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Mark Bible Study

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?

Week Twenty-Two

March 23, 2023 • Mitzi Barber • Mark 14:32–52

Week Twenty-One

March 16, 2023 • Jaime Carnaggio • Mark 14:12–31

What a rich time studying through the events of the Last Supper, this glorious final Passover Meal, where Jesus as our Suffering Servant (his body is broken) and our Sacrificial Lamb of God (his blood poured out) come together.  The Lord’s Supper is a meal for sinners.  We don’t earn it or deserve it. The prerequisite required to approach the table is to recognize our NEED for him.   Reflection: What is your experience with Communion personally? What does it mean to you? Such great discussion around Judas’ betrayal, the discomfort that it brings. R.C. Sproul says, “There’s a mysterious intersection here between the secret counsel of God (his sovereignty) and the conspiracies of the human will (free will). In God’s providence, these two streams come together. God didn’t coerce Judas to betray Jesus (Judas did exactly what Judas wanted to do). Rather, God was working his will in and through Judas’ choices. In a divine mystery that we will never comprehend in this life, we embrace the truth and tension that divine sovereignty never cancels out human freedom and moral responsibility." Reflection: In what ways are you like Peter, guilty of believing you are incapable of certain sins?

Week Twenty

March 9, 2023 • Jaime Carnaggio • Mark 13:24–37, Mark 14:1–11

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 Eighteen

February 16, 2023 • Jaime Carnaggio • Mark 12:18–34

We continue to see Jesus challenged in the temple. The Sadducees bring to Jesus a question regarding the resurrection, hidden inside an absurd scenario based on a marriage commandment found in Deuteronomy 25. Jesus accuses them of not understanding both the Scriptures and God’s power. We need the same lessons Jesus taught the Sadducees. We need to be reminded how easy it is to misinterpret Scripture and how dangerous it is to do so, because it leads to a distorted view of God. We, too, have a watered-down view of God’s transcendent power. We, too, try to compare our earthly relationships to our heavenly ones.  “Think of the best, greatest possible moment that you’ve ever experienced . . . then multiply that joy by a million, and then you may, just may, begin to appreciate the joy that God is preparing for you in heaven.” R.C. Sproul. Jesus responds to the scribe’s question with a two-part answer. The first calls for a total, entire-being, response of love and devotion toward God. The second calls for love of neighbor, which includes our enemies, those that we find difficult, those that we disagree with. Both commands create tension, because we can’t possibly achieve them, in our own strength at least. We rest knowing that Jesus fulfilled them perfectly on our behalf. But there’s still action required or expected. Read Deuteronomy 6:4-9. How does this add to our understanding?  “Loving our neighbor as ourselves” implies that we are to love ourselves, which may seem contradictory. The same God who tells us to love ourselves tells us to deny ourselves?!  But the more we deny ourselves, the more we become who HE created us to be, and the more we rightly love ourselves and recognize that we are the object of the redeeming love of God. AND the more we “turn out” that love toward others.  The scribe’s posture toward Jesus is interesting. He seems to genuinely want to know the answer to his question, and he responds positively, saying “You’re right, teacher,” and acknowledging that “loving God and neighbor” is much more sacrificial than the burnt offerings and sacrifices they’d been traditionally giving for so many years. But there’s still something missing. It’s not enough to call Jesus “right,” we must call him “Lord.” 

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 Sixteen

February 3, 2023 • Katie Schellack, Jaime Carnaggio • Mark 10:46–52, Mark 11:1–25

Jesus has finally arrived in Jerusalem, which means we are entering the last week of his life here on earth. These passages, then, are full of urgency, emotion, lessons, and warnings!    Look at the stories in 11:27-33, 12:13-17, and 12:18-27. How is each group represented in these stories attempting to trap Jesus? In each, notice how Jesus turns their trap into a lesson/warning. What is the lesson/warning in each? Now look at the parable in Mark 12:1-12. What do all the parts of this parable represent? Vineyard owner, vineyard, tenants, servants, son?  (Read Isaiah 5:1-7 for more context.) What does this parable reveal? Why would it be offensive to those listening? In what ways does this parable enlighten the stories that come before and after it? 

