Reflective Bible Study

Over our last two episodes, we looked closely at Jesus’ miracle raising Lazarus from the dead. In many ways, this was an unprecedented miracle, because Lazarus had been dead and buried longer than any resurrection miracle prior to this. And this miracle serves as a powerful foundation for us to place our faith on that when we have chosen Jesus, He will be able to raise us from the grave just like He raised Lazarus.

Because this miracle was so powerful and amazing, we come to our passage for this episode, which focuses on what happened because Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. In this passage, we see not only the response of the people present and those they told, but also of the religious leaders who already disliked Jesus.

Our passage is found in John’s gospel, chapter 11, and we will read it using the Good News Translation. Starting in verse 45, John tells us:

⁴⁵ Many of the people who had come to visit Mary saw what Jesus did, and they believed in him. ⁴⁶ But some of them returned to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. ⁴⁷ So the Pharisees and the chief priests met with the Council and said, “What shall we do? Look at all the miracles this man is performing! ⁴⁸ If we let him go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Roman authorities will take action and destroy our Temple and our nation!”

⁴⁹ One of them, named Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, said, “What fools you are! ⁵⁰ Don’t you realize that it is better for you to have one man die for the people, instead of having the whole nation destroyed?” ⁵¹ Actually, he did not say this of his own accord; rather, as he was High Priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish people, ⁵² and not only for them, but also to bring together into one body all the scattered people of God.

⁵³ From that day on the Jewish authorities made plans to kill Jesus. ⁵⁴ So Jesus did not travel openly in Judea, but left and went to a place near the desert, to a town named Ephraim, where he stayed with the disciples.

⁵⁵ The time for the Passover Festival was near, and many people went up from the country to Jerusalem to perform the ritual of purification before the festival. ⁵⁶ They were looking for Jesus, and as they gathered in the Temple, they asked one another, “What do you think? Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?” ⁵⁷ The chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where Jesus was, he must report it, so that they could arrest him.

In this passage, from how the events are framed, we could conclude that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead a few weeks before the annual Passover celebration.

It is also interesting, that the religious leaders give orders that anyone with knowledge of where Jesus was must report it so they could arrest Jesus. This detail is interesting because during the week of the Passover celebration, Jesus speaks openly in the temple at least twice, and leading up to this, Jesus openly rides a donkey into Jerusalem. These events are prime events to arrest Jesus, but an arrest does not happen.

However, the most fascinating piece of this entire response to Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is what the high priest prophesies about Jesus. Caiaphas, the high priest that year, told the religious leaders in verse 50: “Don’t you realize that it is better for you to have one man die for the people, instead of having the whole nation destroyed?”

Even though John follows this quotation up with the powerful idea that this was a prophecy, in this statement itself, we have so much depth that it is hard to grasp it all.

On the surface, Caiaphas’ statement is relevant, because in their minds, Jesus’ presence and ministry was significant enough to threaten Rome, and Rome did not like to be threatened. However, it is also worth noting that any time Jesus drew a crowd of followers larger than a certain size, He began to challenge this crowd with difficult to accept spiritual truth prompting the crowd to leave and many in the crowd to doubt. This is recorded in the gospels on at least two occasions, though I suspect there were more. We don’t have to look very far in Jesus’ ministry to realize overthrowing Rome was not anywhere on His agenda.

However, while Caiaphas said these words as a defense against the threat of Rome, and primarily for self-preservation, these words have a much deeper meaning, also foreshadowing Jesus’ ultimate mission in this world.

In an ironic twist, the highest spiritual authority in the Jewish faith, who also happened to be Jesus’ most high-profile opponent, is led by God to give the most powerful prophecy describing Jesus’ mission and purpose for coming to this world.

Even though I’m sure Caiaphas did not fully grasp the full significance of His statement, God used Caiaphas, who was openly against Jesus, to give a true prophecy about what Jesus came to accomplish.

At that point in history, the set of prophecies that the religious leaders focused on were the ones where the Messiah overthrows Rome, and where the Messiah ultimately lasts forever. There were prophecies that describe a Messiah who suffers, is betrayed, and who is killed as a sacrificial lamb, but these prophecies were discounted, minimized, or outright ignored.

