Reflective Bible Study Gospel Adventure

Speaking with Authority: Mark 1:21-34

Published November 29, 2022 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Mark 1:21-34 (NIV)

²¹They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. ²²The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. ²³Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, ²⁴“What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

²⁵“Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” ²⁶The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

²⁷The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” ²⁸News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

²⁹As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. ³⁰Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. ³¹So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

³²That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. ³³The whole town gathered at the door, ³⁴and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

Read Mark 1:21-34 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

As a developing communicator, when I read passages in the gospels that share about Jesus’ communication style, it seems as though these details jump off the page at me. During this speaking opportunity at the Capernaum synagogue, Jesus gets a reaction from the group of people, because His presentation of the scriptures was unique from what they had heard from others.

In verse 22, we read about the people’s reaction, “The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.” It is worth noting that this response is from what we could simply call “the sermon” part of the worship service.

In case those present needed any more proof about whether Jesus had authority, following the message, a demon-possessed man stands up to tell Jesus to leave them. Jesus responds by silencing the evil spirit and telling it to leave the man.

If Jesus’ teaching before was filled with authority, this healing solidified it in the minds of those present. Verse 27 tells us the people’s reaction after the healing, “The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, ‘What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.’”

Jesus’ communication was unique. Jesus shared as one who had authority, and He was not one to back down to a challenge from satanic forces. Word spreads, and that evening, Jesus has a steady stream of people who come to have their diseases healed.

This leads me to see a big theme running through this passage: Jesus has the authority to teach scripture, to heal diseases, and to free people from the devil’s traps. If we need encouragement, healing, or freedom, Jesus should be the One we look to first!

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!

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Flashback Episode — The Greatest Miracle in History: Matthew 28:1-10

Published November 28, 2022 in Audio Journal Entries

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In our last episode, we discussed Jesus’ death leading to resurrection and the amazing truth that Jesus is the ultimate Life-Giver. In this episode, we continue this same theme by drawing our attention onto an amazing detail, or should I say, an amazing lack of a specific detail, included in Jesus’ resurrection. While Jesus’ list of miracles doesn’t include this event for some reason, I think this might be one of the most amazing miracles in the entire Bible, and it is definitely the most significant miracle in this world’s history.

Let’s read what happened on resurrection morning, and discover what we can learn about this amazing miracle from what is included and what isn’t. Our passage comes from Matthew’s gospel, chapter 28, and we will read it from the New Century Version. Starting in verse 1, Matthew tells us that:

¹The day after the Sabbath day was the first day of the week. At dawn on the first day, Mary Magdalene and another woman named Mary went to look at the tomb.

²At that time there was a strong earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven, went to the tomb, and rolled the stone away from the entrance. Then he sat on the stone. ³He was shining as bright as lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. ⁴The soldiers guarding the tomb shook with fear because of the angel, and they became like dead men.

⁵The angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus, who has been crucified. ⁶He is not here. He has risen from the dead as he said he would. Come and see the place where his body was. ⁷And go quickly and tell his followers, ‘Jesus has risen from the dead. He is going into Galilee ahead of you, and you will see him there.’” Then the angel said, “Now I have told you.”

⁸The women left the tomb quickly. They were afraid, but they were also very happy. They ran to tell Jesus’ followers what had happened. ⁹Suddenly, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings.” The women came up to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. ¹⁰Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go and tell my followers to go on to Galilee, and they will see me there.”

In all the chaos surrounding resurrection morning, Matthew has the most detail included about Jesus’ actual resurrection. While all the gospel writers include details of the women being the first to go to the tomb, and that the women who went to the tomb saw angels, Matthew includes extra details about the guards’ experience. Matthew describes what happened by saying in verses 2 through 4: “At that time there was a strong earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven, went to the tomb, and rolled the stone away from the entrance. Then he sat on the stone. He was shining as bright as lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The soldiers guarding the tomb shook with fear because of the angel, and they became like dead men.”

There is one detail that is missing that we might think should be included. In this event, nothing is said about the angel greeting Jesus as He steps out of the tomb or that the angel called Jesus out of the tomb when rolling the stone away.

This is significant because nothing in this event indicates that the angel had any role in Jesus’ resurrection other than to disperse the guards and to remove the stone for the women and disciples to examine the place where Jesus lay. The angel also had the privilege of reminding those who came to the tomb how Jesus had repeatedly told them He would die and that He would return to life.

In this event, the angel who came down did not resurrect Jesus.

Instead, John’s gospel records Jesus saying something fascinating that directly ties into this event and this miracle. In John, chapter 10, verses 17 and 18, Jesus tells those present: “The Father loves me because I give my life so that I can take it back again. No one takes it away from me; I give my own life freely. I have the right to give my life, and I have the right to take it back. This is what my Father commanded me to do.”

Jesus has the power to give life and to return it, and this isn’t just the power to do this for other people. In some way that is impossible for us to truly understand, Jesus has this power over His own life as well. The greatest miracle in the entire Bible is Jesus resurrecting Himself from the tomb.

