Mark 14:1-11

The Plot to Kill Jesus

14 After two days it was the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a treacherous way to arrest and kill Him. ² “Not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be rioting among the people.”

The Anointing at Bethany

³ While He was in Bethany at the house of Simon who had a serious skin disease, as He was reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of pure and expensive fragrant oil of nard. She broke the jar and poured it on His head. ⁴ But some were expressing indignation to one another: “Why has this fragrant oil been wasted? ⁵ For this oil might have been sold for more than 300 denarii and given to the poor.” And they began to scold her.

⁶ Then Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a noble thing for Me. ⁷ You always have the poor with you, and you can do what is good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have Me. ⁸ She has done what she could; she has anointed My body in advance for burial. ⁹ I assure you: Wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told in memory of her.”

¹⁰ Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to hand Him over to them. ¹¹ And when they heard this, they were glad and promised to give him silver.^[a] So he started looking for a good opportunity to betray Him.

Questions:

1.       Why would the church leader not want to arrest Jesus in a public place?

A.     They know the people love Jesus and a riot would break out if they tried to capture Him.  Plus, He hasn’t done anything wrong.

2.      Why did the women pour expensive oil on Jesus’s head?

A.     It was a way of showing love for Jesus, she was putting His needs before her needs.  I’m not sure if she knew He was going to die soon, but it was a way of showing love to Jesus. 

3.      How did the disciples react to the women anointing Jesus?

A.     Some of the disciples reacted in an upset manor, they thought they could sell the oil to help the poor, or anyone in need.  The main person who was upset was Judas because he was the money holder and would probably steal some of the money. 

4.      How does Jesus respond to the women anointing His head?

A.     He loves her.  He said she did a beautiful thing for Him.  She will always going to be remembered. 

Mark 13: 24-37

Mark 13:24-37Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

The Coming of the Son of Man

²⁴ “But in those days, after that tribulation:

The sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not shed its light;
²⁵ the stars will be falling from the sky,
and the celestial powers will be shaken.

²⁶ Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. ²⁷ He will send out the angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.

The Parable of the Fig Tree

²⁸ “Learn this parable from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹ In the same way, when you see these things happening, know^[a] that He^[b] is near—at the door! ³⁰ I assure you: This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place. ³¹ Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

No One Knows the Day or Hour

³² “Now concerning that day or hour no one knows—neither the angels in heaven nor the Son—except the Father. ³³ Watch! Be alert!^[c] For you don’t know when the time is coming. ³⁴ It is like a man on a journey, who left his house, gave authority to his slaves, gave each one his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to be alert. ³⁵ Therefore be alert, since you don’t know when the master of the house is coming—whether in the evening or at midnight or at the crowing of the rooster or early in the morning. ³⁶ Otherwise, he might come suddenly and find you sleeping.³⁷ And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be alert!

1.       Who are Jesus’s elect?

A.     They are His people who believe that He died on the cross for their sins so that they may enter heaven. 

2.      What does it mean by heaven and earth will pass away, but My word will never pass away.  What does this statement mean?

A.     It means that God’s word will last forever.  That things on earth and things in heaven don’t last forever, only God’s word lasts forever. 

3.      Always be ready.  What does Jesus mean by this?

A.     Jesus is telling His disciples that he must read His word, understand His word.  Focus on Him and not of this world.  We must be ready to give account for our lives.  We must be ready for Him to come.  We must share our faith with people who don’t know Jesus, so they can be saved.  He will give us the words to say.  He will guide us.  We must be ready because we don’t know when he’ll come for us.  

Mark 13:1-23Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)Destruction of the Temple Predicted13 As He was going out of the temple complex, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, look! What massive stones! What impressive buildings!”
² Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down!”
Signs of the End of the Age³ While He was sitting on the Mount of Olives across from the temple complex, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, ⁴ “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when all these things are about to take place?”
⁵ Then Jesus began by telling them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. ⁶ Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and they will deceive many. ⁷ When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don’t be alarmed; these things must take place, but the end is not yet. ⁸ For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines.^[a] These are the beginning of birth pains.
Persecutions Predicted⁹ “But you, be on your guard! They will hand you over to sanhedrins,^[a]and you will be flogged in the synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of Me, as a witness to them. ¹⁰ And the good news^[b] must first be proclaimed to all nations. ¹¹ So when they arrest you and hand you over, don’t worry beforehand what you will say. On the contrary, whatever is given to you in that hour—say it. For it isn’t you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. ¹² Then brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise up against parents and put them to death. ¹³ And you will be hated by everyone because of My name. But the one who endures to the end will be delivered.^[c]The Great Tribulation¹⁴ “When you see the abomination that causes desolation^[d] standing where it should not” (let the reader understand^[e]), “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains! ¹⁵ A man on the housetop must not come down or go in to get anything out of his house. ¹⁶ And a man in the field must not go back to get his clothes. ¹⁷ Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days! ¹⁸ Pray it^[f] won’t happen in winter. ¹⁹ For those will be days of tribulation, the kind that hasn’t been from the beginning of the world,^[g] which God created, until now and never will be again! ²⁰ Unless the Lord limited those days, no one would survive.^[h] But He limited those days because of the elect, whom He chose.
²¹ “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah! Look—there!’ do not believe it! ²² For false messiahs^[i] and false prophets will rise up and will perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the elect.²³ And you must watch! I have told you everything in advance.
Questions:1.       What does Jesus mean when he says all the stones will be thrown down?
A.     He means that all these great building that look impressive and look indestructible will all be coming down someday. That mass destruction is going to come.
2.      If you were one of the disciples wouldn’t you want to know when all these things would happen, or would you want to be in the dark?
A.     ???
3.      Jesus talks about people coming in His name.  What does that mean?
A.     Jesus is warning His disciples that people will ask like Jesus, or predict the end times like a prophet, but that these people are false.  Jesus makes it clear that you will know when He is coming, not a false teacher.
4.      How does Jesus tell us to be on guard?
A.     He says to be prepared for anything, to be prepared for people to hurt you, to question you, to kill you because you follow Jesus.  He tells them to not worry because the Holy Spirit will fill you and give you the words to say at the right time.  During the end times people will be acting in uncaring ways, and His people need to endure and continue to love the Lord.  We must be examples to everyone no matter what the condition.
5.      The end times will not be fun, what does Jesus tell his disciples about the end times?
A.      He tells them that they need to be ready.  That is certain cases it will be much harder for you to survive if it is winter, or you are pregnant, or you forget something in your house.  He says to just run, get away.
6.      Jesus wants us to be aware of false teachers or people who choose to believe in false teachers.  It is our job to read the Bible and understand what Jesus says, not some random person acting like Jesus.