The last thing on these religious leaders’ minds was that Jesus was the Messiah God would send. Jesus didn’t fit their picture for the messiah, even if it was clear that Jesus was actively stepping into the role of Messiah.

Earlier this year, we saw that these religious leaders rejected Jesus because He was raised and from Nazareth. This was true, but it was a false assumption that Jesus was born in Nazareth. It is easy for us to see this in the scriptures, but perhaps more challenging for those in the first century who only knew of people being born and raised in one location. If it had not been for the census, Jesus’ wouldn’t have been born in Bethlehem, and I suspect if it had not been for Herod’s threat, Mary and Joseph may have raised Jesus in Bethlehem, being familiar with the prophecies about the Messiah.

In the first century, the religious leaders used plenty of reasons to reject Jesus as the Messiah. But even with their choice to reject Jesus, God used Jesus’ opponents in a powerful way to fulfill His prophecies about the Messiah. Topping this list is Caiaphas’ prophecy about Jesus’ mission into this world to die, and John’s side-note describes Jesus’ mission perfectly in verses 51 and 52. Caiaphas prophesied that “Jesus was going to die for the Jewish people, and not only for them, but also to bring together into one body all the scattered people of God.”

Jesus came to this earth to redeem not just one race, one religion, or one ideology. Jesus came to redeem and unite all of God’s people that were scattered throughout the world. Jesus’ mission is bigger than we could ever imagine, and I suspect that God’s people are more diverse than we could ever imagine either. Jesus came to unite and redeem God’s people, and that means for us living today that when we ally ourselves with Jesus, we join with the body that will be saved when Jesus returns! Allying with Jesus leads to eternal life.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, seek God first in your life and choose to place your faith, your hope, your trust, and your belief in Jesus, allying yourself with His plan, His mission, and His purpose for your life.

Also, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself to purposely grow closer to God each and every day. While God can use people for His purposes regardless of whether they have allied themselves for or against Jesus, only when we grow towards Jesus will we be saved for eternity, and the best place for us to find Jesus is within the pages of the Bible, and specifically in the pages of the gospel record. Through the gospels, we discover not only what Jesus is like, but what God is like as well.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or walk away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Reading Mark’s gospel, one has a hard time missing the emphasis Mark places on Jesus repeatedly warning the disciples about what would be coming the next time they visited Jerusalem. However, at the start of our passage, Mark describes this trip in an interesting way. From how Mark describes this trip, one might be confused with how Jesus acted on this trip.

Like all of the passages in our year in Mark, our passage for this episode comes from Mark’s gospel, and this episode specifically focuses in on a section of chapter 10. Reading from the God’s Word translation and starting with verse 32, Mark tells us that:

³² Jesus and his disciples were on their way to Jerusalem. Jesus was walking ahead of them. His disciples were shocked that he was going to Jerusalem. The others who followed were afraid. Once again he took the twelve apostles aside. He began to tell them what was going to happen to him. ³³ “We’re going to Jerusalem. There the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the experts in Moses’ Teachings. They will condemn him to death and hand him over to foreigners. ³⁴ They will make fun of him, spit on him, whip him, and kill him. But after three days he will come back to life.”

Let’s pause reading for a moment because what Mark has described here is powerful and also easy to miss. Jesus fully knows what is coming when they reach Jerusalem. Jesus also knows that He will be betrayed, even before Judas Iscariot knows he will be the betrayer. And it is amazing in my mind to read Mark’s description that Jesus walked ahead of the disciples towards Jerusalem.

Mark tells us that the disciples were shocked Jesus was headed to Jerusalem, and the other people who were following were afraid. This response is understandable. With Jesus repeatedly telling the disciples Jerusalem will be where He will be killed, it is understandable that the disciples and those following Jesus would be concerned about His trip headed in that direction. This verse suggests that Jesus was determined to face death head on. Jesus was not afraid of death because He knew the resurrection would come afterwards.

In an interesting way, Jesus’ lack of fear regarding death should be our response as well. We shouldn’t fear death. Instead, we should be determined to walk along the path God has placed before us and not be concerned if that path ends in death. However, like Jesus modeled for us, when we follow God’s path for our lives, death is not the end. Whether we live or die following the path God has for our lives, we can look forward to the resurrection that Jesus promised and the resurrection Jesus experienced.

