Jesus’ Entry into Jerusalem

Jesus, the King of all Kings entered into the city of Peace, Jerusalem with a spirit of peace and humility riding on an animal which at that time was considered one used for laborious tasks. Kings didn’t ride in procession upon donkeys, but strong, regal steeds. Yet, Jesus was fulfilling the prophecy of Zecheriah 9:9 in which Zion’s King would come to her riding on a donkey, lowly and just. Jesus is keeping with His lowly, humble persona. Though royalty, the Elect One who had come from the Father’s side, was willing to take a position lower than the angels, the form of a Man, not resisting the Will of God, even to the point of accepting death as a means by which all humanity could experience fullness of Life. The crowd who welcomed their King were only rehearsing a ritual which they did every year and one has to wonder if they knew that Jesus truly was the King destined to come. You never know when Jesus will come through so you must be ready and a good steward of the gifting and ministry of God.

Jesus and a Fruitless Fig Tree

He spoke to the tree saying that it would not bear fruit anymore. When Jesus speaks something it will happen, whether blessing or cursing. We are suppose to bear fruit. If we be like the fruitless fruit tree, are we really in Jesus? Do we really belong to Him? We must bear fruit through Jesus the vine who is the supplier of Life. They are known by the fruit of the vine: Jesus, the humble, lowly, servant-king. If we are not attached to the vine, we wither in our sins until we die. Choose Life.

Jesus Drives Merchants Out of the Temple Courts

Jesus’ zeal is a side of Him that many don’t speak of. He turned over tables in the temple. Why? Because the blueprints of the Tabernacle of Moses & the Temple of Solomon were given directly from heaven and pictures of the Holy Place in God’s own courts. Not only this, we discover that Jesus prophesied that this physical temple would be destroyed (Mark 13:1-2). Now each believer’s body is a Temple which houses the glory and presence of God in the person of Holy Ghost. The seriousness with which we should view the Temple is evident in how indignant Jesus was toward those who desecrated it. While our Lord is Loving, He is also Holy and displays righteous anger against evil and unrighteousness.

Lessons of Faith

The power of belief. Just believe. Faith and belief will make or break. If you are praying and you don’t belief, simply put, it will not come to pass. In your payer life and walk with Jesus you must believe. Forgive. If you don’t, you won’t experience forgiveness for your own life. Do a self evaluation in your life. Do you have forgiveness toward someone? You don’t have an excuse. Many times forgiveness is not for you but the other person.

The Religious Leaders Question Jesus’ Authority

Jesus addresses the religious leadership. The enemy constantly comes to entrap and this is exactly what the religious leaders did. With these leaders you see a people who think they understand, but they don’t.

Summary

1. Don’t let the things of this world defile your temple, 15-17
2. God will uses the unexpected person to fulfill His will, 7-10
3. Don’t let unforgiviness rob your salvation
4. You must bear the right fruit at all times, 13-14
5. The power of belief will move mountains, 23-24
6. Faith activates the promise of blessing, 24
7. Your words hold unseen power & Authority, 14, 24
8. For the sin in you to removed starts from the root, 20
9. Jesus knows the motives of men, 27-33
10. Let Jesus flip the tables of sin in you, 15-17

Values of the Kingdom

How important is marriage to God? Is it serious? Its not to be done frivolously. It is something very serious and should be considered wisely. These Pharisees tried to trick Jesus by asking the question of whether or not its lawful for a man to divorce his wife. Jesus’ response was to go to the Word of God, the Torah of Moses specifically. Their reply was Moses gave the option to divorce. Jesus’ reply was that this only was allowed because of the hardness of the Children of Israel’s heart. God’s intent is not for divorce but unity for what God has put together, no man should try to split. The disciples didn’t understand His statement and asked Him privately to expound on it. Its ok not to understand the revelations of God, but it isn’t ok that you don’t inquire if you don’t understand.

Jesus Blesses the Children

Children were not particularly considered viable in society in those times. They were the least of the least. But Jesus turns that concept upside down and says if we don’t accept the Kingdom of God with the innocence, teachability, fragility and dependent mindset of a harmless child, we can’t have access to it.

A Rich Man Meets Jesus

There is no One good but the Father. Our works aren’t enough. Keeping the commandments isn’t enough. Its not the deeds per se but where the heart is seated. The king of the Rich Man’s heart was his money. It is a free thing to come to Jesus, but it will cost you everything. Jesus loved this man and wanted him to see that his heart needed to change and the only way to do so was to remove the distraction of riches. Are you surrendered to Jesus? Its not as though Jesus is telling all of us to sell all we have to the poor. But if He asked us to give something away, could we? It could be the thing that causes you to turn back and prevent you from going to the next level. A test will come upon us and reveal what is truly in our hearts. Will we acknowledge what’s in our hearts and let Jesus heal us, or will we conceal the nature of our hearts and go our own path? Scarcely will a rich person enter into the kingdom, because their possessions have possession over their hearts. The disciples were astonished by this. Well then who can be saved they thought, but the dichotomy of this is that you can be wealthy and have a heart for Jesus, and you can be wealth and have a heart to get more wealth. Its all a matter of the heart.

