Mark 8:34-9:1 The Way Of The Cross

Throughout the first half of his gospel, Mark repeatedly shows us how the crowds and the disciples misunderstood Jesus’ identity. Last week, we reached a key moment when Peter and the disciples finally recognized and confessed that Jesus is the Christ. Mark introduced this turning point by showing Jesus heal a blind man in two stages. Jesus’ first touch caused the blind man to see, but he could not see clearly. The second touch healed the man completely (8:22-26). Just as the blind man, Peter, and the disciples could now see that Jesus is the Christ, they still did not fully understand what the Christ had come to do. When Jesus tells them He came to suffer and die, Peter rebukes Him. The disciples expected the Messiah to be an earthly conqueror who would bring victory, abundance, and glory, as in the days of Solomon. Following Him would mean reigning with Him as He conquered the occupying armies and led Israel to fulfill God’s covenant promises. Hearing that the "son of man" must suffer and die was not what they expected. We ended in verses 31-33 with Jesus chastising Peter for denying that the Messiah must suffer. This Sunday, Jesus continues teaching that not only must the Messiah suffer and die, but following Him also means walking that same path. Trusting Jesus is to follow Him as He walks the way of the cross. This passage speaks to everyone who confesses that Jesus is the Christ, as Jesus says, "If anyone would come after me..." It is not just for the elite Christians or the 12 disciples. Jesus says that anyone following Him must deny themselves and take up their own cross. After making this statement, Jesus gives four "for" statements (v. 35-38) explaining why it is necessary to take up the cross and deny self. On Sunday, we will unpack these statements and show that the way of the cross is the only path of true discipleship. This is a crucial section in Mark’s Gospel, and from this point, the focus shifts to what it means to follow Jesus. To prepare for Sunday, read Mark 8:27-9:1 so you understand the context of what we will examine in 8:34-9:1. 

I. What Following Jesus Entails (v. 34)

II. Why Following Jesus Is Necessary (v. 35-38)

III. Where Following Jesus Leads (9:1)

2 Samuel 2 - God’s King In A Divided Nation

Mark 8:22-33 Seeing Jesus Clearly

Sunday, we come to a definitive turning point in Mark’s gospel. Mark’s focus for the first eight chapters has been revealing Jesus’ identity in the miracles He did and the parables He taught. But the people in Mark could not seem to understand. Even the disciples asked, "Who is this?" when Jesus stilled the storm in Mark 4. Jesus has repeatedly rebuked the disciples for their dullness, lack of understanding, and hard-heartedness. (Mark 8:14-21). In Mark 8:22-33, the disciples will finally understand that Jesus is the Christ, but they do not yet see clearly that the Christ has come to suffer and die. Nor do they know what it means to follow Jesus in his mission. Peter, representing the disciples, confesses that Jesus is the Christ, but in the very next breath, he rebukes Jesus for saying He must suffer, die, and rise from the grave. He sees the Christ, but not clearly yet. The rest of Mark will focus on the disciples coming to understand the way of the cross. This spiritual restoration of sight is pictured in Jesus’ healing of a blind man in Bethsaida. Jesus touches the man and he can see, but not clearly. Jesus touches him a second time to restore his sight fully. This miracle happened just as it is written, and it is an illustration of Jesus restoring the disciple’s sight and an introduction to what the following several chapters will teach. The Christ brings the kingdom by way of the cross, and therefore, those who follow Him must travel the same road, denying themselves and taking up the cross (8:34).

I. Do You See Anything? (v. 22-26)

II. Who Do You Say I Am? (v. 27-30)

III. What Kind Of Christ Is He? (v. 31-33)

Mark 8:1-21 Do You Not Remember?

Happy 4th of July! I hope you’re enjoying the celebration of our country’s freedom on this Independence Day and thanking God for His blessings. This Sunday, we’ll look at Mark 8:1-21, where Jesus feeds 4,000, confronts the Pharisees, and rebukes His disciples for their forgetfulness. Mark uses this feeding and the events that follow not only to show Jesus as the Messiah for all nations but also to help His disciples grow in faith and understanding. 