Two of Jesus’ disciples saw an opportunity on this trip. It is unclear if these disciples understood what Jesus was telling them, or if they were simply looking past what Jesus had said to the point when He would set up His kingdom.

Continuing in verse 35, Mark tells us that:

³⁵ James and John, sons of Zebedee, went to Jesus. They said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do us a favor.”

³⁶ “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked them.

³⁷ They said to him, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”

³⁸ Jesus said, “You don’t realize what you’re asking. Can you drink the cup that I’m going to drink? Can you be baptized with the baptism that I’m going to receive?”

³⁹ “We can,” they told him.

Jesus told them, “You will drink the cup that I’m going to drink. You will be baptized with the baptism that I’m going to receive. ⁴⁰ But I don’t have the authority to grant you a seat at my right or left. Those positions have already been prepared for certain people.”

⁴¹ When the other ten apostles heard about it, they were irritated with James and John. ⁴² Jesus called the apostles and said, “You know that the acknowledged rulers of nations have absolute power over people and their officials have absolute authority over people. ⁴³ But that’s not the way it’s going to be among you. Whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant. ⁴⁴ Whoever wants to be most important among you will be a slave for everyone. ⁴⁵ It’s the same way with the Son of Man. He didn’t come so that others could serve him. He came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many people.”

In our passage and specifically in James’ and John’s request, we discover a spirit of wanting to be elevated, honored, and given status. When the other disciples heard about this short discussion and request, I’m sure they were irritated, but likely not because James and John had asked Jesus this. Instead, I suspect they were irritated because they wished they were the ones who had asked Jesus this question instead.

Before calling the disciples together to challenge them regarding this spirit of hierarchy among them, I find it fascinating that Jesus tells James and John that they will take part in the suffering He will face, but that the places of honor that these disciples are requesting have already been reserved for other people. And it is interesting that these other people are not chosen by Jesus. Jesus tells us that He doesn’t have the authority to make this decision.

From what I can tell, the Bible doesn’t indicate who will fill those two honored roles. I suspect, and I wouldn’t be surprised if some people believe, that these two positions were actually filled by the two thieves or criminals who hung on crosses along with Jesus. However, whether this is the honored position Jesus is referring to or not, this detail is not what Jesus wants His followers to focus on.

Instead, when James and John’s request is discovered and the disciples have this topic fresh in their minds, Jesus pulls them all together and challenges their focus on status in this world. While culture wants to pressure us to continue stepping up, Jesus challenges His followers that they should instead focus on stepping down and serving. In God’s eyes, the most important person present is the one in the lowest position who is serving everyone around them.

Jesus modeled this focus for us. Jesus modeled what it means to have position and status in the universe’s eyes, and then to step down into humanity. Jesus then modeled for us here on earth what it means to step down even further because as the Messiah, which was a role that would have resulted in fame, status, and a kingdom, Jesus focused His life towards serving others rather than being served, and on giving His life for the lives of others. No earthly leader would do this, but this is what Jesus called His followers to do. We are called to put others ahead of ourselves just like Jesus did!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I regularly challenge you to do, be sure to intentionally seek God first and to model Jesus by stepping down and serving others. Accept the gift Jesus has given to us through His death and don’t be afraid of facing death while walking along the path God has created for you. When we are living the lives God has called us to live, death is not the end. Instead, death marks the point when we are able to finally rest and look forward to Jesus resurrecting us back to life.

Also, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself to learn and grow closer to God each and every day. Choose to let God lead and teach you through His word and take what you read, hear, or learn and filter it through the spiritual lens of the Bible. The Bible is a gift God has kept safe for thousands of years, and it is a present that teaches us how we can accept Jesus and be saved for eternity!

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or be scared out of where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

In our last episode, we started looking at the event where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. In that episode, we focused in on what happened when Jesus learned that Lazarus was sick and how Jesus promised that His sickness would not end in death, but that God and His Son would be glorified through this event. However, Jesus stayed where He was for two more days, before announcing to the disciples that Lazarus had died, and that it was now time to travel to Bethany.

While I don’t know how far of a journey it is between where Jesus was at and Bethany where Lazarus was sick, from the way this event is framed, Jesus likely would have not made it in time since He waited two days before beginning to travel to Bethany. And as we will soon see, when Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been dead for more than two days.

