Reflective Bible Study Gospel Adventure

Sticking With Jesus: Mark 10:32-34

Published September 19, 2025 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Mark 10:32-34 (NIV)

³²They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. ³³“We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, ³⁴who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

Read Mark 10:32-34 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

As Jesus and the disciples were headed to Jerusalem for the last time, Jesus pulls the disciples aside and tells them about what will happen to Him while they are there. Prior to this, Jesus’ followers already are aware that the Jewish leaders are looking for a way and time to arrest and kill Him, and it is likely that Jesus’ message here doesn’t ease their minds at all.

Mark’s gospel opens this event with an interesting description: “They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid.” (v. 32a)

This introduction is amazing in my mind because not only does Jesus know exactly what is coming, He is blazing the trail ahead right on schedule for it to happen. While this makes sense in most circumstances, the trail Jesus is leading the disciples on is the trail He knows will bring Him pain and death – even if He also knows that resurrection is in His future.

Mark tells us the disciples were astonished at Jesus, and those who followed were fearful. The whole group knows that Jerusalem includes the most powerful people who opposed Jesus, and Jerusalem was the place in the entire country where Jesus would be most easily condemned to death. The disciples are astonished that Jesus actively is leading the group towards certain death, and those following along are fearful not just for Jesus, but for themselves as well.

Often when a high profile arrest happened, those following would be arrested too, and there had been times in Roman history where all of a leader’s followers were executed (even crucified) along with the leader the Romans wanted to kill. If Jesus was correct with His prediction that death would meet them in Jerusalem (and He was), then those following along were completely justified in their fear.

But while Jesus blazed the trail forward, while the disciples were astonished, and while those following along were fearful, we don’t see any indication that the astonishment or fear present in the group caused people to stop walking with Jesus. All the disciples and all those following in the large group stayed with Jesus and this is important for us to remember.

We can learn from Jesus’ last trip to Jerusalem that sometimes we will be amazed, astonished, or even fearful when walking with Jesus, but we can trust that He knows the future, and that at the end of history, the safest place for us to be is beside Jesus – even if being beside Jesus has been scary at times.

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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Safe in God’s Hands: Psalm 31:1-16

Published September 18, 2025 in Audio Journal Entries

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Over our past several podcast episodes, we’ve been focusing our time on Jesus hanging on the cross, and specifically on places in the Old Testament where we can see foreshadowed descriptions of the Messiah’s time on the cross. In this set of episodes, we come to the point where Jesus is ready to take His last breath.

Turning our attention onto another one of David’s psalms, we discover several verses that also point to Jesus’ time on the cross, and a cry out to God that the Messiah would ultimately make immediately before taking His last breath. Let’s read what David wrote.

Our passage for this episode is found in Psalm, number 31, and we will read it using the New American Standard Bible. Starting in verse 1, David writes:

¹In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge;
Let me never be ashamed;
In Your righteousness deliver me.
²Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly;
Be to me a rock of strength,
A stronghold to save me.
³For You are my rock and my fortress;
For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me.
⁴You will pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my strength.
⁵Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth.

⁶I hate those who regard vain idols,
But I trust in the Lord.
⁷I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness,
Because You have seen my affliction;
You have known the troubles of my soul,
⁸And You have not given me over into the hand of the enemy;
You have set my feet in a large place.

⁹Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
My eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also.
¹⁰For my life is spent with sorrow
And my years with sighing;
My strength has failed because of my iniquity,
And my body has wasted away.
¹¹Because of all my adversaries, I have become a reproach,
Especially to my neighbors,
And an object of dread to my acquaintances;
Those who see me in the street flee from me.
¹²I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind;
I am like a broken vessel.
¹³For I have heard the slander of many,
Terror is on every side;
While they took counsel together against me,
They schemed to take away my life.

¹⁴But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord,
I say, “You are my God.”
¹⁵My times are in Your hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.
¹⁶Make Your face to shine upon Your servant;
Save me in Your lovingkindness.

Let’s stop reading the psalm here. In this psalm, we get another glimpse of the Messiah’s opposition and on how wholeheartedly the Messiah trusted in God. While hanging on the cross, Jesus was insulted from every angle, and I’m sure that Satan would have pressed feelings of abandonment and rejection onto Jesus as best as he could.

However, tucked within this psalm is a powerful phrase, and in this phrase is a promise that we can lean on when times are tough. This phrase is what Jesus cries out immediately before taking His last breath.

In Luke’s gospel, chapter 23, Luke describes the last portion of Jesus’ time on the cross. Starting in verse 44, Luke writes:

⁴⁴It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour, ⁴⁵because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.” Having said this, He breathed His last. ⁴⁷Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent.” ⁴⁸And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, when they observed what had happened, began to return, beating their breasts. ⁴⁹And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things.