I don’t think it was an accident that earthquakes happened at the moment Jesus died and here at His resurrection. Jesus’ life returning to Him shook the earth just like the earth shook when His life left Him. All this is described before Matthew tells us the angel came. The earthquake was not caused by an angel hitting the ground on arrival, as I have heard some people speculate. Instead, the earthquake was the evidence that Jesus’ life returned to Him, and the angel was simply sent to reveal to the world what had just happened inside the tomb.

Jesus did not need the angel’s help to step out of the tomb. In His resurrected body, Jesus is able to move through objects, as is seen when He appears to the disciples while they have locked themselves in the upper room. The angel was sent for our benefit, so that we could see and know that the tomb really was empty.

The greatest miracle in the entire history of the world is Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus returned to life exactly how He said He would, and Jesus’ resurrection gives us the hope and reassurance that when it is our time to die, He is more than able to resurrect us when it is time for us to be with Him!

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 place your faith, hope, trust, and belief in Him and in what Jesus accomplished for you. Believe in Jesus and in His resurrection, and trust in the truth that since Jesus stepped out of the tomb alive, we know that there is life awaiting us after death.

Also, always pray and study the Bible for yourself to grow personally closer to God each and every day. While learning from others is okay to do, never let your own personal relationship with God become dependent on someone else to help you grow. A personal relationship with God must be personal, and a personal relationship with God leads us to Jesus and to eternal life.

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!

Flashback Episode: Year of Miracles – Episode 48: While most people might not think of the resurrection as one of Jesus’ miracles, discover how this might have actually been Jesus’ greatest miracle, and the most significant miracle in all of history.

Answering Our Doubts: Luke 1:1-4

Published November 25, 2022 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Luke 1:1-4 (GW)

¹Many have attempted to write about what had taken place among us. ²They received their information from those who had been eyewitnesses and servants of God’s word from the beginning, and they passed it on to us. ³I, too, have followed everything closely from the beginning. So I thought it would be a good idea to write an orderly account for Your Excellency, Theophilus. ⁴In this way you will know that what you’ve been told is true.

Read Luke 1:1-4 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

When I read Luke’s opening to his gospel, I am amazed at how this opening message sounds. While the other three gospels open with something related to Jesus, Luke opens his gospel addressing another believer – and it is in this opening that we get a picture of what Luke’s purpose was for writing his letter, and what was happening in the decades that followed Jesus’ ascension back to heaven.

Luke opens his gospel by saying, “Many have attempted to write about what had taken place among us. They received their information from those who had been eyewitnesses and servants of God’s word from the beginning, and they passed it on to us. I, too, have followed everything closely from the beginning. So I thought it would be a good idea to write an orderly account for Your Excellency, Theophilus. In this way you will know that what you’ve been told is true.” (v. 1-4)

We can see from this introduction that there was a lot of talk and speculation surrounding Jesus in the years that followed His ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension. Many people had pieced together gospel narratives from what they could find, and it is even possible that Mark’s gospel and Matthew’s gospel had already been written when Luke decided to write his.

However, also in this introduction, we are introduced to an otherwise unknown person: Theophilus. While Luke addresses him as a dignitary, official, king, or governor, I wonder how they knew each other prior to this letter being written. Since Luke was a doctor, perhaps Luke had seen Theophilus as a patient, and perhaps they had a conversation about Jesus where Theophilus had shared some of his doubts about the rumors and how they were too good to be true.

In this way, Theophilus becomes a representative for everyone in history who has ever had doubts about Jesus. Luke writes his gospel to help answer the doubts and the skepticism that some may have over whether Jesus is really who people claim Him to be.

Luke opens his gospel like one would open a letter to a friend or a research article before sharing what he has discovered through his personal interviews and research. If the story of Jesus was a scam that Jesus’ earliest followers pieced together, then Luke would have researched his way into this conclusion through all the people he interviewed and through all his research.

Instead, Luke becomes the gospel to help answer the skeptics, and Luke writes for those who have reservations about Jesus. If you have ever had doubts about Jesus, perhaps reading from Luke’s gospel is the place for you to start. Luke may have written his gospel for someone like you!

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One Moment in the Spotlight: Mark 15:42-47

Published November 24, 2022 in Audio Journal Entries

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As Mark winds down the events surrounding Jesus’ time on the cross, he describes in our passage for this episode, the events surrounding Jesus’ body being removed from the cross and what happened to it to keep it from being lost. In many ways, we have a previously unknown person in the Bible record to thank for this.

Let’s read our passage for this episode and discover what we can learn from what Mark’s gospel tells us about this event. Our passage is found in Mark’s gospel, chapter 15, and we will read from the Contemporary English Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 42:

⁴²It was now the evening before the Sabbath, and the Jewish people were getting ready for that sacred day. ⁴³A man named Joseph from Arimathea was brave enough to ask Pilate for the body of Jesus. Joseph was a highly respected member of the Jewish council, and he was also waiting for God’s kingdom to come.