Let’s read what happened and discover some things we can learn from the amazing miracle that was about to take place. Our passage is found in John’s gospel, chapter 11, and we will read it using the God’s Word translation. Starting in verse 16, John tells us that:

¹⁷ When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. ¹⁸ (Bethany was near Jerusalem, not quite two miles away.) ¹⁹ Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother.

²⁰ When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. Mary stayed at home. ²¹ Martha told Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²² But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask him.”

²³ Jesus told Martha, “Your brother will come back to life.”

²⁴ Martha answered Jesus, “I know that he’ll come back to life on the last day, when everyone will come back to life.”

²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the one who brings people back to life, and I am life itself. Those who believe in me will live even if they die. ²⁶ Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe that?”

²⁷ Martha said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who was expected to come into the world.”

²⁸ After Martha had said this, she went back home and whispered to her sister Mary, “The teacher is here, and he is calling for you.”

²⁹ When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to Jesus. ³⁰ (Jesus had not yet come into the village but was still where Martha had met him.) ³¹ The Jews who were comforting Mary in the house saw her get up quickly and leave. So they followed her. They thought that she was going to the tomb to cry. ³² When Mary arrived where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

³³ When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who were crying with her, he was deeply moved and troubled.

Let’s pause briefly here, because I want to draw out an interesting contrast. From how John frames each sister’s discussion with Jesus, we might conclude that Mary was about to have the same discussion with Jesus that Martha had. However, a detail is present at the beginning of Mary’s conversation that is not present in Martha’s. From how John frame’s Mary’s arrival to Jesus, we get the picture that Mary was very emotional, upset, and in tears – and not just Mary, but the group of mourners with her.

In a way, while Jesus’ earlier visit to Bethany paints Martha in a negative light for being upset with Mary for wanting to sit listening to Jesus rather than help her sister, this event reverses these sisters’ roles. While Mary appears to be too emotional for a conversation to take place, Martha had moved passed her emotions to understand that it was possible Jesus spoke from a bigger perspective. Martha began with the same declaration as Mary, but Martha added a key idea in verse 22: “But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask him.”

Martha’s declaration about Jesus implies a powerful faith in Jesus, and in Jesus’ resurrecting ability, even if Martha has accepted the possible truth that Lazarus won’t live again during their lifetimes, but will be raised up on the last day. Martha has moved past being blinded emotionally, while Mary is still deep in sorrow, unable to have much of a rational conversation.

Let’s continue reading. Rereading verse 33 and continuing forward:

³³ When Jesus saw her crying, and the Jews who were crying with her, he was deeply moved and troubled.

³⁴ So Jesus asked, “Where did you put Lazarus?”

They answered him, “Lord, come and see.”

³⁵ Jesus cried. ³⁶ The Jews said, “See how much Jesus loved him.” ³⁷ But some of the Jews asked, “Couldn’t this man who gave a blind man sight keep Lazarus from dying?”

Pausing again, I am amazed at the focus of most everyone in this event. Martha, Mary, and the Jews who were present all were focusing on the detail that Jesus had come too late. All of Jesus’ earlier resurrecting miracles happened much closer to the time of death. In Lazarus’ case, they had already had a funeral, and had buried him. The other resurrection miracles had happened within hours, or perhaps a day of the death. In contrast, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days, which meant that he likely had died four or maybe even five days before Jesus’ arrival.

All the focus in this event was directed towards Jesus not being able to keep Lazarus from dying, and I suspect this is what bothered Jesus. Continuing in verse 38:

³⁸ Deeply moved again, Jesus went to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone covering the entrance. ³⁹ Jesus said, “Take the stone away.”

Martha, the dead man’s sister, told Jesus, “Lord, there must already be a stench. He’s been dead for four days.”

⁴⁰ Jesus said to her, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see God’s glory?” ⁴¹ So the stone was moved away from the entrance of the tomb.

Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing me. ⁴² I’ve known that you always hear me. However, I’ve said this so that the crowd standing around me will believe that you sent me.” ⁴³ After Jesus had said this, he shouted as loudly as he could, “Lazarus, come out!”

⁴⁴ The dead man came out. Strips of cloth were wound around his feet and hands, and his face was wrapped with a handkerchief. Jesus told them, “Free Lazarus, and let him go.”

