Mark 12: Baiting Jesus

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."

Mark believes this observation about Jesus' enemies: "Then they looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them" (verse 12). The rest of chapter 12 records skirmishes between Jesus and the groups seeking to trap him and erode his popularity.

First, representatives from a political party cynically praise Jesus and then spring on him a loaded question about taxes. If Jesus says the Jews should pay taxes, he may lose popular support, for the Jews despise the Roman occupation forces who control the government. If he says "Don't pay, " he risks arrest for encouraging lawbreaking. Next, a small but powerful religious group tries to stump Jesus theologically. The Sadducees, who do not believe in an afterlife, propose a complicated riddle about life after death.

Finally, Jesus' perennial enemies, the Pharisees, take their turn. Rabbis of the day have detailed 613 commandments in Moses' law, and various splinter groups bicker over which ones are most important. A teacher of the law asks Jesus to select just one as the greatest commandment, knowing his choice will surely offend some of these groups.

Jesus fends off these attacks so impressively that Mark concludes, "And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions." His replies combine brilliance, wit and common sense in a way that turns the tables on his critics and leaves them speechless. In all these skirmishes, Jesus does not try to placate his adversaries. Instead, he uses these conflicts to warn his disciples and the watching crowds against these adversaries, whose fury only increases.

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Mark 11: Opposition Heats Up

The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

As the group reaches Jerusalem, Jesus permits one rare display of public celebration. Always before, he has hushed up his identity and shrunk back from the crowds that tried to coronate him. In the Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday, he lets people honor him as the true Messiah.

In some ways, this procession is a slapstick affair compared to the lavish processions of the Romans- Jesus rides into town on a donkey, after all, not in a gilded chariot. But the event, foretold by the prophets, has deep meaning for the Jews. Jesus is openly declaring himself the Messiah, and the Triumphal Entry sets all of Jerusalem astir. Religious leaders raise an alarm, and even the Romans take note of a man claiming to be a king. The next few chapters demonstrate how tragically short-lived public acceptance proves to be.

The last few weeks of Jesus' life show a mounting sense of urgency, as seen in several dramatic confrontations at the temple. In the spirit of the Old Testament prophets, Jesus brands greedy profiteers at the temple "robbers" and forcibly drives them out. Furthermore, Jesus does nothing to temper his harsh message. On the contrary, he parries the demand to explain what gives him the right to behave so aggressively, and he proceeds to tell a parable that seems deliberately provocative (12:1-12). He presents himself as the last resort, God's final attempt to break through humankind's' stubborn resistance.

Battle lines are drawn. One one side is Jesus, kept safe only by his widespread popularity. On the other side are leaders of the religious and political establishments. Threatened by Jesus' radical message of repentance and reform, they determine to find a way to trap Jesus and turn the crowd against him.

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Mark 10: Servant Leadership

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Jesus uses no false advertising in attracting disciples. He states the cost of following him in the bluntest terms. As the height of his popularity, as throngs of people are tailing him, Jesus talks about his forthcoming suffering and death. Such talk baffles his disciples, whose image of a Messiah includes no such dark notions. Showing incredible insensitivity, they lapse into petty disputes about status. They cannot embrace the message Jesus patiently repeats for them: in his kingdom, the greatest is the one who serves.

No matter how many times Jesus explains the way of the cross, it never seems to sink in. He uses curious techniques to gain recruits for his kingdom. He uses words like cross and slave, rather like a modern Marine Corps recruiter displaying photos of war amputees and dead soldiers. How can the ugly image of an executioner's cross fit the nation's dream of a new kingdom?

Jesus' own disciples- let alone the admiring crowds- are wholly unprepared for his type of kingdom. Its demands are too hard, its rewards too vague. Although Jesus makes a point of mentioning his resurrection whenever he talks about his death, the disciples grasp neither concept- until he dies and then comes back.

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Mark 9: Slow Learners

"O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."

At first, Jesus' disciples do not distinguish themselves- to put it mildly. Their most obvious trait is denseness: "Are you so dull?" Jesus asks more than once. Mark 9 shows the disciples bungling a work of healing, misunderstanding Jesus' hints about his coming death and resurrection, squabbling about status and trying to shut down the work of another disciple. Obviously, there is much in Jesus' mission they fail to understand.

In spite of the disciples' erratic performance, Jesus devotes much of his time to them. Outsiders still gather to watch and listen, but Jesus concentrates on training the Twelve, preparing them to carry on his work after his departure.

How do the disciples handle the increased attention? If anything, they prove even more inept. When Jesus refers to his coming death, they either miss the point or foolishly protest his plans. Sometimes they bicker over who deserves the most favored position. They obviously do not understand the dazzling events going on around them. In short, the disciples amply demonstrate the mixture of good and bad present in all of us. Sadly, after Jesus' arrest, despite vigorous pronouncements of loyalty, each one of the Twelve sneaks quietly and ashamedly away from Jesus in his moment of deepest need.