Week Fifteen

Jaime Carnaggio • Mark 10:13–45

In these passages, Jesus teaches us important lessons about the Kingdom of God, which operates much differently than the world. We learn that, in God’s economy, there’s a glorious grand reversal. “The first will be last, and the last first.” Jesus moves the disciples (and us) from being worldly-minded to Kingdom-minded, because as followers of Jesus, we must be Kingdom-minded. The children in verses 13-16 represent “the least of these.” We can learn a lot from them. They have a trusting spirit and a dependence that set them apart. They’re completely helpless and run into Jesus’ arms with abandon. This is a right posture toward Christ! We receive the kingdom of God this same way; empty-handed and open-armed, like a helpless child, with simple, childlike reliance on him! Reflection: When have you experienced the love of God in sweet, tender ways (like he is with the children)? When have you experienced his love in more corrective, shaping ways (like e is with the disciples)?  Salvation isn’t something we “do” or “earn” by being good. It’s something we receive by grace. (If our salvation was up to us, NO one would be saved! Left to ourselves, salvation is impossible!) Another way to put it: Salvation isn’t based on what YOU DO, but on what HE’s already DONE (vs. 32-34). Reflection: When have you, like the young rich man, been tempted to cling to money/possessions/enter any idol here, tighter than you cling to the Lord? Perhaps if we would only focus MORE on what’s being stored for us in heaven, we would loosen our grip on the worldly things that we cling so tightly to. Wealth/money/possessions aren’t bad or wrong. It’s wrong when we “trust in riches” more than we trust in Jesus. It’s wrong when our wealth/success feeds our pride, when we lose sight that all we earn (financially or otherwise) is because of God’s grace and belongs to him.  The call to “take up our cross” and follow him requires humility, sacrifice, and service. We give up a lot to follow Jesus, but we gain so much more. The blessings far outweigh the losses. Why would we put our trust in anything in this world, when our ONLY hope is found in Christ alone! Jesus never asks us to do anything that he hasn’t already done. Or give up anything that he hasn’t given up. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 8:9: “Though he was rich, for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” Reflection: What have you had to give up in order to follow Christ? And what have you gained in doing so? The disciples are “amazed” that Jesus “set his face like flint toward Jerusalem” (as Isaiah 50 says), knowing full well the agony he faced there. But we can’t have the CROWN (which they’ve been focused on, eternal life) without the CROSS!! In God’s economy, greatness is not about how HIGH you climb, or how many people serve you. It’s about how LOW you go in serving others. Jesus is our primary example of this. He came not to make servants, but to be a servant. He came not to gain anything, but to give everything–his very life–as a ransom for many. What a picture of our Lord Jesus: our Suffering Servant. 

