Read Ellen G. White, “Before Annas and the Court of Caiaphas,” pp. 698–715; “Judas,” pp. 716–722, in The Desire of Ages . “While the degrading oaths were fresh upon Peter’s lips, and the shrill crowing of the cock was still ringing in his ears, the Saviour turned from the frowning judges, and looked full upon His poor disciple. At the same time Peter’s eyes were drawn to his Master. In that gentle countenance he read deep pity and sorrow, but there was no anger there. “The sight of that pale, su...
Sep 13, 2024•5 min•Season 6Ep. 2151
Read Mark 14:60–72 . Compare how Jesus responded to events in contrast to how Peter did. What lessons can we learn from the differences? Mark 14:53–59 describes Jesus being brought to the Sanhedrin and the first part of the trial. It is an exercise in frustration. Again and again, the leaders try to make their accusation against Jesus stick. The Gospel writer notes how the testimony was false and the witnesses never agreed. Finally, the high priest arises and addresses Jesus directly. At first J...
Sep 12, 2024•10 min•Season 6Ep. 2150
Read Mark 14:43–52 . What happens here that is so crucial to the plan of salvation? It is shocking that one of Jesus’ closest associates betrayed Him to His enemies. The Gospels do not go into great detail about Judas’s motivation. But Ellen G. White writes: “Judas had naturally a strong love for money; but he had not always been corrupt enough to do such a deed as this. He had fostered the evil spirit of avarice until it had become the ruling motive of his life. The love of mammon overbalanced ...
Sep 11, 2024•9 min•Season 6Ep. 2149
Read Mark 14:32–42 . What did Jesus pray in Gethsemane, and how was the prayer answered? Leaving the walled city of Jerusalem where they ate the Passover meal, Jesus and His disciples go across the Kidron Valley to a garden on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. The name Gethsemane means oil press, suggesting that there was an olive oil processing press in the vicinity. The exact location is unknown because the Romans cut down all the trees on the Mount of Olives during the siege in A.D. 70. As J...
Sep 10, 2024•10 min•Season 6Ep. 2148
Read Mark 14:22–31 and Exodus 24:8 . What great significance to the Christian faith is found in this account? Mark 14:12 notes that this is the first day of unleavened bread, when the Passover lamb was sacrificed. The meal was on Thursday evening. At the Last Supper, Jesus institutes a new memorial service. It is a transition from the Jewish Passover celebration and is directly linked to Israel’s leaving Egypt and becoming God’s covenant people at Sinai. In the sealing of the covenant, in Exodus...
Sep 09, 2024•11 min•Season 6Ep. 2147
Read Mark 14:1–11 . What two stories are intertwined here, and how do they play off of one another? Mark 14:1 indicates that the Passover was two days away. This meeting probably occurred on either Tuesday night or Wednesday of that week. The religious leaders have a plan and timing. They just need a means to accomplish their goal. It will come from a surprising quarter. This passage is the fifth sandwich story in Mark (see lesson 3). The story of the plot against Jesus is linked with a story of...
Sep 08, 2024•11 min•Season 6Ep. 2146
Read for This Week’s Study Mark 12:41–44, Mark 13:1–32, Dan. 9:24–27, Dan. 7:25, 1 Thess. 4:13–18 . Memory Text: This week’s lesson starts with a very brief story at the end of Mark 12 , where Jesus makes a profound statement about a small act by a widow. The main portion of this week’s lesson, however, deals with Mark 13 , a striking prophecy about the fate of the Jerusalem temple and more. This chapter, along with its parallels in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 , tell about the fall of Jerusalem and b...
Sep 07, 2024•4 min•Season 6Ep. 2145
Read Ellen G. White, “On the Mount of Olives,” pp. 627–636, in The Desire of Ages . Many things are happening in the world that are very disturbing. People truly are frightened about what is unfolding. How can we, as Seventh-day Adventists, with a kind of “inside track” on events, use these things to point people to the hope we have in Jesus and the promise of His coming? “Because we know not the exact time of His coming, we are commanded to watch. ‘Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when...
Sep 06, 2024•9 min•Season 6Ep. 2144
Jesus’ Claims The miracle by the Pool of Bethesda provided an excellent opportunity for John to emphasize who Jesus is. John takes nine verses to describe the miracle and about 40 verses (see below) to describe the One who performed the miracle. Read John 5:16–18. Why was Jesus persecuted for His action on the Sabbath? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ John 5:18 can be disturbing because it seems to say that Jesus wa...
Sep 05, 2024•12 min•Season 6Ep. 2171
Read Mark 13:24–32 . What great event is described here? The great event described in Mark 13:24–32 is none other than the return of Jesus Christ in glory, preceded by signs in the sun, moon, and stars. The New Testament is full of prophecies pointing toward this wonderful event. The apostle Paul describes it in detail in 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 , where he speaks of those who have fallen asleep in Christ being raised to life and caught up with the living saints to meet Christ in the air. In 1 Co...