In Mark 6, Jesus fed 5,000 in Galilee, yet the disciples missed the point of who He is. Last week, in chapter 7, a Gentile woman believed and was willing to accept the crumbs from the children’s table. In Mark 8, Jesus feeds 4,000 in the Decapolis region, offering not just crumbs but a banquet to the Gentiles. Yet, even after previously witnessing Jesus feed the 5,000, the disciples still doubt when Jesus desires to feed this crowd. They ask, “How can anyone feed these people?” Back in the boat (v. 14-21), Jesus tries to teach the disciples about the danger of unbelief. He uses the image of leaven as the disciples argue about not having enough bread. Jesus asks, “Do you not remember?” and reminds them of the two miraculous feedings he just performed. 

Like the disciples, we often forget God’s faithfulness in our lives. We forget how God has provided in the past and therefore fail to trust Him when circumstances look dark. Jesus challenges us to go beyond just admiring His miracles and to live out His truths daily. Growing as His disciples means letting His promises influence how we think and act, especially during tough times. Instead of allowing worry or unbelief to take hold and spread like leaven, we are called to trust the Bread of Life, who never fails. 

I. The Hungry Gentiles Get More Than Crumbs (v. 1-10)

II. The Unbelieving Pharisees Get Nothing (v. 11-13)

III. The Forgetful Disciples Get Rebuked (v. 14-21)

2 Samuel 1 - O How The Mighty Have Fallen

Mark 7:24-37 A Messiah For The Nations

Last week, we explored Mark 7 as the religious leaders challenged Jesus about their traditions of ritual washing. To the religious leaders, being clean before God was about outward actions and religious rituals. Jesus called them hypocrites, referencing Isaiah 29 to describe their outward religion but hearts that are far from God. Jesus then explained that what defiles a person before God is a fallen heart, and only Jesus can transform our hearts to make us right with God.

In the rest of Chapter 7, Jesus demonstrates that the clean/unclean distinction also applies to the nations. He travels outside of Israel and gives the same preview of covenant blessings to Gentiles. In Tyre and Sidon, Gentile regions considered impure by the Pharisees, a Syrophoenician woman (referred to as a Canaanite woman in Matthew’s account) pleads with Jesus to cast out the unclean spirit that afflicts her daughter. Jesus’s immediate response to her request is unexpected. Instead of granting her request, Jesus says it is not yet time for the "dogs" to be fed. First, the children (the Jews) must be fed. However, despite her status as an outsider, her humble and persistent faith leads Jesus to fulfill her request. (Matthew 15 highlights her faith.) Furthermore, this unclean Gentile woman is the first in Mark’s gospel to recognize Jesus’ kingdom ministry and mission. (In Matthew’s account, she even calls Him the Son of David.) Her heart is laid bare before us that we might see her humble and persistent faith, which leads her to see clearer than the disciples and the Jewish religious leaders. 

Then, in the Gentile region of Decapolis, Jesus heals a deaf-mute man by touching his ears and tongue—acts that would have horrified the Pharisees. His touch and word bring healing, which is also a preview of the kingdom where the effects of sin will be abolished. The Gentiles who witness this miracle say, "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak" (v. 37). Isaiah 35:5-6 foretells that this is exactly what the Messiah will do when he comes to His people. And here He is—doing so among the Gentiles. These two Gentile healings follow Jesus’ teaching about what constitutes clean and unclean before God. Previously, Jesus taught that the heart is humanity’s problem; now, we see how that problem is solved for both Jew and Gentile. By grace through faith, sinners enter the kingdom of God and are heirs to the promise of Abraham. (See Gal. 3:7-9; 29).

The woman and the deaf-mute man show us that Jesus’ grace is for all nations, no matter how unworthy we feel. By grace, all may come to Him in humble faith and be adopted into God’s family. Regardless of our sins or past, Jesus "has done (has made) all things well."

Setting v. 24

I. The Persistent Faith Of A Gentile Woman (v. 25-30)

II. Jesus’ Powerful Touch Of Grace (v. 31-35)

III. The Proclamation Of God’s Messiah (v. 36-37)

1 Samuel 31 - The Death Of Saul

Mark 7:1-23 What Truly Defiles A Person

In Mark 7:1-23, the religious leaders’ opposition to Jesus resurfaces. After all the miracles that Jesus has performed, the Scribes and Pharisees are outraged because His disciples didn’t wash their hands the “right” way before eating. It sounds trivial, right? But to them, it was a full-blown scandal, a matter of being “defiled” before God. Jesus doesn’t respond to their question but instead exposes their obsession with outward traditions and their hypocritical approach to God’s law. Then Jesus reveals what truly makes us unclean—our hearts.