At the moment of Jesus’ last breath, we discover that how Jesus died, and the extraordinary events that surrounded this death, prompt those present, including the officer in charge of Jesus’ crucifixion, to realize Jesus’ innocence.

However, stepping back a few verses in this passage to the last phrase Luke records Jesus crying out before dying, we discover an amazing promise. While Jesus quotes the psalm we read earlier when crying out the phrase, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” included in this cry that appears to end His life, we can see a promise that is kept.

When David wrote this line into his psalm, I don’t know if he was referencing something in his past, if he was being prompted by the Holy Spirit, or some of both. However, when David wrote this line, the context of this psalm is entirely trusting in God when everything in the world appears to be against you.

On the surface, this phrase might appear like a death wish, since the one crying it out is asking for God to take their spirit, which would ultimately separate it from the body. When the spirit and body separate, some would consider that death.

However, a different way of understanding this phrase is that when crying out for God to take our spirit, we are asking God to take the essence of who we are and protect it. The only reason for committing our spirit to God the Father would be because we trust that He is fully capable of keeping our spirit safe. If we didn’t trust God the Father with the essence of our life, I suspect that He would be the among the last places we would consider wanting the spirit of our lives to go.

This then means that committing our spirit to God the Father is an act of trust. In the psalm David writes, several verses after sharing this phrase, and after sharing how everything in the world appeared to be against him, we get a clear picture of where David has placed His focus. In verses 14 through 16, David writes:

David acknowledges that his life is always within God’s hands, and that while He is actively placing himself within God’s will, God will keep his life safe. David trusted God’s protection, and he knew that God would not let him die before God’s time for his life to end had come.

It was the same with Jesus. While there was no shortage of life-ending events throughout Jesus’ time on earth, God kept Jesus’ life safe until Jesus reached the cross, which was the point in Jesus’ life where God would receive the glory. Any death less than the cross would not have brought God glory.

This is also the same with our lives today. When we place our lives and our spirits in God’s hands, trusting that He will keep us safe as we move forward within His will, we can know and trust that with whatever happens in this life, and whenever we ultimately take our last breath, we will have given our lives to God and we will be included in the great resurrection of God’s people when Jesus returns. When we place our spirit in God’s hands, we will be a part of the resurrection of the righteous and welcomed into eternity with Jesus.

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

As I always open these challenges by saying in one way or another, intentionally seek God first in your life. Intentionally commit your spirit into God’s hands, not because you want to die now, but that you intentionally want to trust God the Father to keep your life safe until you have accomplished everything He has placed you in this world to accomplish. While death is a challenging topic for many people, and while it seems as though some people die before they should have from our perspective, God knows eternity better than we do, and what He invites His people into is better than anything this world can offer.

Also, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself, to grow a stronger, personal relationship with God. Don’t let other people step between you and God. God wants a personal relationship with you, and the only way your relationship with Him can be personal is if you keep other people from stepping between you and God. While other people can share ideas, take these ideas to God directly, and let Him lead you to His truth through His Spirit and His Word.

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!

Year of Prophecy – Episode 38: When Jesus was about to breath His last breath, He cries out a powerful statement from the Old Testament that contains within it an amazing promise for all of God’s people.

Join the discussion. Share your thoughts on this passage.

Not Abolished, But Satisfied: Matthew 5:13-37

Published September 17, 2025 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Matthew 5:13-37 (NIV)

¹³“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

¹⁴“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

¹⁷“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. ¹⁹Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

²¹“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ ²²But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

²³“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, ²⁴leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

²⁵“Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. ²⁶Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

²⁷“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ²⁸But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

³¹“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ ³²But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

³³“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ ³⁴But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; ³⁵or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. ³⁶And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. ³⁷All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Read Matthew 5:13-37 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

One thing that has both intrigued me and bothered me is where this post’s passage fits within Christianity today. It is found neatly within Jesus’ famous “Sermon on the Mount”, but it seems to be mostly forgotten – or at least discounted by many.

In this passage Jesus directly tells everyone present (and those who read about this later): “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (v. 17-18)

There are two ideas present in these verses that some might confuse the meaning of. The first idea is “abolish”, which would be another way of saying “eliminate”, “get rid of”, or simply “erase.” The second idea is “fulfill”, which would be another way of saying “complete”, “accomplish”, or simply “satisfy”.

Now if Jesus “fulfilled” or “completed” the law, wouldn’t that be the same as “abolishing” or “eliminating” it?

