And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! – Mark 11:9

CONSIDER
As we start a new series, it’s always good to consider where we’re heading over the next few weeks. Check out this week’s video for a behind the scenes overview of this series, the text, and this week’s application!

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How will I express worship to the Lord this week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! – Mark 11:9

GREEK
ὡσαννά/hósanna: “Oh, save now!” or “Please save!”

CONSIDER
Language is fluid. The meaning of specific words can change depending on the context, or over the course of time. In the year 1200 AD, the word “silly” was an adjective used to describe a pious or righteous person. In the 1300’s saying things were in “flux” with you meant that you had intestinal issues that *ahem* kept you tethered to the restroom. Not only is meaning directly derived from a culture’s agreed use of a word, but the proper understanding of that word also helps us keep meaning accurate and authentic.
As Jesus approached the city of Jerusalem, he was honored by a crowd of people waving palm branches and shouting hósanna (Save now! Please save!). This word originally was a plea for help or rescue, but by the time Jesus rode into the city of David, it was most commonly used as celebratory praise. Scholars still today debate whether the crowds thought they were honoring a good teacher, a political and military hero, or the long-awaited Messiah. Mark seems to be illustrating the fact that the crowd was using this word prophetically without realizing the full weight of their shouts. Even those who clung to the more specific but less common use of hósanna didn’t fully comprehend what they needed saving from. If they did, they likely wouldn’t have turned around less than one week later with cries to murder their savior. When considering this week’s application question, (How will I express worship to the Lord this week?) it’s crucial that we give more than ritualistic lip service to the One who is deserving of our praise. Regardless of whether our worship is expressed verbally or otherwise, recognizing our deep need and God’s absolute ability to save will ensure our authenticity while we worship.

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How will I express worship to the Lord this week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. And when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. – Mark 11:11

GREEK
περιβλεψάμενος/periblepsamenos: gaze all-around; lit. to closely observe with a sweeping (encompassing) look and with high personal involvement

CONSIDER
Chances are we’ve all experienced a moment when we couldn’t find the words to express what we wanted to say. Whether describing emotions, events, or even personal experiences, sometimes our language doesn’t match the scope or intensity that we want to communicate. Many times this is the challenge of translation from one language to another: how do we accurately express the depth of meaning across multiple languages? Today’s verse could suffer from this problem if we succumb to the temptation to read it and move on. Mark describes Jesus’ first act after his triumphal entry by saying he went to the Temple and periblepsamenos (closely observed with a meticulous and sweeping look) at everything. That seems pretty anti-climactic after having just been welcomed the way he did! We might be tempted to picture Jesus approaching the Temple complex, visually scanning the area, and then turning around to leave for Bethany. But the beauty of this word is found in its detailed meaning. Mark’s use of periblepsamenos shows that Jesus didn’t just glance around at the Temple, it was more like he was studying it. He was visually examining every square inch of the holiest of Jewish religious sites with an eye to a specific purpose. A purpose that would become clear in the days to come.
We all know what it’s like to assess our life and wonder what on earth God could be doing in it. At times we catch glimpses of majesty, but often we observe that God has missed an opportunity to move powerfully in a way that makes sense to us. But when we try to take our limited perspective and apply it to a limitless God we flatten him, stripping him of several elements of his divinity. We question what he could be doing, as if he’s standing at a distance simply looking around. But God is not bound by the limits of what we can observe. Both experience and scripture reveal that he’s actually closely and meticulously observing something with which he has high personal involvement, and that should spur us on to connect the dots of his divine intent in our lives.

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How will I express worship to the Lord this week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” – Mark 11:17

CONSIDER
Jesus had some incredible social momentum in Jerusalem after the crowd celebrated his arrival. What he did the very next day would shock, confuse and offend those in power. Check out this week’s video to take a deeper dive into why that was, our text in Mark, and this week’s application!

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When will I evaluate the object of my faith?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. – Mark 11:18

GREEK
ἐξεπλήσσετο/exeplēsseto: to strike out of one’s senses; to be utterly dumbfounded because of delight.

