Scripture
Suddenly Jesus’ words floated through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me. And he broke down and wept.

Observation,
While Jesus is being interrogated by the religious leaders, Peter is in the High Priest’s courtyard.

One of the High Priest’s servant girls recognises Peter and says, “You are one of Jesus’ followers.” Peter denies this. The same girl then tells other people that Peter is one of Jesus’ followers. But Peter again denies it.

Some of the other bystanders later recognise Peter’s accent as Galilean, and they accuse him of being a disciple of Jesus. For the third time Peter denies it.

Then Peter remembers Jesus’ prophecy and he weeps.

Application
It is easy for us to pass judgement on Peter for this moment of weakness. But how can we be sure we would do anything different?

This is not the last word on Peter’s faithfulness to Jesus.

A few days later, Jesus will forgive Peter and restore him to the fellowship.

And in a few weeks, on the Day of Pentecost, Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, will make a bold proclamation of the gospel, leading to 3,000 people being saved in one day.

Failure and sin are not the last word. We commit ourselves to the Lord, and everything changes.

Peter the denier becomes Peter the bold preacher and, eventually, Peter the martyr.

Listen
Lord, what would you say to me today regarding Peter?

Keith, Peter is a great disciple. He made mistakes, but he learned and he grew in knowledge of me and in wisdom. That is why he was recognised as one of the early leaders in the church.

Be like Peter. Be filled over and over with the Holy Spirit. Let me direct your paths and trust me always.

Scripture
Then Jesus said, “I am. You will see the Son of man seated at the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Observation
Jesus is taken to the home of the high priest, where all the priests, elders and teachers have gathered. Peter follows at a distance and enters the high priest’s courtyard,

The Jewish leaders are trying to find something to condemn Jesus for. They arrange false witnesses, but they contradict one another. Finally, they have some men come to say that Jesus said he would destroy the temple and three days later make another one not made by human hands. But even these could not agree.

Finally, they ask Jesus to defend himself. He tells them that he is the Messiah and they will see him seated at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.

The high priest says that they need no other witnesses. The Council determines that Jesus is guilty of blasphemy and must die.

Application
Jesus, in the middle of his trial, speaks succinctly about his identity,

The phrase ‘I am’ is in Greek, the translation of the Hebrew name for the Lord, that is Yahweh. He is declaring that he is God.

The Son of Man is a title for the Messiah.

He will sit at God’s right hand is a declaration that he is the King of Kings, the one who wields God’s authority in the world. This took place when Jesus rose from the dead and then ascended to heaven.

Jesus said he would come on the clouds of heaven. Some people say this is about the end times, but Jesus said those present would see it. “Coming on the clouds of heaven” is a term for divine judgment. This judgment happened when the Romans destroyed the city of Jerusalem, including the temple in AD 70.

The Jewish leaders rejected the Messiah they had been waiting for, and said God rejected them.

Listen
Lord, what do you want to say to me about this passage?

Keith, people do not like to think about my judgment of them. They treat me as some insignificant benevolent being. My love for them is real, but so too is my revulsion of sin. Every sin must be atoned for, either by the blood of Christ or the blood of the sinner.

These men knew this. They knew that Messiah would come and replace law with love, commands with grace, duty with joyous submission. They knew this. They knew the Scriptures, but they pursued narrow self-interest instead of pursuing Me. They rejected my Kingdom for the sake of man’s empire.

Scripture

‘Why didn’t you arrest me in the temple? I was there among you teaching every day. But these things are happening to fulfill what the Scriptures say about me.”

Observation

Judas arrives in the garden of Gethsemane with a crowd of armed men. Judas had arranged to identify Jesus by greeting Him with a kiss. Judas goes to Jesus as arranged and the others grab Jesus to arrest Him.

Jesus asks him, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary that you come to arrest me like this?” Nevertheless, these things are necessary to fulfill the scripture”

Then all the disciples run away in panic. One of them, believed to be Mark, loses his robe in the chaos and runs away naked.

Application

Jesus challenges His captors by saying they could have arrested Him at any time, but they chose to come under cover of darkness, and in doing so, they fulfilled the scriptural prophecies.

Jesus was not just an innocent man who fell foul of the religious authorities. No, He was the promised Messiah, the Son of God, the presence of God in human form.

Jesus came into the world to die for sinful people. He paid the price so that we don’t have to.

The whole process of the arrest, the show trials, the suffering and crucifixion was all planned by God from the beginning. He is the Lamb of God who was slain from the foundation of the world.

Because God paid such a big price for the salvation of all people, then we can understand that He loves each one of us, with a love that is too big to really comprehend. All we can do is say, “Thank you, Lord.”

Listen

Lord, what do you want to say about to me about this passage?

Keith, this scripture is a reminder that even when I appear to be weak, I am still stronger than all of the plans of men. They could have come in the daytime, but they were scared of people. So like the sons of darkness that they are, they came at night.

Even outnumbered, I was stronger than all of them, because I am the Creator God. I chose to go to the cross willingly, not by being forced. It was always my plan.

I laid down my life. It was not taken from me. I laid it down so that all people from all nations and all times can understand that this is my love for them.