With God all things are possible. Many people say this but when it really comes down to it, they don’t exhibit that they have that faith. People try to get around things and make themselves comfortable. But to experience this type of faith, you have to get out of that comfort zone. If the rich man would have left his wealth, He would have gained it back as Jesus said in Mark 29-31. God wants to see where our hearts are and He wants us to remove attachments to earthly things that tarnish and perish. Rather, He wants us to us to attach ourselves to something infallible and eternal: Jesus. When He looks into our hearts and discerns with perfect vision that our hearts are truly attached to Him, He rewards us with all that had before and then some as He did with Job.

Jesus Prophecies His Death and Resurrection

Can you imagine having walked with Jesus as one of the disciples and have him tell you in graphic detail that he would die soon?

James & John Ask a Favour

John and James did not fully understand that the baptism Jesus would endure was a baptism of death. Yet, after they were told He would die a brutal death, they asked to be His right hand men. They did not get what He said. There would be death before there would be victory in glory to sit on a royal throne.

Jesus Heals Blind Bar-Timai

Though the crowed wanted to shut the mouth of this blind man, Jesus didn’t not, as many do, assimilate with the mindset of this crowd. He instead acknowledged His request knowing that the man had faith to be healed. Again, faith is all it takes to perform miracles.

Summary

1. Pray and fast so you will last.
2. Never let your gift become your ruler.
3. Don’t let possessions have possession over your heart.
4. Allow God to do the impossible in your life, 27
5. Have childlike faith
6. Strive not to be first but have a heart to serve
7. It will cost you to follow Christ
8. There is communion in union
9. Good works aren’t good enough
10. Follow God’s commandments just as he meant
11. Be careful whom you yoke yourself to
12. Don’t let others silence your faith

The Transfiguration of Christ

Jesus took Peter, James and John up to a mountain. There, Jesus was transfigured into a state of bright glory. There standing with Him were Moses and Elijah, Moses whose body was buried by God Himself, and Elijah who was taken up into Heaven by a chariot of fire. Two men who were close to God in power and might. Jesus had said to the 12 disciples prior to taking these 3 with Him to the mountain that there were some among them that would not taste death until they saw the Kingdom of God manifest with power. These 3 were privileged to see this.

The Disciples Unable to Cast Out a Demon

It seems that age know no bounds when it comes to evil spirits tormenting people. What could have caused a spirit to enter into this boy? We may never know why, but one thing we do know is that Jesus’ question to the Father about how long the boy had been tormented showed Jesus’ compassion. Can demons come in from sin of a parent? A child can see the sin of a parent which will open up the will of the child to accept such sin.

Jesus used the 9 disciples failure, who hadn’t gone with Jesus to the mount of Transfiguration, as a teaching tool. He will send us to do things that we don’t know anything about, knowing that we may fail, so that we can grow. Although the disciples had experience with casting out demons prior to this incident (Mark 6), they came against something that challenged their faith even further. Though they had the authority from Jesus, something prevented them from using it. Jesus rebuked His disciples. Their faith was lacking and that is why they couldn’t cast out the demon. We see that faith is the key to any miracle. Prayer and fasting awakens faith within us, so that when we do confront evil spirits, we will be filled enough to act in Jesus’ authority to send demons packing.

Jesus Again Prophesies His Death and Resurrection

During His time walking with the 12 disciples, He often would mention the true purpose of His destiny as the Anointed One of God: to suffer and die, but be resurrected 3 days later. The disciples response was always indifferent.

The Disciples Argue over Who Will Be the Greatest

Peter, James and John had just witnessed the the glory of Jesus, and returning with Jesus from the mountain of transfiguration, they encountered the other 9 disciples who couldn’t cast out a demon. Could competition have been stirred up among them because of this? They were arguing about who would be greatest. Jesus admonished them that there can be a greater: the one who is not vying for status, but humbly serves others. The disciples later told Jesus that there was someone casting out demons who wasn’t a part of their group, wanting them to stop. But Jesus again admonished His disciples not to think in such a way to degrade someone because as His parable of the milestone says, if they continued in their unnecessary rebuke and denigration of that soul, it would be better to have never been born than to face the judgement that their evil actions deserved.

Jesus spoke of sin being compared to everlasting hell fire if we don’t turn from our sin. He also uses fire to say that everyone will be “salted with fire.” John the baptizer said that Jesus baptizes with the Holy Ghost and fire. Fire for the believer is refining and purifying. Fire for the sinner is everlasting torment.