CONSIDER
According to the official FBI website, most people who become indoctrinated into extremist groups do so through virtually identical methods. The group in question convinces a person to become angry at a certain problem in the world, and then believe that hurting people is the only solution to that problem. When something has to change in society, anger goes a long way to doing something about that change. But does anger always have to lead to violence? Of course not. We’ve all seen something wrong in our world and have felt angry as a result. But rather than ending violently, our anger has hopefully motivated us to positive action in pursuit of that change.
When Jesus became angry at the lack of fruit he saw from Israel, as displayed in cleansing the Temple and cursing the fig tree, it made the religious authorities want to hurt him. To them, it was the only way to stop his influence on the crowd, because the people were exeplēsseto (dumbfounded with delight, “flabbergasted”) at his teaching. But the revolutionary thing about Jesus’ teaching was that his call for change was anchored in serving rather than destroying. Mark’s use of the Greek showcases the unique response to Jesus that the crowds had. They weren’t just amazed; exeplēsseto literally means the crowds were knocked over with delight! The change that Jesus was calling for had nothing to do with revolutionary despotism or violent extremism. It was ironic then, that it was met with brutality by those wishing to remain in power. The extreme responses to Jesus from the crowd and from Israel’s leaders still exist today. When we fully grasp the weight of change that Jesus calls for in the gospel, we will either become exeplēsseto at its beauty or angered by its implications. May we never seek to hold on to our philosophy of the way things should be at the expense of the beauty of Jesus’ teaching.

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When will I evaluate the object of my faith?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” – Mark 11:25

GREEK
ἀφίετε/aphiete: To send away or release; discharge

CONSIDER
When Jesus called brothers Peter and Andrew, he found them working the family business. They were fishermen casting nets on the Sea of Galilee, but when they heard his call to discipleship they walked away from all that was familiar and followed him. The text indicates that they didn’t stop to think about it or even finish their shift; they immediately let go of their nets in pursuit of Jesus.
This act of letting go is exactly how the New Testament characterizes forgiveness. In fact, the word used to describe Peter and Andrew’s act of leaving their nets is the same word Jesus used to command us to forgive others in prayer. In today’s verse, Jesus tells us, “whenever you stand praying, aphiete (send away, release), if you have anything against anyone.” Jesus uses an active verb to express what forgiveness looks like when we sense broken relationships in our lives. Rather than holding tight to what’s comfortable or convenient, we are instructed to aphiete those things that we have against anyone we’re connected to. This includes our desire to be right, vindicated, or repaid, which we often cling to as a way to “square up” our transactional relationships. Choosing to aphiete will demonstrate our willingness to reject this type of exchange as we embrace God’s plan to live in freedom.

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When will I evaluate the object of my faith?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away. – Mark 12:12

CONSIDER
The more Jesus taught, the more upset he made the leaders in Jerusalem. But didn’t he preach a simple message of love and grace? What made his teaching so offensive to the religious elite? Check out this week’s video to take a deeper dive into our text in Mark and this week’s application!

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To what area of influence will I commit to bring the clarity of the gospel?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

and they said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” – Mark 11:28

GREEK
ἐξουσίᾳ/exousia: delegated power; moral authority or weight

CONSIDER
Renowned 20th Century psychologist Rudolf Dreikurs conducted groundbreaking research studying misbehavior in children. The product of his 45-year research career was the discovery that children act out for one broad reason: their desire to belong. He believed that humans are wired for connectedness and when a child feels like an outsider, they will attempt almost anything to either get noticed by others or keep their place in the group. Dreikurs’ work began before World War II and was largely dismissed during his time. However, recently there has been a resurgence of research that has agreed with his basic premise: our identity is connected to where – and if – we belong.
One of the most beautiful aspects of the gospel is its insistence that because of Jesus, you belong to the family of God no matter how “misbehaved” you’ve been in life. When you draw your ultimate identity from anything other than this truth (be it your reputation, career, relationship, ability, etc.) you will stop at nothing to keep it there. When the religious elite took Jesus as a threat to their exousia (delegated power, moral authority) they immediately began plotting to destroy him and his ministry. Was this because a position of authority or power is intrinsically bad? Not at all. But these priests, scribes, and elders had anchored their identity in their exousia, and Jesus was a threat to that. So even though these men were supposed to lovingly point people toward God, they were about to commit misbehavior on a grand scale. The only place where our ultimate identity is secure, is in Christ, who provided us an unconditional place to belong apart from any achievement or efforts of our own.

