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I'm excited to begin sharing readings of the Gospel According to Luke. Before commencing I wanted to put together an introduction to this wonderful Gospel. This post accompanies my YouTube Bible Reading of Luke Chapter 1. You can watch it here. Luke the Evangelist I'm sure we all have a favourite Gospel and for many, it's Luke. Luke is a passionate evangelist who wears his love of Christ firmly on his sleeve. He seems more than any other Gospel writer to bring out Christ's compassion and relationship with everyday people. Alongside his inclusiveness he simultaneously writes a comprehensive and detailed account of the Gospel Story worthy to stand alongside any respected historical document from antiquity. Luke is an accomplished and disciplined scholar, a physician which identifies him as a learned man of his time. Scholars have analysed his form of writing to confirm it evidence of Luke's educational background. Despite his credentials, the bulk of his narrative is purposely written uin plain words so that ordinary and uneducated ears will understand. Luke shines a bright light on the grace, mercy, compassion and love that Jesus shared universally to all people. Luke writes so that all people of all nations would hear and know. Luke was not an Apostle of Jesus and so not an eye witness to the events that he shares in his Gospel. He is however a missionary companion to the Apostle Paul and so has access to all those who were eye witnesses. I like to imagine Luke as a roving reporter, notebook in hand and on the trail of the testimonies of faithful key witnesses and he knew how to find them. Alongside his human guides he has the Holy Spirit guiding him. Surely he is guided to just the right place at the right time to hear truthful testimony. He's been given a Holy mission to share with future generations of believers yet to be born. In the first two verses of his gospel, Luke begins by confirming that he is following in the footsteps of others who have shared the story of Christ. He tells us that we have testimony from eye witnesses who were ministers of the Word. They were with Jesus throughout His Holy ministry. He declares his intention to write an ordered account. Alongside the authentic Gospels we read in the Bible, there would also have been a number of false tales circulating at this time. Luke wants to set down the truth and to put these in order paying particular attention to the sequence of events from start to finish. (Luke 1:1-3) Orderly detail, is a key theme of Luke's Gospel, it's a sequential account written of scholarly quality. It contrasts to Matthew, who's primary aim was not precise sequence but to clarify how Jesus fulfilled Jewish prophecy. Matthew's Gospel is directed primarily towards Jewish ears. Marks gospel aims to provide a clear but brief summary. Something easily told and understood by a gentile audience. The theme of the Gospel of John is theological accuracy. You could say, Luke finds a gap in the market. He provides what the other Gospels lack, an eye for the accurate sequence of event of the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus. The same aim is true of his second volume (Acts) where he diligently provides an accurate account of the birth of the church and the early ministry of the Apostles of Jesus Christ. Luke writes in scholarly Greek, marking him out as an educated gentleman. He addresses his Gospel in the established style of the day to a recipient of note, the 'Most Excellent Theophilus'. We can therefore infer that Theophilus, a noble gentleman has commissioned Luke to provide him with a detailed and orderly account of the truth that he has heard. Luke seeks to provide Theophilus with an edifying, full and truthful account. Theophilus is undoubtedly a fellow believer in Christ, indicated by the inclusive use of the term 'among us', refering to believers in the opening verse. Maybe he has been recently baptised into the faith of Jesus. Maybe Luke personally witnessed to him. We don't know, so therefore we can assume it is not really relevant to our understanding. Luke merely gives us the gentleman's name. (Luke 1:1). Theophilus is unknown to history and some have considered may not even have been a particular person. He may have merely been an example of the type of person the narrative is aimed at. If we assume however, as most do, that Theophilus was a living person. We can infer that Theophilus is a man of some notable honour and in that, likely with influence in Rome. We can imagine that Luke may be seeking to influence him regarding the precarious predicament Paul find himself in being accused in Rome of blasphemy. Again, we are not told. What we do know is that Theophilus is an important individual because Luke addresses him, 'most excellent', a term of respect befitting a noble person. (Luke 1:1-3 (KJV) 1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, 2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; 3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, Who was Luke? From New Testament scripture we know that Luke was a gentile, physician, a traveling co-worker and dear friend to the Apostle Paul whom he accompanied on his evangelical missions. We can look to the Book of Acts for clarity here. Luke likely joined Paul at Troas on his second mission (Acts 16:8, Acts Acts 16:10-15) Initially Luke was part of a large group of Paul's co-workers, including Jews and Gentiles. As Paul's mission continues however, support has dwindled probably owing to the growing persecution. We read that Luke becomes a lone companion shorty before Paul is martyred. Another hint that Luke may be writing his account as a defence for Paul but this is only guess work. We are not told. (Colossians 4:10-15, Philemon 23–25, 2 Timothy 4:11) What we can know with certainty, is what scripture confirms to us in 2 Timothy. In the end, Paul is left only with the faithful Luke and is requesting the company of Mark to help him (John Mark, the Gospel writer.) 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. (2 Timothy 4:11) Saint Luke, by James Tissot - Online Collection of the Brooklyn Museum. Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 00.159.207_PS2.jpg. Public Domain. Why doesn't Acts appear after Luke in the Bible Luke wrote both his Gospel and the Book of Acts. Each are dedicated to Theophilus and Acts continues on directly where Luke's Gospel finishes. They are two volumes of the same writing. You may therefore wonder why Acts doesn't sit alongside Luke in the Bible. The reason is simple, the Gospel's are ordered, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in our Bible because that is the order the early church believed them to be written in. There's some scholarly debate, as seems inevitable with 2000 years to ponder but it is reasonable to trust the certainty of the earliest sources. I think it would be pleasant to read Acts after reading Luke however if it's a first time read of the New Testament, I think it may be a mistake to do so. Without reading the Gospel of John you could miss out on vitally important theological clarity that will help you to appreciate Acts. Whilst we each get to the end of either gospel and have the basic account, harmonising the accounts gives the fullest picture and understanding. Luke provides us with a comprehensive historical account, harmonising with John's richly theological account. You'd miss out on the significance of Jewish history, custom and prophecy if you left out Matthew and miss out Mark and you miss an opportunity to recap using a perfectly brief, easy to follow summary. Each Gospel adds something special to aid us in understanding the truth. God is pure perfection and so is it any wonder that the four gospels read together provide a perfect telling of the story? God understands us and provides for us when we seek to understand Him. Published Commentary I've given you a taster introduction to the Gospel of Luke but for a fuller introduction it's worth going to our familiar commentary pages. You'll get information about when he wrote this Gospel, more on who Luke is and on the circumstances surrounding him when he penned his testimony. You'll find endless insights alongside a walk through the verses in Luke's first chapter by following the links below. Enduring Word This commentary begins with a nod to the style of Luke's narrative. I loved the emphasis on the aim to glorify the Word or God rather than Luke's scholarly attributes. The first four verses of Luke’s gospel are one sentence in the original Greek. They are written in refined, academic, classical style. But then, for the rest of the gospel, Luke didn’t use the language of scholars but of the common man, the language of the village and the street. I mentioned the timing of the difference Gospels and scholarly debate. Here we see an indication that the written testimonies may have been written a lot earlier than previously thought. German papyrus expert Carsten Thiede (in December 1994) suggests that we actually possess copies of Matthew that date close to the very time of Jesus. Thiede’s findings are based on a careful analysis of the handwriting script used on the recently discovered fragments. Another snippet of information regarding Luke is that he wrote a significant proportion of the New Testament. Luke wrote more of the New Testament than any other human writer did (assuming that Paul did not author the letter to the Hebrews). Another useful insight is the possibility that Luke's Gospel may have been used to document a defence for Paul at his trial. i. By his title (most excellent), we gather that Theophilus was probably a Roman government official. It is entirely likely that the books of Luke and Acts make up Paul’s defense brief for his trial before Caesar, since Acts leaves Paul waiting for that trial. For a very good verse by verse commentary on this chapter follow the link below: https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/luke-1/ Blue Letter Bible Commentary This commentary suggests that Luke may have been written before Matthew or Mark but there isn't any context given for the statement. It goes on to suggest that Theophilus may not be an actual person. It is not certain who this Theophilus was; the name signifies a friend of God; some think that it does not mean any particular person, but every one that is a lover of God; Dr. Hammond quotes some of the ancients understanding it so: and then it teaches us, that those who are truly lovers of God, will heartily welcome the gospel of Christ, the design and tendency of which are, to bring us to God. As always Henry provides a very comprehensive verse by verse commentary. Here's the link. https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Luk/Luk_001.cfm Bible Ref Commentary You'll find a nice summary level commentary on Chapter 1 of Luke here. At the beginning however we get a nice introduction to the purpose of Luke's writing. Our faith is a blessing from God but it is not blind faith, Jesus lived and still lives and we have a solid traceable history of his life, teachings, death and resurrection. Jesus is fully man and fully God and He walked amongst us in the flesh as a testimony to the Glory of God the Creator, Our Heavenly Father. Luke's gospel opens with a direct counter to claims that Christian belief is based in "blind faith." Before the Gospels were written, men like Paul ( 1 Corinthians 1:1–2 ), Peter ( 1 Peter 1:1–2 ), and James ( James 1:1 ) were circulating letters to fellow believers. Luke is adding his voice to an existing body of proof: the accounts of eyewitnesses and others who had first-hand knowledge of Jesus Christ. For the a good summary of the chapter, here's the link. https://www.bibleref.com/Luke/1/Luke-chapter-1.html Bible Hub Commentary This is a collection of commentaries from a number of commentators and provides a lot of context relating to the original Greek language this gospel was written in. There are a range of views debating which other works Luke is referencing his work to be a response to. Is he referring to Matthew and Mark? Is he referring to other spurious or false accounts in circulation? If you are curious jump in for a read but I was left non the wiser. It's very interesting but ultimately, speculative. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/luke/1-1.htm Further Reading I read through a lot of introductions to Luke's Gospels and there is enough information to write a book or two. If you're curious to find out more here is a sample of the links I gathered. Summary of the Gospel of Luke https://www.gotquestions.org/Gospel-of-Luke.html Biblical Archeological Research on Luke https://biblearchaeology.org/research/new-testament-era/3237-luke-the-physician-with-medicine-for-the-souls Beginner Guide to St . Luke https://overviewbible.com/saint-luke/ Bible Project : Book of Luke https://bibleproject.com/guides/book-of-luke/ Who Wrote the Book of Luke & Acts? https://crossexamined.org/wrote-gospel-luke-acts/

This post accompanies my video reading of Mark 16 on the Circular Grace YouTube channel . Mark 16: Video Reading The Tomb is Empty ! My personal reflection is going to focus on the testimony of the empty tomb. It should come as little surprise that this testimony comes under significant secular attack. To fully and truly believe in Jesus, we have to believe that His body was resurrected. To believe anything else is to believe that Jesus was merely a man and not God. Those who deny that Jesus is fully God and fully man do not possess a saving faith in Jesus Christ. For absolute clarity on this we can look to Romans 10:9 (NIV) 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. It's fairly clear why the evil deceiver would spin a web of lies around the Gospel accounts to try and discredit them. From the very beginning his evil scheme was to temp God's creatures to question God's truth and we know that he succeeded and man fell into sin. Do you remember the words he used when tempting Eve not to believe God's command to not eat of the tree because she would die? (Genesis 3:4 (NIV) “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. I find it interesting that in the beginning it was a woman who was first tempted not to believe and she went on to tempt Adam to sin. Here in the Gospel we see the woman proclaiming Gods truth to the men and they do not initially trust the testimony of the women. The men only believe when God reveals the truth to them personally. Isn't that true for each of us? We don't believe because we are told or when something is explained to us in a convincing way. We believe when God reveals the truth to us personally. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. On some level the confusion that exists in the heart of those who don't believe is understandable. God hasn't revealed the truth to them and so they are blinkered, in the dark and susceptible to evil deception. People who touched Jesus, walked with Him and witnessed His almighty miracles still chose not to believe. They turned away from the truth before their own eyes. They seeing only darkness and tempted by the lusts associated with their sinful lives. It's not surprising therefore that there are people who cling to imagined discrepancies in the Gospel accounts. This has been the case when some secular readers look at the four Gospel accounts. Each a different witness to the empty tomb and the encounters with angels who relay a message about the Risen Jesus. In keeping with the general clipped style of narrative, Mark provides us with a summary telling of the resurrection story in his Gospel. We get the key facts that deliver a full Gospel message but we don't always get rich description and context from John Mark. This is the case with what happens at the tomb. We are simply told about a young man who speaks to the women. 5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. We know from scripture that we may encounter angels without realising because they appear in human forms. Hebrews 13:2 (NIV) 2  Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. There is clearly something remarkable however about this young man clothed in a white robe because he has evoked the fear of God in the women. On this occasion, the angel is not hiding his identity, his power and proximity to God is felt on an emotional level. The angel reassured the woman and delivers a tender message of hope and joy for all mankind. Mark 16:6 (KJV) 6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. In this short clipped verse we are given the testimony of the empty tomb. All four Gospels share the same story. Jesus was crucified, Jesus died, He was placed in a tomb and the tomb was found empty. A messenger from God declares He has risen. All four Gospel's testify to the presence of angels communicating with the women at the tomb. Each Gospel tells the same story but with varying levels of detail and description. As believers the truth of scripture is revealed to us by God. In the same way as our faith is God given. We are called to have faith in the Word of God and our only access to His Word is Holy scripture. Therefore as tempting as it may be to question differing accounts of the same story it is more faithful to understand that each Gospel provides a truthful account from a different perspective. The fact is, the tomb was empty because Jesus was resurrected by God. It was understandably an incredibly emotional, chaotic and confusing time for all present. If you or I had been there and was subsequently asked to write down what we witnessed, I guarantee our accounts would differ. If a third party were to read our accounts alongside each other I'm confident they'd pick up on the fact we each gave different specific details leaving out things the other mentioned. I'm also sure that the basic story we each told would be the same. Let's take a look at what the published commentaries have to say. Enduring Word Commentary This verse by verse commentary will provide a deep understanding of this chapter and its well worth reading. I've chosen this snippet because it really highlights why we should have immense joy in the knowledge that Jesus was resurrected. i. The resurrection means that we have assurance of our own resurrection: For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus ( 1 Thessalonians 4:14 ). There is a good section on what understanding we should take away from our belief in the resurrection. Here's a link to read more https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/mark-16/ Blue Letter Bible I was interested in why the truth was revealed to the women first and this commentary provided some lovely observation that the women became apostles to the apostles in this beautiful and special circumstance when the angel gives them a message from God. He orders them to give speedy notice of this to his disciples. Thus they were made the apostles of the apostles, which was a recompence of their affection and fidelity to him, in attending him on the cross, to the grave, and in the grave. I also liked the explanation given as to why the men didn't believe the testimony of the women. 2. They could not give credit to the report she brought them. They heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her. The story was plausible enough, and yet they believed not. They would not say that she made the story herself, or designed to deceive them; but they fear that she is imposed upon, and that it was but a fancy that she saw him. Had they believed the frequent predictions of it from his own mouth, they would not have been now so incredulous of the report of it. I sometimes complain that these commentaries are a little hard going but on this occasion it seems to be a clear read. Jump in if you would like more context on any of the verses in this chapter. https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Mar/Mar_016.cfm Bible Ref Commentary This is always an easy to read and understand commentary. I loved the straight to the point opening that confirms everything we should take away. Jesus has finished His three years of ministry and training for His disciples. He has faced the cross and taken the sins of the world. Now He has risen, just as He said He would. I really like this commentary generally but did I find a discrepancy? I'd be interested in your thoughts. This is from the concluding paragraph of the commentary. Mark 16:16–20 is not found in the other Gospels, but most the promises are fulfilled in the book of Acts. The disciples do cast out demons (Acts 19:11–12), speak new tongues (Acts 2:1–11), survive serpent bites (Acts 28:1–6), and heal the sick (Acts 3:1–10). The Scriptures have no record of a disciple surviving poison, although extra-biblical accounts do. The use of this passage to encourage handling snakes and drinking poison is tragic, and entirely contrary to orthodox Christian teachings. I recall that Paul was bitten by a viper and thought logically that would have counted as 'taking up serpent's' and surviving the snakes poisonous venom. Mark 26:18 . Here in Acts 28:3 (NIV) Paul takes a viper from the fire. Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. Maybe I've misunderstood. I'll continue to think about it. In the meantime, here's the link to this commentary. https://www.bibleref.com/Mark/16/Mark-chapter-16.html Thank you for reading along. Until next time, have a blessed week with the Lord!