Summary

1. Faith is the key that unlocks doors to miracles, 19
2. Supernatural is natural when following Christ, 3-8
3. Faith tried is faith true, 19, 23, 29
4. It takes real faith to walk in Jesus ways, 18-19
5. Greatness is found in serving others, 34-35
6. Be sure you truly believe you believe, 24
7. Its best to loose a limb today than let you soul be cast away, 43-48
8. Your belief can affect change in others, 23-26
9. Become seasoned in the Lord, 50
10. Be not afraid to ask the Lord of His ways, 32

Jesus Multiplies Food Again

When Jesus looks at a person, He doesn’t just care for them in one way. He cares for the physical needs of the people as well as where they stand spiritually. His heart went out to the crowd who followed Him and again as we saw 2 chapters earlier, He gave bread and fish to people, multiplying food for 4,000 people. Jesus has a heart and He wants us to have a heart. He is so concerned about other people and not Himself. These people were in the wilderness and it shows that Jesus provides in a desert place, no matter if it is a literal desert or a spiritual desert.

Jesus Warns of the Yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod

The disciples forgot to take bread. They forgot to take the things that they needed. We’re not talking about food, but a deeper level of understanding in learning not to be forgetful. We need to know what to do to prepare for the journey ahead of us by spending time with the Lord. The Disciples when Jesus told them to beware of the teaching that come from others, they were oblivious. Its important for us to be covered, prepared and have eyes to see what is around us. We may fall back into what we use to do unaware if were not discerning good from bad and what’s necessary for us personally.

Jesus Heals Blind Eyes

There were some people who brought the blind man to Jesus. People, though they may not have a relationship with Jesus, know where to get healing. There is something about being with Jesus that awakens the inner man’s connection to the Creator. Jesus leads the blind man away and does the miracle in secret. Among teaching the disciples through the miracle of multiplying bread and fish, Jesus was still doing healing miracles.

Peter Receives Revelation from God

Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do men say that I AM?” It was unfolded to Peter by divine inspiration that Jesus was the Christ.

Jesus Prophesies His Death and Resurrection

Jesus began to tell His disciples that He was destined to go to Jerusalem and suffer, die and be raised 3 days later.

What It Means to Be a Follower of Jesus

Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus.

Jesus Breaks Religious Traditions

The Pharisees and Scribes had a tradition to wash their hands before eating bread and this tradition was so ingrained into their nature, that they passed it off as something of a commandment that had come from God! We know from Jesus admonition of them, that this tradition was not from God and that this tradition caused the Pharisees to look unfavorably in judgment on the disciples. We must be careful that out traditions don’t cause us to treat others without love.

Are traditions good or bad?

If you are holding people to a tradition without allowing others to grow then they are bad. In themselves they aren’t bad. But if they cause you to have control over people or insight judgment of others who don’t participate, if negativity is bred in the situation or puts a rift between you and God then the tradition needs to be reevaluated.

Jesus Explains What Truly Defiles

One of the 10 commandments God gave on mount Sinai was to honor the mother and father that your days be long on the Earth. Part of that obligation is to provide for them whatever was necessary to help them, be that monetarily or with whatever support they needed. The Pharassies and Scribes used a loop whole to get around this obligation by saying that the support that was rightfully due the parents was to be offered to God instead, disqualifying the Son or Daughter from helping their parents. However, the intent behind this would be one of selfishness, greed and injustice. God wants the posture of our hearts to match the goodness of our deeds.

What defiles a person is not what he eats but what comes out of him. We’re dealing with spiritual things and matters of the heart. Whatever we take in in the natural effects our spirit-man. This is why Jesus tells us to guard our hearts. We should guard our eye and ear gates because whatever we listen to and look at will be adsorbed by our hearts and will be birthed within us resulting in us exhibit the characteristics. Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future. You are what you have a constant contact with. You are what you eat.

What areas in your life are you defiling yourself? Are you even aware of them? Are you thinking evil? Do you dwell on that which is sexually immoral? Do you think about gaining wealth to be greedy, do you slander people in your inner most thoughts? Do you think arrogantly and recklessly?

Jesus and a Foreign Woman

Jesus was only going to Jewish people to proclaim the Gospel. However, a woman who was not Jewish came to Jesus for healing for her daughter and Jesus refused to help her. However, when she had faith in Jesus that her daughter could be healed, this moved Jesus. The Jews didn’t associate with non Jewish people, but regardless of this ethnic barrier, this woman’s faith moved Jesus to act on her behalf. Without faith it’s impossible to please God.

Jesus Heals a Deaf Man

Jesus was happy to heal this man, but He did so in a private place, away from the crowds. The way in which He healed was astounding as he put his fingers in the man’s ear and put His saliva on the man’s tongue and then spoke to them both saying “be opened.” Immediately the man was healed and Jesus told him and those around not to tell anyone. However, they publicized it all the more!

Summary

1. Healing comes with revelation, 25-30
2. Don’t let the traditions of men draw you in, 9
3. Honor God with your heart and words, 6
4. Honor your mother and father, 10
5. With Jesus all things are possible, 37
6. Don’t loose your head when Jesus gives you that bread, 36
7. Clean your heart more than your hands, 3
8. Don’t let your worship become a charade, 7
9. Hear God clearly, 16
10. Evil thoughts clutter the heart, 20-23