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To what area of influence will I commit to bring the clarity of the gospel?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away. – Mark 12:12

GREEK
ἐφοβήθησαν/ephobēthēsan: to be terrified so as to be put to flight

CONSIDER
We all know what our natural “fight or flight” response feels like. In moments of alarm, we are wired to answer in an active way, whether the cause of that alarm is perceived or real, physical, emotional, or social. Turns out it’s natural for us to respond actively to any threat to our current way of life.
When the religious leaders in Jerusalem met Jesus, they perceived him as a threat to their position and power. Their natural reaction to that threat was to want to arrest Jesus, but they ephobēthēsan (became afraid to the point of being put to flight) the people, so they left Jesus and went away. One insidious way that fear robs a person of their potential is through sabotaging their purpose. Instead of calculated and deliberate action, fear causes an unintentional response. It keeps you from planning the best course of action for your one and only life because fear seems to enjoy dictating how you live. The religious establishment was in a position to lead people to God and his kingdom, but instead became scared they would lose their influence in the system and thus became ephobēthēsan of the people’s reaction to them. You might be thinking, “But I can’t help what scares me! If I could control those things that cause me to ephobēthēsan I would obviously do it.” That statement feels true enough: fear itself seems like an involuntary reaction to some particular thing. However, when we’re able to step back and reflect on why that thing scares us, we can see where we’re placing – and misplacing – our hope. If we become irrationally alarmed at threats to our job, relationships, investments, autonomy, etc. there’s a good chance that those good things have become ultimate things. The antidote to this reality isn’t a better system of protection; it’s repentance! As we replace our hope in these things with the truth of the Gospel, we will inevitably find the things we fear most have lost their grip on our peace and joy.

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To what area of influence will I commit to bring the clarity of the gospel?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.. – Mark 12:27

CONSIDER
In this week’s passage, we see several groups of people bringing questions about authority to Jesus. And while our motives should be different than theirs, we should follow their lead and bring our questions to him as well. These topics and questions are a worthy wrestle, in large part because they impact our eternal mission. Check out this week’s video to take a deeper dive into the week’s application!

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What right is God asking me to lay down so I can serve others?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. – Mark 12:13

GREEK
ἀγρεύσωσιν/agreusōsin: To catch one’s prey during a hunting expedition

CONSIDER
In the late 1800s, there was no bigger personality in the Adirondacks than “French Louis.” Louis was a trapper, who made a living selling fur all over the region and from Canada to New York City. Although he was a hermit, he was universally loved by the people who met him, and when he died, the local school was closed so children could attend his funeral. Even his burial costs were split between two of the towns in which his extensive trap lines were set up. Responsible trapping doesn’t have to be nefarious, but the goal of hunting this way is always the control and conquest of something else. With this in mind, it’s interesting that Mark uses the Greek word agreusōsin (to trap prey while hunting) to describe how the Pharisees and Herodians approached Jesus. They wanted to agreusōsin him in his talk, precisely because they wanted to exercise control over him. These groups were accustomed to being the authority in their part of society, and Jesus was a threat to that.
We might be tempted to read this story and declare those in conversation with Jesus foolish, but they were simply doing what every human has done since Adam & Eve. These leaders wanted to retain authority over their own spheres of influence, so they tried to incapacitate Jesus and keep him from meddling in their lives. But this kind of authority is precisely what Jesus desires! It’s important to recognize that our heart is wired to do whatever it takes to maintain authority, and left unchecked it will develop methods to agreusōsin so that his authority won’t be released over our lives. Thankfully, the gospel declares that there is hope for people like us. The Good News is that Jesus’ work on our behalf is what Augustus Toplady called the “double cure.” It appeases the wrath of God for our stubborn hearts, and it also purifies us from the sinful stain of trying to usurp the authority of Christ.