This post accompanies my reading of Mark 1 on the Circular Grace YouTube channel. The Word of God ! As is becoming customary, here you'll find a few links to respected commentary on Mark's Gospel, Chapter One. The stand out for me after spending so many months reading and re-reading Matthew was how concisely it reads. It reminded me of reading through bullet points that had been rendered into chapter and verse. That is a really logical way for John Mark to have tackled the task of writing his Gospel in my opinion. We know he's heard the story, over and over again. As someone who spends a lot of time reading verses and then transcribing those words, I appreciate they become part of you. John Mark, according to church history was responsible for translating what the Apostle Peter said in his sermons. When it was time for him to formally write the Gospel, there must have been a great necessity to get all of the wording down correctly. He would have felt the responsibility to be accurate and word perfect. I can imagine him having a list. That's just my imagination but that's how it felt reading Mark compared to Matthew to me personally. Here are the commentaries I've selected for you. If you have any questions or thoughts, please do share them so that we can learn together. Enduring Word Commentary I enjoyed the first segment of the Enduring Word commentary. Church tradition has attributed each of these faces to the four Gospels. I think this is a wonderful way of comparing the characters of each of the Gospels. Marks Gospel could be described more than the other Gospel's as portraying Jesus as the servant of God. In this sense, Marks Gospel could be characterised by the Ox, a beast of burden or service. Here's a snippet from the commentary: "1. Revelation 4:7 describes the cherubim around God’s throne as beings with four faces: a lion, a calf, a man, and an eagle. By long tradition, the church has attributed one of these “faces” to each of the Gospels, according to the character and message of the particular Gospel" After publishing this article, I spent a little more time pondering this commentary and thought this following snippet really important on how to interpret the word 'believe' when we encounter it in relation to Jesus. What does it mean to believe? i. The ancient Greek word Jesus used for believe (pisteuo) means much more than knowledge or agreement in the mind. It speaks of a relationship of trust and dependence. ii. “There are many people who believe the Gospel, but they do not believe in it. It was an appeal not only to accept it as an intellectually accurate statement; but to rest in it, to repose in it. It was a call to let the heart find ease in it.” (Morgan) What a profound truth and a reminder that belief comes with responsibility. Use the link below to access the commentary. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/mark-1/ Blue Letter Commentary I always enjoy reading these commentaries because they often inspire thought that goes beyond the words and to the heart of the purpose of the words. I loved this explanation of why the Gospel is written: "3. This Jesus is the Son of God. That truth is the foundation on which the gospel is built, and which it is written to demonstrate; for is Jesus be not the Son of God, our faith is vain." I guarantee you'll find something to think about if you read this commentary? Follow the link below https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Mar/Mar_001.cfm Bible Ref Commentary Another 'go to' commentary for me personally. I like that you can re-read the chapter and then click the link to the commentary. It's a really simple and precise summary for a quick understanding. Here's a snippet that jumped out for me because I covered the point in my introductory video to Mark's Gospel. It's helpful to imagine who John Mark was writing to. In doing so, we have a clearer idea of why he focuses on certain aspects of Christ's ministry over others. "Like us, Jesus' first audience focused on what He could do instead of Who He was and why He had come. Where Jesus wanted to use His authority to teach, people instead looked to the signs of His authority—His miracles." Follow the link for the full commentary https://www.bibleref.com/Mark/1/Mark-chapter-1.html Bible Hub Commentary Another favourite to share, these commentaries always provide a wealth of context that not only help illuminate the current chapter but our reading of the New Testament generally. I found their walk through of the word, 'Gospel' really useful and I hope you will too. Here's a snippet: "The various connections in which the word is employed are remarkable and instructive. We can but touch lightly on the more important lessons which they are fitted to teach." Follow the link https://biblehub.com/commentaries/mark/1-1.htm Let me know your thoughts 💬

This post accompanies my reading of Mark 2 on the Circular Grace YouTube channel. Remarkable friends ! A fast moving second chapter that reveals to us that people are flocking to Jesus to be healed. Let's remember, people are flocking because they've heard and believe that Jesus is a miracle worker! They are desperate to get close to him and the revelation of the paralysed man being lifted down through the roof because the house is surrounded and impenetrable because of the crowd is testament to the frenzy. Alongside miraculous healings we witness Jesus challenging the spiritual understanding of Jewish religious leaders. Jesus is calling Sinners to Repent and as we read, has chosen amongst many, the tax collectors and prostitute's. We are familiar with Matthew the tax collector, identified here as Levi. This is the moment Matthew the Apostle becomes a disciple of Jesus Christ. It's important to note he is not alone, his friends, other tax collectors, identified here as publicans are following Jesus too. Tax collectors are considered amongst the lowest of the low in Jewish society at this time. They are considered sinners for betraying their Jewish brethren by working for the Romans to extort taxes, often using ruthless, corrupt tactics. The Pharisees and Scribes are quick to condemn Jesus for consorting with them. Jesus seized the opportunity to reveal that His mission is to save sinners because the righteous, don't need salvation. Don't be tempted to understand that Jesus is saying that there are some people who are righteous amongst the sinners He's here to save. Far from it, not even His disciples are righteous before God. Every single, man, woman and child is justly, unrighteous before God. That is the Gospel message! We need a Saviour and Jesus is Our Saviour. God became flesh, the Son of Man to save us all from His righteous judgement. That judgement being that we have all sinned against God. Later in the Gospel, Jesus will share more on this. If you'd like to chat more about the Gospel message generally, feel free to add a comment here. I'm happy for discussion to be on any aspects of scripture. The chapter ends with a solid declaration by Jesus that He is Lord. Let's take a look at respected commentary for the details. I'll add a few snippets but you'll need to follow the links for a full understanding and clarity on what I've said above. Enduring Word Commentary This is a favourite commentary resource for me and I generally start here for the full overview they provide. I liked the explanation and clarity they offered on the extraordinary efforts of the brothers to get through the roof of the house, so Jesus could heal their paralyzed friend. Here's the snippet: ii. Morgan on they uncovered the roof: “Such a rendering is entirely misleading. The force of the word is that they broke up the roof of the house, tearing up the fabric, in order to lower the man down on his pallet into the presence of Jesus.” Later on in the commentary, there is a nice discussion on the significance of Jesus forgiving sin when He heals. This chapter is rich in revelation that Jesus is the Messiah, God in the flesh. Here's a snippet: c. Who can forgive sins but God alone? The scribes used the right kind of logic. They correctly believed that only God could forgive sins, and they are even correct for examining this new teacher. Their error was in refusing to see who Jesus is: God the Son, who has the authority to forgive sins. For the complete commentary, follow the link: https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/mark-2/ Blue Letter Commentary Another commentary resource I tend to go to because it carries a wealth of historical context. On this occasion, I found the history of the relationship between the Jews and the tax collectors very useful. It explains why the Pharisees were so repulsed by Jesus consorting with publicans. Here's the snippet: (2.) Because the Jews had a particular antipathy to them and their office, as an affront to the liberty of their nation and a badge of their slavery, and therefore put them into an ill name, and thought it scandalous to be seen in their company. Such as these our blessed Lord was pleased to converse with, when he appeared in the likeness of sinful flesh. For a wealth of information, follow the link: https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Mar/Mar_002.cfm Christianity . Com Commentary This commentary has a really nice explanation of the nature of the Sabbath. Here's the snippet: The sabbath is a sacred and Divine institution; a privilege and benefit, not a task and drudgery. God never designed it to be a burden to us, therefore we must not make it so to ourselves. The sabbath was instituted for the good of mankind, as living in society, having many wants and troubles, preparing for a state of happiness or misery. Man was not made for the sabbath, as if his keeping it could be of service to God, nor was he commanded to keep it outward observances to his real hurt. Every observance respecting it, is to be interpreted by the rule of mercy. At Christian.Com they focus on what to take away in terms of spiritual growth. It's the kind of commentary that helps us translate the Word of God into behaviour we should adopt. Basically showing us how we can be more Christlike. Or put another way, how to pick up our cross and walk with Christ. For a full read, follow the link: https://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary/matthew-henry-concise/mark/2 I hope you enjoy the commentaries! Any questions, comments or thoughts to add to our understanding, please share 🙂

Jesus is the Eternal Light ! Jesus is the manifestation of the Glory of God. Let's consider the light God created on the very first day of creation. The light shone upon a newly created world but was not the sun and that's impossible to comprehend. The almighty power and eternal, boundless nature of a triune God is beyond what we can truly understand. Once there was only God stretching beyond measure and without bounds. Then God created and time began. Man is created in God's image but in the beginning, God isn't man and that's a mystery. It's not until God becomes flesh that we finally begin to see the full awe inspiring truth of God's Almighty and Merciful nature. Jesus reveals God to us! Jesus comes to us and we can see, hear and touch the Glory of God in the material world. What seems incomprehensible comes to life in a way we can finally experience. It fills my heart with joy as I contemplate Jesus as the light of life with no darkness in Him. Jesus is what separates you and I from the darkness of the world. I imagine the dark 'void' that was first created by God. I turn to the dark void that was my life before I knew Jesus. It was life but not life as I would recognise as such now. Most of my adult life has been blinkered, living but not knowing or understanding the meaning of life. The sun illuminated my surroundings but it didn't shine a light on the truth. I still shake my head in wonder that a wretch like me was granted the blessing of truth and light by such an Almighty and Merciful God. I'll leave you with a few verses that teach us about the great light that shines on the earth. 1 John 1:6:7 (ESV) If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. John 12:35-36 (ESV) So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. Isaiah 601-3 (ESV) Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. 1 John 1:1-10 (ESV) That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ...

