Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Mark”
Mark 9:30-31 Jesus now begins to finish his ministry in Galilee and enters a new phase that will end with the crucifixion in Jerusalem. When Jesus preached to the public, he did not preach that the Messiah must die. When Peter found out that the Messiah was going to die, he tried to stop Jesus from doing so (Mark 8:31-33). …
Mark 9:17 When Matthew describes the same event, he adds that this boy suffers from “falling sickness”, an older term for epilepsy (Matthew 17:15). William Menzies Alexander describes the boy’s epileptic symptoms in his book Medical Aspects of Demonic Possession: He screams before fainting, he falls suddenly, he has convulsions, he sputters from the mouth, he rolls around on the …
Mark 9:2 These three disciples were part of Jesus’ immediate circle (Mark 5:37, Mark 14:33). Jesus often spoke in parables to large crowds, but when he was alone with his disciples, he explained in more depth (Mark 4:34). A mountain is an ideal place to meet God because it allows you to be alone without being disturbed by people walking …
Mark 8:34 As followers of Jesus, we are called, in every aspect of our lives, to deny ourselves, no matter what our personal goals in life or our attractions. For our identity is in Christ, not in our family, in our job, in our sexuality, in our nationality, or even in our hockey team. To deny something is to renounce …
Mark 8:31 Even the disciples had a wrong preconception and thought that the Messiah would be a powerful king who liberates Israel in a worldly way. So Jesus now begins to teach them the real story. Mark 8:32 Peter believed and confessed that Jesus is the Messiah, but he had a wrong preconception of what the Messiah would be like …
Mark 8:27 John the Baptist, because he preached repentance. Jesus also preached repentance, but he was much greater than John the Baptist. Elijah, because he did many miracles. Jesus also did many miracles, but he was much greater than Elijah. Prophet, because he conveyed the word of God. Jesus also conveyed the word of God, but he was much greater …
Mark 8:23 This is the second time that Mark describes how Jesus healed the sick by spitting (Mark 7:33). In biblical times, spittle was considered to have a healing effect. Mark 8:25 This is the only time when Jesus gradually heals someone. This does not mean that Jesus could not heal him instantly, Jesus has shown many times before that …
Mark 8:15 In biblical times, leaven was often a symbol of sin. Just as a little leaven in a dough leavens the whole dough and causes it to swell, a little sin poisons the whole life (1 Corinthians 5:6-8). The Jewish people celebrated Passover by eating unleavened bread because they did not have time to prepare the bread when they …
Mark 8:11 The “Pharisees” were a “revival movement” among the Jewish people who studied the Pentateuch carefully and tried to live their lives accordingly. The word “Pharisee” roughly means “the consecrated”. There is nothing wrong with examining and discussing with Jesus to see if what he says is true, but the Pharisees do this to “entrap” him. The Pharisees ask …
Mark 8:1 This is the second time that Jesus performs a “food miracle”. The first is described in Mark 6:30-44. The last feast was among Jews, but this time it is on Gentile territory, signaling Jesus’ intention to spread the kingdom of God among the Gentiles as well. Mark 8:2 Many people had come from far away and sacrificed a …