HOSANNA!

Perfect timing...it just so happened that we were up to chapter 11 last evening in our Wednesday night study of Mark In The Now, which coincided with this Sunday being Palm Sunday...I love when things like that work out without any planning...hope to see many of you at CITN this Sunday (10 AM) to enjoy praise and worship, fellowship, the Word, water baptism and a celebration of the Triumphant King!

1. As they neared Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples ahead.

2. And He gave them very specific instructions, saying, "I want you to go into the village ahead of you, and as soon as you enter it you will find a young colt tied which has never been ridden by anyone. When you find it, I want you to unfasten it and bring it here to Me.

3. If anyone should ask you, 'Why are you taking this animal which doesn't belong to you?', just say to them, 'The Lord needs it, but He will send it right back here when He's through with it.'"

4. So they went on their way, and, sure enough, they found a colt tied at the door of a house as soon as they entered the village, and they went right up to it and loosed it.

5. And some who were standing there said to them, "What do you think you're doing? Why are you untying this man's colt?"

6. And they said to the people exactly what Jesus had told them to say...and it worked! The people allowed them to go without saying another word.

7. And they brought the colt to Jesus, and started throwing their outer garments on it, creating a sort of festive, makeshift saddle...and He sat on it.

8. And many of the people who were around took their cues from the disciples and began to spontaneously spread their garments on the road. Still others joined in with the impromptu decorating, and scattered a layer of leafy branches which they had cut from the fields along the route on which He would be travelling.

9. And still others formed a parade of praise, preceding Him on the road and crying out, joyfully and triumphantly, "Hosanna! Save, Lord! Praised and infinitely blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!

10. Praised and blessed in the name of the Lord is the coming Kingdom of our father David! Hosanna! Save, Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"

Coming Soon!

From the Introduction to THE GOSPELS IN THE NOW: The Four Biographies of the God-Man Re-Imagined in Modern Context

Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings. As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle. (Ezekiel 1:5, 6, 10 - NKJV)

I LOVE THE GOSPELS:

I love Matthew's Gospel...the Gospel of the Kingdom...the Gospel of the Lion-King...a uniquely important revelation, written for the Jews, from a firsthand, up-close-and-personal viewpoint, portraying Jesus as the Messiah so long awaited after Abraham...the King after David. There is a particular and sometimes palpable tension in Matthew, probably because it was written in the name of a Jew whom the Jews hated, because he was a collector of taxes for the Romans. But it is written with much love, nonetheless. Matthew was apprehended by Jesus, and was not at all like the other disciples, so the writings that bear his name bring a certain richness to the Jesus narrative that is essential to our understanding of the Son of Man. What the other Synoptic Gospel writers call the "Kingdom of God", Matthew calls the "Kingdom of Heaven" (or, better translated: Kingdom of the Heavens"). "Kingdom of God" says Whose and what it is..."Kingdom of Heaven" says Whose it is and where it's from. Perhaps the most significant contribution of Matthew is the attention to detail in the Sermon on the Mount...the blueprint for the "Kingdom of/from the Heavens". Matthew…the Gospel that roars!

I love Mark’s Gospel…you can feel the youth and vitality of the man whose name it bears pulsating in every page of it…the Gospel of passion and fire…the most masculine of the Gospels…a Gospel that gets the job done…the “can do!” Gospel. Matthew is symbolized by the Lion, Luke is personified in the Man, John shows us the Eagle…but Mark’s is the picture of the OX…strong…utilitarian…dependable…effective…the Gospel with muscle. No attention is given to Jesus as a baby…those kind of details are less important here. It’s also the shortest of the Gospels…it does more and says less…gets to the point…emphasizes themes like faith and power. Mark’s Gospel provides a much-needed paradigm to the big picture…an aspect of the earthiness of Jesus, the Carpenter, who personally builds His Kingdom without fear of getting His hands dirty…a concept that is especially appealing to the Romans, to whom it is written. Mark…the Gospel that bears!