APPLY
What right is God asking me to lay down so I can serve others?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.” – Mark 12:27

GREEK
πλανᾶσθε/planasthe: to deviate from the correct path; roam into error

CONSIDER
Because the planets in our solar system have different rates of revolution and rotate around the sun at different speeds, time is measured differently on each of them. In fact, there are websites that will calculate your age if you lived on the various planets. For example, a twenty-nine year old person on Earth would have taken 124 trips around the sun if they were on Mercury but would have only just recently finished their first year living on Saturn. The unique movements of the planets are why we call them “planets” in the first place! Greek astronomers recognized that these bodies weren’t fixed in place like other stars were, and named them planítes, or “wanderers” as they were figuring out exactly what they were.
The Sadducees thought of themselves as theologically steady; fixed in place by adhering to the Law as they interpreted it. Looking for a way to catch Jesus in poor theology, they asked him a question about the resurrection, which they did not believe in. Jesus’ response to their question was basically, you’re asking the wrong question. They weren’t interested in the truth, they simply wanted to perpetuate their agenda. They missed the point that the resurrection is a new kind of life altogether with God at the center, rather than the continuation of our current reality. Jesus let them know that their perspective was quite planasthe(to wander or roam into error; deviate from the correct path). Taken from the same Greek word for planets, planasthe communicates the idea that the Sadducees had wandered away from what really mattered. They could have wielded their theological influence to care for people. They could have leveraged their authority to point to the Kingdom of God. But they planastheaway from where they should have been and used their significance to protect their position. Lord, keep us from the temptation to drift from where you have strategically placed us!

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What right is God asking me to lay down so I can serve others?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And you shall 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 12:30

CONSIDER
Assumptions, preconceived ideas, good intentions, misplaced confidence… how do these things play into our motives and how do we remain open hearted to the teachings of Jesus? Check out this week’s video to take a deeper dive into the week’s application!

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What needs to change in my life if God is truly the center?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. – Mark 12:33

GREEK
συνέσεως/syneseōs: joining together facts for holistic understanding; to synthesize

CONSIDER
This Scribe’s quoting of the Shema – the declaration in Deuteronomy that God is one – highlights the truth that we are to love him with all of our syneseōs(synthesizing of separate facts to create a unified, holistic picture of truth). Typically rendered understanding, this word conceptualizes the principle that using our minds is a critical component to loving and worshiping God. It’s encouraging to know that these acts don’t require us to stop thinking and blindly submit. In fact, syneseōs shows us that we are expected to engage our mind in a way that “connects the dots” of experience and facts to synthesize truth. Does this mean that truth is interpreted individually? No, but it does mean that it is our responsibility to use our brains as we approach God. Think of it this way: God had given us his word and has left us his Spirit to reveal universal truth and point us to Jesus. But we need to take what we have learned from both and wisely apply it to our unique life situations and relationship with him. When we engage our minds and link the evidence of God’s goodness and glory together, we have some of the key ingredients of authentic worship!