In this event, one powerful truth we discover is within Jesus’ seemingly unnecessary prayer. This prayer both sounds unnecessary, but when compared with Jesus’ words to Martha in verse 25, it really seems unnecessary. In Jesus’ conversation with Martha, in verse 25, Jesus tells Martha, “I am the one who brings people back to life, and I am life itself.”

Then when we read Jesus’ prayer in verses 41 and 42, Jesus prayed, “Father, I thank you for hearing me. I’ve known that you always hear me. However, I’ve said this so that the crowd standing around me will believe that you sent me.” It’s amazing in my mind that nothing in Jesus’ prayer even hints at God raising Lazarus back to life. Looking at Jesus’ words to Martha, and at what is not included in Jesus’ prayer, we must conclude that Jesus used His divinity to raise Lazarus to life.

However, it is also worth noting that if God the Father had not wanted this miracle to happen, there would have been no way for Jesus to have done it. In the seemingly unnecessary prayer, we find a different focus. Instead of focusing on God raising Lazarus from the dead, which is what we might expect to see included in this prayer, we discover Jesus emphasized His connection with the Father, and set the stage for this miracle to emphasize this connection as the basis for our belief in Him.

While throughout this entire event, including the verses we looked at in our last episode, we discover from the very beginning Jesus wanted this event to bring God glory and give those present one more reason to place their faith in Him. While Mary, Martha, and the crowd believed Jesus was too late, the powerful truth we discover in this event is that with Jesus, God is never too late, and regardless of how long we have been in the grave, when Jesus calls to us at the end of time, we will be resurrected just like Lazarus was.

When Jesus calls, those who are dead hear His voice and return to life! For God’s people, death is nothing more than a sleep waiting for the end of sin and the final resurrection into a brand new life with God!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally seek God first in your life and choose to place your faith, your hope, your trust, and your belief in Jesus. If death scares you, know it is nothing more than a sleep for those who have placed their faith in Jesus, and death is something Jesus not only resurrected Lazarus from, but something He conquered personally as well. Death is something that is not to be feared by followers of Jesus because it simply means the next thing we hear will be Jesus calling us from the grave.

Also, pray and study the Bible for yourself to learn and grow closer to God each and every day. Choose to focus your studying on learning more about God and don’t take anyone else’s word for what the Bible teaches. Instead, choose to study the Bible’s truth for yourself, especially on topics as important as death to discover what the Bible teaches rather than what culture wants you to believe. You may be surprised to learn what the Bible teaches us about death and resurrection.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or deviate away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

As we continue through Mark’s gospel, we come to what is likely the least politically correct challenge Jesus faced, and a topic that is one of the most divisive topics that our culture has at this point in history. However, Jesus never shied away from difficult situations, nor did He avoid responding to challenges that came His way. Like most of the events where the religious leaders challenged Jesus on certain topics, Jesus’ response shifted the focus onto a higher perspective than those bringing the challenge had been looking at the challenge.

Before jumping in to read this passage, I will put out the disclaimer here that what Jesus shares might be offensive to some people, but Jesus is sharing God’s original ideal. Jesus is very clear that where humanity is currently is not anywhere near God’s ideal, and it is likely that the majority of those who would claim to be offended at what Jesus shares in this event have rejected God, and in this case, rejecting God also means rejecting His ideals.

Our passage is found in Mark’s gospel, chapter 10, and we will read it from the New Century Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 1, Mark tells us:

¹ Then Jesus left that place and went into the area of Judea and across the Jordan River. Again, crowds came to him, and he taught them as he usually did.

² Some Pharisees came to Jesus and tried to trick him. They asked, “Is it right for a man to divorce his wife?”

³ Jesus answered, “What did Moses command you to do?”

⁴ They said, “Moses allowed a man to write out divorce papers and send her away.”

⁵ Jesus said, “Moses wrote that command for you because you were stubborn. ⁶ But when God made the world, ‘he made them male and female.’ ⁷ ‘So a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, ⁸ and the two will become one body.’ So there are not two, but one. ⁹ God has joined the two together, so no one should separate them.”

¹⁰ Later, in the house, his followers asked Jesus again about the question of divorce. ¹¹ He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman is guilty of adultery against her. ¹² And the woman who divorces her husband and marries another man is also guilty of adultery.”