Scripture
He told them, “My soul is crushed with great grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Observation
On their way to the Mount of Olives, Jesus tells the disciples that they will all desert him. After he is raised from the dead, they will meet again in Galilee. Peter boldly claims that even if the rest desert him, he will not. But Jesus says that very night, Peter will deny three times that he knows Jesus.

At Gethsemane, Jesus takes Peter, James and John with him to pray. Jesus tells them his soul is crushed with grief. He asks them to pray for him and he goes on a little further.

Jesus prays, asking the Father to take his time of suffering away. “Yet not my will but yours be done.” He goes back to the three and finds them asleep.

After the third time of this happening, the betrayer comes.

Application
This scene in the Garden of Gethsemane is a powerful spiritual battle. Jesus is under the most severe testing of his life. The awful fate about to befall him weighs heavily on his soul. We can be sure that satan will be there, whispering in his head that he doesn’t need to be obedient to God, that he can go his own way.

I think it was likely the disciples were under attack also. Their tiredness seems to be unnatural. There have been times when I have been called to pray, and almost immediately I come under a heavy weariness that I have to push through to get to prayer.

At this point of intensive grief and foreboding, Jesus goes into deep prayer. He draws on the strength of the Father to face up to what is coming.

Listen
Lord, is there a lesson for me in this account of your struggle?

Keith, it is your communion with me that is your greatest strength. When you cast yourself on me and surrender all of your plans and ambitions, all of your fights and self-justifications, that is when you are strongest because that is when you are trusting me.

There are times when you allow the enemy to Overwhelm you with fatigue, sinful desires or interruptions. Keep pressing in, even when it seems impossible.

I am the Lord your strength and protector.

Scripture
So Jesus sent two of His disciples into Jerusalem with these instructions: “As you go into the city, a man carrying a picture of water will meet you. Follow Him.”

Observation
Judas goes to the leading priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them. They promised to give him money and so he starts looking for an opportunity to betray Jesus.

The next day, the disciples ask Jesus where they will be going to celebrate the Passover. He sends two of them into the city with instructions to follow a man carrying a pitcher of water. There they are to ask the owner of the house if they can use a guest room. They then stay and prepare the Passover meal.

In the evening, Jesus and the twelve disciples eat the Passover. Jesus says that one of them will betray him and how terrible it will be for him.

He takes some bread, blesses it and says, “This is my body.” He takes some wine and says, “This is my blood of the new covenant.”

They sing a hymn and go to the Mount of Olives.

Application
Some people explain the preparations of the Passover feast as being all preplanned by Jesus. Jesus had already hired the rooms, they say, and when the disciples went there it was to confirm what had already been planned.

Some people see a more Spirit-led process. Jesus knew what would happen when they went to the right place. A man who was sympathetic to the ministry of Jesus would, on the spur of the moment, let them use the room,

But here is the kicker. Jesus could not have planned for the right man to be passing at the exact moment the disciples entered the city. There is an element of a word of knowledge at work here. Jesus may have had an exact address for the room, but he sees beforehand that things will work out in a particular way.

We can also expect the Holy Spirit to direct us in this kind of way. We need to be open to the directions, nudges and thoughts that come from God’s Spirit dwelling in us.

Listen
Lord, I must confess I have never noticed this verse before. It seems to validate the spiritual gift known as the word of knowledge,

Keith, if you look at the gospels and study the book of Acts, you will find all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit constantly at work.

The Holy Spirit is the sign of my kingdom. When you allow me to work in you, that is the kingdom of heaven being manifested on the earth.

Scripture

While he was eating, a woman came in with a beautiful alabaster jar of expensive perfume made of essence of nard. She broke open the jar and poured the perfume over his head.

Observation

Two days before Passover, the priests and teachers of the law are looking for an opportunity to kill Jesus.

Jesus is in Bethany eating at the home of Simon, a former leper, A woman enters the house carrying an alabaster jar containing expensive perfume. She breaks open the jar and pause the perfume over Jesus’s head.

Some of those present are indignant at what they consider to be a waste. It could have been sold to help the poor, they argue.

Jesus tells them to leave the woman alone. She has done a good thing by anointing his body for burial ahead of time.

He says that wherever the gospel is preached, this woman will be remembered.

Application

The adoration of this unnamed woman for Jesus Is priceless. She loved him so much she was willing to pour out expensive perfume – priced at the equivalent of a year’s wages – to express her love for Jesus.

Perhaps she was close to the rumours about the plots to kill Jesus, and wanted to pour love on him before it was too late.

Here, as always, there are those who are mean-minded and cold-hearted. They scolded the woman for such extravagant behaviour. She could have been feeding the poor instead of wasting resources on Jesus.

We don’t know that the woman wasn’t helping the poor. Her love for Jesus was extravagantly expressed and freely given, She didn’t have to do this, but she chose to

What extravagance is Jesus calling you to express your love for him?

Listen:

Lord, what do you want to say to me about generosity and love for you?

Keith, you have always given everything for me. You and Margaret have taken seriously the call to follow me at any cost.

