And Then What Happened

While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, “How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David? David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?” The large crowd listened to him with delight. Mark 12:35-37 NIV

Jesus has turned the tables by asking a question; he has gone on the offensive. Jesus asks, “how the teachers of the law can say the Christ (Messiah) is the son of David when David calls him Lord?” Jesus is really asking, “whose son is the Christ?” This is a question we all need to answer for ourselves.

“The Lord says to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’” Psalm 110:1 is quoted here in Mark, in Matthew 22:44, Luke 20:43-44, Acts 2:33-35, and in Hebrews 1:13. This is a Messianic Psalm, composed by David most likely for his son Solomon’s coronation. But it is also prophetic. David is full of the Holy Spirit and proclaims the Messiah – David’s descendant – is David’s Lord.

In Matthew 26:64, Luke 22:69 and Mark 14:62 Jesus tells the Sanhedrin that he is the Messiah, and will be seen sitting at the right hand of God and coming on the clouds of heaven. Sitting at the right hand of God is a position of favor and power second only to God himself. David in Psalm 110, Paul in Romans 8:34 and the writer of Hebrews in Heb. 12:2 all declare Jesus is Messiah, Jesus is the son of God, Jesus is God.

The second part of Psalm 110:1 talks about God making all of his enemies a footstool for his feet. In II Chronicles 9:18 Solomon’s throne is described as having a footstool attached to the throne. I Kings 5:3b says, “he could not build a temple for the Name of the Lord his God until the Lord put his enemies under his feet.” Conquering kings in the Old Testament would actually put their feet on the necks of their conquered enemies. David and Jesus are using this vivid imagery as a picture of what God will do in our lives and in the end times.

Whose son is the Christ? Whose son is the Messiah? He is a descendant of David, but more than that, He is Lord of all, the King of Kings, he is the Son of God, and he is seated right now at the right hand of God, his work is finished. This week, look at some of these passages from the Old and New Testaments and answer this question for yourself.

By Grace Hunter

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, The Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.’” There is no commandment greater than these.” “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions. Mark 12:28-34 NIV

Jesus is asked which commandment is the greatest. He responds with the Jewish statement of faith, “Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”(Deuteronomy 6:4-5). Then he adds “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18). Matthew records for us that Jesus says, “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments,” Matthew 22:40. This was another way of saying the entire Old Testament is summed up in these two commandments.

The questioner in Mark 12 approves of Jesus’ answer, and he agrees that we should love God with our heart, with our understanding and with our strength. This statement is similar to David’s in Psalm 51. “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings, the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise,” Psalm 51:16-17. God desires a relationship with us. This includes our bodies – or our strength, he desires our minds- or our understanding, and he desires our hearts – or our souls, thoughts, feelings – the very essence of who we are. God desires our honesty about our sin, about who we are in relation to God, and about who God is.

The following two sections of Mark 12 focus on Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah, who desires a relationship with us, and a short story about a widow and her gift to God. Jesus observes the widow putting two small coins into the temple treasury and he commends her to the disciples because she has given to God all the money she has to live on. The attitude of this widow illustrates for us what it looks like to love God with all of our heart, all of our body, all of our soul, and all of our mind.

Jesus has an honest exchange with the questioner in Mark 12. He tells him he is not far from the Kingdom of God. Then he illustrates loving God with everything we are through the story of the widow. What about you? Are there areas of your life that need to be given to God to control? Do you love God with your whole being?

By Grace Hunter

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?” But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” Mark 12:14-15

I wish we had a choice to pay or not pay taxes. But, alas, we don’t. I seem to recall an ever-present comment regarding death and taxes, and the consistency in both. In reading this story, we find taxes have been a financial ‘donation’ throughout the ages. Wars, riots, and general uprisings have been fueled by populations feeling oppression brought about by taxes. But, this question asked of Jesus is still being asked today. And not only about taxes, but which ‘way’ people lean on the political spectrum r.

The way Jesus handled the question was spectacular! So often, we enter into discussions we believe to have only one of two answers. To our thinking, they exist in black and white. It’s so refreshing to see Jesus constantly and consistently demonstrate a previously unconsidered way. What if we tried our best to mimic his actions regarding these sorts of questions? How many disagreements or relational losses would we suffer if our approach was in the way of Jesus?

