Mark 11:1

Mark 11:1 says, And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples,  Jesus was about to make His entry into Jerusalem.  He was not going to sneak in hoping not to be seen but was going openly in the sight of everyone.  Even though He knew what awaited Him there, He was not going in downcast.  We as Christians need to openly worship God today, and no matter what the world may threaten us with, we must never be downcast in our faith. Verse two adds, And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him.  Jesus told two of His disciples to go into the village where they would find a colt that no one had ever ridden tied up.  Jesus said they were to loosen the colt and bring it to Him.  Jesus was not going to enter Jerusalem on a mighty steed, but on a lowly donkey.  We today do not need to be looking for worldly acclaim as we serve God but need to serve Him humbly.  Verse three continues, And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.  The disciples had to have faith to do what Jesus was asking, since they could have been accused of stealing the colt.  If we know beyond a doubt that God has called on us to do something, we should never be afraid to do it.  Jesus told these two disciples if anyone asked what they were doing to tell them that the Lord had need of the colt, and the one asking would send them back to Jesus.  I believe that anytime God tells us to do something that involves others that He will always go ahead of us to prepare the way.  When we have done what God asks us to do, we need to return to Him in obedience.  Verse four states, And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him.  The disciples went, and everything happened as Jesus said it would.  If God is behind what we are doing, we need to simply do it, and then return to Him to see what He has for us to do next.  The first step to doing what God would have us do is always putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  Verse five adds, And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?  Verse six continues, And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.  The disciples did get asked what they were doing, and they obediently told those asking what Jesus had told them to say.  We need to be obedient in doing what God tells us to do and rely on Him to take care of the details.  Verse seven says, And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him  After the two disciples returned with donkey colt, the disciples put their garments on it, and Jesus sat on him.  They might have thought that a majestic steed would have been more appropriate for a coming King, but we need to realize that Jesus did not come to meet our expectations.  Yet sometimes we treat Him that way.  Still, no matter what they thought, they were willing to help Him as He prepared to go continue on His journey.  This should be our attitude as well.  Even if we may think that God should do things differently, we need to simply bow to His leadership.  Verse eight adds, And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.  Some of the people around the disciples and Jesus began to lay their garments on the ground in front of Him, while others cut branches from trees and placed them in front of Jesus as He traveled on.  They were acknowledging that Jesus was someone important by their actions, but they still had not acknowledged Him as the Messiah in their heart.  We may take actions that show we believe in Jesus Christ, but if we have not accepted Him as our personal Savior and Lord, they are empty deeds.  Verse nine states, And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: The people also cried out acknowledging Jesus as the fulfillment of the promise to David that the Messiah would come as from his lineage.  Verse ten adds, Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.  They sang Hosanna to the highest as they accompanied Him, but they still didn't understand Who He really was nor what He really came to do.  We may sing praises to God all day long, but if we have not accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, it does us no good. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark 10:46

 Mark 10:46 says, And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. When Jesus and His disciples left Jericho, many people went with them.  We should always be willing to leave where we are and to follow Jesus where He leads us.  One of the people who encountered Jesus was blind Bartimaeus.  Verse forty-seven adds, And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.  Though he was physically blind, he was able to spiritually see that Jesus was the One Who could restore his sight, and He called out to Jesus.  Though we may not be physically blind, until we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we are spiritually blind, and putting our faith in Him is the only way to have our spiritual sight restored.  Though Jesus calls everyone to Him, we must respond to that call for it to do us any good.  Verse forty-eight continues, And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.  The people around Bartimaeus told him to hold his peace or to be quiet.  As Christians, we need to pray that we never attempt to keep certain people from coming to Jesus because we look down on them, as these people evidently did with Bartimaeus.  After all, he was just a blind beggar beside the road, and they evidently felt no need to help him get to Jesus.  Do we feel a need to help the spiritually blind get to Jesus today?  Bartimaeus instead of being quiet, called out even more asking Jesus to have mercy on him, and that is what we need to do today if we would be saved.   We should never let anyone keep up from Jesus Christ.  Verse forty-nine states, And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.  Jesus told Bartimaeus to be of good comfort and called him to come to Him.  Jesus still calls those who are spiritually blind to be of good comfort by coming to Him and accepting Him as their Savior and Lord.  Verse fifty adds, And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.  Bartimaeus got up, threw aside his garment and came to Jesus.  We should be willing to cast aside anything that would hinder us in coming to Jesus.  Verse fifty-one continues, And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight. Jesus asked Bartimaeus what he wanted Him to do, and he said he wanted Jesus to restore his sight.  He was looking for a physical healing, but Jesus would give Him so much more.  No matter the reason for our calling out to Jesus Christ, if we accept Him by faith, He offers us everlasting life with Him, which is so much greater than any earthly thing that we might have been looking for.  Veres fifty-two concludes, And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way. Jesus told Bartimaeus to go his way that his faith had made him whole.  When we come to Jesus by faith in Him as our Savior and Lord, He makes us spiritually whole and tells us to go on our way and share the gospel with others.  Bartimaeus followed Jesus after he was made whole by his faith, and so must we. 

Mark 10:41

Mark 10:41 says, And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.  James and John asking Jesus that they be allowed to sit on His right and left hand displeased the other disciples, even though Jesus told them they didn't know what this would really mean, and that it was not His right to give.  We need never be jealous of other Christians because we believe God is rewarding them more than He is us, and I am relatively sure we are never jealous of those who suffer more because of their relationship with Jesus Christ.  We need to reflect on why Jesus was born.  He was born to suffer and die for our sins and to be raised again to give us victory over sin and death if we put our faith in Him.  Still speaking of being in positions of power, Verse forty-two adds, But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.  Jesus said those in power over the Gentiles exercised lordship and authority over them.  Verse forty-three states, But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:  Verse forty-four adds, And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.  Jesus then said that this was not to be the case with His disciples. Jesus said that anyone who would be great in His kingdom would be a minister to others, not a lord over them.  So, if we want to feel great in God's kingdom today, we need to be ministering to others. He also said whosoever would be chief among His followers would be a servant to all.  Too often, this is not what we want to hear.  Verse forty-five continues, For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.  Jesus then said that He came not to be ministered to, but to minister to others and lay down His life as a ransom for them.  This is what we as followers of Christ are called to do today, and though we cannot bring salvation to anyone by our death, we should be willingly to lay down our life for them to have the opportunity to accept salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.