The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 4 [ RETURN TO MENU ]
Jesus Explains Why He Uses Stories
Jesus began to teach near the sea again, and the crowd of people that came was very large, so He went into a boat and sat in it on the sea. All the crowd was on the land near the sea. He taught them many things in stories.
He said to them in His teaching, "Listen, a farmer went out to plant seeds. Some seeds fell at the side of the road when he planted them, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on ground that had many rocks and not much dirt. The plants came up immediately because the dirt was not deep. But the sun burned the plants when it came up and they died, because they did not have any roots. Other seeds fell where there were many thorns. The thorns grew up and did not give the seeds enough space to grow, so they did not produce any grain. Other seeds fell on good ground, and they grew up and became large, and they produced 30, 60, and 100 times as much grain." Jesus said, "You should listen if you have ears to hear with."
The Twelve and the other people following Him who were near Jesus asked Him about the stories, when He was alone.
He said to them, "The secret of God's kingdom is given to you. But everything is said in stories to the people who are outside the kingdom, so they will continue to look but won't see the truth, and they will continue to hear but won't understand. They would turn to God and be forgiven if they did."
Jesus Explains about the Farmer
He said to them, "Don't you understand this story? How will you understand any of the stories then? The farmer plants God's message, and some people are beside the road where God's message is planted. Satan comes immediately after they hear it, and takes away the message that was planted in them. In the same way, some people are the rocky ground where the seeds were planted. These people receive God's message immediately with joy when they hear it, but they do not have any roots inside themselves, and they are strong only for a short time. They turn away from God immediately when they are tested or have problems because of the message. Other people are the ones where the seeds were planted among the thorns. These people hear the good news, but other things come in. They worry about life, or riches deceive them, or they want other things. This does not give God's message enough space to grow and the message cannot produce fruit. Other people are the ones where the seeds were planted on good ground. They hear God's message and accept it, and produce 30, 60, and 100 times more fruit."
Jesus Teaches People to Use What They Have
Jesus said to them, "Does a person bring a lamp so he can put it under a basket or a bed? Doesn't he put it on a lampstand? Everything that is hidden will be shown. Everything that is secret will be brought into the light. You should listen if you have ears to hear with." He said to them, "Think carefully about what you hear. The amount that you give will be the amount you receive, and even more will be given to you. The person who has much will be given more. The person who doesn't have much, even what he has will be taken away from him."
Jesus Uses a Story about Seeds that Grow
Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is like a man who plants seeds in the ground. He sleeps and gets up every night and every day, and the seeds come up and the plants grow, though he does not understand how they grow. The ground produces grain by itself. It produces the plant first, then the head, then all the grain in the head. But, the man cuts the grain from the plant immediately when it is ready, because it is time for the harvest."
Jesus said, "What will we say the kingdom of God is like? What story will we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed. It is planted in the ground and is smaller than all the other seeds in the ground. But it grows up, and it becomes larger than all the garden plants. The branches grow very large, and the birds from the sky can live in its shade."
Jesus spoke His message to them in stories like these. He told them as much as they were able to understand. He did not say anything to them without using a story, but He explained everything to His followers when He was alone with them.
Jesus Calms a Storm
It was evening on that day and Jesus said to His followers, "Let's go over to the other side." They went away from the crowd of people, and took Jesus with them in the boat. Other boats were also with Him. A very strong storm with much wind came, and the waves came into the boat, and the boat was filled with water. Jesus was sleeping in the back of the boat on a cushion. They woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, don't You care if we die?"
He got up and ordered the wind to stop, and said to the waves of the sea, "Be quiet and stop!" The wind stopped and everything was completely calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still not have any faith?"
They were full of fear and they said to each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the sea obey Him!"
The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 5 [ RETURN TO MENU ]
Jesus Orders Evil Spirits to Leave a Man
Jesus and His followers went to the other side of the sea, and came to the area of the Gerasene people. A man with an evil spirit came from the graves immediately to meet Jesus when He came out from the boat. The man lived where the graves were and no person was able to tie him up. They could not even tie him with a chain because they had tied him with chains on his hands and feet often, but he pulled the chains on his hands into pieces, and he broke the chains on his feet into many pieces. No one was strong enough to control him. He shouted all night and all day in the place where the graves were and in the mountains, and he cut his body with stones. The man saw Jesus when he was still far away and he ran to Jesus and went down on his knees in front of Him.
He called out with a loud voice, "Jesus, Son of the Most High God, why do You want me? I ask You to promise by God that You will not punish me!" He said this because Jesus had said to him, "You evil spirit, come out from this man!"
Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He answered, "My name is Legion because there are many of us."
The evil spirit began to beg Jesus again and again not to send them away from that area.
There was a large group of pigs eating on the side of the mountain then, and the evil spirits asked Jesus, "Send us among the pigs so we can go inside them." So, Jesus let the evil spirits come out and go into the pigs. The group of pigs ran very fast down the side of the mountain, and they all died in the sea. There were about 2,000 pigs. The men who always fed the pigs ran away and told about it in the city and out in the places near there and people came to see what had happened.
Then they came to where Jesus was, and they saw the same man sitting there who had been controlled by the many evil spirits. His mind was normal and he had clothes on his body. They were afraid, and the people who had seen it told the other people what had happened to the man who was controlled by the evil spirits. They told them also about the pigs. They began to beg Jesus to go away from the area where they lived.
The man who was controlled by the evil spirits begged Jesus to let him go with Him, when Jesus went into the boat. Jesus did not let him come with Him, and He said to him, "Go home to your family, and tell them about the great things the Lord has done for you, and that He was merciful to you." So, he went on his way and began to tell in Decapolis about the great things Jesus did for him, and all the people were full of wonder.
Jesus Brings a Dead Girl Back to Life
Jesus went over again to the other side of the lake in the boat. A large crowd of people came to Him, and He stayed near the sea. One of the synagogue rulers named Jairus went there and fell down at Jesus' feet when he saw Him. He begged Jesus, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her, so she can be healed and live." So, Jesus went with him, and a very large crowd of people followed Him and they pushed close to Him.
There was a woman who had very strong bleeding from her body for twelve years. She had suffered very much and had gone to many doctors. She spent all her money but she did not become better. Her condition became worse. She heard the things about Jesus, so she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His clothes. She did this because she thought, "I will be healed if I can just touch His clothes." The bleeding from her body stopped immediately. She knew that the disease in her body was healed.
Jesus knew in himself immediately that some of God's power had gone out from Him. So, He turned in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"
His followers said to Him, "You see the people in the crowd pushing in toward You and You ask, 'Who touched Me?'"