Before continuing our passage, I want to pause and emphasize something that is easily missed when reading this event. Within Jesus’ response, Jesus quickly shifts the focus away from the current state of the world in sin, and into a different perspective. The majority of Jesus’ public response is from God’s perspective. Jesus tells the crowd that “when God made the world, ‘he made them male and female’”.

This not only quotes from the creation account in Genesis, but it also affirms God’s direct hand in creating the human race. God is the Author of life, and He created male and female. When marriage unites two people, Jesus tells us that God sees these two people as one, not as two. When God joins a couple together in marriage, His ideal is for them to remain united.

It is only in Jesus’ private response that we see Jesus challenging the disciples with the truth that divorce and remarriage equals adultery in God’s eyes. It is true that adultery is a much broader term than the two situations Jesus describes, but Jesus pulls these two edge cases into this broad term when most people would be inclined to exclude them.

From how Jesus shares His response, as followers of Jesus, we should publicly support honoring our marriage commitments, and place the greatest emphasis on living our lives as examples for others to see what God’s ideal is like. Marriage is a personal commitment to your spouse in the eyes of God, and it is an agreement between both spouses and God. If you are not a spouse in a marriage agreement, what goes on in this marriage agreement is in almost every case none of your business.

In Jesus’ private reply, we see the redefinition of adultery to include divorce and remarriage. This suggests to me that we only privately talk to individuals about this, and then sparingly at best. A conversation like this should be framed with lots of prayer, lots of listening, and lots of God’s love and forgiveness present. It also is best done with a pastor, counselor, or spiritual leader present. Adultery is a significant sin, but it is nowhere near unforgivable. The Bible has many examples of adultery being forgiven, and God doesn’t condemn this sin anymore than any other sin that He wants to forgive.

After sharing this challenging topic, Mark then shifts to something less challenging or politically incorrect, but something that was still a pretty big culture shift from how things were done in first century Judea. Continuing in verse 13, Mark then describes that:

¹³ Some people brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch them, but his followers told them to stop. ¹⁴ When Jesus saw this, he was upset and said to them, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to people who are like these children. ¹⁵ I tell you the truth, you must accept the kingdom of God as if you were a little child, or you will never enter it.” ¹⁶ Then Jesus took the children in his arms, put his hands on them, and blessed them.

In this conclusion to our passage, Jesus shifts our perspective again. While many people might think of those who are older or who are more mature spiritually to be closer to God’s kingdom, it may actually be the opposite. It’s possible that those who are older or more mature might be further away from God than small children might be.

In the context of Jesus’ challenge to the disciples to let the children come to Him, the disciples likely believed they were doing Jesus a service because they were shielding Jesus from what might be considered an insignificant task. I don’t see any hint in this passage that any of the children being brought to Jesus needed to be healed or helped. Instead, the parents simply wanted God’s blessing to be on their children.

When Jesus corrects the disciples and lets the parents bring their children to Him, we can learn that God values spending time with us. While God is at times very task-oriented, He is also very people-oriented and He values the time we spend with Him. If you haven’t spent quality time with Jesus, or if you haven’t had much time available to spend with God, it may be worth looking closer at this event.

Jesus tells us that the kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. Mark has described these children as “little children” and that means they are the most dependant on parental help than at any later stage of their growing up. In one sense, the more we depend on Jesus and on God for our salvation, the closer we are to entering God’s kingdom, and the more we let God into our lives and hearts, the better we will be able to represent Him in the world today!

While this passage contains some pretty significant challenges, Jesus did not come to judge people; He came to love, forgive, and redeem everyone who wants to be loved, forgiven, and redeemed.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally seek God first and choose to align your life to God’s will. View life from God’s perspective and choose to accept God like a little child. Depend on God for your salvation and for everything you need in life. A little child is not equipped to survive on their own, and sin has made us incapable of surviving spiritually without God’s help. Let’s together depend on God for help, for our salvation, and for everything we need both today and every day moving forward.

Also, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself to learn and grow closer to God each and every day. Choose to spend time with God in prayer and study to fall in love with Him like He has already fallen in love with You. God loves you more than you could even imagine, and Jesus came to help us realize the love God has for each of us!

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!