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What needs to change in my life if God is truly the center?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions. – Mark 12:34

GREEK
ἐτόλμα/etolma: to have courage; be bold

CONSIDER
Can you remember the last risk you took in your life? Whether you are risk-averse or jump in with both feet, what we are willing to attempt says a lot about what we value. For example, a Mom might reject an invitation to fly to Florida for a vacation with friends, but will gladly take an airplane to ensure that her child gets proper medical care. Looking at today’s verse, it’s clear that the religious leaders were unwilling to risk asking Jesus any more questions because Mark shows us that no one etolma (to find courage, risk boldness) to ask him any more questions. So what did they fear losing? The list is likely very long, but clearly they feared losing power, authority, prestige, and the like. At the root of our reasons not to etolma something is the fear of loss. Humans are wired with the desire to hang on to what we have at all costs, and risk feels too much like relinquishing control of what we have. If we truly want to apply this week’s application question to our lives, this kind of risk is going to come with it. You see, in order for God to truly become the center of our lives, He will naturally have to displace something that we’re accustomed to holding tight to. And while this might feel like we shouldn’t have etolma to give him control, this act of worship will demonstrate how much we value God’s will being accomplished in our lives.

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What needs to change in my life if God is truly the center?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. – Mark 12:43

CONSIDER
At Centerway, our strategy is to be Spirit-Led, Gospel-Centered, and Disciple-Making. But this grid is beneficial to filter our personal and day-to-day decisions through as well. When we dare to do so, whether we’re risk-averse or risk-tolerant, we are choosing to give God ultimate control of our lives. To explore this issue in greater depth, check out this week’s video!

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What God-risk will I take this week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces – Mark 12:38

GREEK
στολαῖς/stolais: a long robe worn by the upper class

CONSIDER
Charles Darwin developed a theory about peacocks that has lasted for around 150 years. He believed that their unique plumage served to attract a mate by standing out from other peafowl. However, over the past few decades another theory has rivaled Darwin’s. Biologist Amotz Zahavi theorized that instead of merely attracting a mate due to the color of their plumage, peacocks use their feathers to showcase their health and strength to potential mates. Whatever the reason, these birds aren’t unique in using their appearance to get noticed by others.
Jesus made a point in today’s verse to point out that the scribes enjoyed walking around in their stolais (long robes worn by the social elite). These outer garments not only showed off their stature, but they also would have communicated their role to those they passed by. Their original intent was to be worn while performing ceremonial duties, but by wearing stolais in the marketplace as well, they were hoping to set themselves apart from the crowd. These scribes didn’t just love to be seen, they wanted to be revered for their importance. Jesus rightly asks us to beware of such people. Anyone who would use their role in the kingdom of God to point to themselves misses the point entirely. Our role is to direct others to the Father, but the scribes had it backward and made it about them. This is a prime example of what happens to our hearts when we try to establish our identity outside of Jesus. As the perfect Son of God, he could have commanded attention by wielding power or demanding reverence. Instead, Jesus chose to serve those around him and pointed to the Father in all things. Which approach sounds more attractive to you?

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What God-risk will I take this week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” – Mark 12:44

GREEK
περισσεύοντος/perisseuontos: to superabound; to be in excess of resources

CONSIDER
According to Barrons, at the end of 2020 there were 3,288 billionaires in the world. Their combined $14.7 Trillion (US) wealth would make them the 2nd wealthiest nation in the world if they decided to form a country. Elon Musk’s wealth alone grew so much in 2020 that he averaged earning over $17 million everyday – almost $12,000 a minute! With so many people equating financial success with wisdom, these superwealthy people hold influence beyond their areas of expertise. But is it their valuation that makes them valuable?
As Jesus watched people from all walks of life putting money into the offering box, he was struck by the contribution of a widow who gave two copper coins. These coins were worth about a penny, but amounted to everything she owned. Others more wealthy than her contributed large sums of money, but Jesus says these rich people gave out of their perisseuontos (superabundance, an excess amount of resources). This word implies that their giving made no impact whatsoever on the way they lived their lives. Although the amount was considerable, the impact to their personal wealth was as insignificant as Elon buying a pizza. And while it’s true that Jesus was illustrating how critical it is to give from the heart, he is also taking the way we value people and turning it upside-down. To God, the giver is to be valued above the gift; the person above the person’s net worth. Jesus never disparages the rich themselves, but rather warns us not to place greater importance on people who have more expensive stuff. The temptation might be to equate earthly possessions with Heavenly blessing, but Jesus’ teaching reminds us that the most valuable gift imaginable isn’t able to be purchased.