Jesus looked around to see who did it, but the woman was full of fear, and her body shook, because she knew what had happened to her. She came and fell down in front of Him, and told Him the complete truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be healed from your disease."
Some people came from the synagogue ruler's house while Jesus was still speaking. They said, "Your daughter is dead. Why do you trouble the Teacher any longer?" But Jesus heard what they said, and He said to the synagogue ruler, "Do not be afraid anymore. Only believe."
Jesus did not let anyone go with Him except Peter, James, and John (the brother of James). They came to the synagogue ruler's house and Jesus saw great confusion there. The people were crying sadly and loudly. Jesus said to them after He went in, "Why are you making confusion and crying? The child is not dead, but she is asleep." They laughed at Him. But He sent them all outside and took the child's father and mother and His followers with Him, and went in where the child was.
He took the child's hand and said to her, Talitha koum!" (That means, "Little girl, I tell you, stand!"). The young girl stood immediately and began to walk. She was twelve years old. They were full of wonder immediately, and Jesus ordered them seriously not to let anyone know about this. Then He told them to give the girl something to eat.
The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 6 [ RETURN TO MENU ]
Jesus Goes to His Home Town
Jesus went from there to the town where His family lived and His followers went with Him. He began to teach in the synagogue when the Sabbath Day came. Many people who heard Him were full of wonder and they said, "Where did this man get these things? What is this wisdom given to Him and how does He do these miracles? Isn't this the woodworker, Mary's son and the brother of James, Joses, Judas and Simon? Aren't His sisters here with us?" They did not accept Him.
Jesus said to them, "A prophet has honor everywhere except in his home town, and among his own family members, and in his own house."
Jesus could not do any miracles there except put His hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was very surprised because they did not believe. Then He went through the towns and taught the people.
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
He called the Twelve to Him and began to send them out in groups of two. He gave them authority over evil spirits, and He ordered them to take nothing for their trip, except a stick to help them walk. He told them not to take any bread, or bag, or money in their belt. He told them to wear shoes, but not two coats.
He said to them, "Stay in the first house you go into, and remain there until you leave that town. If the people there do not welcome you or if they do not listen to you, shake off the dust under your feet as you leave. This will be a witness against them."
So they went out and preached to people to turn away from their sins. They forced out many evil spirits and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
Herod Thinks Jesus is John the Baptizer
King Herod heard about these things because Jesus' name had become known to many people, and they said, "John the Baptizer has been brought back to life from death. That is why these powerful things work in Him." But other people said, "He is Elijah," and other people said, "He is a prophet like one of the prophets who lived a long time ago."
But when Herod heard about this, he said, "I cut off John's head, but now, he has come back to life from death."
Herod had sent for John and they took him, and put him in prison and put chains on him. Herod did this because of Herodias, the wife of his brother, Philip. Herod had married her and John had said to Herod, "It is against the law for you to have your brother's wife."
Herodias hated John and wanted to kill him. But she could not do this, because Herod feared John. Herod knew John was a righteous and holy man, so he did not let anyone harm him. Herod did not understand the things John said when he heard him speak, but he liked to listen to him.
Then the right time came. Herod made a feast on his birthday for his chief leaders and military captains and Galilee's important men. Herodias' daughter came in and danced, and she pleased Herod and the people who sat and ate with him. So the king said to the young girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I will give it to you." He promised her very strongly, "I will give you anything you ask me to give you, even half of my kingdom."
She went out and said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" Her mother said, "John the Baptizer's head." So she came in immediately and went quickly to the king and said, "I want you to give me John the Baptizer's head on a plate."
The king was very sorry, but he did not want to refuse to give her what she asked for because of his serious promises and because of his guests. The king sent out a soldier from his guard immediately, and ordered him to bring John's head. The soldier went and cut off John's head in the prison. He brought John's head on a plate and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. John's followers came and took his body and put it in a grave, when they heard about it.
Jesus Feeds 5,000 People
The apostles came together to Jesus, and told Him about everything they had done and taught.
He said to them, "Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and rest for awhile." Jesus said this because many people were coming and going and they did not even have time to eat. So they went away by themselves in a boat to a place to be alone. The people saw them go and many people knew them, so they ran there together from all the cities and came there before Jesus and His followers did. Jesus came out on the land and saw a very large crowd of people. He had love and mercy for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.
His followers came to Him later in the day and said, "No people live in this place, and it is very late in the day. Send them away, so they can go to the towns and places around the towns to buy something to eat."
But He answered them, "Give them something to eat."
They said to Him, "Should we go and spend 200 denarii for bread, and give it to them to eat?"
He said to them, "How many loaves of bread do you have? Go and look."
When they knew, they said, "Five loaves of bread and two small fish."
Then Jesus ordered His followers to tell all the people to sit in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of 100 people and groups of 50 people. Then Jesus took the five loaves of bread and the two small fish. He looked up to heaven, and He blessed the food and broke the bread into pieces. He gave the pieces of bread to the followers so they could give them to the people. He divided the two fish among them all. All the people ate and they had enough. Then His followers filled twelve baskets with the broken pieces of bread and fish that were left. There were five thousand men who ate the bread.
Jesus Walks on the Water
Then Jesus told His followers to go into the boat immediately, and to go ahead of Him to Bethsaida on the other side of the sea while He sent the large crowd away. Jesus went to the mountain to pray after He went away from the crowd. The boat was in the middle of the sea when evening came, and Jesus was alone on the land. Jesus saw that it was hard for His followers to make the boat move because the wind was coming against them. Jesus walked on the sea and came toward them between three and six o'clock in the morning. He wanted to walk near them, but they thought He was a spirit, and they called out when they saw Him walking on the sea. They called out because they all saw Him and they were afraid. But He spoke to them immediately and said, "Have courage and do not be afraid. It is I."
He went into the boat with them, and the wind stopped. They were full of wonder because they did not understand yet about the pieces of bread, because their hearts were hard.
They came to Gennesaret after they had gone across the sea, and they put down their anchor there near the land. The people knew Jesus immediately when they came out from the boat. They ran everywhere in the places near there and began to carry the sick people on sleeping mats to the places where they heard Jesus was. They put the sick people in the marketplaces wherever He went, whether into towns, or cities, or farms. They begged Him to let them touch even the edge of His clothes, and all the people who touched Him were healed.
The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 7 [ RETURN TO MENU ]
God's Commands are More Important
The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law from Jerusalem came to Jesus together. They saw some of His followers eat their bread with "unclean" hands, which means hands not washed in the right religious way. (The Pharisees and all the other Jews do not eat until they have washed their hands in a right religious way. They do this to obey the traditions of their religious leaders. They do not eat after they come from the marketplace unless they wash themselves first, and they do many other things to obey the traditions, like washing cups and clay pots and metal pots.) The Pharisees and the teachers of the religious law asked Jesus, "Why do your followers not obey the tradition of the religious leaders, but eat their bread with unclean hands?" He said to them, "Isaiah was right when he gave the prophecy about you hypocrites. He wrote,
"These people honor me by what they say,
but in their hearts, they are far from me.
