15:5 - Sometimes silence is the best defense. So many of us argue our case, but Jesus left Himself in the hands of the Father. (1 Peter 2:23)
15:12 - What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews? - that is the question every one of us is asked.
15:14 - If you find yourself repeating the same thing only louder and louder there is a great chance that your heart isn't right. Yelling, even about good things, most likely means our hearts have taken a detour.
15:16-20 - Love = allowing those you are saving to mock and beat you while you are saving them.
15:32 - ...that we may see and believe. - The problem for the chief priests and teachers of the law was their lack of faith as much as it was their thirst for power. They didn't want to have to believe what they couldn't see and therefore control. we need to be careful not to make Christianity only about what we as leaders can see, understand and control. There should be things we are just as amazed by. Too many answers means too little of a God.
15:33-37 - Jesus gave His life up at 3 PM. 3 PM was the time during every day when the priests sacrificed the lamb for the sins of the people. God is perfect in His timing. What an incredible way to teach us who and what Jesus was and is.
When Jesus calls out and the people say He is calling Elijah it is because the name Elijah means God is God.
15:38 - The curtain being torn from top to bottom was huge, because it meant that God was tearing away that which separated Him from His people.
15:43 - We focus so much on the disciples running away that we forget some people acted boldly. Joseph of Arimathea went boldly to Pilate.
16:6 - ... who WAS crucified. He IS risen! He is not here. - I love this. He was crucified, but He isn't any more. He IS now risen from the dead and can no longer die. And, oh yeah, He ain't in this tomb anymore. Your Savior is RISEN!!!! That should change something for you today.
16:7 - I think it is interesting that the angel sends them to the disciples and Peter. Jesus has such a desire to redeem and reconnect with us even after we have betrayed Him that He calls us by name. Jesus dealt with this head on for Peter's sake.
The last half of Mark 16 is not in the best and earliest manuscripts. This probably means Mark didn't write it there, but others did as other people wrote about Jesus and recalled what happened. It is worth listening to, but be careful about putting too much weight behind it as it is a 50/50 proposition and not as solid as other writings in the Scripture.
16:14 - ... he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen. - You know this part is true because you can check out the other Gospels (Matthew, Luke, John) and find this in their record. I wonder if Jesus would have to rebuke those of us in leadership at The Oasis for our lack of faith and stubborn refusal to believe sometimes. Right now, to be honest, I think He would praise us for our faith and belief, but let's keep it that way.
16:16 - Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. - I am a baptism guy, but I would use this verse lightly. Since it is in a section that is 50/50 I would be careful not to build a whole theology off of it. It is funny because the baptism people point to this to prove the significance of baptism with salvation and the faith only people point to it to prove that baptism is not necessary. Same verse, but different biases cause different understandings. Work hard to make sure to admit your biases up front so you can honestly examine the Scriptures as a whole.
16:17 - This verse is interesting to me.
Love, Michael
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