Sep 05, 2024•13 min•Season 6Ep. 2143
Read Mark 13:19 . What does this verse refer to? Mark 13:14 , regarding the abomination of desolation, is the fulcrum around which the chapter pivots (see Tuesday’s study). Mark 13:19 marks a transition point, as well. It refers to a great tribulation that does not have an equal since the creation of the world. This portends a greater or more extensive persecution than had occurred at the fall of Jerusalem. Mark 13:19 also shifts to the future tense, pointing toward events more distant from Jesu...
Sep 04, 2024•10 min•Season 6Ep. 2142
Read Mark 13:14–18 . What clue does Jesus give in figuring out what the “abomination of desolation” refers to? Jesus comes to the central point about the fall of Jerusalem in Mark 13:14 . He refers to “_the abomination of desolation._” The Lord says that the reader should understand. With these words, Jesus is pointing the disciples to the book of Daniel. This terminology appears in Daniel 9:27, Daniel 11:31, and Daniel 12:11 , with a parallel in Daniel 8:13 . Read Daniel 9:26, 27 . Who is the “...
Sep 03, 2024•12 min•Season 6Ep. 2141
Read Mark 13:1–13 . How did the disciples respond to Jesus’ statement about the temple, and what is the significance of Jesus’ answer to them? As we have noted, the temple complex was a truly amazing structure. Josephus notes that the Royal Portico on the south side of the complex had 162 pillars, each of which three men clasping hands could reach around ( Antiquities , 15.11.5 §§413–414). Jesus says that it will all be thrown down. Such a prophecy concerning this amazing structure would sound t...
Sep 02, 2024•11 min•Season 6Ep. 2140
Read Mark 12:41–44 . How much did the widow give, and what did Jesus have to say about that? The Jerusalem temple was an amazingly beautiful structure. The temple mount dominated the city, and the massive stones involved in its construction are a marvel to this day, some weighing hundreds of tons. The remodeling and expansion of the temple and the temple mount began under Herod the Great around 20 B.C., but the construction and embellishment of the structure continued into the A.D. 60s. Many peo...
Sep 01, 2024•15 min•Season 6Ep. 2139
Read for This Week’s Study Mark 12:41–44, Mark 13:1–32, Dan. 9:24–27, Dan. 7:25, 1 Thess. 4:13–18 . Memory Text: This week’s lesson starts with a very brief story at the end of Mark 12 , where Jesus makes a profound statement about a small act by a widow. The main portion of this week’s lesson, however, deals with Mark 13 , a striking prophecy about the fate of the Jerusalem temple and more. This chapter, along with its parallels in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 , tell about the fall of Jerusalem and b...
Aug 31, 2024•6 min•Season 6Ep. 2138
Read Ellen G. White, “A Doomed People,” pp. 580–588; “The Temple Cleansed Again,” pp. 589–600; “Controversy,” pp. 601–609, in The Desire of Ages . “Christ’s act in cursing the tree which His own power had created stands as a warning to all churches and to all Christians. No one can live the law of God without ministering to others. But there are many who do not live out Christ’s merciful, unselfish life. Some who think themselves excellent Christians do not understand what constitutes service fo...
Aug 30, 2024•9 min•Season 6Ep. 2137
Read Mark 12:28–34 . What deep question did the friendly scribe ask, and what double response did Jesus give? Up to this point in the Gospel of Mark, most of the religious leaders, with few exceptions, are antagonistic to Jesus. This is particularly true in Jerusalem, where Jesus has confronted the leadership over temple worship—that which stands at the heart of Judaism. Thus, for a scribe to listen to the disputes and appreciate Jesus’ responses displays both honesty and courage in face of the ...
Aug 29, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 2136
Read Mark 12:13–27 . What is going on here, and what truths does Jesus teach? The religious leaders were trying to catch Jesus in something they could use to condemn Him, either to the Roman governor or to the people. In this controversy, it was the question of paying taxes. In this time and place, refusing to pay taxes could be taken as rebellion against the Roman government, a serious offense. Jesus’ reply to give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s kept...
Aug 28, 2024•9 min•Season 6Ep. 2135
Read Mark 11:27–33 . What challenge did the religious leaders bring to Jesus, and how did He respond? The day after Jesus cleanses the temple, the religious leaders confront Him in the temple courts, asking by what authority He acted the day before. They are not seeking truth but seeking to trap Him. If He says that His authority is from God, they will deny that a simple country carpenter could have such authority. If He admits that His authority is human, they will dismiss Him as a fool. But Je...