To the question posed in the title, I was going to say you should vote for my party because we always have the best food and drink – my wife is an amazing cook! All humor aside, I understand the impetus behind this question in this context was mostly rhetorical. Nevertheless, the season we live in today will eventually call for us to choose. Unlike our American forefathers who determined to separate from our ‘overseers’, we have a viable means to choose who represents us within a governmental framework that has withstood many wars and upheavals in the past. As the time approaches to figure out our taxes and choose our political representation, thank Jesus for the blessings we’ve received through our taxes (Yes, I believe we have!) as well as elected officials.

By Rich Obrecht

Have you not read this Scripture: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” Mark 12:10-11

Our journey with Jesus with the disciple Mark has piqued my curiosity. Why did Mark pick these certain stories about Jesus? What about the order he put them in? What about these word pictures and quotes from the Old Testament? How about you? How curious would you consider yourself about the Bible, people and ideas?

The curious who sought Jesus had their whole world turned upside down. In parable after parable in the first ten chapters of Mark, Jesus challenged their thinking and traditions as he ministered. Now he’s changing up what he’s done even more by riding into Jerusalem in peace as King, and causing a scene clearing out the treachery in the temple courts. To begin these last few days of his life in Jerusalem Jesus speaks publicly with authority, on a few important topics, amazing all who listen. The first story is about a vineyard and the tenants. It’s a retelling of Isaiah 5, the same imagery: God the Father, Israel the tenants, the prophets rejected or killed. And when he quotes Psalm 118 for the punchline, his enemies know of what he’s accusing them.

Jesus makes the claim that he is the cornerstone from Psalm 118. The stone is a familiar image for God (Deut. 32:4, Psalm 18:31, Isaiah 17:10, 26:4, 20:29) and particularly how it points to the Messiah (Isaiah 28:16, Daniel 2:34-35,45, Acts 4:11, Eph 2:20). Jesus made it clear to the Jewish leaders (the builders) they had rejected him, and he became to them a stone of stumbling (Isaiah 8:14). The cornerstone is laid first at the head corner and governs every other corner and every angle in the entire building and thus determines the place every other stone is to be laid. Through his death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus became the chief cornerstone of the spiritual temple, the church. As Acts 2:36 says: “God has made Him both Lord and Christ.” There is salvation in no one else. It is God’s doing, and it is marvelous. We can seek him, there are still more points of history and etymology of the word and idea of the cornerstone. Join me in seeking to know more of Jesus, the chief cornerstone.

By Donna Burns

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, and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.  Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.”  And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’  But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet.  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.” Mark 11:27-33

Have you ever thought or said, “Who do you think you are coming here and doing that?” This is what the judges, lawyers and teachers asked Jesus. He came riding the foal of a donkey into Jerusalem (like King David coming in peace) and then charging into the temple and causing a scene (calling it his Father’s house). They try to trap him by asking where he gets his authority, but he answers them with another question. Jesus doesn’t answer their question about his authority because in a traditional rabbinical exchange if a question was asked and wasn’t answered, the one asking was released from answering too. They neither answered or asked another question of Jesus, but went away plotting.

While the religious establishment reflected a lack of honor for Jesus, the Passover pilgrims were showing Jesus kingly honor. People along the road to Jerusalem sang “hosanna” to Jesus They. wanted him to be their King and save them on Sunday, but shouted for him to be crucified on Friday. What happened here? Did they know who he was and why he came? Maybe some did and some didn’t. They were hoping for what was in it for them, but not for God. They wanted Jesus to rule Rome but God’s plan was to rule in the hearts of all men. They were worshipping with their lips but not with their hearts.

Mark has authored for us a journey about Jesus’ authority and miracle ministry. Jesus has quietly gone around the Galilean countryside, but now he’s paraded into Jerusalem with jubilant fanfare. The Passover pilgrims, the religious establishment, and ourselves, we all must face the same question Jesus asked Peter, “who do you say I am?” Jesus has all authority on heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18). “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:11) Bring honor to God by giving him all authority in your life. Genuinely worship him by honoring him and others.