I love Luke’s Gospel…the Gospel of the fully evolved Man…sophisticated…elegant…educated…intelligent. Luke is a physician with an excellent bedside manner, who writes a thoughtful and lovingly detailed letter to the young Greek, Theophilus, about the amazing God-Man. But in reality, it is written to all the Greeks, who would, in theory, appreciate the culture and refinement of its author, and the miracles and philosophy of its Main Character. Luke gives the most attention to the Nativity, because it is the most biographical of the four Gospels…it was also originally combined with the Book of Acts. It brings the Synoptic Gospels full circle, showing us the complete spectrum of all that was and is the Son of Man. Luke…the Gospel that cares!

I love the Gospel of John…a living, breathing Word, unlike anything else…so different from the three Synoptic Gospels. Each of them brings something original to the table, but John’s account of the greatest story ever told is in a class all by itself. It is the Gospel written for non-conformists and individualists…for those who can comprehend Jesus outside the box…a flight plan for eagles who exist high above the clouds. Matthew is written for the Jews, Mark is written for the Romans, Luke is written for the Greeks, but John’s writings come from the paradigm of a universalist…he paints his picture in very broad strokes, and writes with the global vision of one who sees the whole earth through a bird’s eye view. Can you imagine the visionary mind of someone who begins his story with , “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”? Matthew and Luke open the Jesus-narrative in the little town of Bethlehem…but John begins IN THE BEGINNING…in eternity…in the cosmos…in the now! You could spend a lifetime just discussing that one wonderful concept and still not be able to fully plumb the depths of its meaning. John’s is the Gospel of the Son of God…John…the Gospel that soars!

Excerpts from THE GOSPELS IN THE NOW (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John)

“But seek out and search for a revelation of the kingdom of God in and through every circumstance, and in every situation. And seek it first (or first thing)...before you strive with the circumstance... before you start to worry about the situation…before you fret over it…before you allow yourself to become overwhelmed by it or let it become exaggerated in your mind. And along with your primary search, look diligently for His righteousness, (or His rightness) to be revealed somewhere in the thing, as well. When you prioritize the kingdom in this way, then you can be sure that everything in your personal world will come into order, and that all you need for your daily provision will just automatically flow into your life and will be added to you as a result of your quest. So don’t worry or be anxious about what may or may not happen tomorrow. Live in the now, because the kingdom is always revealed in the now. Deal with tomorrow and what it may bring when it gets here, knowing that tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. As you live each day as it comes, God will enable you to successfully handle each day’s trouble, whatever it may be.”

(Matthew 6:33, 34 - Matthew In The Now)

“Let Me reveal this truth to you...you're impressed with what happened to the fig tree, but the fact is that you have the power and ability to say to this entire mountain, "Be lifted up and be thrown into the sea!", and see it obey you! You've seen me actually speak to a storm...or command the dead to live again...well, in the same way, if you can connect the God-kind of faith that is in your own heart with the creative ability that is in your own mouth...if you say what you believe, and believe what you say...you can produce these kinds of results! This is why I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer...whatever you decree...BELIEVE...accept the reality that it exists in another, unseen dimension, simply because you say it. Don't suspend or delay belief until you see it manifested in the physical realm, because what is unseen is more real than what is seen. Be confident that your request is granted to you, and you will get it...your own irresistible faith will attract it to you."

(Mark 11:23, 24 – Mark In The Now)

"And while I'm on the subject of the operation of this new world order, I will also tell you not to pronounce judgment on anyone, and you will live beyond the authority of any one's judgment on your life...do not condemn or pronounce guilt on anyone, and you will exist beyond the reach of condemnation and personal guilt...acquit, forgive and release others from your agendas and opinions, and you will never be limited by the agendas and opinions of others. And give...give generously and freely...because if you do, gifts will be lavished upon you...and these gifts will be abundant (to demonstrate the infinite possibilities of the Kingdom), packed down (to make room for more), shaken together (to make sure that you never receive filler), and running all over the place (so that you never have a sense of lack)! People will come into your life just to give to you, and this is the way that they will pour into the pouch formed by the bosom of your robe and used as a bag. You define your own terms in this, for with the same measure you deal out...with the measure you use when you confer benefits on others...it will be measured back to you!"

(Luke 6:37, 38 - Luke In The Now)

"You see, God’s love for the whole world – His paternal affection for the entire cosmos – was so all-encompassing and complete that He freely gave His unique Son to it, so that anyone from that world who believes in Him would not perish, but would awaken to the fact that eternal life is theirs. It certainly was never God’s intention to send His Son into the world to pronounce a sentence of condemnation upon it. Rather, He was perfectly focused on saving it...on redeeming the whole of humanity, everyone and everything on the planet...through the gift of that unique, manifested Son."