The Pharisees employed their traditions, such as “Corban,” to circumvent God’s commands. They honored God with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him (Mark 7:6-7). Instead of answering their question about defiled hands, Jesus rebukes them for their hypocrisy and legalism and reveals that it is our hearts, not outward rituals or actions, that truly defile. How, then, can one be clean before God? Only from the inside. No amount of rule-following can fix the heart. But here’s the good news: Jesus can! Through His sacrifice, He offers us a new heart, one that longs to follow God from the inside out.

Take some time to read Mark 7:1-23 before Sunday. As you do, ask yourself: Are there ways I’m relying on “doing the right things” to be acceptable to God? What’s in my heart that I need to bring to Jesus? Let us prepare ourselves to come and worship Him from the heart on Sunday as we sing and study His word. 

I. The Clash Over Tradition (v. 1-5)

II. The Hypocrisy Of An Only Outward Religion (v. 6-13)

III. The True Source Of Defilement (v. 14-23)

Mark 6:45-56 When Jesus Passes By

As we continue our journey through the Gospel of Mark, we’ve seen Jesus reveal His divine identity through jaw-dropping miracles—calming storms, forgiving sins, and feeding thousands with just a few loaves and fish. Yet, the disciples who witnessed these wonders firsthand still struggled to grasp who Jesus truly is. Sound familiar? It should. Mark has repeatedly shown us the theme of Jesus’ identity and the people’s inability to understand. 

This Sunday, we’ll explore Mark 6:45-56, where Jesus sends His disciples into a stormy sea on their own while He prays on a mountain. They struggle against the wind and feel abandoned when something extraordinary happens. Jesus does what only God can do and comes to them walking on the sea. Jesus "passes by," revealing His name just as God did in the Old Testament before Moses. What Jesus does in this moment leaves the disciples astounded yet still confused. Verse 52 tells us they were astounded at Jesus’ coming because "they did not understand about the loaves." They should have understood who Jesus is from the feeding of the 5000. How can Jesus’ identity ground us when life’s storms make us feel like we’re rowing against an impossible current? Why does Mark repeatedly point us to who Jesus is?

Join us as we explore how Jesus meets us in our struggles and why knowing Him as God in the flesh is the deepest truth we need, now and always.

I. Jesus Is El Roi, The God Who Sees (v. 45-48a)

II. Jesus Is Jehovah Sammah, The Lord Who Is There (v. 48b-52)

III. Jesus Is Jehovah Rapha, The Lord Who Heals (v. 53-56)

1 Samuel 30 - Matt Canfield

Mark 6:30-44 The Shepherd’s Feast

1 Samuel 29 - Surely Goodness & Mercy Shall Follow Me

Mark 6:14-29 The Cost Of Discipleship

This Sunday, we’ll explore what “success” means for a disciple of Jesus in Mark 6:14-29. Last week, we saw Jesus send out the disciples to preach repentance, relying only on God to meet their needs. Jesus also instructed them on how to face rejection. The Twelve return victoriously in verse 30, celebrating their accomplishments. Yet, between their mission and return, Mark sandwiches the sobering account of John the Baptist’s execution—a powerful reminder that faithfulness, not earthly victories, is the true measure of success. Chronologically, John the Baptist had already been executed by the time Jesus sent out the Twelve. Mark could have included John’s execution in chapter 1 when he told us John was arrested. However, Mark places the account here as a flashback to explain why Herod initially believed Jesus was John raised from the dead. John the Baptist’s faithful testimony had a profound impact on Herod, despite the imprisonment and execution that followed. As the Twelve return with stories of their success, Mark reminds us that a “successful” disciple is one who is faithful regardless of the earthly trials in which they find themselves. John’s witness, even his death, was used mightily by God. On Sunday, we will read v. 14-30 as it is written, but to unpack the significance and flow of Mark’s intent, I will examine the flashback to John’s execution (v. 17-29) first, and then show the effect this event had on Herod (v. 14-16). I would strongly encourage you to read Mark 6:14-30 several times to become familiar with the text before we come together to worship through its exposition.