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What God-risk will I take this week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. – Mark 13:13

CONSIDER
When athletes are interviewed after winning a championship in their sport, invariably you will hear some form of the phrase “hard work pays off.” The quote is meant to imply that their team won the World Series or she became the Wimbledon champion because they put in more effort than anyone else. But there are significant flaws in this “humble brag,” in part because effort is impossible to quantify from one team to the next. Who gets to say whether Team A outworked Team B? Unfortunately the winner usually gets to be the judge, since they are the ones holding the trophy.
When Jesus warned his hearers of the signs of the end of the age, he gave the criteria for those who will be saved. He said the one who hypomeinas (remains under the load; endures) to the end will be saved. At first glance, it’s tempting to equate this Greek word with our effort. “If I can just tough it out in the middle of tribulations I will be saved!” But if it is all based on personal effort, questions arise like, How much endurance is enough to make it to the end? And, Do I get to be the judge of whether I have given enough effort, or will God judge me?Thankfully, the Gospel declares that because Jesus endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2-3) the hypomeinas we need to exhibit comes from trusting Jesus. His effort has become our effort in a divine exchange, and as he says in Matthew 11:30, the only load we need to remain under is his easy yoke and light burden. Because of this, there is no worrying or wondering if we’ve done enough – trusting him until the end promises to lead to salvation!

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How will I proclaim the Gospel this week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. – Mark 13:13

GREEK
σωθήσεται/sōthēsetai: to heal, preserve, rescue

CONSIDER
In November 2020 Angela Poblocki was hiking Allen Mountain in the Adirondacks in her pursuit of bagging all 46 High Peaks. Misjudging the time it would take to complete the 17.7-mile trek in cold weather, Poblocki spent three nights in the wilderness while search and rescue teams worked around the clock, hoping to beat the odds that were increasingly against them. Thankfully, she was found on the shoulder of Allen, still alive but suffering from severe hypothermia. DEC Rangers, State Troopers, and even local volunteers helped Poblocki down the mountain to an interior landing zone where a helicopter flew her to receive proper medical attention.
When Jesus encouraged us to endure until the end of the approaching tribulation, he promised that the result would be that we will be sōthēsetai(healed, preserved, rescued). This is a Greek word that has a broad range of meanings which are brought out with the context. Here, Jesus uses sōthēsetaiin terms of rescue or preservation. In other passages (see Mark 5:8, 10:52) he uses its root word in terms of healing and wholeness. Angela Poblocki required multiple aspects of salvation while enduring the elements on Allen Mountain. She for sure needed rescue, but also depended upon help for healing, preservation, and even direction. And while Poblocki’s situation was extreme, it illustrates the need that each one of us has for sōthēsetai. It’s tempting to think that we can navigate the path of life on our own, with the exception of those rare occasions where we need help choosing the proper trail. But Scripture makes it clear that we are in need of sōthēsetai in every sense, from healing and wholeness to rescue and preservation. The cross doesn’t point us in the right direction, it finds us, rescues us, heals us, and restores us.

APPLY
How will I proclaim the Gospel this week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand. – Mark 13:23

