April 9, 2017
Evening Service

This morning we experienced the joy of the triumphal entry as Jesus entered Jerusalem to praise and worship.  We then saw Him display righteous anger as He cleansed the temple from those who were taking advantage of the true worshipers.  Jesus continued to teach and there were many who found themselves in wonder at how He spoke with love and authority. The Jewish leaders, however, continued to search for their moment to strike and kill Jesus as their hate for Him grew quickly.  Tonight we will quickly look at some of the things He taught those who were ready to hear.

He begins by talking about faith and prayer after the disciples were amazed by the fig tree that Jesus cursed the day before was dried up.

Mark 11:22-26  And answering Jesus said to them, Have faith in God.  (23)  For truly I say to you that whoever shall say to this mountain, “Be moved and be cast into the sea,” and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he said shall occur, he shall have whatever he said.  (24)  Therefore I say to you, All things, whatever you ask, praying, believe that you shall receive them, and it will be to you.  (25)  And when you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive it so that also your Father in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses.  (26)  But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in Heaven forgive your trespasses.

·         Faith comes from reading God’s Word (Rom. 10:17).  It is vital that we have faith because without it we cannot please God (Heb. 11:6).

·         Faith is followed up by praying and believing together that what you ask will be granted.  Always remember to place in your prayer “If it be Your will.” 

·         Our prayers are also hindered by a lack of forgiveness in our hearts.  We must offer forgiveness and clear our hearts of any sin before we can pray with confidence.

 

He then speaks in a parable to them about the vineyard owner. 

 

Mark 12:1-11  And He began to speak to them by parables. A man planted a vineyard, and set a fence about it, and dug a wine-vat, and built a tower, and he let it out to vinedressers, and went away.  (2)  And at the season he sent a servant to the vinedressers, so that he might receive from the vinedressers the fruit of the vineyard.  (3)  And taking him, they beat him and sent him away empty.  (4)  And again he sent to them another servant. And stoning that one, they struck him in the head, and sent him away, insulting him.  (5)  And again he sent another. And they killed him, and many others, beating some and killing some.  (6)  Therefore, still having one son, his own beloved, he also sent him to them last of all, saying, “They will respect my son.”  (7)  But those vinedressers said among themselves, “This is the heir! Come, let us kill him and the inheritance shall be ours.”  (8)  And they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.  (9)  Therefore what will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers and will give the vineyard to others.  (10)  And have you not read this scripture "The Stone which the builders rejected has become the Head of the corner:  (11) this was from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes"?

·         This was a prophecy aimed at the Jewish leaders as they had persecuted and killed the prophets that were sent to turn them towards God.  This prophecy is completed as later this week they have Jesus crucified.

·         This triggered the Pharisees and Sadducees to begin to question Jesus trying to trap Him in His words.  They questioned Him on taxes, the resurrection and finally a good question on “What is the greatest commandment?”

 Mark 12:29-31  And Jesus answered him, The greatest of all the commandments is, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord;  (30)  and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." This is the first commandment.  (31)  And the second is like this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

·         This truth is so clear that the scribes who asked Him had to agree with him.

·         Jesus told the disciples earlier that “if you love Me keep my commandments.”  Are we showing Christ our love for Him with the lives we live?

 

Jesus then questioned the religious leaders and later condemned them for their hypocritical ways and teachings.

 

 The disciples then began to question Jesus on when His prophecies of the end times would come to pass and what the signs of them coming were.

 

Mark 13:5-23  And Jesus answering them began to say, Beware that no one deceive you.  (6)  For many shall come in My name, saying, I AM, and shall deceive many.  (7)  And when you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled. For it must happen, but the end shall not be yet.  (8)  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there shall be earthquakes in different places, and there shall be famines and troubles. These things are the beginnings of sorrows.  (9)  But take heed to yourselves. For they shall deliver you up to sanhedrins, and in the synagogues you shall be beaten. And you shall be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them.  (10)  And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.  (11)  But whenever they lead you away and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what you should speak or think. But speak whatever shall be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speaks, but the Holy Spirit.  (12)  And a brother will betray a brother to death, and a father his son. And children will rise up against their parents and will cause them to be put to death.  (13)  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake, but he enduring to the end, that one will be kept safe.  (14)  But when you see the abomination of desolation, that spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not (let him who reads understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  (15)  And let him who is on the housetop not go down into the house, nor enter to take anything out of his house.  (16)  And let him who is in the field not turn back again in order to take up his garment.  (17)  But woe to those with babe in womb, and to those who give suck in those days!  (18)  And pray that your flight is not in the winter.  (19)  For in those days shall be affliction, such as has not been from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, and never shall be.  (20)  And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect's sake, whom He has chosen, He has shortened the days.  (21)  And then if anyone shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ! Or, lo, there! Do not believe him.  (22)  For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will give miraculous signs and wonders in order to seduce, if possible, even the elect.  (23)  But take heed; behold, I have told you all things beforehand. 

 

 These should all sound familiar as we have been looking at this time of tribulation in our study of the Book of Revelations.  He then presents the hope that we all cling to.

 

Mark 13:24-27  But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,  (25)  and the stars of Heaven shall fall, and the powers in the heavens shall be shaken.  (26)  And then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.  (27)  And then He shall send His angels and shall gather His elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of heaven.

·         He again promises that He will return, just as He had promised them in John 14.

 

John 14:1-3  Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me.  (2)  In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  (3)  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, so that where I am, you may be also. 

·         Just as the Book of Revelations reveals to us, in the end Jesus will return and call us to be with Him for eternity!

·         He then leaves a strong command for them and us as we anticipate His coming.

 

Mark 13:32-37 But of that day and hour no one knows, no, not the angels in Heaven, nor the Son, but the Father.  (33)  Take heed, watch and pray, for you do not know when the time is.  (34)  As a man going away, leaving his house, and giving authority to his servants, and each man's work to him, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.  (35)  Then you watch, for you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, at evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrowing, or early; (36)  lest he come suddenly and find you sleeping.  (37)  And what I say to you, I say to all. Watch.

 

This now brings us up to Wednesday of the Passion Week.  I encourage you to reread what we quickly looked at tonight.  Wednesday night we will begin there and end with Jesus entering His grave on Friday night.

 

Lord help us to grasp the true meaning of this week and use it to draw closer to You.