You have taken risks with money in order to bless people who did not deserve your grace. In that sense, you have been good role models to others about my grace.

Always remember you have received freely. Also, you must give freely.

Scripture

“I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for him.”

Observation

Many false Messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs to deceive even the elect.

In those days, Jesus says, the moon and sun will be dimmed and stars will fall from the heavens. Everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds in his glory.

When the fig tree starts to bud and grow new leaves, summer is near. In the same way, when these things happen we will know Jesus’s return is close. Nobody knows the day nor the hour when these things will happen, only the Father in heaven.

When a man was going on a long journey, he gave instructions for all of his slaves about the work they should do. We too don’t know when Jesus will return, so we must stay alert

Application

Jesus himself did not know the dates and times of his return.

While most of the specific prophecies in Mark 13 relate to his coming in judgement on Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple in AD 70, it is true that Jesus will return at the end of the age to consummate his kingdom.

The important thing is that we are ready for his return. He tells us to watch. That doesn’t mean that we obsess over signs and seasons, looking for meaning in every event in the Middle East.

No, it means that we work hard to obey his commandments in the expectation that he could return at any time.

If Jesus returns tonight, will he find you living for him and serving him? Are you representing Jesus to your family, your church, your community?

Do you have a firm and steady faith that grows daily? Or are you dithering between faith and unbelief?

We must watch and be ready for him.

Listen

Lord, what do you want to say to me about this passage?

Keith, watching is an active word. It means to look intentionally at something.

I want my people to be watching me, not just for my return but also for daily instructions and directions.

Do not just live Your life on your own terms and according to your own desires, The way to life is to surrender everything to me. Die to your own desires so that you can live in me.

Lord, this passage is hard to understand in some ways. What would you say to me about this?

Keith, this is not an end time prophecy. It is all about AD 70. After the crucifixion and resurrection, the Jews, my people, rejected me as their Messiah, and they continue to do that today.

The tearing of the veil in the temple was the sign they had been waiting for, but religious tradition won the day in their hearts. On that day, you could walk into the Holy Place and see that the dividing wall between man and God had been torn from top to bottom. The Ark of the Covenant, my dwelling place was gone.

The sacrificial system was done away with. I died and paid the price for all sins. No animals need to die anymore.

But they persisted in the old ways. The temple became a source of pride and arrogance, even though I had demonstrated that it is no longer useful.

In 70 AD, I let the Roman army in to destroy Jerusalem and the temple. I warned people to flee from the city, but some would not go. “The Lord will save us,” they said. No, I was the one who brought the disaster on them. I came with fire and brimstone, wrath and judgment.

The physical temple is dead and buried. I have a new temple and a new Jerusalem. My church is my temple. My people are the living stones that make it up.

The new Jerusalem is situated in the hearts of my people. They need no light, no sun or moon because I am their light.

Scripture
Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny portion of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she has to live on.”

Observation
Jesus teaches in the Temple. He asks, why do the religious leaders say the Messiah is the Son of David when, in Psalm 110, David calls him “my Lord?” Jesus is not denying that the Messiah is David’s son. but he is stating that he is more than this.

Jesus also warns the people to be aware of the teachers of the law. They love to have the acclaim of people, but they cheat widows of their property.

At the offering box Jesus observes rich people putting in large quantities of money, and a poor widow who puts in two small coins. He tells the disciples that the rich people gave a small portion of their surplus, but the widow gave all that she had.

Application
We can get excited about a businessman who donates a million dollars to the church, but a person who owns very little and gives all that they have is the one who gives sacrificially.

Greatness in the kingdom of God is not measured by dollars given or even by converts made. It is about being faithful with what God has given us.

If you are a billionaire, it must all be surrendered to God. If you are a pensioner, the money that you have must also be surrendered to God.

Prayer
Lord, I thank you for all that you have given me in this life. I yield it back to you to be used for your purposes. Amen.

Scripture
Realising how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

Observation
Hearing how well Jesus had answered the question from the Sadducees, a teacher of religious law asks Jesus which is the most important commandment.

Jesus replies by saying the most important commandment is to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Jesus adds a second equally important law to love your neighbour as you love yourself.

The leader replies that he understands that loving God and loving your neighbour are more important than all the sacrifices and burnt offerings.

Jesus sees the man’s heart and says that he is not far from the kingdom of God.

Application
Many rabbis tried to condense the entirety of the law to just a few key commandments. Jesus says there are just two – to love God with all your heart and your strength and to love your neighbour as you love yourself.

Faith is not about following rules and regulations, sacrifices and offerings. No, it is about our love for God. If we love God, we must also love people, who carry the image of God.

The teacher of the law saw this. He saw that the law of Moses was meant to show us how the love of God plays out in the life of the nation. Jesus said that because of this, he was not far from the kingdom.

Listen
Lord, what do you want to say to me about this passage?

Keith, it is my love that makes it possible for people to carry out these commandments. When a person receives and knows my love, then they know how to love me back and how to love others.

The reason why some people fall down in this area of love is that they never receive my love in the first place.

Be baptised in my love. Submerge, immerse and absorb my love. Let my love transform your heart and mind.