By Donna Burns

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Mark 11:22-25

In the garden of Eden, before the fall of man, Adam and Eve talked with God and experienced fellowship with him. Once sin entered the world and the fellowship was broken, blood sacrifice and repentance were required to restore fellowship with God. In the tabernacle and in the temple there were different areas where Gentiles, Jewish women, and Jewish men could enter to pray and worship. Only the priests could enter the altar area. God’s presence resided in the Most Holy place in the Old Testament and only the high priest on the day of atonement could enter. Jesus died on the cross, he was the sacrifice for our sin, and he is now also our high priest. When he died, the curtain between the Most Holy place and the Holy place was torn, top to bottom. This signifies that through Jesus’ sacrifice, we can all have access to God.

Incredibly, God’s presence which Adam and Eve knew, which used to occupy the most Holy place in the tabernacle and then in the temple, now can live in your heart and mine. Paul prays for the Ephesians, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God,” Ephesians 3:16-19.

We can know and experience God’s presence in our hearts! Jesus’ sacrifice and his advocacy for us as our high priest gives us access to God, day and night. I confess, much of my life I didn’t take advantage of this access and did not make prayer, or spending time with God and being in his presence, a priority in my life. Often prayer felt like a duty, or something to check off a list. Lately I have learned that I can experience God’s presence when I walk and pray. I know some people have a prayer room or prayer closet that helps them to focus on God and prayer. Experiment – find a time, a place, or a physical activity to be in God’s presence through prayer.

By Grace Hunter

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. And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 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.” 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. Mark 11:15-18

Something dad tried to teach me was willingness to learn from anyone. He knew, and I’ve learned, you can’t know everything. This took years for me to realize. When I was younger, I felt I had to know everything, needing to be the expert. This was fueled by not being willing to learn from those I perceived to not be my equal. My personal pursuit of being all-knowing actually clouded my ability to do my job better. I’m certain I wasted years of usefulness.

Those listening to Jesus sometimes displayed a similar unwillingness to learn from him. Jesus was ‘upsetting the applecart’ for the religious leadership. This message wasn’t aligning with their vision of things. Jesus spoke frequently using metaphor. Jesus knew this stone and mortar temple in Jerusalem wouldn’t last. Its end was coming. If we do a little dot-connecting to Paul and his letter to the Corinthians, Jesus knew the temple as the center of Israelite worship would be replaced by God living in us through the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). All the glory historically present at the temple would take place within us, in a personal relationship with God. His message, in many ways, was diametrically opposed to theirs. The message of Jesus was so counter-cultural as to be a serious threat to their existence, at least that’s how they were seeing it. Later, Caiaphas would say it was better for one man to die (Jesus) than a nation (Israel), fearing Roman retribution. They weren’t willing to learn from someone perceived as not being equal.

Jesus’ message is still counter-cultural! Our culture is about consuming. If we seriously consider the way we live our lives, we might just find that we’re crowding our ‘temple’ with things that get in the way of our relationship with Jesus. Just like the mass of people hawking animals and who knows what else corrupting the purpose of the temple, things in our lives are doing the same thing with our ‘temple.’

Devote time today to considering your life and how you’re living it. Are there things in your life diverting you from a deeper relationship with Jesus? Does it inhibit being able to ‘live in the way of Jesus with the heart of Jesus’? As you take this time today, pray for revelation from the Holy Spirit, and if something comes to mind, pray for help in removing it as a diversion. You might find yourself making this a daily practice!

By Rich Obrecht

And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.  On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 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.  And he said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it. Mark 11:11-14

Thousands made the pilgrimage to worship in the temple in Jerusalem on Passover, hundreds bought and sold animals for sacrificing. Jesus looked around at everything. He saw their hearts. He saw corruption, injustice, extortion, and detestable, degrading behaviors in the temple built to worship a pure and holy God. The gap between what was happening in the temple and what was meant to happen at the temple was so great. He left and came back the next day to deal with it in righteous anger. On the way he saw a fig tree with leaves, he was hungry but found no figs and cursed the tree.

Why would Mark put this story in his gospel which seemed so unlike Jesus’ character? Because greater things were happening. A new narrative was beginning. The teaching visual of the tree symbolized them. The disciples knew the metaphor of the fig well as learned Jews. The worship of Israel had leaves like the fig tree but was fruitless. The curse meant judgement was near, the destruction of the temple was Imminent and redemption nigh. No longer would sacrifices need to be made on the altar because Jesus himself was coming to Jerusalem to be the perfect Passover sacrifice once and for all. The old covenant was about to become the New Covenant in his blood, as Jesus told his disciples at the Last Supper. The temple curtain would be torn, a new relationship with God would begin, and the church of Christ followers would be born.

