Week Seventeen

FPCBR

Week Seventeen

February 9, 2023 • Jaime Carnaggio • Mark 11:27–33, Mark 12:1–17

We arrive at the five temple controversies found in Mark 11 and 12, where the religious leaders attempt to test (trap!) Jesus. They are in violent pursuit to destroy him.

In trap #1 (11:27-33), members of the Sanhedrin challenge his authority. And in trap #2 (12:13-17), the Pharisees and the Herodians question him about the lawfulness of paying taxes, thinking they’ve cornered him into a lose-lose situation. In both cases, Jesus turns their traps around on them, exposing their hypocrisy and ignorance. Ultimately, he turns their traps into important Kingdom lessons for both “them then” and “us today.”

Reflection question: In what ways do you recognize Jesus’ authority in your own life? In what ways are you fearing man more than you are fearing God?

Through the Parable of the Tenants (Mark 12:1-12), Jesus reveals that he comes by his Father’s authority. And unlike the prophecy in Isaiah 5, this parable ends with vindication and victory for his people. “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone!” (Psalm 118:22-23) God will not destroy the vineyard (his people), but instead destroy the “tenants” (the old religious system, the temple, the sacrificial system, the priesthood). It’s a parable of warning but also a parable of grace, that God would continue to send prophets to his people and ultimately send his own beloved Son to rescue and redeem us.

“The denarius belonged to Caesar because it had his image stamped on it. Caesar owned that denarius, but he didn’t own the people. As humans, we have the image of God stamped on us. We are made in HIS image. We must give to God what is rightfully his–our entire lives! We have a duty to the government, but we have an even greater duty to God, who has created us and redeemed us.” R.C. Sproul

Reflection: How can you balance patriotism to your country with ultimate devotion to God? In what ways are you clinging to the flag tighter than the cross?

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?