They worship me, but it is useless.
The things they teach are only rules made by people."
You stop obeying God's commands, because you continue to obey the traditions of people." He said to them, "You reject God's commands very well, so you can obey your traditions. Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'The person who says evil things against his father or mother must be killed.' But you say that a person can say to his father or mother, 'Any help I could have given to you is Corban (a gift to God).' So you do not let that person do anything for his father or his mother, and you make God's Word have no effect because you continue your traditions. You do many things like that."
Then Jesus called the crowd of people to Him again and said, "All of you, listen to me and understand that nothing from the outside that goes into a person can make him unclean. But the things that come out from a person are what make him unclean. You should listen if you have ears to hear with."
His followers asked Him about the story after He went away from the crowd of people and went into the house. He said to them, "Do you still not understand? Don't you understand that nothing that goes into a person from the outside can make him unclean? This is because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and then it goes out from his body. (Jesus was saying that all foods are clean, when He said that.) He said, "What comes out from a person is what makes him unclean, because evil things come from the inside of people. They come out from their hearts. These evil things are evil thoughts, sexual sin, taking what does not belong to them, killing, adultery, selfish desire, doing evil things to other people, lying, sensual actions, desire to have what other people have, saying evil things about other people, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from inside the person, and make that person unclean."
Jesus got up and went away from there to places near Tyre and Sidon . He went into a house and did not want anyone to know it, but He could not hide from the people. A woman came immediately and fell down at His feet after she heard about Him, because her daughter had an evil spirit. This woman was a Greek person born in Syria Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to force the evil spirit out from her daughter. He said to her, "Let the children eat all they want first, because it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." But she answered Him, "Lord, yes, but even the dogs under the table eat the pieces of food the children do not eat." He said to her, "You can go now because of your answer. The evil spirit has gone out from your daughter." She went away to her house and found her daughter on the bed, and the evil spirit had gone away from her.
Then Jesus went away from the area of Tyre , and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee inside the area of Decapolis . They brought a person to Him who could not hear and could not speak well. They begged Him to put His hand on the man. Jesus took the man away from the crowd to be alone with him and put His fingers into the man's ears. Jesus spit and touched the man's tongue. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and sighed deeply and said to him, "Ephphatha!" (That means, "Be opened.") The man's ears were opened, and his tongue could move freely, and he began to speak clearly. Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone. But they told other people about it more and more, when He continued to order them not to tell. They were full of great wonder and said, "He does everything well. He even makes people able to hear who could not hear, and He makes people able to speak, who could not speak."
The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 8 [ RETURN TO MENU ]
Jesus Feeds 4,000 People
Another large crowd came during that time, and they did not have anything to eat. So, Jesus called His followers to Him and said, "I have love and mercy for the crowd of people because they have been with me for three days now, and they do not have anything to eat. They will become weak on the way home, if I send them away to their homes when they are hungry, and some of them came from far away."
His followers answered Him, "Where can anyone find enough bread here to satisfy these people? This place is very far from the towns."
Jesus asked them, "How many small loaves of bread do you have?"
They said, "Seven."
Jesus told the crowd of people to sit on the ground, and He took the seven loaves of bread and broke them into pieces, after He thanked God for them. Then He gave the pieces of bread to His followers so they could give them to the people, and the followers gave them to the people in the crowd. They also had a few small fish, and after He blessed them He told His followers to give them also to the people. The people ate and had enough, and Jesus' followers filled seven baskets with the broken pieces that remained. There were about four thousand men there. He went immediately into the boat with His followers, after He sent the people away, and He went to the places in the area of Dalmanutha.
The Pharisees came to Jesus, and began to question Him. They asked Him for a sign from heaven, because they wanted to test Him. He sighed deeply in His spirit and said, "Why does this generation ask for a sign? I tell you the truth, there will not be any sign given to you." Then He went away from them again and went to the other side of the lake.
Jesus' followers forgot to take bread, and they had only one small loaf of bread in the boat with them. Jesus ordered them, "Be careful of the yeast of the Pharisees, and the yeast of Herod."
Then they began to talk with each other about not having any bread.
Jesus knew about it and said to them, "Why are you talking about not having any bread? Do you still not see or understand? Do you have a hard heart that does not want to understand? Do you have eyes but you don't see and ears but you don't hear? Don't you remember? How many baskets did you fill with broken pieces, when I broke the five small loaves for the five thousand people?"
They said to Him, "Twelve." "How many large baskets did you fill with broken pieces when I broke the seven small loaves for the four thousand people?"
They answered, "Seven."
He said to them, "Do you still not understand?"
Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida
They came to Bethsaida , and some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and begged Him to touch the man. He took the blind man by the hand, and led him outside the town. Jesus spit on the man's eyes and put His hands on him. Then He asked him, "Do you see anything?"
The man looked up and said, "I see people, but they look like trees walking."
Jesus put His hands on his eyes again. Then the man looked at things very carefully and he was healed completely, and he began to see everything clearly. Jesus sent him home and said, "Do not go into the town."
Peter Confesses that Jesus is the Christ
Jesus and His followers went into the towns in the area of Caesarea Philippi. He asked His followers as they went, "Who do people say I am?"
They told Him, "Some people say You are John the Baptizer, and other people say You are Elijah, but other people say You are one of the other prophets."
He asked them, "But Who do you say I am?"
Peter answered Him, "You are the Christ."
Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about Him.
Jesus Tells His Followers He Must be Killed
Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and that the religious leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the law would reject Him. He taught them that He must be killed, and then be brought back to life from death three days later. Jesus spoke about this very clearly, and Peter took Him away from the other followers and began to rebuke Him.
But Jesus turned and looked at His followers and rebuked Peter and said, "Satan, go away from Me, because you do not think the thoughts of God in your mind. You think the thoughts of men!"
Jesus called the crowd of people and His followers to Him and said, "A person must give up his own desires and take up his cross and obey Me, if he wants to be one of My followers."
What is Required to be Jesus' Follower
"This is because a person will lose his true life if he wants to save it, but a person will save his true life, if he loses it for Me and for the good news. What does a person gain if he gains all the world but must give up his soul for it? What can a person trade for his soul? If anyone feels shame because of Me and My words in this rebellious and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also feel shame because of him when He comes in His Father's glory with the holy angels."
The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 9 [ RETURN TO MENU ]
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth. Some people who are standing here will not experience death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."