Video Reading Mark 3 This post accompanies my reading of Mark 3 on the Circular Grace YouTube channel. Jesus heals a withered hand! Chapter Three continues seamlessly from the previous chapter where Jesus has corrected the Pharisees about the purpose of the Sabbath day. Jesus reveals to the scrutinising religious leaders who are accusing Him of blaspheme that He is Lord of the Sabbath. In Chapter Three, Jesus follows His declaration of deity with evidence in the form of a miracle before their very eyes. He heals a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees despite having witnessed the miracle first hand, reject Jesus and team up with their enemies to plot to destroy Jesus. Let's jump into a few respected commentary for further clarity on this chapter. Bible Hub Commentary It is not clear if the end of chapter 2 and the beginning of chapter 1 are a record of what happened on a single day or whether Chapter 2 is the record of what happens on the following Sabbath day. This commentary indicates it is likely the latter. Further clarity about the nature of the accused blaspheme is clarified, drawing our attention to the fact, that the initial accusations are pointed at the actions of the disciples rather than Jesus. Verse 2. - The scribes had already the evidence that our Lord had permitted his disciples to rub the ears of corn on the sabbath day. But this was the act of the disciple, not his. What he was now preparing to do was an act of miraculous power. And here the ease was stronger, because work, which was prohibited under pain of death by the Law ( Exodus 31:14 ), was understood to include every act not absolutely necessary. There is a richness of clarity contained in this commentary and I really recommend a browse. Before moving to our next commentary, I'll leave you with this snippet that focuses on Jesus' reaction to the Scribes and Pharisees: Verse 5. - When he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved συλλυπούμενος) - the word has a touch of "condolence" in it - at the hardening of their heart. All this is very characteristic of St. Mark, who is careful to notice the visible expression of our Lord's feelings in his looks. The account is evidently from an eye-witness, or from one who had it from an eye-witness. He looked round about on them with anger. For more follow the link. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/pulpit/mark/3.htm Blue Letter Bible Commentary Rich in both clarity and message, this commentary is well worth a little time to read. I've selected another snippet relating to the miracle healing. This commentary points out how very callous the judgement of the Pharisees is. Jesus asks the man with the withered hand to show himself so that his immense suffering can be witnessed by all present. This man was severely handicapped and his life very difficult as a result. 5. The enemies of Christ dealt very barbarously with him. Such a work of mercy should have engaged their love to him, and such a work of wonder their faith in him. But, instead of that, the Pharisees, who pretended to be oracles in the church, and the Herodians, who pretended to be the supporters of the state, though of opposite interests one to another, took counsel together against him, how they might destroy him. Note, They that suffer for doing good, do but suffer as their Master did. Also to be found in this commentary is some good information about the 12 Apostle's Jesus calls. Jesus had many, many disciples but only called 12 and this mirrors the 12 tribes of Israel. Jesus ordains the 12 and grants them powers to heal the sick and preach the Gospel. 6. Their number and names; He ordained twelve, according to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel. They are here named not just in the same order as they were in Matthew, nor by couples, as they were there; but as there, so here, Peter is put first and Judas last. Here Matthew is put before Thomas, probably being called in that order; but in that catalogue which Matthew himself drew up, he puts himself after Thomas; so far was he from insisting upon the precedency of his consecration. But that which Mark only takes notice of in this list of the apostles, is, that Christ called James and John Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder; perhaps they were remarkable for a loud commanding voice, they were thundering preachers; or, rather, it denotes the zeal and fervency of their spirits, which would make them active for God above their brethren. These two (saith Dr. Hammond) were to be special eminent ministers of the gospel, which is called a voice shaking the earth, Heb. 12:26. Yet John, one of those sons of thunder, was full of love and tenderness, as appears by his epistles, and was the beloved disciple. For the full commentary, follow the link. https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Mar/Mar_003.cfm Enduring Word Commentary One of my favourite commentary sites because of the in-depth explanation provided. This commentary provides additional thought on those who reject Jesus. I liked the comparison to how many of us too may experience the rejection of our faith by those we are close to. i. Jesus constantly faced the rejection of the religious and political leaders of the day, and in a way their hatred of Jesus made sense – He actually threatened their status quo. Undoubtedly, it was far more painful and challenging for Jesus to deal with the way His own people rejected Him. It isn’t easy to be profoundly misunderstood as you try to walk with God. “When the Lord said ‘a man’s enemies will be those in his own home’ (see Matthew 10:36 ), He may well have been speaking from bitter experience.” (Cole) There are different kinds of rejection and this commentary highlights that the Pharisees are not motivated by disbelief or a lack of faith. They are motivated by self preservation. Jesus is going to change everything including their lucrative positions of authority. If they accept Jesus as Lord, they must also obey His command and give up everything they love about their worldly position. i. His own people misunderstood Jesus, but the scribes who came down from Jerusalem viciously and cynically attacked Jesus. Because of their official position, this was the first step in the plot to destroy Jesus referred to in Mark 3:6 . Before they could destroy Him, they had to first discredit Jesus in the eyes of the multitude. I'll leave you with some important clarity on the 'unforgivable sin', blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Like me you may have worried about committing this terrible sin and never being forgiven. Rest easy, as a Saved believer you have not committed this sin. Your faith has healed you of the temptation, you can't commit this sin. Read the explanation: iii. The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven – not because it is a sin “too big” for God to forgive, but because it is an attitude of heart that cares nothing for God’s forgiveness. It never has forgiveness because it never wants forgiveness God’s way. For the full commentary: https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/mark-3/ I hope you have found something that has deepened your understanding of the Gospel message in these commentaries. If you have any questions, thoughts or comments, share them. You'll see the comment button below the post.