Week Fourteen

January 19, 2023 • Mitzi Barber • Mark 9:30–50, Mark 10:1–13

In these verses (9: 30-50), Jesus is teaching a new Law IN HIM of peace-loving living . . . as humble servants, gracious receivers and salty sacrifices. In teaching this new Law, Jesus needs to correct the problems that the disciples are causing. This passage exposes some of those problems, all of which are rooted in pride. Their pride is getting in the way of this peace-loving living that Jesus calls them to. Jesus again foretells his death and resurrection, but this time adds this detail, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men” (9: 31). This sounds like a sacrifice! The disciples are afraid to ask what this means, possibly because they are too proud to admit they still don’t understand. The disciples are arguing over who is the greatest (pride problem!), and Jesus has an upside-down response for them, telling them, “To be first, you must be last! You must be humble servants!” And to illustrate this lesson, he takes a young child in his arms (who wouldn’t have been seen as significant at this time in history, this child represented “the least”), and he says, “Whoever receives a child [the least of these] in my name receives me and the one who sent me.”  The disciples also rebuke someone who was casting out demons in Jesus’ name and wasn’t one of Jesus’ followers. Again, Jesus has an upside-down response, “Whoever is not against us is for us!” Anything, big or small, done in Jesus’ name is welcomed by him and pleasing to him. There is a great takeaway here for us today. We must guard against building walls between believers. We must not get caught up on the “non-essentials,” but instead recognize that unity with fellow followers of Christ is essential. The “sin” word we see in 9: 42-47 translates as “to stumble” or “to fall away.” This translation helps us see why Jesus uses such heavy language here. Also, “little ones” refers to new believers. So, it’s one thing to cause others (“little ones”) to sin, but another thing to cause them to lose trust in Jesus altogether. The disciples are causing others to lose sight of Jesus (as we saw in the previous story where they were discouraging another doing works in Jesus’ name), instead of being salty sacrifices of his glory. [Leviticus 2: 13: You are to season every grain offering of yours with salt—do not omit from your grain offering the salt of the covenant with your God but offer salt with all your offerings.] Reflection: What causes you to stumble? How can you remove those stumbling blocks from your path? In what ways might you be causing others to stumble? The Pharisees don’t actually care about Jesus’ views on divorce and marriage, they just want to test (or trap!) him, and to do that, they narrow in on the controversial issue of divorce, assuming that, any way he answers, he would upset those in authority. But Jesus isn’t concerned about upsetting people. He’s concerned about doing the will of his Father. Jesus had a brilliant response. He brings them back to creation to look at God’s original intent for marriage (not just what the Law allows or forbids). God designed marriage to be a lasting union, but when sin entered the world at the Fall, our human hearts became HARDENED to God’s perfect plan. And so, the law made divine allowances for divorce in some cases because that was the reality in a fallen world. Ultimately Jesus turns their test regarding divorce into a teaching about marriage! Just like he has a very HIGH view of “the least of these” (his people!), he has a very HIGH view of marriage. Reflection: What could the church learn from the lesson Jesus is teaching here? 

