Daily Bread Pastor Mike Anderson

Click Here to Read or Listen to Mark 16 Jesus Has Risen Mark is the shortest of the four gospels written at 16 chapters. Most consider it the earliest gospel that the other gospel writers used as a baseline to write their gospels. This would help explain why it is the shortest. The other gospel primarily used Mark's account, and then added their own unique material. So we come to the end of Mark's gospel with his account of the resurrection of Jesus.  Note that there are two different versions of chapter 16 that scholars use. The "shorter version" includes Mark 16:1-8. The "longer version" adds verses 9-20. Generally speaking interpreters prefer the shorter version to the longer version, because there is less likelihood that extra verses were added in later. As we read the shorter version we see how abruptly it ends.  "Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid."   Mark...

Click Here to Read or LIsten to Mark 15 Jesus Before Pilate After the chief priests, elders, and teachers of the law had successfully apprehended Jesus and convicted him of blasphemy for claiming to be the Son of God, they took him to Pontius Pilate. Pilate was governor of Judah accountable to the Roman Emperor, Tiberius.  The Jewish leaders had reason to expect a favorable result when they sent Jesus to Pilate. Secular history shows us he was a cruel, ruthless man, and completely insensitive to the moral feelings of others – surely, they thought, Pilate will put this Jesus to death. - Guzik As Pilate questioned Jesus he was pretty non-commital in his answers, like when Pilate asked him if he was the King of the Jews. Jesus said, "You have said so!" It is almost as if there is a hint of sarcasm in Jesus' voice. The chief priests joined in by accusing him and Jesus still did not defend himself.  It says when Jesus didn't reply, "Pilate was amazed! " I wonder ...

  Click Here to Read or Listen to Mark 14 Jesus Anointed at Bethany The Passover feast was two days away, and the religious leaders' plot to kill Jesus was in the incubation stage. They wanted to arrest Jesus, but because his following had grown so big, they didn’t want to incite a riot when so many people would be there for the Festival.  Meanwhile Jesus was at the home of Simon the Leper, who Jesus had healed. A woman brought a very expensive jar of perfume called “nard”. She broke the jar and poured it over his head. To anoint someone with oil was a ritual dating all the way back to when David was anointed as Israel's first King of Israel. The word "Messiah" also meant "Anointed One".  But this anointing was for a different kind of king. The woman, who we learn is Mary Magdalene, was anointing Jesus for his death and burial. Later after Jesus died, women would wrap Jesus in linen cloths and spices. Joseph of Arimathea would buy a tomb for Jesus to be laid...

Click Here To Read or Listen to Mark 13 The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times A comment one of the disciples makes about the magnificence of the temple building turns into a discussion on the end times. For the Jewish people, the temple was always a sign of God's blessing. The beauty and the size of the temple was the pride of Israel. When Solomon built the first temple it was a sign of the rule of Israel after they defeated the nations. It was a dwelling place for God's name.  So, when Jesus says not one massive stones in the temple will be left, the disciples think this may be a sign of the end of the age. Therefore, they ask him how they will know when these things are going to happen. So Jesus starts explaining what the signs will look like.  One thing to know is that part of Jesus' prophecy is the literal destruction of the temple, which will happen in A.D. 70. But Jesus is also referring to the end times. Later, he will sum up his teaching by saying...

The Parable of the Tenants In this parable the owner of a vineyard rented his vineyard out to some tenants. When he sent his servants to collect the fruit, which is similar to the rent a renter would pay today, they beat his servants and even killed some. Although they completely disrespected him greatly, he thought if he sent his son, they would treat him kindly. But in similar fashion they not only beat the son but killed him.  So what does this mean?  The fairly obvious interpretation is the owner of the vineyard is God. The vineyard represents the promised land God gave to Israel. The tenants were the Israelites, more specifically the teachers of the Law, elders, and the Pharisees. The servants he sent represent the prophets, who came as messengers of God. The religious leaders beat and killed the prophets symbolic of their disregard for the Lord. Finally, the Son, the One whom He loved, represents Jesus. And we all know what happened to him.  The owner was very patie...

Click Here to Read or Listen Mark 11   Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King Jesus makes an unusual request to two of his disciples to go into the next town. There they would find a colt, who had never been ridden before. They were to untie it and bring it to Jesus. If anybody questioned what they were doing they were simply to say, "The Lord needs it" .  Jesus is setting the scene for his triumphal entry. Sure enough the disciples found the colt right where Jesus had told them. And sure enough some people asked them why they were untying the colt. The disciples told them what Jesus told them to say and they had no issue.  He deliberately chose a young donkey, not a stallion, not a horse, and not coming on foot. This is because in that day, to come riding a colt – as opposed to a mighty war-horse – was to come as a man of peace. Jesus didn’t come to Jerusalem as a conquering general, but as a suffering (though triumphant) servant. Do you get the feeling that these events have ...

Click Here to Read or Listen To Mark 10To Mark 10 Divorce Jesus has already exposed the hypocrisy and legalism of the Pharisees. Today they try to trip him up by asking for his interpretation of the Mosaic Law on the subject of divorce. They ask Jesus if it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife. The trap is that if he says it is okay, then he is going against the words in Genesis where God says, "What God has joined together let man not separate!" But if he said it was unlawful they would point out a provision Moses made for divorce in cases of adultery.  The law of Deuteronomy 24:1 was really given as a protection to the divorced wife. “Moses permitted divorce providing a certificate of divorce was given to the wife… Its primary function was to provide a degree of protection for the woman who had been repudiated by her husband.” (Lane) Jesus affirms that God's plan for marriage is that what God has joined together let man not separate. Marriage is a holy commitment mad...

Click Here to Read or Listen to Mark 9 Jesus opens this chapter with some confusing words,  "Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.” People get confused by this statement by assuming that the " kingdom coming with power" means the second coming of Christ. This is why many first century Christians thought Jesus was going to return in their generation, which is the subject of  Paul's letter to the Thessalonians. What is it referring to then? I think it is referring to Pentecost when God kingdom came in great power when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, as they waited behind closed doors in fear of the Jews. When the Holy Spirit came upon them in great power, they started speaking in many languages the Good News of Christ and did many signs and wonders.  The Transfiguration In this story Jesus took his inner circle of disciples, Peter, James and John, up high on a mountain wh...

Click Here To Read or Listen to Mark 8 Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand As the crowds continued to follow him in very large groups, Jesus had another opportunity to perform another sign. In this sign Jesus is again going to feed a large number of people, in this case 4,000. Whether it is exactly four thousand people or not doesn't really matter to me. Four thousand people in Jesus' day as a percentage of the population is a huge number.  Jesus felt bad for these people because they hadn't had anything to eat for three days. It shows they were more hungry for God's Word than food. Once the disciples voice that they are in a remote place and don't have even close to enough to feed four thousand people. Seven loaves could feed maybe 21 people.  But Jesus knew God would provide, so he sat the people on the ground. Jesus prepared them for the miracle. Jesus gave them the bread and also a few small fish and told them to distribute the food. What happened next we cannot expla...