Bible

In the Bible room today, we conclude our reading of the book of Mark with Session 4, the summaries of chapters 13 through 16.

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Mark

Session 4 of 4

Chapter 13. Glory

Leaving the temple, Jesus has some words about the temple walls:

• He says one day these walls will be thrown down;
• Later, the disciples ask Him when that will occur;
• Jesus tells them there will be signs of that coming time;
• He says deceivers will come, and there will be talk of wars;
• Nations will fight each other, and there will be earthquakes;
• The disciples will be arrested and severely mistreated;
• But the Holy Spirit will answer through them;
• Families will be broken up against each other;
• Jesus says there is coming a day of great tribulation;
• It will be like nothing that has gone before or ever again;
• There will be many false christs and prophets;
• After the tribulation, the sun and the moon will go dark;
• Then the Son of Man will come in great power and glory;
• And He will gather His chosen ones from everywhere;
• Only the Father knows when that day will come;
• Jesus tells His disciples, and everyone, to watch for that day.

Chapter 14. Nevertheless

The chief priests and scribes begin to plot the arrest and death of Jesus:

• It will be after the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread;
• At Bethany, a woman pours expensive perfume on Jesus’s head;
• Jesus says the woman was right to anoint Him for His burial;
• During this time Judas Iscariot plots with the chief priests;
• They will pay him money to betray Jesus at His arrest;
• In the evening, Jesus meets the twelve in a secret room;
• It has been prepared for them to celebrate the Passover;
• There, He tells them one of their own will betray Him;
• Jesus shares the Passover meal with them;
• He says the bread and wine are like His body and blood;
• This is the new covenant He is now making for everyone;
• They all leave the room, go out to the Mount of Olives;
• Jesus tells them they will have trouble because of Him;
• They all agree they will never deny being a friend of Jesus;
• He tells Peter he will deny Him three times that very night;
• At a place called Gethsemane Jesus says He wants to be alone;
• He asks them to wait while He goes to have a private prayer;
• Jesus is exceedingly sorrowful, distressed, almost to His death;
• He prays that His Father would relieve Him of this duty;
• But, nevertheless, He says He will accept His Father’s will;
• Jesus returns to find the disciples sleeping instead of watching;
• Then, an armed mob of religious leaders approaches;
• Judas greets Jesus with a kiss to tell the mob which one He is;
• They arrest Jesus, and the disciples all run away;
• Jesus is taken to the high priest for questioning;
• He will not respond to any of their questions, except one;
• When the high priest asks Him if He is the Son of God
• Jesus says He is, and they accuse Him of blasphemy;
• For this, they say He deserves the death penalty;
• Outside, Peter is seen trying to hide among the servants;
• Three times he denies knowing Jesus, then he remembers;
• Jesus had told him he would do this; Peter weeps.

Chapter 15. Crucified

The next morning Jesus is bound and taken to stand before Pilate:

• Pilate asks Him if He is King of the Jews;
• Jesus says it is as Pilate has said, then He remains silent;
• At Passover, Pilate always releases one prisoner;
• The people tell him to release Barabbas, crucify Jesus;
• Soldiers make a crown of thorns, put it on Jesus’s head;
• They put a purple robe on Him, call Him King of the Jews;
• After they mock Him, they put His clothes back on Him;
• They compel a man named Simon to carry the cross;
• Jesus is taken to a place called Golgotha to be crucified;
• A sign above His head reads KING OF THE JEWS;
• There were also two robbers crucified with Him;
• The priests and the people mock Jesus hanging on the cross;
• They say He saved others but cannot save Himself;
• In the dark at the ninth hour, Jesus cries out:
• “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
• Jesus cries out once more, then takes His last breath;
• A well-known man named Joseph asks Pilate for Jesus’s body;
• He takes Jesus from the cross, wraps Him in fine linen;
• He buries Jesus in his tomb, places a stone over the doorway;
• Two women named Mary observe where Jesus is buried.

Chapter 16. Risen

It’s early in the morning the first day of the week after the Sabbath:

• The two women named Mary take some spices to the tomb;
• They intend to anoint the body of Jesus;
• At the tomb they find the stone has already been moved;
• Inside, there is a young man in a white robe, seated at the side;
• He tells them Jesus is not here, He is risen;
• He says Jesus is going to Galilee to meet them there;
• Jesus had seen Mary Magdalene earlier that morning;
• She told some of the mourners but they would not believe it;
• Jesus appeared to two of His disciples who told the others;
• But they also would not believe that it was Jesus;
• Later, He scolded the eleven for not believing He had risen;
• He tells them to go into the world and preach the gospel;
• And tell everyone who believes and is baptized will be saved;
• He gives them power to perform miracles;
• After this, Jesus ascends into heaven to sit at God’s right hand;
• The disciples begin preaching everywhere as He told them.

End of Session 4 of 4 of the book of Mark.

(This concludes our reading of the book of Mark.)