Jesus is Changed Completely
Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him, six days later. He brought them alone with Him up to a high mountain. Then Jesus became completely changed in front of them. His clothes shone and they were whiter than anyone in the world could make them. Then they saw Elijah and Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, "Teacher, it is good for us to be here. Let's put up three tents, one tent for You, one tent for Moses, and one tent for Elijah." (Peter did not know what to say because he and the other followers were very afraid.)
Then a cloud came over them and a voice came out from the cloud, "This is my Son, Whom I love. Listen to Him." They looked and saw that suddenly no one was with them except Jesus.
Jesus' Followers Ask about Elijah
As they came down from the mountain, Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone about the things they saw, until after the Son of Man would come back to life from death. They did not tell anyone, and they asked each other questions about what coming back to life from death meant. They asked Him, "Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?"
He said to them, "It is true that Elijah must come first, to put all things in the right order again. Why is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? I tell you that Elijah has come, and people have done the things to him that they wanted to do, just as it was written about him."
Jesus Orders an Evil Spirit to Leave a Boy
When they came to Jesus' other followers, they saw a large crowd of people near them, and some teachers of the law were arguing with them. The people in the crowd were very surprised immediately when they saw Jesus, and they ran to Him and greeted Him. He asked them, "What are you arguing about with them?"
Someone in the crowd answered Him, "Teacher, I brought my son to you. He has a spirit that makes him unable to speak. Whenever it takes power over him, it throws him down on the ground. Then he foams in his mouth, grinds his teeth, and his body becomes very hard and it cannot move. I asked your followers to order the spirit to leave, but they were not able to do it."
Jesus answered them, "You are a generation of people that does not believe! How long should I stay with you? How long should I be patient with you? Bring the boy to me." They brought the boy to Jesus and the spirit shook the boy violently when it saw Jesus, and the boy fell down on the ground. His body rolled around, and foam came out from his mouth. Jesus asked his father, "How long has this happened to him?"
He said, "Since he was a child. The spirit has thrown him into the fire often and into the water to kill him. But be merciful to us and help us, if You can do anything."
Jesus said to him, "'If You can!' All things are possible for the person who believes."
The child's father cried out immediately and said, "I believe. Help my unbelief!"
Jesus rebuked the evil spirit when He saw a crowd of people coming together toward Him. He said to the evil spirit, "You, spirit that makes this child unable to hear and speak, I order you to come out from him and never to go into him again!"
The spirit came out after it called out and shook the boy violently. The boy looked like he was dead and most of the people said, "He has died." But Jesus took his hand and helped him to stand. Then the boy stood.
His followers asked Him privately after He came into the house, "Why couldn't we order the evil spirit to leave?"
He said to them, "This kind of evil spirit can come out only when people pray."
Jesus Tells His Followers about His Death
They went away from there and went through Galilee , and Jesus did not want anyone to know it, because He was teaching His followers. He told them, "The Son of Man will be given to men, and they will kill Him. He will come back to life again three days after He is killed." But they did not understand what He said, and they were afraid to ask Him.
Jesus Tells His Followers Who is the Greatest
Jesus and His followers came to Capernaum , and when He was in the house, He asked them, "What did you argue about while you were coming here?" But they were quiet because they had argued with each other on the way about which one of them was the greatest person. Jesus sat down and called the Twelve and said to them, "A person must be last among everyone and he must be the servant of everyone, if he wants to be first." He took a little child and put him there among them. Then He took the child and put His arms around him, and said to His followers, "A person receives Me if he receives one of these little children in My name. A person who receives Me does not receive Me, but receives the One Who sent Me."
John said to Him, "Teacher, we saw a person order evil spirits to leave by the authority of Your name, and we tried to stop him because he did not follow You with us."
But Jesus said, "Do not stop him, because no one who does a miracle by My authority can say evil things about Me soon after that. This is because a person who is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, a person will not lose his reward if he gives you even a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ.
Jesus Warns His Followers about Sin
It is better for a person if someone hangs a large heavy stone around his neck and throws him into the sea, than for him to cause one of these little ones who believes in Me, to sin. Cut off your hand if it makes you sin, because it is better for you to go into life with one hand, than to go with two hands into hell where the fire can never be stopped. Cut off your foot if it makes you sin, because it is better for you to go into life with one foot, than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. Take out your eye if it makes you sin, because it is better for you to go into the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell where the worm does not die, and the fire never stops. Everyone will be salted by fire. Salt is good, but how can you make it salty again if it has lost its saltiness? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other."
The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 10 [ RETURN TO MENU ]
Jesus went away from there, and came to the area of Judea and the other side of the Jordan River. Crowds of people came to Him again, and He taught them, just as He usually did.
Some Pharisees came to test Jesus. They asked Him, "Does the law allow a man to divorce his wife?"
He answered them, "What did Moses command you to do?"
They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a lawful agreement for divorce, and send his wife away."
But Jesus said to them, "Moses wrote this command in the Law because of your hard hearts. But God made people to be male and female from the beginning of the time when all things were made. A man will leave his father and mother for this reason and will be joined to his wife, and the two people will become one body. They are not two any longer but one. So, people must not separate what God has joined."
Jesus' followers asked Him again about this when they were in the house. He said to them, "A man is guilty of adultery if he divorces his wife and marries another woman. The wife is guilty of adultery if she divorces her husband and marries another man."
Jesus Accepts Children
People brought little children to Jesus so He could touch them. But His followers rebuked the people. Jesus was very angry when He saw this, and said to them, "Let the little children come to me. Do not stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to people who are like these little children. I tell you the truth, a person can never go into the kingdom of God if he does not accept it like a little child does." He put His arms around them, and put His hands on them, and blessed them.
Jesus Talks to a Rich Young Man
Jesus started to leave on a trip, and a man ran to Him and went down on his knees in front of Him and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to receive life that lasts forever?"
Jesus answered him, "Why do you say I am good? No one is good except God only. You know the commands that say, 'Do not kill, do not be guilty of adultery, do not take things that belong to other people, do not lie, do not cheat, and respect your father and your mother.'"
He said to Him, "Teacher, I have obeyed all these things since I was young."
Jesus looked at him, and loved him. He said to him, "There is one more thing you must do. Go and sell the things you have and give the money to the poor people, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come and follow Me." But the man became sad because of what Jesus said, and he went away with great sadness because he was a rich man who owned many things.
Jesus Teaches His Followers about Riches
Then Jesus looked at His followers, and said to them, "It is very hard for people who are rich to come into the kingdom of God!" His followers were very surprised because He said that. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, it is very hard to come into the kingdom of God ! It is easier for a camel to go through the very small hole of a needle, than for a rich person to come into the kingdom of God ."
