Mark 11-12

Isn't it interesting when you found out something new about a well known passage. Often times, it sheds new light and causes the passage to have a new and/or deeper meaning. Such has been the case for me as I prepare for this lesson.

Interesting - Bethany means houseof dates and Bethphage means house of figs.

"Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" was originally a pronouncement of blessing on pilgrims coming to Jerusalem to celebrate a feast. Hosanna means save now. Likely the people were continuing to look for deliverance from Roman rule.

The curse of the fig tree
The leaves on the tree were a sign it was bearing fruit even though it was not the season for figs. Jesus pronounced a curse on the tree and the next day it was dead. This was a parable in action. The religious leaders of the Jews made an outward show but there was no fruit. This is a convicting passage for me. I wonder how many times I make a fine appearance but there is no fruit.

The Sanhedrin were in control (had authority) of the temple. The only higher authority was God, the Messiah or a prophet. When Jesus drove out the merchants he had in effect claimed authority. The Sanhedrin understood this and therefore confronted Jesus.

I've known for a long time that the Sadducees didn't believe in resurrection. Here's the reason (new to me) - They accepted only the first five books of the Old Testament as sacred. Because they found no evidence of resurrection in these books, they rejected that doctrine. How sad that they had the beauty and spiritual richness of the other books yet did not accept them!

Keith and I have discussed this passage in the past and it tends to make us sad that we will not be "married" in heaven. What we can't understand is that relationships begun here only deepen in heaven.

Which commandment is the greatest? The scribes identified 613 commandments - 365 negative and 248 positive!!

Mark 10

The title of our lesson is How to be Successful. Here are some questions about success.

- At this point in your life, do you consider yourself to be successful? How do you measure success?
-What is your definition of success? What is Jesus' definition of success?
- What is the measure of the successfulness of Jesus' ministry? He didn't heal everybody. He wasn't liked by everybody. He didn't have material goods. God's plan was for Jesus to die for mankind. He followed God's plan. He completed the mission as directed by God.
- The Jews generally considered wealth to be a sign of God's favor. What are your feelings towards wealthy people?
- When I think of personal success, where is my focus?

James and John ask for favored positions in Jesus' kingdom. How would you feel about this if you were one of the 12? It appears the brothers (and possibly the other disciples) were still expecting a political / military Messiah to rescue Israel from the Romans. The person sitting at the king's right was ranked second in the kingdom and the person on the left was next in prominence. Selfish ambition has no place in a Christian's life. To be a successful Christian we must follow the requirements of discipleship.

In verse 43, Jesus states "whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant". The term "servant" expresses the activity of personal ministry for others' best interests. Service equals success.

Believing God - Chapter 3

"A big differen ce exists between trying to manipulate God to give us what we want and cooperating with God so He can give us what He wants."

Okay, I understand and agree. Where does fasting fit into this? I just don't have a good understanding of the purpose of fasting.

The reason for this blog

This blog's primary purpose is to discuss Sunday school lessons, Bible studies, Christian books, or Biblical passages. I'm looking forward to seeing what we can generate!