Mark 4 Reading & Reflections This post accompanies my reading of Mark 4 on the Circular Grace YouTube channel. The Parable of the Sower Let's jump into the Gospel According to Mark, Chapter 4! Wow, this Gospel moves at some pace and here Jesus delivers His now well known Parable of the Sower. As an experienced gardener, I really appreciate this parable because I understand how seeds respond to different environments. I enjoy growing chilli peppers from seed and often manipulate the soil to achieve certain growing goals. For example, I have a short growing season, owing to my northern location. I want my chilli plants to bolt towards the light and develop fruit earlier. To achieve this I give them tiny pots with a minimum of soil. Basically, planting them in stony soil. I end up with a miniature plant and left like that it wouldn't produce fruit and would wither and die. To keep it alive, I give it liquid feed and it then produces fruit. In this parable however, the plant that grows from the seed sown in stony ground doesn't receive the nutrients it needs for growth. Genuine faith is a seed sown in fertile soil. It grows because it receives constant blessings of spiritual nourishment. In the video, I shared my personal testimony of how God blesses me through the trials that I face. There's more to take away from this Chapter and I'm going to walk you through some of my favourite respected commentaries to get a better understanding of what Jesus is teaching us. Enduring Word Commentary This commentary gives a nice description of a parable. I liked the way they explain that a parable takes a familiar circumstance and uses that to explain a spiritual reality. b. Then He taught them many things by parables: The word parable comes from the idea of “to set along side.” As Jesus used parables, the idea was to set a spiritual truth along side a daily truth of living. You'll find a very useful walkthrough of the Parable of the Sower in this commentary but I thought, particularly useful was their explanation of the 'mystery of the Kingdom'. The word, 'mystery' may often be taken for granted by those who know the Gospel story but it's worth stopping and considering how we know, what we know and because of who. ii. In the Bible, a mystery isn’t something you can’t figure out. It is something that you would not know unless God revealed it to you. In the Biblical sense of the idea, you may know exactly what a mystery is, yet it is still a mystery because you would not have known unless God revealed it. I found this next point very useful because I have scratched my head over what Jesus was trying to teach about those who don't hear the parable. This helped me to understand that some people would not be curious at all. Some would simply let the words go in one ear and put of the other, without a second thought. i. A parable isn’t exactly an illustration. A good teacher can illustrate by stating a truth and then illustrating the truth through a story or an analogy. But when Jesus used parables, He didn’t start by stating a truth. Instead, the parable was like a doorway. Jesus’ listeners stood at the doorway and heard Him. If they were not interested, they stayed on the outside. But if they were interested, they could walk through the doorway and think about the truth behind the parable and what it meant to their lives. I recommend a good read of the full commentary. There's a nice section on Jesus as the light in the context of the light hidden under a bush. Here's the link: https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/mark-4/ Blue Letter Commentary Another very useful commentary that will provide a good overview of the parables. The first thing that jumped out for me here was the context around how Jesus gave only parables to the multitude whilst giving those He had chosen as disciples, one to one tuition. The disciples are incredibly blessed to receive special treatment and as we understand, this is so they can go on to explain the meaning of the parables to those who are curious enough to find out. They are being trained to serve as Jesus' spokespeople. II. The way of expounding that he used with his disciples; When he was alone by himself, not only the twelve, but others that were about him with the twelve, took the opportunity to ask him the meaning of the parables, v. 10. They found it good to be about Christ; the nearer him the better; good to be with the twelve, to be conversant with those that are intimate with him. And he told them what a distinguishing favour it was to them, that they were made acquainted with the mystery of the kingdom of God, v. 11. The secret of the Lord was with them. Profoundly, when we walk through the doorway of Jesus' parables, we too become His disciples. As born again believers, we are each connected to Jesus through the Holy Spirit. We are indwelled with the Spirit of God. This relationship means that when we seek in faith, we will find in faith. Remember that this chapter is telling a pre-pentecost story. Jesus' disciples are face to face, one to one with Jesus in the flesh. After Pentecost, believers are one to one, face to face with Jesus through the Holy Spirit. There's a lot to take away from this very in-depth commentary. To read it in full, follow the link: https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Mar/Mar_004.cfm Bible Hub Commentary Another full and useful commentary that provides a great deal of clarity on the meanings of the verses. I particularly like the way these commentaries discuss the language used in relation to translation from the original Greek and Hebrew. I've picked out a snippet relating to the seeds sown on thorny ground. It's far better than my attempt to illuminate this but hopefully helps to put my shared thoughts into perspective. Verse 19. - The cares of the world (τοῦ αἰῶνος); literally, of the age ; that is, temporal and secular cares, incident to the age in which our lot is cast, and which are common to all. These, like thorns, distress and trouble, and often wound the soul; while, on the other hand, the care of the soul and the thought of heavenly things compose and establish the mind. If you'd like to read the full commentary, please follow the link: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/pulpit/mark/4.htm I do hope you've found my comment on Commentary useful. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Post a comment below and let's share the Word of God with each other!

Mark 5: Reading & Reflections This post accompanies my video reading of Mark 5 on the Circular Grace YouTube channel. Jesus casts out demons! I loved the richness of detail Mark reveals in this chapter when recounting Jesus' miracles. I have to confess that in reading so far, I've yearned back to my readings of Matthew's Gospel. I found his narrative so beautifully stated. It rolls off the tongue with a rhythm that feels like poetry. In contrast, I've been finding Mark a little clinical to read in comparison, until now! All of a sudden, for me this Gospel has sprung to life with an intimacy that is bringing the characters into sharp focus. In my minds eye, I can see the setting and characters so clearly. Let's jump into the commentaries to see what more can be revealed to us. Enduring Word Commentary This commentary starts with the vividly detailed description of a demon processing a human. Personally, I found it bone chilling when I consider that I wasn't reading a fictional horror thriller. This is a real life, truthful account of the actions of a multitude of demons taking a human being hostage. What a terrifying revelation! Here's what they say: i. Demonic possession is when a demonic spirit resides in a human body, and at times the demon will show its own personality through the personality of the host body. ii. Demonic possession is a reality today, though we must guard against either ignoring demonic activity or over-emphasizing supposed demonic activity. In my post reading reflection on YouTube, I excitedly point towards just how many demons make up a legion. This commentary is a little tap on the head and reminds me that although there are approximately 6,000 soldiers in a legion, that's not necessarily a literal number. Often in scripture a figurative description is given to represent an idea of numbers, in this instance to mean a great many demons. I was intrigued to hear them say that the demons may have been attempting to intimidate Jesus. Fascinating because although they know who He is they are still rebellious. It seems they respond to any direct command He gives but if there is an opportunity left available to them, they delight in that opportunity to do evil. For a fuller explanation and further contextual explanation about this exciting chapter, follow the link: https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/mark-5/ Blue Letter Bible Commentary Another very full commentary that's worth reading for a verse by verse understanding of this chapter. I particularly liked the way they clarified the source of death and disease in the world. I liked the reminder that when God created the earth it was perfect. God created man in His own perfect image. God created Adam and Eve to live eternally by His side. God had a perfect plan but man had opportunity to obey or disobey. Death was the consequence of Adams choice to disobey God's command. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. As we can clearly see in Genesis 2:17 (KJV), God's command included an explicit warning about death. Personally, I consider that we inherited from Adam a body that is dying. We call it aging but really isn't the body merely decaying slowly. Death as concept seems to inevitably create the reality of illness and disease. I'm simply musing over personal thoughts here rather than offering theology, here's what the commentary has to say: Diseases and deaths came into the world by the sin and disobedience of the first Adam; but by the grace of the second Adam both are conquered. Christ, having healed an incurable disease, here goes on to triumph over death, as in the beginning of the chapter he had triumphed over an outrageous devil. I believe this very notion of the nature of death is a fundamental truth that's important to grasp for a full understanding of the Gospel message. We need to understand the connection between Jesus conquering death and our personal story of salvation and subsequently our eternal life with God. I'm often a little sad that some faithful believers don't grasp the significance of current and future. It seems to me that as a consequence, many often miss out on the blessed assurance given to us. Failing to understand, isn't a question of the status of our salvation. Thank the Lord we do not have to sit a theology exam, prior to being saved! I wonder about a question of the confidence a person may lack if they don't understand their salvation. Whilst some may in the end be surprised to find they didn't know Jesus after all. Faithful believers shouldn't live a life of worrying unnecessarily when assurance has been given in scripture. For that reason I found this commentary very useful because it pulls the strands together. This commentary series is a wonderful resource for a better understanding of the Gospel message, generally. Follow the link to read the full commentary. https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Mar/Mar_005.cfm Bible Hub Commentary Always a very informative commentary with some good discussion on translation and comparisons to the other Gospels. I love to read information that provides extra historical context because it's sometimes difficult to imagine a culture 2000 years ago when we live so differently now. This commentary paints us a picture of the nature of the 'tomb' as mentioned in this chapter. It helps us to imagine the circumstances in which this wretched man lived. I can't help but think of his neighbours who resented the loss of a profitable herd of pigs rather than rejoicing at the salvation of a brother. I remember a comment I reviewed on YouTube when I shared this story reading Matthew. The commenter was indignant over the plight of the pigs. Apparently, claiming it an example of inhumanity! Where's your compassion for the man the demons were holding hostage, was the sentiment of my reply. I like pigs, cute little things in my opinion but Jesus came to offer salvation to human beings who believe in Him. The Jews did not have their burial-places in their cities, lest they should be defiled; therefore they buried their dead without the gates in the fields or mountains. Their sepulchres were frequently hewn out of the rock in the sides of the limestone hills, and they were lofty and capacious; so that the living could enter them, as into a vault. Later in the commentary, there is a wonderful explanation of how Jesus performed miracles. It shines a light on the very nature of Christ, both man and God. The source of the miracle is spiritual, it is of Jesus who is God. Jesus is God in the flesh and thus is physically a man with flesh and blood. As such, He could be touched physically. The lady believed Jesus was God and she had faith in His spiritual power. She knew that His spiritual power was beyond His flesh and blood and so knew that she did not have to physically touch the man. She could simply offer him her heart and she had faith in His response. She touched Him with her heart. Verse 31. - St. Luke (Luke 8:45) adds here, "When all denied, Peter said, and they that were with him, Master, the multitudes press thee and crush thee. But Jesus said, Some one did touch me; for I perceived that power had gone forth from me." This incident shows the mysterious connection between the spiritual and the physical. The miraculous virtue or power which went forth from the Saviour was spiritual in its source and in the conditions on which it was imparted, but it was physical in its operation; and that which brought the two together was faith. Multitudes thronged the Saviour, but only one of the crowd touched him. For a full reading, follow the link. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/pulpit/mark/5.htm Lots of my personal musings in this walkthrough. I'm not a theologian, I'm a student and still putting it all together. I'm happy to discuss any point raised. Let's learn together!

This is the literal truth ! Before we jump into the published commentary on the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 6, I'd like to share a general observation. Have you noticed how much clearer the picture becomes when you start to compare the Gospel's? I was thinking about this as I sat editing the video reading. I remembered back in my younger days when I would follow particular music bands. I'd clamour to the shops and buy up a selection of fantastic magazines to essentially read the same story. Each article would cover the latest adventure but maybe they'd feature a different band member or someone on the inside who had something unique to reveal. That's a bit like reading about the life of Jesus from the perspective of the different Gospel authors. I noted here in Mark, that we're given more of a glimpse of the dialogue between Jesus and the disciples when they are faced with a crowd of 5000 hungry men. I've heard people try and pass off this story as something not to be taken literally. Suggesting that the real number would be far less. I noted that Jesus directs the disciples to seat the people in groups of either 100 or 50. 39 And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. 40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. This is notable because it provides us with clarity that the people gathered were hundreds and hundreds and that literally translates to thousands. I remember reading a note by MacArthur on this who makes the point that the text is accounting for the number of 'men' only and that the implication is that if women and children were counted alongside the men, the crowd could have been much larger. Let's jump into the commentaries on this chapter. Enduring Word Commentary At the beginning of this commentary there is a snippet relaying a kind of ancient joke. The fact that Jesus was a carpenter, wasn't considered a selling point. It's highlighting that it wasn't thought acceptable for people to flock to a common labourer for answers to life's biggest questions. i. Throughout the centuries, some people have thought that Jesus’ employment as a carpenter somehow discredited His message. In ancient Rome, there was a terrible persecution under the Emperor Julian. At that time, a philosopher mocked a Christian, asking him “What do you think the carpenter’s son is doing now?” The Christian wisely answered, “He is building a coffin for Julian.” Later in the commentary, they clarity that the term 'carpenter' was used more broadly than it is today. It wasn't limited to an artisan who worked only with wood but also could include builders generally. For example, Jesus could have worked with stone. I didn't know that! Here's the link for a wealth of further information: https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/mark-6/ Blue Letter Commentary A striking element from this chapter is the story of Jesus' own people denying Him. I've heard it said that Jesus couldn't do miracles in Nazareth in a way that implies he did not have the power. I think this is a strange way of reading the situation and was happy to find clarity in this commentary. It wasn't that Jesus was powerless to perform miracles in His hometown, he did in fact perform a few. It was rather that he was denied the opportunity to perform miracles. They didn't believe He could and therefore lacked the necessary faith to ask him. 4. He marvelled because of their unbelief, v. 6 . We never find Christ wondering but at the faith of the Gentiles that were strangers, as the centurion ( Mt. 8:10 ), and the woman of Samaria, and at the unbelief of Jews that were his own countrymen. Note, The unbelief of those that enjoy the means of grace, is a most amazing thing. Take a look at the commentary for a fuller explanation and loads of other useful context and clarity. https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Mar/Mar_006.cfm Bible Hub Commentary I've mentioned how much I value this particular commentary site before. I really like considering the origin Greek and Hebrew text because it can illuminate the meaning. The snippet I've selected provides us with clarity on how the disciples were commanding to equip themselves as they set out to minister on behalf of Jesus. They are asked to go with nothing of value, placing their faith in God to provide for them. I wondered when reading the passage, what exactly a 'scrip' may be. I found the answer here alongside other useful information. Those who had a staff might use it; those who had not one were not to trouble themselves to procure one. The scrip (πήρα) was the wallet for food. They were to take no money in their purse (μὴ εἰς τὴν ζώνην χαλκόν); literally, brass in their girdle. St. Mark, writing for Romans, uses this word for money. St. Luke, writing for Greeks, uses the term (ἀργύριον) "silver." St. Matthew ( Matthew 10:9 ) says, "provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass." This commentary provides a lot of extra historical information that I found fascinating, such as other ancient writers outside of the Bible mentioning John the Baptist. Verse 17. - In prison. Josephus ('Antiq.,' 18:5, 2) informs us that this prison was the fort of Machaerus, on the confines of Galilee and Arabia, and that there John was beheaded. Herod's father had built a magnificent palace within that fort; and so he may have been keeping the anniversary of his birthday there If you find extra context helps you to form a better picture in your head, I fully recommend reading this commentary. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/pulpit/mark/6.htm I'll leave it there for today but please feel free to post a comment and ask questions if there is anything you would like more information on. I don't always know the answer off the top of my head but generally enjoy and have the time to go hunting through respected commentary for answers.