They were very surprised and they said to each other, "Then who can be saved?"
Jesus looked at them and said, "It is impossible for people to do this, but it is not impossible for God, because all things are possible with God."
Peter began to say to Jesus, "We have left everything and have followed you."
Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, everyone who has left his house, or brothers, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or fields for me and the good news will receive 100 times more now in this life (houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields, together with persecutions). They will also receive life that lasts forever in the future. But many people who are first now will be last then, and the people who are last now will be first then."
Jesus Tells about His Death Again
Jesus and His twelve followers were going on the road to Jerusalem , and Jesus went ahead of them. They were very surprised and the other people who followed behind them were afraid. Jesus took the Twelve away privately again and began to tell them the things that were going to happen to Him soon. He said, "We are going up to Jerusalem , and the Son of Man will be given to the chief priests and the teachers of the religious law. They will accuse Him and say He must be killed, and they will give Him to the Gentiles. The Gentiles will laugh at Him, spit on Him, beat Him, and kill Him. But He will come back to life from death three days after He is killed."
James and John Ask for Something Special
Then James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came to Him and said, "Teacher, we want You to do for us what we will ask You to do."
He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"
They said to Him, "Let one of us sit at Your right side, and the other one at Your left side, in Your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"
They said to Him, "We are able." Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup that I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with. But I do not have the authority to choose the people who will sit at My right side and at My left side. These places belong to the people they have been made ready for."
Jesus Teaches His Followers to be Servants
The other ten followers were angry with James and John when they heard this. Jesus called them to Him and said to them, "You know the men who rule the Gentiles use their power over them, and their important leaders use their authority over them. But it must not be like this among you. You must be a servant to the others among you if you want to become great, and you must be the slave of everyone if you want to be first among you. Even the Son of Man did not come to be served by other people, but to serve them and to give His life to pay for the salvation of many people."
Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Jericho
Jesus and His followers came to Jericho . Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was a blind beggar. He sat by the side of the road as Jesus, His followers, and a large crowd of people were leaving Jericho . The blind man called out when he heard it was Jesus the Nazarene. He said, "Jesus, Son of David, be merciful to me!" Many people rebuked him and told him to be quiet. But he continued to call out even more, "Son of David, be merciful to me!"
Jesus stopped, and said to His followers, "Call him here to Me."
They called to the blind man and said to him, "Have courage and stand. He is calling you to Him." He threw down his coat, and stood quickly and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?"
The blind man said to Him, "Teacher, I want to be able to see again."
Jesus said to him, "Go. You are healed because you have much faith." He was able to see immediately, and he began to follow Jesus on the road.
The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 11 [ RETURN TO MENU ]
They came near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mountain of Olives . Then Jesus sent two of His followers away, after He said to them, "Go into the next town that is ahead of you, and you will immediately find a young donkey tied there when you go into the town. No one has ever sat on this donkey. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' say that the Lord needs it, and that He will return it soon." They went and found a young donkey tied at a door outside in the street, and they untied it.
Some people who stood there said to them, "Why are you untying the donkey?" They told them what Jesus said, and the people allowed them to go. They brought the young donkey to Jesus. They put their coats over the donkey's back and Jesus sat on it. Many people put their coats on the road and other people put down branches they cut from the fields.
The people who went ahead of Him and the people who followed Him shouted, "Hosanna, the One Who comes in the name of the Lord is blessed! The kingdom of our father David is coming and is blessed! Hosanna in the highest places!"
Jesus came into Jerusalem and went into the temple and looked at everything. But then He went into Bethany with the Twelve because it was late in the day.
The Fig Tree that Does Not Produce Fruit
Jesus was hungry after they came from Bethany the next day. He saw a fig tree far away, and it had leaves on it. He went to the tree to see if He could find any fruit on it. He found only leaves when He came to it, because it was not time for figs yet. He said to the tree, "No one will ever be allowed to eat fruit from you again." His followers heard it.
People Who Buy and Sell in the Temple
Jesus and His followers came to Jerusalem , and He went into the temple. He began to order the people who were buying and selling things in the temple to leave. He turned over the tables of the men who traded one kind of money for another, and turned over the seats of the men who sold doves. He would not let anyone carry the things to sell through the temple. He taught them, "Isn't it written, 'My house will be named a house of prayer for all nations?' But you have made it a place where thieves meet together." The chief priests and the teachers of the religious law heard this and they began to think of a way to kill Him, because they were afraid of Him, because the whole crowd of people was full of wonder at His teaching.
Jesus and His followers went out of the city when evening came.
Jesus Teaches about Faith and Prayer
Jesus' followers saw that the fig tree was completely dead, when they went past it the next morning. Peter remembered it and said to Him, "Teacher, look, the fig tree that You cursed has died."
Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, any person who will say to this mountain, 'Lift yourself up and go into the sea,' and will not doubt in his heart that it will happen, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. So I tell you, believe that you will receive the things you pray for and ask for, and they will be given to you. Forgive a person when you pray, if you have anything against him, so your Father Who is in heaven will also forgive you for your sins. But your Father in heaven will not forgive you for your sins if you do not forgive other people."
The Jewish Leaders Doubt Jesus' Authority
Jesus and His followers came to Jerusalem again, and the chief priests, teachers of the religious law, and religious leaders came to Jesus while He was walking in the temple. They said to Him, "Where do You get the authority to do these things, and who gave You this authority to do them?" Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question. Tell Me the answer, and I will tell you where I get the authority to do these things. Did John get the authority to baptize people from God or from people? Tell Me the answer."
They talked to each other and said, "If we say, 'The authority was from God,' He will say, 'Why didn't you believe John then?' But should we say, 'From people?'" (They were afraid of the people, because everyone believed that John was a real prophet.) So they answered Jesus and said, "We don't know."
Jesus said to them, "Then I will not tell you where I get the authority to do these things either."
The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 12 [ RETURN TO MENU ]
Jesus began to speak to them in stories, "A man planted a grape field and put a wall around it. Then he made a large hole in the ground to put the grapes in to make them into wine, and he built a tall building. He rented the grape field to some farmers, and then he went away on a trip. The man sent a servant to the farmers when it was time to cut the grapes off the vine, so the farmers could give him some fruit from the grape field. The farmers took the servant and beat him. Then they sent him away without anything. The man sent another servant to them again, but they wounded him on the head and did shameful things to him. The man sent another servant, and they killed him. They beat many other servants that the man sent, and killed some of them. The man had one more person to send. He was a son the man loved dearly. He said, 'They will respect my son.' But those farmers said to each other, 'This is the owner's son who will own the property of the family after they die. Let's kill him, and then everything he would have received will be ours.' So they took him, and killed him, and threw him out from the grape field. What will the owner of the grape field do? He will come and kill the farmers, and he will give the grape field to other men. Haven't you read this part of God's Word,
"The Stone the builders rejected,
was made the Cornerstone.
