February 7th Mark 2:18-28: Jesus Questioned

Jesus answers a couple questions, both of them asked in a kind of legalistic why do you not do this attitude. The first is why did his disciples not fast. Fasting is when someone would not eat for the purpose of greater focus on prayer. Fasting is not bad, but in a lot of ways fasting had become bad over time. People would use it as a way to show how holy they were. They would openly declare that they were fasting and rub it in other peoples faces. Jesus gives a great answer to these questions explaining that while he is alive why would his followers fast? The second question is concerning the Sabbath. The Sabbath as to be God days of rest, but the Pharisees has turned the principle of rest into a series of very specific legalistic rules. They would say how far you could walk and what you exactly could or couldn’t do on the seventh day of the week. Jesus gives a historical example of David eating the food from the tabernacle and claims that the Sabbath was made for man. In other words doing what they were doing was not breaking the Sabbath, It also shows that Jesus is saying that he has authority over the law and the Sabbath.

February 6th Mark 2:13-17: Who Jesus Came For

Bad people are the ones who need Jesus. We might be like the people in this chapter who questioned why Jesus would have a meal with a tax collector. Tax collectors were Jewish individuals who were working for the Roman authorities. They would often skim quite a bit off of the top, essentially stealing from the people. You think people do not like IRS agents now well Jews absolutely hated tax collectors and though of them as evil. Yet Jesus called one of them to be his follower. Look at Jesus statement in verse 17, he says “Those who are well don’t need a doctor, but the sick do need one. I didn’t come to call the righteous, but the sinners.” The God of the universe came to earth as a human for the sinners. The catch is we have to admit that that is what we are to be saved by him.

February 5th Mark 2:1-12: Authorty to Forgive

We have all heard this story before. The paralyzed man is lowered through the roof by his friends to be healed by Jesus. These men had tremendous faith This is usually the main point of the story taught in Sunday School, since I know you have heard that I want to take it in a slightly different direction. The scribes and pharisees (the Jewish religious leaders who thought they were better than everyone else) were not happy with Jesus’ statement that the mans sins were forgiven. Jesus read their thoughts. You should be careful around Jesus. Jesus tells them in verse 10 why he did it this way “But so you may know that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” What the Pharisees were thinking is actually true, only God can forgive sins, thankfully God is right in front of them. Jesus has the authority over the natural over the supernatural and the authority to forgive sins.

February 4th Mark 1:23-45: Not All Talk

We all know a person who is all talk. He talks junk and smack like he is good at something, rubbing it in every ones face but in the end that person is not good at what they said they were good at. Jesus is not this way. Jesus spoke with authority and then backed it up with action. If he had of stopped at just speaking with authority their is no real reason for people to believe him. Notice in verse 25-26 he cast a demon out of a person, showing how big his authority really is. Reading through the rest of the chapter you realize that he healed many different illnesses, from fevers to skin disorders to more demon possessions. His healings drew people to him because they realized he has the power and authority over both the natural and the supernatural. Let us not forget that the God we serve has the power and authority over these things.

February 3rd Mark 1:16-22: Spoke With Authority

Jesus, being God, spoke with authority like no one has ever spoken before. At the time in Israel no one spoke with authority. In times past their had been men like Elijah and Isaiah who would says “This is what God says” but in the time of Jesus the teachers of the people (called Rabbis) would say “Bob said this about this but Steve said this.” They would not say anything with authority. Then Jesus comes along and says “Follow me” and teaches with authority why? Because he has the authority. So people listen up. He empowers fishermen to become teachers and preachers and in faith they follow him hoping to become fishers of men. When Jesus speaks he speaks with authority and we should listen up.

February 2nd Mark 1:9-14 Jesus Begins to Preach

Mark wastes no time. He tells very short versions of most of the stories about Jesus compared to the other authors who give more detail, but Mark is packed full of information and stories about Jesus. In these six above verses there are really 3 different stories that are told about Jesus.
The first is his baptism. Jesus is baptized by John the baptist and when this happens God speaks from heaven. God speaking from heaven reinforces Johns statement from last week that someone greater than him was coming. The son of God is greater than John.
The second is the temptation of Jesus. Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. Mark does not give us the detail, though the other Gospel accounts do, but still mentions it. Jesus was tempted yet his did not sin, but he understands what it is like to be tempted.
The third is that he starts preaching. In verse 15 Jesus says “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe in the good news!” You know what Jesus is saying here? God has been making promises since the beginning of time that he would send someone to help you. He made it to Eve immediately after she sinned. He made it to Abraham, and to David and to the people of Israel as a whole. Someone would come and save them. Jesus is saying right here that it is Him. Believe on him. He calls us to do the same thing. To repent, turn from our sin and turn to him.

February 1 Mark 1:1-8: Know Your Place

This will be a little bit different than last month. Instead of reading a whole chapter only read the portion that I mention. I may quote some of it but not all of it in the devotional. Make sure that you are also praying along with reading God’s word.
At the beginning of the book of Mark we see that John that baptist is preaching and baptizing people. If you look at this passage he sounds a little crazy actually. Eating locust dipped in honey, bet that is delicious.
Any way if you read veres 7 John says “Someone more powerful that I will come after me, I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of sandals.” John was referring to Jesus. And John knew his place. He knew that Jesus was greater than him and that his job was to prepare people for Jesus. The question is do we know our place? Do we realize how much greater Jesus is than us and are we striving to make people ready for him?