Aug 27, 2024•10 min•Season 6Ep. 2134
Read Mark 11:12–26 . What is the significance of the events depicted here? In the morning, coming from Bethany, only about two miles (a little more than three kilometers) from Jerusalem, Jesus was hungry. Seeing a fig tree in leaf, He went to it to find perhaps some early fruit. This action would not be considered stealing since according to Old Testament law, one could eat food from a neighbor’s field or orchard to assuage hunger ( Lev. 19:9, Lev. 23:22, Deut. 23:25 ). But He found no fruit and...
Aug 26, 2024•14 min•Season 6Ep. 2133
Read Mark 11:1–11 and Zechariah 9:9, 10 . What’s happening here? Half of this story involves Jesus sending two disciples to a nearby village to retrieve a donkey for Him to ride on into Jerusalem. Why is so much time spent on this account? The answer is twofold. First, it demonstrates Jesus’ prophetic powers, enhancing the dignity of His arrival and linking it to the will of God. Second, this aspect of the story links to Zechariah 9:9, 10 , which speaks of the king as riding into Jerusalem on a ...
Aug 25, 2024•9 min•Season 6Ep. 2132
Read for This Week’s Study Mark 11; 1 Kings 1:32–48; Zech. 9:9, 10; Isa. 56:7; Jer. 7:11; Mark 12:1–34 . Memory Text: A series of five controversies between Jesus and the religious leaders are recorded in Mark 2 and 3 (see lesson 3). In this week’s lesson, when Jesus arrives in Jerusalem, He has a series of six controversies with the religious leaders. The two sets of controversies are like bookends of His earthly ministry. Each set deals with important issues in the Christian life. Jesus’ instr...
Aug 24, 2024•7 min•Season 6Ep. 2131
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Blessing the Children,” pp. 511–517; “ ‘One Thing Thou Lackest,’ ” pp. 518–523, in The Desire of Ages. “Jesus was ever a lover of children. He accepted their childish sympathy and their open, unaffected love. The grateful praise from their pure lips was music in His ears, and refreshed His spirit when oppressed by contact with crafty and hypocritical men. Wherever the Saviour went, the benignity of His countenance, and His gentle, kindly manner won the love...
Aug 23, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 2130
Read Mark 10:46–52. How did Bartimaeus react to Jesus’ passing by? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Up to this point in the Gospel of Mark, with few exceptions, Jesus has been telling people to keep quiet about His miracles and about who He is. In this account, as He is leaving Jericho, a blind man begging on the side of the road, upon hearing that it is Jesus...
Aug 22, 2024•10 min•Season 6Ep. 2129
Read Mark 10:32–45. How do these verses reveal the continued ignorance of the disciples regarding not only Jesus’ mission but what it means to follow Him? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ As Jesus approaches Jerusalem, He reveals to His disciples what will happen there. It is not a scenario they believe in or want to hear. Jesus’ specificity as to the outline ...
Aug 21, 2024•11 min•Season 6Ep. 2128
Read Mark 10:17–31. What crucial lessons about faith and the cost of discipleship—for anyone, rich or poor—is revealed here? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ The man’s approach indicates his sincerity and respect for Jesus. He runs up, kneels before Him, and asks the question central to the destiny of every soul—What are the requirements in order to inherit et...
Aug 20, 2024•14 min•Season 6Ep. 2128
Read Mark 10:13–16. What did Jesus do for those who brought children to Him? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ While children were greatly desired in the ancient world (particularly boys in the male-dominant culture), birth and childhood were not easy. Without modern medical care, the risks to mothers in giving birth and to newborns, infants, and children were ...
Aug 19, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 2127
Read Mark 10:1–12, as well as Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:24. What trap was hiding under the Pharisees’ question about divorce, and what lessons did Jesus teach in His response? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ In this passage, the Pharisees ask Jesus if it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife. Among the Pharisees, divorce was considered lawful. The question...
Aug 18, 2024•12 min•Season 6Ep. 2126
Read for This Week’s Study: Mark 10; Gen. 1:27; Gen. 2:24; Gal. 4:1, 2; Rom. 6:1–11; Isa. 11:1–16. Memory Text: “ ‘For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many’ ” (Mark 10:45, NKJV). This week covers Mark 10, completing the special section in which Jesus teaches His disciples in preparation for the Cross. About half of the chapter deals with the disciples themselves, and the rest with issues important to discipleship but told through the...
Aug 17, 2024•5 min•Season 6Ep. 115
Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Ministry,” pp. 426–431; “Who Is the Greatest?” pp. 432–442, in The Desire of Ages. “Before honor is humility. To fill a high place before men, Heaven chooses the worker who, like John the Baptist, takes a lowly place before God. The most childlike disciple is the most efficient in labor for God. The heavenly intelligences can co-operate with him who is seeking, not to exalt self, but to save souls.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 436. “By all that h...
Aug 16, 2024•8 min•Season 6Ep. 2124