I. Faithful Disciples Will Face Opposition (v. 17-20)

II. Faithful Discipleship May Cost Everything (v. 21-29)

III. Faithful Disciples Are ALWAYS Used By God (v. 14-16)

1 Samuel 28:3-25 Without God, Without Hope

Mark 6:7-13 Mission Training

This Sunday, we will continue our study of Mark’s gospel, specifically Mark 6:7-13. After Jesus’ rejection in His hometown of Nazareth, He calls the twelve and sends them out on a training mission. Despite their earlier doubts and fears shown in Mark—such as accusing Jesus of not caring during the storm on the Sea of Galilee—Jesus equips them with His authority to cast out demons, instructs them to rely on God’s provision by taking minimal supplies, and charges them to proclaim repentance and the coming of God’s kingdom. Jesus sent out the twelve, not because they were ready, but because they weren’t. The mission itself would serve as their training ground to grow as disciples while making disciples. As we hear Jesus’ instructions for their mission, we also hear Jesus’ instructions for ours. The same authority, charge, and commission are given to the whole body so that we might make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to observe all that Jesus commanded. 

I. Commissioned With Christ’s Authority (v. 7)

II. Charged To Depend On Christ’s Provision (v. 8-10)

III. Called To Testify To Christ’s Kingdom (v. 11-13)

1 Samuel 27 - Doubt & Compromise?

Mark 6:1-6 How Do You Respond?

I know you’re all used to Jason’s weekly emails. This week, however, is Senior/Youth Sunday, and Jason has graciously given me the opportunity to preach, so you’re stuck with me. I’m excited that the students will be leading us in worship this Sunday, and we will be recognizing the 2025 high school graduates during the second service. I will be continuing Jason’s series in the book of Mark, chapter 6:1-6. As we’ve seen in Jesus’ ministry, He has healed many sick people, calmed the wind and seas, and even raised the dead. You would think that after all these miraculous wonders, everyone would recognize who Jesus is and respond appropriately. However, in Mark 6:1-6, this isn’t the case. In this section of Mark, the text shifts to show Jesus’ own amazement at the unbelief of His hometown. This made me ask the question, “How do you respond to Jesus?” Do you respond with mere amazement at His words and deeds? Do you respond by being offended at His claims or commands? Ultimately, do you respond in faith or unbelief? I’m excited to dive deeper into this text and these questions. By God’s grace, may He show us proper response to who He is and eliminate the unbelief in every area in our lives.

1 Samuel 26 - God’s Testing & Timing

Mark 5:21-43 Do Not Fear, Only Believe

Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record this event, intertwining a woman’s healing with the raising of Jairus’ daughter from the dead. These two individuals could not be more different. Jairus is a respected synagogue leader, and the unnamed woman is an outcast, suffering for twelve years. Yet, both approach Jesus in desperate need. Jairus pleads for his dying daughter, while the woman, impoverished, suffering, and ceremonially unclean, seeks healing by touching Jesus’ garment. While Jesus accompanies Jairus to heal his daughter’s sickness, the procession is interrupted by this woman who touches Jesus. Because of this delay, Jairus’ daughter dies. But as Jesus brings this woman forward, calls her "daughter," (the only place in the gospels where Jesus calls someone daughter) and says, "Your faith has healed you," Jairus is given a picture of what is required of him. When news of his daughter’s death comes, Jesus tells Jairus, "Do not fear, only believe." Jesus calls Jairus to trust in Him despite what the news-bearers have said, despite the mocking laughter the mourners spew, and despite what his own heart tells him about the finality of death. Just as the woman stepped forward and fell at Jesus’ feat (even with her fear and the risks involved), Jairus is called to put aside his fear and step forward with Jesus, believing He is Lord over even death itself. The four miracles in this section reveal Jesus as God incarnate, with power over creation (the storm), spirits (the legion), disease (the woman), and death (Jairus’ daughter). They point to the inbreaking of God’s kingdom, offering a glimpse of a future where sin, sickness, and death are no more. But, whether a ruler of a synagogue or a poor hopeless outcast, all humanity must enter this kingdom by faith.

I. The Desperate Father’s Plea (v. 21-24a)

II. The Hopeless Woman’s Faith (v. 24b-34)

III. The Call To Faith (v. 35-40)

IV. The Lord Over Death (v. 41-43)

1 Samuel 25 Vengeance is Mine Says...Who?