We don’t like to think of God bringing warning and judgement. But His holiness and hatred of sin demand it. He created us to enjoy pure love and fellowship in the garden. Sin changed it; Jesus came to bring us back to God. God desires our worship not for his benefit but for ours. Take a look at your life, is it like a tree that has fruit pasted on to it to look good at all times, or is there real fruit growing? Do you honor God with your lips but your actions are far from him? Just like Jesus saw the gap in Israel’s temple worship and what worship is intended to be, look at that gap in your own life between what God desires and what you offer him. Write down a couple steps you can take to honor God more and make your worship of him more pure and holy.

By Donna Burns

And they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” Mark 11:4-10

“Hosanna!” Perhaps you’ve heard this word in a church context of worship and honoring God through shouts of praise. Palm Sunday is a typical day when churches use the declaration “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” to proclaim Jesus as Savior and Lord. Even when you look into the meaning of “Hosanna” in the dictionary you’ll find, “to express adoration, praise, or joy.” However, the word “Hosanna” in Hebrew literally means “God, save” or “God, save us now.” This means for the people shouting in Mark 11, they are crying out of desperation and shouting for imminent salvation.

How often do we cry out to God in desperation? My assumption is that in the first-world we don’t do this very often. Maybe we cry out for God to relieve our stressors, to heal our infections, to provide for our desires, but not necessarily to kneel down begging God for rescue.

In this passage we see men, women, and children running out into the streets, taking off their jackets, grabbing fresh-cut branches, and throwing them out before Jesus. Then someone starts quoting a well-known Old Testament Psalm and everyone joins in, “Save us, we pray, O Lord! O Lord, we pray! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We bless you from the house of the Lord” (Psalm 118:25-26).

At the triumphal entry, we see human desperation and worship collide. This cry of desperation is begging Jesus to be the one who saves Israel and it’s rooted in their belief Jesus could actually save them. The Hebrew people reached back into their words of promise and cried out in hope, in longing, in full-fledged trust. We might want to take a note from their book and consider what promises we are still longing to see fulfilled in our life and cry out (with no abandon) to the one we believe could save.

Sometime this week, take an hour or so to sit with the desperation of your heart and kneel down before the Lord in honest time with him. Perhaps you might want to use some background music like this to give you an allotted time-frame to cry out to God.

By Yvonne Biel

And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside.  And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”  And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.  And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.”  And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way. Mark 10:46-52

There he sat, day after day. Begging, thinking. Begging, hearing stories of Jesus’ healing miracles. Begging yet again another day and contemplating what he might do if Jesus ever came his way. If Jesus healed other blind people, he could heal him. Bartimaeus was not too proud to cry out to him. When Jesus did come by, Bartimaeus caused a huge disturbance. He was determined to have Jesus meet his desperate need, relieve him of his dire circumstances, and take away his darkness. This Galilean was not just some celebrity he hoped to encounter but the very King himself, the Son of David, from whom he hoped to plead for mercy.

Bartimaeus lived at the bottom of his society. Bringing his need to Jesus was his only way up. In contrast, the disciples of Jesus thought they had position and status by being close to Jesus, privileged to be the select few. They were even discussing who was the greatest. Jesus made many attempts to help them “see” and understand, and even had to ask Peter, “who do you say I am?” But Bartimaeus knew his need, he was at the end of himself. He immediately recognized Jesus as the Son of David, quickly came running when he called, was instantly healed and unselfishly followed him.

We all desperately need Jesus, whether we realize our need(s) or not. And do we realize too, that only the Son of God can take care of our deepest, most profound needs. Jesus knows your needs, is listening, and desires to bring you up out of your darkness into his light. Have you come to the end of yourself? What do you want him to do for you? Run to Jesus with your needs, big or small. Reflect on where Jesus has been with you in your areas of need. Cry out to him for mercy for the needs you still feel need to be met. Rejoice and thank him for the ways he has shown you mercy. Follow him in gratitude.

By Donna Burns