The Lord did this,
and it is wonderful in our eyes'?"
The Jewish leaders looked for a way to take Him, because they understood He told the story about them. But they were afraid of the crowd of people, so they let Him stay there and they went away.
The Jewish Leaders Try to Trick Jesus
The Jews sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to Jesus, so they could trick Him in what He said. They came and said to Him, "Teacher, we know You tell the truth always and You do not let any person influence You, because You do not give attention to who they are, but You teach God's way with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or isn't it? Should we pay or shouldn't we?" But He knew they were hypocrites and He said to them, "Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius so I can see it." They brought it, and He said to them, "Whose picture and name is this?"
They said to Him, "Caesar's."
Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar the things that belong to Caesar and give to God the things that belong to God." They were full of great wonder because of Him.
Some Sadducees Try to Trick Jesus
The Sadducees, who say that dead people are not brought back to life from death, came to Jesus and asked Him, "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and his wife is still alive, and they do not have any children, the man should marry the brother's wife and produce children for his brother. There were seven brothers, and the first brother had a wife, and he died without having any children. The second brother married her, and he also died without having any children. The third brother did the same thing, and none of the seven brothers had any children. The woman died after this. Whose wife will she be at the time when people are brought back to life from death, because she was the wife of all seven brothers?"
Jesus said to them, "Aren't you making an error because you do not know God's Word or God's power? People will not marry or be given in marriage when they are brought back to life from death, but they will be like angels in heaven. Haven't you read about people being brought back to life from death in the Book of Moses? In the part about the burning bush God said to Moses, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' He is not the God of people who are dead. He is the God of people who are living. You have been very wrong."
The Most Important Command
One of the teachers of the religious law came, and he heard the other men arguing. He knew Jesus had answered them well and he asked Him. "What command is the most important of all the commands?"
Jesus answered, "The most important command is, 'Listen, Israel , the Lord our God is one God, and love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second command is this, 'You will love your neighbor just like you love yourself.' There is no other command that is greater than these commands."
One of the teachers of the religious law said to Him, "Teacher, that is true. You are right when You say that the Lord our God is one God, and there is no God except Him. You are right when You say to love Him with all your heart, with all your mind and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor just like you love yourself. This is more important than all the offerings and sacrifices."
When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God ." No one had the courage to ask Him any more questions after that.
Jesus Teaches that the Christ is David's Lord
Jesus taught in the temple and said, "Why do the teachers of the religious law say that the Christ is the Son of David? David said, when he was filled with the Holy Spirit,
'God said to my Lord, sit at My right side,
until I put Your enemies under Your feet to rest.'
David says Jesus is his Lord. Then how can He be his son?"
The crowd of people listened joyfully to Him.
Jesus Warns about Religious Teachers
Jesus said when He taught, "Be careful of the teachers of the religious law, who like to walk around wearing long robes, so they will look important, and who want to be greeted in the marketplaces. They want the most important seats in synagogues and at feasts, and they take widows' houses for themselves, and they say long prayers so people will think they are righteous. These men will receive greater punishment than other people."
Jesus Teaches about Giving
Jesus sat near the money box in the temple and watched the people put money into the box. Many rich people put in large amounts of money, but a poor widow came and put in two small coins that were only worth about one cent. Jesus called His followers to Him, and said to them, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow put in more money than all these other people who put money into the box. This is because they all put in money that was part of their riches, but she is poor and she put in all the money she had."
The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 13 [ RETURN TO MENU ]
One of Jesus' followers said to Him as He went out of the temple, "Teacher, look at the great stones and the great buildings!"
Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? There will not be one stone remaining on top of another stone. Every one of them will be taken down."
Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Jesus privately as He sat on the Mountain of Olives across from the temple, "Tell us, when will these things happen? What will be the sign to show us when these things are ready to happen?" He said to them, "Be careful that no one leads you in the wrong way. Many men will come using My name, and say 'I am He,' and they will lead many people in the wrong way. Do not be troubled and afraid when you hear the sound of wars, and when people tell you about other wars. These things must happen, but the end will not come yet. Nations will come against other nations, and kingdoms will come against other kingdoms. There will be earthquakes in many places, and there will be times when there will not be any food. These things are the beginning of birth pains.
But be careful, because people will give you to courts, and they will beat you in the synagogues. You will stand in front of rulers and kings because of Me and be witnesses to them. The good news must be preached to all nations first. Do not worry about what you will say when people take you to court to be judged. Say the things that are given to you then, because it is not you who will speak. It is the Holy Spirit. A brother will betray his brother, who will be killed then, and a father will betray his child. Children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. All people will hate you because of Me. But the person who remains and is faithful until the end will be saved. The reader must understand this.
The people who are in Judea must run to the mountains, when you see the evil thing that makes destruction standing where it should not be. The person who is on the roof of the house must not go down or go into his house to take anything out. The person who is in the field must not return to get his coat. But woe to women who have babies inside their bodies and to mothers who give milk from their bodies to their babies. Pray that this will not happen in the winter, because those days will be a time of trouble like there has never been since the beginning of the time that God made everything until now, and never will be again. No one would be saved if the Lord did not make the days shorter. He will make the days shorter for the people He has chosen.
So do not believe any person who tells you, 'Look, here is the Christ,' or 'Look, there He is!' Because false christs and false prophets will come and they will show you signs and wonders, so they can lead even God's chosen people in the wrong way, if that is possible. So be careful, because I have told you everything before it happens.
The sun will become dark, and the moon will not give out its light in those days after the trouble has come. The stars will fall from the sky and the powers in the sky will be shaken. Then people will see the Son of Man come in clouds with great power and glory. He will send the angels and bring together the people He has chosen. The angels will bring them together from the four winds, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven.
Now, learn this from the story about the fig tree. You know summer is near when its branches become soft and its leaves start to grow. So also know that Jesus is near, even at the doors, when you see these things happen. I tell you the truth, this generation of people will not die until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will end, but My words will never end. But no one, not even the angels in heaven, or the Son, knows when that day or that hour will come. Only the Father knows this.
Be Ready When God's Son Appears Again
Be careful, continue to watch, because you do not know when that time will come. This is like a man who goes on a trip. He goes away from his house, and gives authority to each of his servants to do his work. He also orders the servant who guards the door to watch. So you must watch, because you do not know when the master of the house will return. He may return in the evening, at midnight , when the rooster crows, or in the morning. So be careful, so that he will not find you sleeping if he comes suddenly. I tell everyone what I tell you, 'Watch!'"
