Screenshots of Jesus, Lesson 20: Secret Christians and Final Words

We look back at the "Screenshots" series to review the lessons learned as we went through the book of Mark. Hopefuly you enjoyed it as much as I did! A special thanks to Pastor Ed Schuppe who has reviewed my podcasts and Nhia Yang who helped me come up with the concept of "Little Things." This was named "Little Things" because in God's kingdom, the little things are the big things. 

We finish Mark today by talking about the two men who put Jesus in the tomb, the resurrection, and the command Jesus gave his disciples and us when he went to heaven. 

In Mark 15, we see Jesus enduring unspeakable torture. He remains quiet, willingly enduring the price for our sin. In this episode, we'll talk about mob mentality, silence as a choice, and remembering the extent of Jesus's humiliation as we deal with other people and even as we consider our own pet sins. 

It's easy to say we would never do this or that, but usually we make those comments from a place of comfort. The disciples never imagined they would be in a place to run away from Jesus either. But when darkness fell and soldiers came, it was a different thing altogether. May God give us grace and help us give that same grace to others. 

In this part of the book of Mark, we are just days away from Jesus's death. Jesus gives his disciples and us the important reminder that earthly things don't matter. One day they will all be gone. Jesus also warns us to be ready for the Last Day, because whether or not we live to see judgment day, our end will one day come. We'll talk about Mary, who anointed Jesus with an expensive perfume, and be reminded that having a heart of adoration toward Jesus is a beautiful thing, even if the people around us don't understand. 

In the days prior to Jesus's arrest, the leaders confronted him in the temple courts. Their aim was to somehow catch Jesus in a trap. His aim was to uphold the law and, even as they came after him, to offer them grace. 

Mark 11 brings us to Palm Sunday and Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Was the adoration of the crowds legit, or did they just get caught up in the emotion of what was going on? We'll discuss why Jesus cursed a fig tree (?!) and the posture of our hearts when we pray. And we'll talk about boundaries and how much access we give the people around us. 

In Mark 10, Jesus is annoyed by the disciples, the disciples are annoyed with one another, Jesus teaches about divorce and childlike faith, and he begins the path to the cross. 

In Mark 9, we see a glimpse of God's glory, the importance of faith, and the constant need to be in the Word to stay on the right path. Look for additional resources, including PDFs for discussion and additional study, on Amberalbeeswenson.org.

Jesus again feeds a multitude. Later he warns his disciples about the false religious ideologies of their day. The disciples fail a test that we too often fail: the opportunity to trust God to provide when we can't see the answers to the problems we face.