In Today's Email:
Mark 12 Notes
In this chapter Christ is confronted by His enemies in the Temple.
vs. 1-12 – This parallels Matthew 21:33-46 and Luke 20:9-19. The Parable of the Husbandmen pictures God’s long-suffering mercy towards Israel. It illustrates how time after time Israel rejected God and His messengers. It ends with God sending the ultimate Messenger in Christ, only to be rejected again. You can observe a change in the tone of this parable from others as it ends with harsh judgment. Christ points to His rejection as fulfillment of Psalm 118:22. Note that His enemies understood that they were targeted in these parables.
vs. 13-17 – This parallels Matthew 22:15-22 and Luke 20:20-26. The next trap laid for Christ is a question regarding paying taxes to Rome. To support the taxes would anger Jewish nationalists. To denounce the taxes would anger the Roman authorities. Christ recognizes both the religious and civil responsibilities of man. There should be no conflict between the two. The penny here is a Roman denarius, which had a portrait of the Caesar (Tiberius if it were recently minted) with a script identifying him and his accolades.
vs. 18-27 – This parallels Matthew 22:23-33 and Luke 20:27-40. The next trap is by the Sadducees, who denied that there was a resurrection. Their logic puzzle involves a woman married in succession to seven brothers with no children by any of them. Citing Deuteronomy 25:5, who would she be married to after the Resurrection? Christ upends their entire argument by revealing that life beyond death is far different than our earthly life. He supports the doctrine of the resurrection by quoting Exodus 3:6 and 16.
vs. 28-34 – This parallels Matthew 22:34-40. The next trap is an attempt to get Christ to comment on a hotly debated topic that seemingly had no single correct and answer. What was the greatest commandment? Christ quotes Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 to show that there are two great commandments: love God and love your neighbor. Christ remarks that the questioner is close to finding the truth and accepting Christ.
vs. 35-37 – This parallels Matthew 22:41-46 and Luke 20:41-44. Christ presses a question on His enemies. How could the Messiah be the Son of David (II Samuel 7:12-14) if David acknowledged that the Messiah was his superior in Psalm 110:1? None could answer without acknowledging that the Messiah was eternal and the possibility that Christ was that Messiah.
vs. 38-40 – This parallels Matthew 23:1-39 and Luke 20:45-47. Christ denounces the sins of the self-important and self-righteous religious elite. Matthew’s account is far more detailed.
vs. 41-44 – This parallels Luke 21:1-4. Inside the Temple were chests for receiving offerings of coins. He witnesses a widow timidly give two mites. The word used for these coins is lepton, which is Greek word for a small coin. Two of these are said to make one Roman quadrans, a small bronze coin equal to 1/64 of a denarius. The exact coins were likely the half-prutah, a small coin of little value minted around Israel under the Hasmoneans and Herodians. Regardless of the details, know that this was the smallest amount of money she could possibly give. Christ, however, notes that it is not the size of the gift but the faith of the giver that counts. She gave all she could afford, while many wealthy gave larger amounts that they would never miss.
Mark 13 Notes
In this chapter is the Olivet Discourse.
vs. 1-4 – This parallels Matthew 24:1-3 and Luke 21:4-7. Christ tours the Temple complex in Jerusalem and comments that all these building will be destroyed in the future. This was fulfilled by the Romans in 70 A.D. The disciples ask Christ for more information on the End Times, and Christ speaks about the Tribulation leading up to His return at Armageddon.
vs. 5-13 – This parallels Matthew 24:4-14 and Luke 21:8-19. The events described here are in the Tribulation period. These are the signs of the times the Jews at that times should be looking for.
vs. 14-20 - This parallels Matthew 24:15-22 and Luke 21:20-24. The Abomination of Desolation is an event prophesied in Daniel 9:27, 11:31, and 12:11. It is when the Antichrist desecrates the rebuilt Temple and proclaims his deity 3 ½ years into the Tribulation. This breaks the peace treaty he made with Israel, and the Jews becomes targets of fierce persecution.
vs. 21-27 – This parallels Matthew 24:23-31 and Luke 21:25-28. This contrasts the false messiahs that will pop up in the Tribulation with the glorious return of Christ at its close.
vs. 28-29 – This parallels Matthew 24:32-33 and Luke 21:29-31. The Parable of the Fig Tree encourages the Jews to watch the signs around them to know that the end is near.
vs. 30-33 – This parallels Matthew 24:34-35 and Luke 21:32-33. The Jews are warned to be ready, for all these things shall surely come to pass.
vs. 34-37 – This parallels Matthew 24:42-51 and Luke 21:34-36. The Jews are warned to be ready, because Christ will appear suddenly without warning.
Closing Thoughts
The story of the Widow’s mites is one of my favorites in the Gospels. For one reason, I enjoy studying the coins of the Bible. But there are also great spiritual applications to be made. We note that Christ sees what we do. He judges what is small or great, based not on the gift itself, but on faith and sacrifice behind it. Not everyone can give millions of dollars to the work of the Gospel, but everyone can do something. If Christ can feed thousands with a few loaves and fishes, imagine what He can do with anything we give to Him!
Hymn for Today
Our hymn today is “Freely Give,” written by the incomparable Fanny Crosby in 1896.
Would you win a Saviour's blessing?
Freely, freely give;
Would you see his work progressing?
Freely, freely give;
Let your souls with love expand,
Open wide a liberal hand;
Would you follow God's command?
Freely, freely give.
With a cheerful heart and willing,
Freely, freely give;
Like the dew its balm distilling,
Freely, freely give;
Have you little? Give your mite;
O how precious in his sight!
He your off'ring will requite;
Freely, freely give.
Give to spread the grand Old Story,
Freely, freely give;
Give to speed the light of glory,
Freely, freely give;
Would you gain a rich reward
In the harvest of the Lord?
Then obedient to his word,
Freely, freely give.