⁴⁴Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead, and he called in the army officer to find out if Jesus had been dead very long. ⁴⁵After the officer told him, Pilate let Joseph have Jesus’ body.

⁴⁶Joseph bought a linen cloth and took the body down from the cross. He had it wrapped in the cloth, and he put it in a tomb that had been cut into solid rock. Then he rolled a big stone against the entrance to the tomb.

⁴⁷Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph were watching and saw where the body was placed.

In these last verses describing the day Jesus was crucified, we discover several details Mark wants to draw our attention to. When I look over this passage, I count no less than five big details that are significant for us to pay attention to.

First, Mark transitions into this event by telling us this was the evening before the Sabbath, and this Sabbath was a sacred day. Other gospels and translations describe why this wasn’t an ordinary Sabbath. This was an extra special Sabbath where the weekly Sabbath intersected with the annual Passover celebration, which was one of the most important Jewish celebrations.

This celebration marked the angel of death passing over the Jewish and Egyptian homes where the blood of a lamb was put on the doorposts of the home. This event, as the people of Israel were about to leave Egypt, foreshadowed what Jesus would ultimately accomplish for them on the cross. Jesus would be that lamb who died, and Jesus’ sacrifice, when welcomed into our hearts and lives, protects us from the angel of death.

Mark draws our attention to the detail that after Jesus has finished sacrificing Himself for humanity and God’s people, He rests in the grave during that special Sabbath day.

Next, Mark introduces us to a new character in the gospel story: a man named Joseph from Arimathea. Joseph steps in as being the perfect middleman for every group present and interested in what would happen that weekend.

While I doubt any of those present would have let Jesus’ body be thrown in the heap of dead bodies, which would have been the fate of the two criminals who were crucified with Jesus, Joseph steps in as the perfect middleman. Joseph was a respected person among the Jewish leaders, he was someone who had influence with Pilate, and he was someone who was not hostile towards Jesus’ followers. Some gospels even call Joseph a secret disciple of Jesus.

Joseph also had exactly what this situation needed; Joseph had a nearby tomb where Jesus’ body could lay, and it was a tomb that was easy to access while also being easy to seal and guard. In this event, I believe God had prepared and placed Joseph of Arimathea into the exact place and position that was needed for this weekend. In many ways, Joseph from Arimathea saves Easter because of his involvement this Friday evening.

Another detail worth noting in this event is that Pilate was surprised that Jesus had died so quickly. Crucifixion was a death that was designed to last a long time and it was designed to be painful, humiliating, and public in order to remind any potential rebels that it wasn’t worth trying to fight against Rome. Jesus’ death in six hours was very abnormal. The way to speed up death was to break the legs of the person on the cross, and this happened to both criminals who were with Jesus.

The reason this detail stands out in my mind is that it is one more piece of evidence telling Pilate that Jesus was different. Jesus was not like anyone else who had been nailed to a cross, and to everyone present, it was very clear that Jesus was different. In our last passage, we even read that one of the soldiers present for Jesus’ last breath exclaimed that Jesus really was God’s Son after witnessing Jesus’ death.

I don’t know, and Mark doesn’t tell us the details surrounding what prompts Pilate to let Joseph have Jesus’ body. It is possible that Joseph paid Pilate for Jesus’ body, or perhaps something in Joseph’s request prompted Pilate to agree. It is also possible that Joseph was not present for any of that morning’s condemnation, and this gave weight to his request since he was not among Jesus’ accusers. Regardless of the details, God was ultimately behind Pilate agreeing to Joseph’s request.

Mark concludes this event by describing how Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph were watching where Joseph took Jesus’ body. While this detail doesn’t sound significant at this point, it becomes significant because these women would be the first to witness an empty grave when they go to the tomb the following Sunday.

God was behind everything Joseph of Arimathea contributed to this point in history. God had brought Joseph to this point, and Joseph steps into history with everything needed to make this weekend glorify God in unprecedented, unexpected, and momentous ways.

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, continue to seek God first in your life and be ready to step into God’s plan when He calls you to. While I don’t know what God is preparing your life for, I do know you are alive on this earth for a reason, that your life is significant in God’s eyes, and that He has something significant for you to accomplish. When the time comes for God to reveal His plan to you, be ready to jump into what God has prepared you for.

Also, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself to continue learning and growing closer to God. Through the pages of the Bible, discover just how much God loves us and what God was willing to give up to open the way for us to have a restored relationship with Him!

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 leave where God is leading you to in your life with Him!

Year in Mark – Episode 47: After Jesus had died, someone steps into history in the perfect way, and the perfect time, with the perfect position and gift to make this weekend give glory to God in amazing ways. Discover what we can learn and why we should thank Joseph of Arimathea for what he did that Friday evening.

Join the discussion. Share your thoughts on this passage.