This is what many people seem to think Jesus said, except that He is says the opposite: “I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (v. 17)

This must mean that Jesus satisfied the Law’s requirements, while not really removing them – except that Jesus does suggest a time when the law will have elements of it that disappear. “For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (v. 18)

In this passage, we get a picture of the time frame for the Law: it lasts for the length of heaven and earth and until everything is accomplished. Jesus accomplished a righteous sacrifice that paved the way for us to be saved while He was here on earth, but don’t confuse that with everything. In God’s perfect heaven and earth, there will be no sin, pain, death, or evil and since we have these things in our world today, everything cannot be accomplished according to God’s plan. When Jesus returns, we will get a better picture of His plan, and we can witness God recreating heaven and earth into the original, perfect world that He intended the first one to be.

But does this passage condemn those who break the Law? Not directly.

“Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (v. 19)

This says that there will be those who set aside commands who will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. They are not outside of it, but in it – because they understand the biggest issue: Accepting Jesus’ righteousness and sacrifice as payment for their sins.

Legalism excludes people based on their actions/disobedience, and following a legalistic path does not lead into heaven. The most legalistic people in Jesus’ day still did not have the righteousness necessary to gain entrance into heaven.

Instead, Jesus made a way available through His perfection, and He made it available to everyone as a gift. We can choose to try and fail on our own, or lean into Jesus and be accepted.

The Law has not been abolished, but it has been satisfied through Jesus’ life and death.

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The Power of Persistence: Luke 11:1-13

Published September 16, 2025 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Luke 11:1-13 (GNT)

¹ One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

² Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say this:
‘Father:
May your holy name be honored;
may your Kingdom come.

³ Give us day by day the food we need.

⁴ Forgive us our sins,
for we forgive everyone who does us wrong.
And do not bring us to hard testing.’”

⁵ And Jesus said to his disciples, “Suppose one of you should go to a friend’s house at midnight and say, ‘Friend, let me borrow three loaves of bread. ⁶ A friend of mine who is on a trip has just come to my house, and I don’t have any food for him!’ ⁷ And suppose your friend should answer from inside, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ ⁸ Well, what then? I tell you that even if he will not get up and give you the bread because you are his friend, yet he will get up and give you everything you need because you are not ashamed to keep on asking. ⁹ And so I say to you: Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For those who ask will receive, and those who seek will find, and the door will be opened to anyone who knocks. ¹¹ Would any of you who are fathers give your son a snake when he asks for fish? ¹² Or would you give him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? ¹³ As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Read Luke 11:1-13 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

While teaching the disciples how to pray in Luke’s gospel, Jesus first gives them a model prayer before quickly transitioning into an intriguing parable-illustration that on the surface implies that God can be pestered into answering our requests.

In this illustration, Jesus tells His disciples, “Suppose one of you should go to a friend’s house at midnight and say, ‘Friend, let me borrow three loaves of bread. A friend of mine who is on a trip has just come to my house, and I don’t have any food for him!’ And suppose your friend should answer from inside, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ Well, what then? I tell you that even if he will not get up and give you the bread because you are his friend, yet he will get up and give you everything you need because you are not ashamed to keep on asking.” (v. 5-8)

This parable amazes me because it appears to encourage us to be extra persistent – even annoying at times – when asking God for something. In some ways, God is way more loving than I am because if a “friend” kept pestering me at midnight for some loaves of bread, I am uncertain if he/she would remain a friend. While they might eventually pester their way into getting bread, it would probably cost a friendship.

However, thankfully God is more loving and merciful than me, and when Jesus shares this passage, He frames it along the lines of us doing the asking and persisting, rather than us being the friend who is woken up at midnight.

While on the surface, this parable is pretty powerful, hidden in the details is an even more amazing truth that anyone, anywhere in the world can claim and act upon – regardless of if they are a Christian or not. As Christians and followers of Jesus, we can consider ourselves friends of God. In Jesus’ concluding line, He sweeps our friendship aside when He says, “I tell you that even if he will not get up and give you the bread because you are his friend, yet he will get up and give you everything you need because you are not ashamed to keep on asking.” (v. 8)

Jesus tells these disciples that regardless of a person’s view of God or of the strength of their relationship, persistence in their prayers will lead to answers – and this is even for those who are not considered friends of God. As I write this, I wonder if more people would see more blessings added to their lives if they would simply persist with heartfelt prayers, regardless of their view of God, their level of faith in Him, or their belief about whether or not He exists.

Persistent, sincere prayers appear to be one thing God wants His followers to model for others. Tucked inside this parable is the promise that anyone, anywhere can start being persistent with their prayers and can expect God to answer with a gift of what they need – which may look different from what they were asking for to begin with.

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