This post accompanies my video reading of Mark 7 published on the Circular Grace YouTube channel. Mark 7, Gospel Reading Have the Jews forgotten who God is? I say it time and time again, what an exciting chapter! Honestly, I truly believe that every chapter is exciting. We are reading about Jesus, what He said and what He did when He walked amongst us in the flesh. It's awesome and wonderful to behold and every word is exciting to me as a believer and follower. Again, I'm thrilled to see Mark really helping us to focus in on the messages. In Matthew we get the very important clarity on how Jesus relates to God's story in the Old Testament. Without Matthew's Gospel, we'd struggle to understand without being very, very familiar with the Old Testament, Jewish custom and history. Mark can dispense with this level of detail Matthew must include and instead, it seems he helps us more with the meaning behind Jesus' words. He spells things out for us. Let's jump into the published commentaries to learn more about the messages gifted to us in this chapter. Enduring Word Commentary If we cast our memories back to previous chapters, we'll remember that the Jewish religious leaders have already decided to reject Jesus and plot to kill him. It seems they have now set out to gather evidence for a trial. a. Having come from Jerusalem : This was another official delegation of religious leaders from Jerusalem , coming to evaluate the ministry of Jesus. We saw a previous delegation in Mark 3:22 , and they pronounced a harsh condemnation against Jesus. This delegation from Jerusalem already made up their mind about Jesus and looked for something to confirm their opinion. This whole chapter seems focused on the difference between what is internal and external to some degree. In the heart compared to not in the heart, from the Will of God or outside the Will of God. It paints a picture of the nature of faith as something internal rather than external. It contrasts the difference between faith and ritual, ceremony or tradition. Faith is something we have in our heart rather than a state of being that we can create by merely doing something special. Maybe simply, we could consider it a discussion around the difference between the Will of God and the will of man. God did Will that people and objects should be cleansed before coming into His presence in the Old Testament book of Exodus. Since then however ceremonial and ritual hand washing has been further elaborated as a tradition. This tradition was thought up and developed by Religious elders. Jesus is pointing out that the tradition has overshadowed and replaced the true meaning of what God intended. My simple example, it's not logical to wash your hands and then do something to make them dirtier than they were before you washed them. It would be hypocritical to to suggest something was a truth when it is clearly not true. ii. “The biblical mandate that the priests had to wash their hands and feet prior to entering the Tabernacle ( Exodus 30:19 ; 40:12 ) provided the foundation for the wide-spread practice of ritual washings in Palestinian and diaspora Judaism.” (Lane) A little context is very helpful in forming a fuller understanding. In Jewish religion at the time and still today, there is written law and alongside this they have oral tradition. Religious leaders had considered the written word and further developed it and come up with a new hand washing ceremony that they determine has superceded Gods written law. This is what Jesus is at great pains to point out. God's Will has taken a back seat to oral tradition. This snippet provides an explanation of the seriousness. Religious leaders have begun to declare that the words of men are higher than Gods Word. ii. “Rabbi Eleazer said, ‘He who expounds the Scriptures in opposition to the tradition has no share in the world to come’… The Mishna , a collection of Jewish traditions in the Talmud , records, ‘It is a greater offense to teach anything contrary to the voice of the Rabbis than to contradict Scripture itself.’” (Wiersbe) I can't recommend this commentary more, it will really help with an understanding of not only this chapter but of the importance of understanding the Will of God as revealed to us in scripture. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/mark-7/ Blue Letter Bible Commentary This commentary also provides much clarity on the discussion above. What jumped out for me is the emphasis on the need for ordinary people to understand. This was why Jesus spoke to us at length. He wanted to correct the false teaching being offered by those claiming to represent God. Jesus wanted us to understand that what was being taught was not the will of God. Jesus came to give us the Will of God. To explain what God wanted from us. To correct the misrepresentation taking place. Note, It is not enough for the common people to hear, but they must understand what they hear. When Christ would run down the tradition of the Pharisees about washing before meat, he strikes at the opinion which was the root of it. Note, Corrupt customs are best cured by rectifying corrupt notions. This commentary provides a great perspective on Jesus' mission. https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Mar/Mar_007.cfm Bible Ref Commentary The story about the Greek lady and Jesus' remarks to her regarding crumbs and dogs is hotly debated. I shared my simplistic reflection of Jesus' conversation and mercy towards the Greek lady. This commentary expands upon my thoughts to provide greater clarify and a fuller understanding. They helpfully link the occasion in with the theme of the whole chapter. We're being offered the opportunity to consider the pitfalls of empty ceremony and ritual at the beginning of the chapter and here we have a working example. Even Jesus' ministry in general is designed to reach the Jews and leave reaching the Gentiles for Paul and early members of the church. The gospel is meant for the Jews first. But when faced with a Gentile woman with a great need, Jesus forgoes tradition and takes the moral act of granting her request. If you have a different interpretation picked up from another reputable source, I'd love to hear it. We often face a choice in terms of interpretation and sometimes, often it can be the same answer differently stated. A little like the difference between how Matthew and Mark explain things. https://www.bibleref.com/Mark/7/Mark-chapter-7.html I'll leave it there for this chapter but hope you were able to learn something new!

Video Reading, Mark Chapter 10 This   Blog   Post   accompanies   my   video   reading   of   Mark   10 published   on   the   Circular   Grace   YouTube   channel . Getting to the Heart of the Matter! There's a lot packed into this chapter and I'll try and draw out as much as I can alongside links to respected commentaries. The chapter begins on the topic of divorce. A subject as controversial in Jesus' day as it often is today amongst Christians. Apparently, different Jewish Rabbis had different opinions on how to interpret the law God had given them through Moses. There's a familiar theme we've seen throughout from the religious leaders of the time, there is a lot of hypocrisy. On this subject, like others it seems to hinge on what they think they can get away with rather than what is righteous before God. The focus is on the letter of the law and not the heart of the matter. Enduring Word Commentary This commentary provides a good overview of the situation during Jesus' time, pointing back to Moses and the Book of Deuteronomy. The key to understanding the exchange in context is to know that divorce was being passed off by some leaders as a religious duty and Jesus was challenging this. i. The rabbis of that day had a saying, “If a man has a bad wife, it is a religious duty to divorce her.” Jesus went against this way of thinking. Personally, I found these verses hard hitting. I have been divorced. It's not something I'm proud of and I repent of my lack of faith, obedience and understanding when I was younger. I didn't understand God's plan for man, woman and matrimony. I didn't understand that just like we are incapable of faith without God's grace, we are incapable of becoming one flesh without the grace and mercy of God in our marriages. It's something I've only begun to understand through experiencing it, this late in life and through asking for and recieving God's hand in my marriage. My experience is that God will bind two people together and weave them into one flesh if each are willing to love, honour and obey God as the central pillar of their communion together. I'm not painting the picture of a perfect marriage, my marriage has what I'd call an average degree of ups and downs, bickering, nagging and falling out. The thing that I've noticed however is that when we look to God to step in when things are challenging He does. I think of it as the living waters of Christ cleansing and binding. We seem better somehow than ever and on it goes becoming closer to that, one flesh ideal. I'm not sure I've explained that at all well. If I'm honest, I've never attempted to describe my feelings on the subject of biblical marriage before. I recommend having a read of this commentary for more clarity than I can manage. Here are a couple of snippets: d. From the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female: God’s real purpose for marriage is not fulfilled in divorce but only in seeing God’s original plan for marriage. In saying, “God made them,” Jesus asserted God’s ownership over marriage; it is God’s institution, not man’s, so His rules apply. e. And the two shall become one flesh: By bringing the issue back to the foundation of marriage, Jesus made it plain that couples must forsake their singleness (a man shall leave his father and mother) and come together in a one flesh relationship that is both a fact (they are) and a goal (shall become). There's loads more covered in this commentary. Follow the link to read it in full. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/mark-10/ Bible Ref Commentary I don't always include a link to this commentary but it often provides a helpful, clear and somewhat shorter summary of a chapter compared to other more lengthy commentaries. I liked the clarity provided at the beginning on how Mark's Gospel differs to Luke and John. Here it points out some of what Mark leaves out. Where Luke and John give an extensive account of Jesus' teaching between Galilee and Perea, Mark skips ahead to the action. He leaves out Jesus' exhortation to forgive seventy-times-seven ( Matthew 18:15–35 ), the Feast of Tabernacles ( John 7:11–31 ), controversial teachings in Jerusalem ( John 8:12–59 ; Luke 11:14–36 ), the story of the Good Samaritan ( Luke 10:25–37 ), the death and resurrection of Lazarus ( John 11:1–44 ), and several confrontations with the Pharisees that incited the religious leaders to try to find a way to kill It's a useful commentary, follow the link if you want to read it in full. Remember there is a little pop up link to the commentary after you arrive using the following link. https://www.bibleref.com/Mark/10/Mark-chapter-10.html Blue Letter Bible Commentary Matthew Henry is the author of this commentary from Blue Letter. I like that he often paints a picture of the location, putting the map of where Jesus walked into context. Our Lord Jesus was an itinerant Preacher, did not continue long in a place, for the whole land of Canaan was his parish, or diocese, and therefore he would visit every part of it, and give instructions to those in the remotest corners of it. Here we have him in the coasts of Judea, by the further side of Jordan eastward, as we found him, not long since, in the utmost borders westward, near Tyre and Sidon. Thus was his circuit like that of the sun, from whose light and heat nothing is hid. Now here we have him, Here's a couple of maps I found that may help to picture it. I liked how this commentary covered Jesus' teaching on the little children. I've often considered the teaching from the perspective of the character Christ desired in us. Here the point is made that we are to embrace the children as part of the Kingdom of God. Jesus came to save us all, including the children. 3. He owned them as members of his church, as they had been of the Jewish church. He came to set up the kingdom of God among men, and took this occasion to declare that that kingdom admitted little children to be the subjects of it, and gave them a title to the privileges of subjects. Nay, the kingdom of God is to be kept up by such: they must be taken in when they are little children, that they may be secured for hereafter, to bear up the name of Christ. This was a cherished reminder of my first encounter with Jesus as a child. When I cried out in an agony of tears when I read the account of Jesus' distress when praying in the garden of Gethsemane just prior to His arrest. I was young and didn't understand that Jesus must die. It brings to mind the anxiety that the disciples are experiencing in these chapters as Jesus begins to share his destiny with them. It seems they just can't take it in. They won't fully understand until Jesus comes back to talk to them after the resurrection. It's a great commentary for getting into how the disciples must have felt and how Jesus handled their emotions. 3. See here what method he took to silence their fears. He did not go about to make the matter better than it was, nor to feed them with hopes that he might escape the storm, but told them again what he had often told them before, the things that should happen to him. He knew the worst of it, and therefore went on thus boldly, and he will let them know the worst of it. Come, be not afraid; for, This commentary is definitely worth a fuller read for more context and understanding. You'll find a very clear outline to help your understanding of the whole chapter. https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Mar/Mar_010.cfm Bible Hub Comment I often link to this commentary and pull up a note on the text. Here I'm going to flag up some of the other resources available alongside the commentary on chapter and verse. Here's a snippet from their useful guidance on prayer points relating to this chapter. I thought they were very good! Pray for strength and wisdom to honor and protect the sanctity of marriage. Ask God to help you cultivate a childlike faith, free from pride and self-reliance. Seek God's guidance in prioritizing eternal treasures over earthly possessions. Pray for a heart of servanthood, willing to serve others selflessly. Ask for increased faith and persistence in prayer, trusting in Jesus' power to heal and transform. To read this commentary in full, please follow the link. https://biblehub.com/study/chapters/mark/10.htm I'll leave it there for this week. I'm running behind in my post surgery not quite yet, organised life. I'm determined to keep on schedule and upload both video and commentary today. It's Friday and I'm trying to make it my regular upload day. God be with you all, until I upload again. Thank you for reading along with me!

Mark 11 Video Reading This   Blog   Post   accompanies   my   video   reading   of   Mark   11 published   on the   Circular   Grace   YouTube   channel . Jesus's Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem A short chapter but a chapter full of information to build our faith and understanding. Jesus has frequently asked for people not to broadcast his miracles abroad and tried to keep somewhat under the radar. This all changes as He makes His penultimate entry into Jerusalem. Although Mark doesn't share the multiple visits, this is not Jesus' first trip to to Jerusalem. From the other Gospels we know he made many visits to attend key Jewish festivals. On this occasion Jesus does not enter Jerusalem quietly, it is a triumphant entry with a multitude gathered to great Him as the long awaited Messiah. Let's dive into the respected commentaries to learn more! Enduring Word Commentary This commentary clarifies the point I made above about Jesus making multiple trips to Jerusalem. a. Now when they drew near to Jerusalem: If all we had was the Gospel of Mark, we might think this was Jesus’ first journey to Jerusalem. But the Gospel of John tells us of many previous trips. Jesus, like any devout Jewish man, went to Jerusalem for as many of the major feasts as He possibly could. I mentioned in the video my amazement that Jesus was able to mount an unbroken colt. Horses and donkeys are trained to accept a rider on their back and it generally takes a considerable amount of time despite what you often see in a classic western movie! This commentary draws out another consideration for us to contemplate. Jesus could have chosen a stallion for his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. On a side note, His grand finale and next triumphant entry into Jerusalem, will be on such a battle ready, glorious and Kingly mount! This time however Jesus comes in peace in contrast to His next entry when He will come as King, Saviour and Judge! Staying on this part of His story: c. You will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat : With this, Jesus established that He would enter Jerusalem riding on a colt . He deliberately chose a young donkey, not a stallion, not a horse, and not coming on foot. This is because in that day, to come riding a colt – as opposed to a mighty war-horse – was to come as a man of peace. Jesus didn’t come to Jerusalem as a conquering general, but as a suffering (though triumphant) servant. I recommend this commentary for a good understanding of Jesus's entry into Jerusalem. I'll post one final snippet before providing the link to the full commentary. c. When He looked around at all things: Jesus came as the Messiah to Jerusalem, not as a mighty general to conquer the Romans. He came first to look at the standing of the people of God, and to make an inspection. In the rest of Mark 11, we see the results of this inspection. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/mark-11/ Blue Letter Commentary You'll find that the different commentators often pick out different aspects of the same verses but adding in some extra context. You'll find some interesting discussion on the fig tree in this commentary. I like the emphasis on the message. The disciples heard what sentence Christ passed on this tree, and took notice of it. Woes from Christ's mouth are to be observed and kept in mind, as well as blessings. We can find ourselves lost in the detail and forget the message sometimes. I liked the reminder that Jesus offers us almighty blessings but He is also judging us. Jesus passed judgement on the tree and the consequences were death. It put me in mind of God the Father appointing Christ both our Saviour and our Judge. Our salvation is an almighty blessing but it comes with an expectation of obedience. Ultimately those who do not accept the authority of Jesus choose death. The next segment that caught my eye was the significance of the Temple Courtyard. It's one of those occasions when I heard something new from a familiar story. I'd previously focused on what they had turned the house of God into but not given any consideration to which part of the house of God had been corrupted. The courtyard is very significant because it is where God invites strangers, essentially Gentiles to draw near to Him. By turning it into a house of thieves the Scribes and Pharisees were denying 'all nations' appropriate access to God. Yet another example of the failings of those people God had ordained to be His representatives on earth. The fig tree and its empty promise springs to mind. Jesus judged them! 3. He gave a good reason for this; because it was written, My house shall be called of all nations, The house of prayer, v. 17 . So it is written, Isa. 56:7 . It shall pass among all people under that character. It shall be the house of prayer to all nations; it was so in the first institution of it; when Solomon dedicated it, it was with an eye to the sons of the strangers, 1 Ki. 8:41 . And it was prophesied that it should be yet more so. Christ will have the temple, as a type of the gospel-church, to be, This can be a heavy commentary to read but you'll find a lot of context and links to related passages of scripture. https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Mar/Mar_011.cfm Bible Ref Commentary Here's my final link to commentary for this chapter. My list is far from exhaustive and you'll find multiple resources from a range of different respected churches and Christian organisations online. I encourage you to reach out and find people you trust in faith to discuss the Bible with. Reach out at church, join a Bible study group. First and foremost pray for guidance and discernment. Walk through scripture with the Lord at your side. Make being in the Word of God a daily devotion and I am confident your faith will grow and the messages will take a firmer hold in your heart. That has been my experience and I pray the same blessings for you! I'll leave you with a final snippet from this brief but powerful commentary. Throughout the rest of the Passion Week—the final few days prior to the crucifixion—Jesus will engage in many debates and teach many truths, not all of which are recorded in Mark 12—13 . It is His last chance before the crucifixion to get people to think about worship as God designed it to be, and reject the worldly nationalist fervor. His words and actions remind us to keep our eyes on God, not the things God has blessed us with. https://www.bibleref.com/Mark/11/Mark-chapter-11.html Thank you so much for reading along and sharing in this wonderful opportunity to hear the Word God with me. Until next time, God bless you!