The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 14 [ RETURN TO MENU ]
The Jewish Leaders Plan to Kill Jesus
Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread was two days later, and the chief priests and the teachers of the religious law tried to think of a way to trick Jesus so they could take Him and kill Him. They said, "We should not do it during the feast, because the people could cause trouble and be violent if we do it then."
A Woman Anoints Jesus with Perfume
A woman came with a small alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, when Jesus was in Bethany eating at the house of Simon the leper. This perfume was made from pure nard, and she broke the jar of perfume and poured it over Jesus' head. Some people who were there were angry and they said to each other, "Why was this perfume wasted? It could be sold for more than 300 denarii, and the money could be given to poor people." They rebuked her strongly.
But Jesus said, "Let her do it. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good thing to Me. There will always be poor people with you, and you can do good things for them any time you want to. But I will not always be with you. She has done what she could do. She anointed My body before it is time to be buried. I tell you the truth, what this woman has done will be spoken about in memory of her wherever the good news is preached in all the world."
Judas Plans to Betray Jesus
Judas Iscariot, who was one of the Twelve, went away to the chief priests so he could betray Jesus to them. They were happy when they heard this, and they promised to give him money. So Judas began to try to think of the right time and place to betray Jesus to them.
The Lord's Meal
Jesus' followers spoke with Him on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrificed the Passover lamb. They said to Him, "Where do You want us to go to make things ready, so You can eat the Passover meal?" He sent two of His followers after He said to them, "Go into the city, and you will meet a man there carrying a large jar of water. Follow him and say to the owner of the house he goes into, 'The Teacher asks, Where is My guestroom where I can eat the Passover meal with My followers?' He will show you a large room upstairs with everything ready. Make things ready for us there." His followers went out, and came into the city. They found the things there just like He told them. Then they made the Passover meal ready.
One of His Followers Will Betray Him
Jesus came with the Twelve when it was evening. He said to them as they lay down at the table and ate, "I tell you the truth, one of you who is eating with Me will betray Me."
They became deeply sad, and each one of the twelve asked Him, "It isn't I, is it?"
He said to them, "It is one of the Twelve. He is the man who puts bread into the same bowl with Me. The Son of Man will die just like it was written about Him. But woe to that man through whom the Son of Man will be betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had not been born."
Jesus took bread while they ate and He thanked God for it. He broke it into pieces and gave it to His followers and said, "This is My body. Take it." After He took a cup and thanked God for it, He gave it to them and they all drank from it. Then He said to them, "This is My blood that is poured out for many people. It represents the new agreement. I tell you the truth, I will not drink from the fruit of the vine again until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
They went out to the Mountain of Olives after they sang a hymn.
Jesus' Followers Will Turn Away from Him
Jesus said to them, "All of you will turn away from Me because it is written, 'I will kill the shepherd, and the sheep will run away in all directions.' But I will go into Galilee ahead of you after I am brought back to life from death."
But Peter said to Him, "I will not turn away from You even if everyone turns away."
Jesus said to him, "I tell you the truth, you will say you do not know Me three times tonight, before the rooster crows two times."
But Peter continued to say even more strongly, "I will never say I do not know You, even if I must die with You!" All the other followers said the same thing.
Jesus and the Twelve came to a place named Gethsemane , and He said to His followers, "Sit here while I pray." He took Peter, James, and John with Him and He was deeply sad and troubled. He said to them, "My soul is deeply sad. The sadness is almost killing Me. Stay here and watch." He went a little farther, and fell to the ground and prayed for that time to leave Him if possible. He said, "Abba, Father, it is possible for You to do all things. Take this cup away from Me. But let what You want happen, and not what I want." Then He came to His followers and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping? Couldn't you watch for one hour? Continue to watch and pray, so you will not come into temptation. The spirit wants to do what is right, but the body is weak." He went away again and prayed the same words. Then He came again and found them sleeping, because their eyes were becoming tired. They did not know what to answer Him. He came again the third time, and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? It is decided. The time has come. Look, the Son of Man will be betrayed soon to sinners. Get up. Let's go. The man who will betray Me is here."
A Crowd of People Take Jesus Away
Judas, who was one of the Twelve followers, came immediately while Jesus was still speaking. A crowd of people sent by the chief priests, teachers of the religious law, and the religious leaders, came with Judas. They carried swords and large heavy sticks. The man who betrayed Jesus had given a sign to the Jewish leaders. He told them, "The man I kiss is Jesus. Take Him, and lead Him away with a man to guard Him." Judas went immediately to Jesus when He came near them, and said, "Teacher!" and he kissed Him. Then they took Him and led Him away. But one of Jesus' followers who stood near them took out his sword and hit the high priest's servant, and cut off his ear.
Jesus said to them, "Have you come with swords and large sticks to take Me like you take a thief? I was with you every day when I taught in the temple, but you did not take.
But this has happened so the things written in God's Word can be fulfilled." They all left Him and ran away.
A young man followed Jesus, and he had only a cloth around his body. The men tried to take him, but he left the cloth there, and ran away from them without any clothes on his body.
Jesus is Taken to the Jewish Leaders
They led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the religious leaders, and the teachers of the religious law came together there. Peter walked far behind Jesus and followed Him into the courtyard of the high priest. He sat with the guards near the fire to make his body warm. The chief priests and all the council tried to get a false report against Jesus so they could kill Him. But they did not find any. Many gave false reports against Him, but they did not agree with each other when they said these things. Some of them stood and gave false reports against Him and said, "We heard Him say, 'I will destroy this temple that was made by people's hands, and I will build another temple in three days that is not made by people's hands.'" Even then their reports did not agree.
Then the high priest stood and came forward and asked Jesus, "Won't You answer any of these things? What is this that these people reported against You?" But He was quiet and did not give any answer. The high priest asked Him again, "Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?"
Jesus said, "I am, and you will see the Son of Man sit at the right hand of Power and come with the clouds of heaven."
The high priest tore his clothes and said, "Why do we need any more witnesses? You have heard the evil things He has said against God. What do you think?" They all decided He was guilty and should be killed.
Some of them began to spit at Him, and they covered His face so He could not see, and they beat Him. They said to Him, "Prophesy!" The guards took Him and hit His face with their hands.
Peter Says He Does Not Know Jesus
One of the servant girls of the high priest came while Peter was down in the courtyard. She saw Peter warming his body and she looked at him and said, "You were also with Jesus, the Nazarene."
But he said it was not true and he said, "I do not know or understand what you are saying." Then he went out onto the porch.
The servant girl saw him, and began to say again to the people who stood near there, "This man is one of their group."
But Peter said again it was not true. A little later, the people who stood near there, said to Peter, "It is certain that you are one of their group, because you are from Galilee."