Week Thirteen

January 12, 2023 • Jaime Carnaggio • Mark 8:31–38, Mark 9:1–29

8:31-32: This is the first time in Mark’s gospel that Jesus reveals his death and resurrection, and Peter has a hard time with this news. Not only is he still not grasping all that is required of Jesus as Messiah, but he probably doesn’t want to believe that his beloved rabbi and friend must suffer, be rejected and killed.  8:33: Jesus recognizes right away the work of Satan present (through the lips of one of his closest friends!). He responds with a rebuke (“Get behind me, Satan!”) and a warning ("For you are not setting your mind on the things of God but on things of man"). Contemplate what this warning implies for us today. When we set our minds on the things of man, we’re more vulnerable to Satan’s lies & temptations… and our view of Christ is muddied... But when we set our minds on the things of God, we see Jesus more clearly… we see Him for who He truly is. 8:34-35: Jesus goes on to tell them: “deny [yourself], take up your cross and follow me.”  This isn’t an easy task! We are called to shift our allegiance from SELF to CHRIST. The cost of following Jesus is EVERYTHING – our whole lives. It’s an absolute surrender… complete and utter submission. But… in losing yourself, you GAIN Christ! Philippians 3:7-8 – the great paradox of the Christian life. For the disciples, the cross meant suffering, torture, death. It was how the Roman government at that time carried out executions… the condemned person would literally take up their cross and carry it on their back to the place of execution.  We tend to use this phrase very lightly, “that’s just my cross to bear,” usually referencing something unpleasant or inconvenient. But that’s such a misrepresentation of the cross! It's a death of self! 9:2-3: Can you imagine being an eyewitness to Jesus’ transfiguration… getting a glimpse of Him in all His holiness, immersed in the brightest light imaginable… No wonder Peter, John, and James were terrified (and confused!). Jesus just revealed to them that he must suffer many things, that he would be rejected and afflicted, and ultimately die on a cross… so what a beautiful contrast of the future hope. This vision gave the disciples a sneak peek into the glory that awaits Him. And this was such an impactful event that they referenced it later in their ministries as evidence that Jesus is who he says he is. (2 Peter 1:17-19). 9:4: It’s important that Elijah and Moses appear with the transfigured Jesus. Elijah represents the prophets, and Moses represents the law.  So together, they represent all that Jesus came to fulfill. They also each received visions of the Glory of God on top of a mountain. But both those cases were mere reflections of God’s Glory, whereas what the disciples were seeing here was God’s actual glory. Jesus doesn’t REFLECT the brightness of God’s glory… He IS God’s glory. They may have spoken FROM God, but Jesus speaks AS God. 9:7: This is the second time in Mark’s gospel we hear God’s audible voice. The first time was during Jesus’ baptism when he spoke directly to His Son saying, “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." This time, God is speaking to the disciples, “This is my beloved Son, listen to Him!”  What a command!  9:18-19: In the next story, we learn the disciples are unable to heal the boy with the unclean spirit.  Jesus’ words suggest that this is due to their lack of faith.  They weren’t prayerful! They were relying on their own power and strength rather than the Lord’s. (Convicting!) 9:22-24: In contrast, the boy’s father knows that Jesus is his only hope.  He knows faith comes only from the Lord, that only Jesus can create faith in his doubting heart. And he called out that doubt, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!” And what’s ironic, is that this confession of unbelief is actually an example of belief… belief in prayer, faith in Jesus. We would do well do model this prayer! Attached is the painting I shared by Raphael, called Transfiguration. It ties all of these stories together so well, showing the great contrast between the holiness of the Lord and the brokenness of the world. His power and sovereignty. Our powerlessness and desperate need for Him. Reflection: In what ways have you seen the glory of God manifested in your daily life?  Reflection: In what ways have you experienced the Lord helping with your unbelief?

Week Twelve

November 17, 2022 • Jaime Carnaggio • Mark 8:11–30

In response to the Pharisees need for another sign, Jesus sighs with deep emotion. He’s anguished over their blindness and persistent rejection. They claim they need one more sign, but they are “testing” Jesus, seeking to discredit him before the people. They were stuck in unbelief, determined to see him only the way THEY wanted to see him. Jesus doesn’t fit their idea of what the Promised Messiah would be. And because there was no faith present, no more signs would be given.    The leaven of unbelief has overcome the hearts of the Pharisees, and so Jesus is warning his disciples not to let their unbelief blur their vision and steer them away from the truth. This is a relevant warning for us today. The enemy is most certainly trying to blind us and make us deaf to the truth. We need to stand guard and make sure he doesn’t stir up unbelief in our hearts.    The questions Jesus asks aren’t intended to shame them, but to instruct them, to open their eyes and keep them fixed on him and who he is. They are questions rooted in compassion and a deep desire for the disciples to understand that he’s capable of supplying their every need. And he anticipates that, in time, by the grace of God, they WOULD understand. He has hope for them, that they will start to see him clearly, and they need to start understanding SOON. The hostility is growing, and soon they’ll be making their way to Jerusalem where Jesus will face the cross. The disciples have to see Jesus as Son of God, not just a great prophet or their beloved Rabbi.   How do we identify with the disciples? We have many examples of the Lord’s powerful work in our lives, and yet, when the next hard thing comes along, we panic, we look inward, “This is hopeless, I only have one loaf of bread! What am I going to do?” We, like the disciples, don’t see him clearly. But the good news is . . . Jesus isn’t satisfied with our blurred vision. He continuously pursues our hearts, he seeks to open our eyes to the truth, revealing more and more of himself to us, helping us to see him for who he truly is.   Jesus was giving physical sight to the blind man, but more importantly, he was giving spiritual sight to the disciples.  They haven’t been seeing Jesus clearly, seeing some of him but not all of him. Jesus knows what other people are saying about him. He doesn’t need the disciples to tell him, but he wants them to contrast what others believe with what they believe.    Peter proclaims, “You are the Christ.” Does he understand what that means? Does he understand all that entails and requires. Not yet, but still, this is indeed a turning point in Mark’s gospel. The disciples are starting to see Jesus; their vision of him is getting clearer!   May we SEE JESUS for who he truly is . . . for what he truly came for . . . for how he truly loves us. 