GREEK
βλέπετε/blepete: to be observant and watchful

CONSIDER
Does eating saturated fats cause weight gain? Will sitting on the couch all day increase your risk for heart disease? Does spending more than you earn eventually lead to a negative account balance? The answer to each of these questions is a resounding yes, and yet still these actions are on the rise in the United States. This is not a result of people being ignorant to the truth. In fact, our society knows more about risk than ever before. But one popular theory that explains why humans knowingly engage in risky behavior is called Optimism Bias. Simply put, this theory says that humans ignore the warning signs of danger because they assume that bad things could only happen to other people and never to themselves. When we ignore the warning not to text and drive, we’re displaying Optimism Bias that distracted driving could never affect someone as skilled as us.
In Mark 13:23, Jesus gives his followers a warning. He cautions them to blepete (be watchful and observant). If we’re not careful we could interpret his warning as a generalized admonition, like when we say goodbye to a loved one by telling them to “drive safely.” But Jesus is actually being quite specific, and if we don’t recognize what he is warning us about, we could find ourselves in danger. The verses in this pericope paint a picture of the destruction of Jerusalem, which happened in the 1st century AD, and then move into a picture of the end of all things. Jesus here is warning us of leaders who will try to not only predict the timeline of events, but will accompany their predictions with signs and wonders. As humans, it’s natural for us to want to know what is going to happen, and these false teachers hope that a sign might persuade us to trust their perspective. But no sign can compare to the miracle of the empty tomb! By heeding Jesus’ command to blepete, we can both prepare ourselves for his imminent return and be safe from the perils that come from taking our eyes off him.

APPLY
How will I proclaim the Gospel this week?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. – Mark 13:33

CONSIDER
There is so much to be thankful for in our lives, but there is so much that can distract us from what really matters. How can we ensure that we have the right perspective in a world that throws so much at us? Check out this week’s video to go deeper into the text!

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What would I do differently if I knew I’d stand before God tonight?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. – Mark 13:28

So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. – Mark 13:29

GREEK
γινώσκετε/ginōskete: to recognize as a result of personal experience

CONSIDER
The benefit of journeying through the Gospel of Mark at the pace we’ve been going is that we can more easily pick up language patterns the author uses that might not be evident in our language. For example, in Mark 5 we see a woman who is in need of healing, and as she reached out and touched Jesus’ garments the author says that she immediately felt healing in her body. But the Greek verb here that gets translated “felt” is derived from the same word as ginōskete (to recognize as a result of personal experience) in Mark 13:28-29. In chapter 5, the healed woman knew the pain of her physical brokenness so well, that when healing virtue flowed from Jesus to her, she knew from experience that something had changed. And in today’s verses, Jesus assumes his readers are so familiar with the signs of the seasons that they see the fig tree and ginōskete summer is approaching. For Mark, knowing and feeling are both connected to deep personal experience, and they both help shape our perspective as a result.
There is clearly an aspect of intimacy associated with this word. The healed woman was keenly aware of every ebb and flow of her health. The farmer has intimate knowledge of what the slightest change in temperature and pressure mean to the harvest. And in verse 29, Jesus admonishes us to ginōskete the spiritual signs that He is near. As Claude mentioned in Sunday’s gathering, the second coming of Jesus is a theological reality. But rather than it being a fear-inducing event, as we deepen our relationship with Jesus, knowing his character more and more (ginōskete), we will wait in hope for the One who has changed our entire perspective.

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What would I do differently if I knew I’d stand before God tonight?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!

And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” – Mark 13:37

GREEK
γρηγορεῖτε/grēgoreite: keep watch, be on the alert

CONSIDER
According to Google, the most misspelled word between March 2020 and March 2021 was “quarantine.” It makes sense, right? Before the pandemic, quarantine was considered a low-frequency word and so people didn’t need to spell it often. However, there is no excuse for the #1 way quarantine gets misspelled: “corn teen.” This is just one example of humans believing their judgment is correct when they are far from reality.
In the ancient world, travelers returning from a long journey would hardly ever return at night. There were no headlights or lamp posts, and the risk of thieves made this incredibly rare. When Jesus instructed his hearers to grēgoreite(keep watch, be on the alert), he was warning against humanity’s propensity for poor judgment. A person on watch would be very tempted to let their guard down and neglect the duties of their post. But Jesus’ message is designed to remind us that there is no time that is off-limits for his return, and we need to grēgoreite even when we judge watching unnecessary. It’s a mistake to think that Jesus doesn’t want us to rest or is demanding that we “stand guard” in perpetuity. Rather, he knows that our judgment isn’t always the best, and is reminding us that he has a perspective that we don’t.

APPLY
What would I do differently if I knew I’d stand before God tonight?

To listen to songs from this week’s worship set and the series on Spotify click here!