So, when we speak of rest, let us disentangle it from a mere “kick back and relax” mentality. Rest, as the author of Hebrews expounds, constitutes a spiritual recharging that restores us to the glorious presence and intimate fellowship with God. It signifies aligning with our Creator’s purpose for our lives, embarking on a journey of true fulfillment…
Isaiah 5 helps us to more clearly understand Yeshua’s parable for in both Isaiah 5 and Mark 12 we see that the vineyard is the nation of Israel. (…) In Psalm 80:8 we read that the LORD had brought a vine out of Egypt. Also, it was Solomon who spoke of Israel as God’s personal vineyard in Song of songs 8:11. So, while the vineyard is Israel, the winegrowers are the religious leaders. The owner of the vineyard is God Himself. This parable then represents the condemnation of man-made religion…
Prayer must be according to the will of God. We read in 1John 5:14, This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. According to His will; this is the first requirement.
Concerning this passage in Mark 11, we read of some commentators who accused Yeshua of being unreasonable for cursing the fig tree since it was not the season for figs (…) when it comes to understanding a difficult text, it is always good to go and ask what the people of that day had to say concerning fig trees…
We are all given that choice between justice or mercy. They say that justice is getting what we deserve, but mercy is not getting what we deserve. This is something Bartimaeus understood by faith…
Let us consider this trilogy of redemption in the first 3 feasts of the biblical calendar in Leviticus 23…
While this is a subject of study all its own, there are just a few points that will be considered here….
What causes an unbelieving heart? One that is hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. The term deceitfulness is used of the deceitfulness of wealth or riches, meaning we look to other things to give us life instead of the commands of God. We saw it with Pharaoh…
A primary reason why God gave the Law was so that we recognize that we are sinners, unable to attain salvation by any merit of our own…
As we consider the title Son of Man, there is more to say about how it brings out His power and humility. In this book of Mark, let’s consider the great emphasis on the word hand. He is going to be handed over into the hands of humanity. We remember how He used His hands to deliver, save, and heal so many from disease. Do you remember the manner with which He cured people since the beginning of the book?