Week Nineteen

FPCBR

Week Nineteen

March 2, 2023 • Jaime Carnaggio • Mark 12:35—13:23

The two contrasting pictures of the widow and the scribes in Mark 12:38-44 are filled with warnings and lessons. It’s a warning against showmanship and a lesson not to be fooled by it. Appearances can be deceiving! It’s not as much about how MUCH we give, but the how and why. We are to give humbly and with simple reverence for the Lord, trusting in the Lord’s provisions and sustenance. 1 Samuel 16:7 reminds us, “Man does not see what the Lord sees, for man sees what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.”

We can interpret the Olivet Discourse (found in Mark 13) both historically (the imminent destruction of the temple in 70 AD) and eschatologically (Jesus’ future Second Coming at the end of the age). One is the forerunner or precursor to the other.

Take note of the ways Paul references this discourse when he teaches about the Man of Lawlessness in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.

Rather than worry about the exact date and time of when “these things” will occur, Jesus instructs us to BE ON GUARD, be ready, be prepared, “so that no one leads you astray.” He tells us not to be alarmed or anxious, we must not be surprised by fiery trials, we will face tribulation in our broken and fallen world, we should expect troubles until Jesus returns.

Like the labor pains of a woman that grow in intensity before the birth of the baby, distress will increase before the glorious end. It’s pain with a purpose. There is purpose in the persecution, so we persevere in our life of faith, bearing witness to Christ (trusting that the Holy Spirit will enable us to boldly and effectively proclaim the gospel), pressing on through the trials, because something much greater awaits us.

Week Twenty-Five

May 4, 2023 • Jaime Carnaggio • Mark 16

The evidence is undeniable. Mark’s Gospel leaves no room for doubt. The angel clearly and plainly states, “Jesus was crucified. See the place where his body was laid. He is not here. He has risen.” Fear is a powerful emotion, one that can deeply affect us, impact us, and transform us. The women at the tomb experienced an appropriate fear in the face of the Lord’s resurrection. It should stir up the same in us because it’s both historically certain and eternally significant. Even though we may be scared and uncomfortable, even though we doubt, we are called to be disciples. We are to go out and share the good news of the gospel, trusting that he goes before us and with us, with the assurance that Jesus has risen from death to life. And we will too!

Week Twenty-Four

April 27, 2023 • Jaime Carnaggio • Mark 15:21–47

Take notice of the “circles of rejection” in verses 29-37. Reflect on where you are in this story. In what ways does the world reject and mock Jesus today? Read Psalm 22 and feel the ways that it illuminates Jesus’ time on the cross . . . how it moves from the suffering to the glory! “The cry from the cross represents the deepest possible pain. The Father and the Son have enjoyed perfect, unbroken harmony and fellowship in the Trinity for all of eternity . . . until now. THIS is the moment that the Father places the sin of the world upon his Son as the Lamb of God, as Jesus carries the full measure of the pollution of our wickedness, an obscenity God is too pure and holy to behold, so he must turn his face away for the first and only time. Jesus endures a moment of separation from God, which is far worse than the mocking, scourging, and crucifixion . . . it’s the searing pain of forsakenness . . .” R.C. Sproul.

Week Twenty-Three

April 20, 2023 • Gerrit Dawson • Mark 15:1–21

Gerrit points out how much Jesus’ composure changes from the Garden of Gethsemane to his time before Pilate. In the garden, he was greatly distressed, crying out to his Father, in agony. Before Pilate, he’s resolved, accepting, humble, even peaceful. What changed? He submitted to his Father’s will. “Not my will, but yours be done,” he prayed. The same freedom is available to us when we submit to God’s will for our lives. It's difficult to read these passages because we shudder to think our Lord (holy and innocent) had to endure such harsh things. But it’s also sobering because WE are in this story. “Ashamed I hear my mocking voice, call out among the scoffers.” as the hymn says. In what ways are you like Pilate? Like the “stirred up” crowds? Like Barabbas? Like the soldiers mocking Jesus?