But he began to curse and he said very strongly, "I do not know this man you speak about."
The rooster crowed immediately the second time. Then Peter remembered what Jesus said to him, "You will say you do not know Me three times, before the rooster crows two times." And he began to cry.
The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 15 [ RETURN TO MENU ]
The religious leaders, teachers of the religious law, and all the council met together immediately early in the morning. They put chains on Jesus' arms and legs, and led Him away, and gave Him to Pilate. Pilate asked Him, "Are You the King of the Jews?"
Jesus answered him, "Yes, It is just like you have said it." The chief priests said He was guilty of many things. Pilate asked Jesus again, "Won't You answer any of these things? You heard the many things they say You are guilty of." But Jesus did not answer anything, and Pilate was full of wonder.
Pilate Tries to Free Jesus but Fails
Pilate usually freed a prisoner every year at the feast. He freed one prisoner the people asked for. A man named Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had killed other people in a rebellion. The crowd of people went to Pilate and began to ask him to do for them what he usually did every year. Pilate answered, "Do you want me to free the King of the Jews for you?" Pilate said this because he knew the chief priests gave Jesus to him because they were jealous. But the chief priests convinced the crowd to ask Pilate to free Barabbas for them instead of Jesus. Pilate answered again, "Then what should I do to the man whom you say is the King of the Jews?"
They shouted, "Kill Him on a cross!"
But Pilate said to them, "Why? What evil things has He done?"
But they shouted even louder, "Kill Him on a cross!" Pilate wanted to please the crowd, so he freed Barabbas and he ordered them to beat Jesus and he gave Him to them so they could hang Him on a cross to die.
The Soldiers Shame Jesus
The soldiers took Jesus away into the palace (named the Praetorium), and they called all the Roman soldiers to come there. They dressed Him in purple clothes, and they made a crown of thorns and put it on His head. They began to call out to Him, "Honor to the King of the Jews!" Then they hit His head many times with a stick and spit at Him, and went down on their knees in front of Him. They took the purple clothes off Him after they laughed at Him, and they put His own clothes on Him again. Then they led Him out to hang Him on a cross to die.
Jesus is Hung on a Cross to Die
There was a man from Cyrene , named Simon, who was the father of Alexander and Rufus. He walked near them as he came from outside the city, and they forced him to carry Jesus' cross.
They brought Jesus to the place named Golgotha . That means, "The Place of the Skull." They offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but He did not take it. They hung Him on a cross, and divided His clothes with each other. They threw a dice to decide what each person should take. It was nine o'clock in the morning when they hung Him on the cross. They wrote what they said He was guilty of, "The King of the Jews." They also hung two thieves on crosses to die with Jesus. They put one thief at Jesus' right side and the other thief at His left side.
The people who walked near Jesus, shouted evil things against Him and shook their heads and said, "Ha! You Who were going to destroy the temple and build it again in three days, save yourself and come down from the cross!" The chief priests and the teachers of the religious law laughed at Him with each other in the same way and said, "He saved other people, but He cannot save himself. The Christ, the King of Israel, should come down from the cross now, so we can see it and believe in Him." The men who were hung on crosses with Him also said evil things against Him.
Jesus Dies
It became dark everywhere there at noon , and the darkness remained until three o'clock in the afternoon. Jesus called out with a loud voice at three o'clock , "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" That means, "My God, My God, why have You turned away from Me?" Some people who stood near there heard it and they said, "Listen, He is calling Elijah."
Then someone ran and filled a sponge with wine vinegar. He put the sponge on a long stick and gave it to Jesus to drink, and he said, "Leave Him alone now and let us see if Elijah will come and take Him down from the cross." Jesus called out with a loud voice and His life left Him. Then the curtain in the temple was torn into two pieces. It tore from the top to the bottom.
When the chief officer who stood there in front of Jesus saw the way He died, he said, "It is true that this man was the Son of God."
The Woman on the Mountain of Calvary
There were also women who stood far away and watched. Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome were among them. They had followed Jesus when He was in Galilee and served Him. Many other women who came with Him to Jerusalem were also there.
Jesus is Buried
It was Preparation Day (the day before the Sabbath), so Joseph from Arimathaea came when it was evening. He was an important member of the Jewish Council who was also waiting for the kingdom of God to come. He went courageously to Pilate, and asked him for the body of Jesus. Pilate was surprised that Jesus was already dead and he called the chief officer to him. He asked him if Jesus was already dead. Pilate gave the body to Joseph after the captain told him that Jesus was dead. Joseph bought a very fine cloth, and he took Jesus down from the cross and put the cloth around His body. Then he put Jesus in a grave that was made by cutting a hole in rock, and he rolled a very large stone and put it against the door of the grave. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where they put Jesus.
The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 16 [ RETURN TO MENU ]
Jesus Comes Back to Life
When the Sabbath Day ended, Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so they could come and anoint Him. They came to the grave very early on the first day of the week, after the sun came up. They said to each other, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the grave for us?" They looked and saw that the stone was already rolled away, although it was a very large stone.
They went into the grave and saw a young man sitting at the right side of the grave. He was dressed in a white robe and they were afraid. He said to them, "Don't be afraid. You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, Who died on a cross. He has been brought back to life! He is not here! Look, here is the place where they put Him! But go and tell His followers and Peter that He is going to Galilee ahead of you. You will see Him there just like He told you."
They went out and ran away from the grave because they were full of fear and were shaking, and they were full of wonder. They did not say anything to anyone because they were afraid.
Jesus Appears to Some of His Followers
Jesus got up early on the first day of the week, and He appeared first to Mary Magdalene. She was the woman from whom He had ordered seven evil spirits to come out. She went and told it to the people who had been with Him while they were deeply sad and crying. But they did not believe it when they heard He was alive, and did not believe Mary had seen Him. Jesus came to two of His followers after that, as they were walking out of the city into the country. But His appearance had changed. Then they went away and told this to His other followers, but they did not believe those two followers either.
Jesus' Last Commands to His Followers
Jesus appeared to His eleven followers later as they sat to eat a meal. He rebuked them for their unbelief and the doubts they kept in their hearts, because they did not believe the people who saw Him after He was brought back to life from death. He said to them, "Go to all the world, and preach the good news to everyone. The person who believes and is baptized will be forgiven, but the one who does not believe will be condemned. These signs will be with the people who believe. They will order evil spirits to leave in My name. They will speak languages they have not learned. They will hold snakes, and they will not be harmed if they drink things that usually harm or kill people. They will put their hands on people who are sick and the sick people will be healed."
Then the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven after He spoke to them, and He sat at the right side of God. His followers went out and preached everywhere. The Lord worked with them, and proved His message was true because of the signs that followed the message.
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