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Why Should We Take Communion? Part 2
Mark 14:22-25
Communion offers us so much as believers in Christ. Last week, we began looking at some of the many reasons taking communion blesses and benefits the church – it reminds us of the incarnation, centers us on the atonement, emphasizes the importance of our personal faith, and communicates the unity of the church. Let’s continue looking at six more today.
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Why Should We Take Communion? Part 1
Mark 14:22-25
Mark tells us that Jesus and the disciples **were eating** the Passover meal when Jesus did something out of the ordinary (22). The customary Passover ceremony would have begun with a blessing over the group. Then, they would drink from the first cup of wine. Next, the youngest child in the group, perhaps John in this upper room, would ask, "Why is this night different from other nights?" The host or father of the group -- Jesus in this instance -- would then retell the events of the original Passover in Exodus.
Read moreThis is a piece I wrote for our recent worship night at our church. It is a historical fiction, based on Scripture(2 Sam. 11-12, Psalms 32, 51). I tried to put myself in David's sandals.
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The Great Tribulation: The End of the Age
Mark 13:15-23
All these exhortations Jesus gave during his teaching about the end of the age have a Jewish bent. Housetops were used in that region as a place for leisure in the cool of the evening. You could dine, relax, sleep, store goods, and pray on your home's flat roof. And Jesus had already said it was the citizens of Judea who should flee when the abomination of desolation occurs. Many Christians, when the armies of Titus began arriving at Jerusalem, did flee the city before the greatest destruction came.
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The Great Tribulation: The Abomination of Desolation & the Anti-Christ
Mark 13:14
On the Mount of Olives, overlooking the temple precincts, Jesus continued his teaching about the end of the age. Peter, John, James, and Andrew sat riveted as their Master explained the end times.
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Jesus Prepared His Followers for Tribulation Through the Olivet Discourse
Mark 13:5-13
Jesus began his teaching on the Mount of Olives warning about the tendency to be led astray (5). He knew some would come and lead many astray, so he sought to bolster his followers by telling them to see to it that they were not led astray (5). And many will come in Jesus' name, he said, even declaring themselves to be the Christ, and will deceive many. Ideologies, movements, and individuals will always arise, declaring themselves to be the savior the world needs.
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Reasons the Olivet Discourse Points to Future Events
Mark 13:1-4
As we enter Mark 13, we come to a passage of Scripture that is hotly debated. Some, like myself, believe it communicates the doctrine of future things. Others, many of whom I respect and read, believe the entirety of this chapter has to do with the destruction of the Jewish temple in the first century. And others are in between those two views. Regardless of our position on this chapter or other apocalyptic passages in Scripture, we should treat one another with respect, humility, and love. We will discover who was right someday, but we don't know today. With that as an attitudinal backdrop for the next few weeks in Mark, let's get into this next movement and chapter.
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Six Marks of a Christ-Follower, Part 2
Mark 12:35-40
At the beginning of Mark's gospel, there is a familiar and beautiful episode. Jesus walked on the shore of Galilee and saw Peter, Andrew, James, and John engaged in fishermen’s business. He called them:
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Six Marks of a Christ-Follower, Part 1
Mark 12:35-40
At the beginning of Mark's gospel, there is a familiar and beautiful episode. Jesus walked on the shore of Galilee and saw Peter, Andrew, James, and John engaged in fishermen’s business. He called them:
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Jesus, the Son of David and the Son of God
Mark 12:35-37
By this point in Mark, it is clear that Jesus is at odds with the religious leaders -- and they are certainly at odds with him! And, in our previous studies, we've watched Jesus dismantle the best arguments they could muster in their attempts to thwart his mission. By the end, "no one dared to ask him any more questions" (Mark 12:34).
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