesus then again tells the disciples of his imminent betrayal, condemnation, killing and resurrection. Following this James and John asked to sit either side of Jesus in glory, but Jesus said this wasn't up to him and anyway "whoever wants to become first must be slave of all". Then Jesus went to Jericho where he healed Blind Bartimaeus telling him that his faith had healed him, so Bartimaeus started following Jesus.
Mark 9 (résumé): The Transfiguration
Mark 9 commences with Jesus stating that some there present wouldn't die before seeing the Kingdom of God coming with power (which is probably a reference to the transfiguration or resurrection). Then Jesus takes Peter, James and John up a mountain and his clothes became dazzling white and Elijah and Moses appeared there. Then a cloud enveloped them and God the Father said, "This is my son, whom I love. Listen to him!" Jesus told them to say nothing about their experience till after the resurrection. They asked Jesus about Elijah coming first, and Jesus said that had already happened. Then a boy was brought to Jesus with a deaf and dumb spirit whom the disciples had been unsuccessful in healing because Jesus said it needed more prayer. The boy's father asked Jesus if he could do anything? Jesus answered that "everything is possible for him who believes"... and the boy's father said "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief". Then Jesus healed the boy convulsing the boy in the process. At Capernaum Jesus perceived that the disciples were discussing who was the greatest, and Jesus said that to be the first you need to be the servant of all... and care for the little children. Then John told Jesus that the disciples had told a non-disciple to stop casting out demons, but Jesus told them not to do that because "whoever is not against us is for us". Jesus then reprimanded anyone who caused another to sin saying they should always take strong measures to avoid sin or to avoid causing others to sin, seeking always to "be at peace with each other".