One event, however, will dramatically alter the Twelve. Something passes through their lives like a flame: Jesus' resurrection. After that incredible event, Jesus' patient hours of training seem to bear fruit at last. The disciple's change in behavior is astonishing. Of the proofs for the resurrection of Jesus, one of the most compelling is simply to compare these cowering disciples as portrayed in Mark with the bold, confident figures in the book of Acts. There, in a remarkable irony, we see the incredible advance of the early church being led by the two disciples who earned Jesus' strongest reprimands: John and Peter.

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Mark 8: Turning Point

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things.

Chapter 8 shows Jesus exasperated with his disciples. "Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?" he asks reproachfully. After seeing him feed 5,000 people and then 4,000 more, they still worry about their next meal. Still, for all their slow-wittedness the disciples have grasped something important about Jesus. The crowds see him as a reincarnation of a prophet- Elijah, perhaps, or John the Baptist. But Peter boldly pronounces Jesus "the Christ," the Messiah long predicted by the prophets (verse 29).

It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of the word Christ to first-century Jews. Ground down by centuries of foreign domination, they are staking all their hopes on a Messiah who will lead their nation back to glory. Matthew 16:17-19 records that Jesus, pleased by Peter's impulsive declaration, lavishes praise on him. Yet Peter's brightest moment barely precedes one of his worst- a few paragraphs later Jesus identifies Peter with Satan. What transpires between these two scenes marks an important turning point in the story of Jesus' life.

To Peter and the other disciples, the Messiah stands for wealth and fame and political power- the very temptations Jesus consistently resists during his ministry. The true Messiah, Jesus knows, must endure scorn, humiliation, suffering and even death. He is the suffering servant prophesied by Isaiah. He will end up in Jerusalem on a cross, a symbol of shame rather than honor.

Peter may have grasped Jesus' identity, but he has much to learn about Jesus' mission. Not comprehending the Messiah's ultimate goal, he wants Jesus to avoid suffering. Jesus knows otherwise. From this moment on, Jesus makes a strategic turn, leaving Galilee to head toward the capital of Jerusalem, where he will meet his fate.

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John 10: No Secrets

The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."

Every few years an author or scholar or even a movie maker raises new questions- or the same old questions- about Jesus' identity. Often such portrayals show him wandering around the earth in a daze, trying to figure out why he came and what he is supposed to be doing.

Nothing could be further from the account given us by John, Jesus' closest friend. According to John, Jesus was a man on a mission who knew exactly what he had come to Earth to accomplish. John states his purpose in writing very clearly: to get people to believe in Jesus the Messiah (20:31). His book selectively features incidents from Jesus' life to demonstrate who Jesus is.

"I am the gate," Jesus says in chapter 10; "I am the good shepherd." Jews who hear these words undoubtedly think back to Old Testament kings like David, who were fondly thought of as the shepherds of Israel. Unlike modern-day shepherds, who use dogs to drive their flocks, shepherds in Jesus' day walked ahead of the sheep, calling them to follow; the sheep would respond only to a familiar voice.

In the Old Testament, God is also called the "Shepherd of Israel" (Psalm 80:1). In claiming to be the good shepherd, Jesus is asserting his leadership over a flock he is willing to die for. When some challenge him bluntly, "If you are the Christ, tell us plainly," Jesus answers them with equal bluntness, saying, "I and the Father are one" (verse 30).

The pious Jews, understanding Jesus all too well, pick up stones to execute him for blasphemy. Not even these hostile reactions surprise Jesus, though. He expects opposition, even execution. As he explains here, a truly good shepherd, unlike a hired hand, "lays down his life for the sheep." This chapter explains why he makes that choice.

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Matthew 18: Out of Bondage

"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Legalists, people who follow strict rules of conduct, at first glance seem righteous. But Jesus warns against the subtle dangers of legalism. Oddly, legalism tends to lower a person's view of God. If I manage to meet all the requirements of a strict rule book, I may begin to feel secure about my goodness. In fact, I may even think I have earned God's approval through my own efforts.

Both Jesus' enemies (the Pharisees) and his friends (the disciples) seek a precise list of rules so they can feel they have fulfilled their obligations to God, which then gives them a sense of satisfaction. To such people, Jesus shouts a loud, "No!" We never outgrow our need for God; we never arrive in the Christian life. We survive spiritually only by constantly depending on God for mercy and for strength.

Jesus' disciple Peter tries almost ludicrously to reduce forgiveness to a mathematical formula. Let's see, exactly how many times must I forgive someone? Six? Seven? (verse 21) Jesus parries the question and tells a profound story about God's forgiveness- forgiveness so great and all-encompassing that it defies all mathematics.

The Pharisees continue along the same line in chapter 19 by trying to pin down a formula for divorce. Once again Jesus avoids the answer they want to hear and points instead to the principles that undergird all marriages. Later, in chapter 19, Jesus doesn't tell a rich person to give away 18.5% of his belongings; he says to give them all away. He doesn't restrict adultery to the act of intercourse; he connects it to lust, adultery of the heart. Murder? In principle, anger is no different.

In short, Jesus always refuses to lower the sights. He opposes every form of legalism, every human attempt to accumulate a list of credits. The credit goes to God, not us. The chief danger facing legalists is that they risk missing the Good News of God's grace, a gift freely given by God to people who don't deserve it.