Week Eleven

November 10, 2022 • Jaime Carnaggio • Mark 7:24—8:10

 Jesus was seeking rest, but “He could not be hidden.” Even in the darkest places of the world, Jesus is there.  A time is coming when the Gentiles will be fed the gospel, but Jesus came first for the Jews (Romans 1: 16). Jesus’ ministry had an order to it. He would FIRST address the remnant of Israel. He needed them to understand that HE is the fulfillment of all that God promised, the Son of God, the Messiah. And THEN the Gentiles would be grafted in.    Jesus was modeling this order in front of his disciples, setting the stage for their future work, which we see play out in the book of Acts. The gospel was spread all throughout Jerusalem first and to the Jewish areas and regions in and around it. Almost like giving the gospel ROOTS, a firm foundation in the very place it started, SO THAT eventually it could and would spread outside of Israel, into the Gentile regions, and ultimately “to the ends of the earth.”  The Syrophoenician (Gentile) woman approached Jesus with humility and reverence (She calls him “Lord!”). She understood who he was and the lesson he was teaching, and she wasn’t offended. She took this analogy a step further, using it to continue her plea. She exhibits such faith, that even a crumb of Jesus’ glory and divinity could heal her daughter. How much does her response stand in contrast to the Pharisees!   This story reminds us of our place before God. We don’t deserve a place at (or under!) the table. Jason Meyer says, “every crumb that [God] bestows on me is given to an unworthy servant . . . ” And yet, God gives us much more than mere crumbs. He showers us with mercy and lavishes us with grace. Jesus seeks us sinners and lost souls, lifts us up from under the table, grafts us into his family and invites up to pull up a chair at his banquet table. Jesus interacts with the deaf and mute man in a way he could understand, using actions and touch (like sign language) to explain to him what he was doing, breaking all cultural and ritual traditions to do so. He puts his fingers in his ears to say, “I’m going to remove the blockage from your ears so you can hear.” He spit on his hand and then touched his tongue to say, “I’m going to remove the blockage from your tongue so you can speak.” He looked up to heaven to say, “God alone is responsible for this healing. It’s a miraculous gift from him.”    Jesus sees much more than a deaf and mute man needing physical healing. He sees a heart in need of love and compassion. He identifies with this man’s pain; all the sorrow and struggle that comes from a life of not being able to hear or speak. He enters into that pain and, in his Father’s divine power, heals him. Like a prisoner bound in chains, Jesus broken the bonds of his captivity and set him free.    The feeding of the 4,000 took place in Decapolis, a Gentile region. The feeding of the 5,000 took place in a Jewish region. Both crowds were met with his compassion, both crowds were given the same blessings. The same love and care he shows the Jews, he shows the Gentiles. He makes no distinction.   We are a forgetful people. We need reminders all the time. We need daily reminders of our need for repentance, our need for a Savior, and of his love for us, the amazing grace and mercy he pours out on us. The disciples needed those reminders too. They, too, were forgetful. Jesus had to teach them the same lessons over and over again.    God created a world with no deafness, no muteness, no blindness, no sickness. He created a perfect world, and then sin entered in, changing everything. Isaiah 35 gives us a promise of coming glory, in the midst of destruction; a promised Messiah that would give sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf, loosening the tongues of the mute. And now, as we come to the gospel of Mark, Jesus (the Creator himself) has come to undo the effects of the Fall, to make all things new. He does all things well. He's never lost a battle, and he never will.

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