(John 3:16, 17 - John In The Now)

MkITN XVI

1. And when the Sabbath was over, which was technically just after sunset, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of James, and Salome went to purchase sweet-smelling spices that they could use to anoint the body of Jesus.

2. And very early, before the dawn of the first day of the week, they got up and went to the tomb. By the time they arrived, the sun had risen.

3. As they were entering the garden area, they said to one another, "One thing we haven't thought of...how are we going to roll back the stone that fits into the groove at the floor of the entrance to the tomb? Do you think we can find someone to help us move it?"

4. But even as they said these words while approaching the tomb, they looked up and saw clearly that the stone was already rolled back completely (which was remarkable because it was very large).

5. Amazed, they just walked right into the tomb without any hesitation. Once inside, they saw a young man calmly sitting there on the right side of where the body had been, clothed in a long, flowing robe of white. When they got a good look at him, they were stunned into a terrified silence.

6. The young man turned to them and said, "Ladies, there's absolutely nothing here to fear. You've come looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, haven't you? Well...He's not here, at least not in the form to which you are accustomed. But He's very much alive! See...here's the place where they laid Him...

7. You should go now...there's nothing else here to see. Go...tell the disciples, including Peter, that He is going before you all into Galilee. You will be able to see Him there, just as He told you."

8. They didn't waste any time. They went out of the tomb in a frenzy...running as fast as they could...fluctuating between being in a state of shock and being in a state of hysterics. And they said nothing about it to anyone, because they were too excited...too panic-stricken...to even say a word!

*This is where Chapter 16 and the entire Gospel of Mark ends in all original manuscripts. Typically, The Gospels In The Now do not include non-original text, but to give the story proper closure, the author will make an exception...

9. Now Jesus, having freshly risen from death early on the first day of the week, appeared initially to Mary Magdalene, from whom He had expelled seven rebel spirits which had controlled her.

10. She went immediately and reported it to His followers...those who had been with Him in His earth-walk...as they were in complete grief mode, weeping and mourning.

11. And when they heard her news that He was alive and that she had actually seen Him, they didn't even consider the possibility of it...even though she was verifying exactly what He had told them would happen, they didn't believe it for a second.

12. Later He appeared in a different form to two of them as they were walking along the road into the country.

13. And after these two were finally somewhat convinced, they returned to Jerusalem and told the others, but they didn't believe them either.

14. So then He appeared to the remaining eleven apostles as they reclined at the table, and as soon as He manifested, He began to severely reprimand them for their unbelievable lack of faith, and the impenetrable hardness of their hearts. He rebuked them for refusing to believe those who had seen Him up close after He had risen from death.

15. But He said to them, "Here's My last word on this...one of you betrayed Me...one of you denied Me...all of you abandoned Me...none of you believed I was alive...but not one of you is disqualified because of what he did or didn't do. Now go into all the world and preach the good news of the Gospel to every creature of the entire human race!

16. Whoever believes the Gospel that you proclaim, and is baptized to demonstrate and act on their revelation of it will be delivered...but whoever misses the opportunity of faith...whoever doesn't believe the Gospel will invite unnecesary destruction into their lives.

17. And these signs of confirmation will accompany those who believe...in My name they will have authority to drive out rebel spirits...they will speak in new languages, and communicate My message in new and innovative Spirit-ways;

18. If a snake bites them while they're in this flow they won't be harmed by it at all, and if they accidentally drink anything poison, it won't hurt them. They will also lay their hands on the sick, and they will get well.

19. So then Jesus, after He had said all these things to them about their future, was translated into the heavenly realm...and He sat down in the place of God's authority.

20. And they were all energized and inspired to go out and preach everywhere, while the Master kept working with them and through them, continuously confirming the message by the attesting signs...the irrefutable evidence...brought about through the world of the miraculous which they created together. Amen - so be it!

MkITN XV, Verses 16 - 47

16. Then the soldiers led Him away to the courtyard inside the palace, known as the Praetorium, and they called together the entire battalion of soldiers.

17. And there they dressed Him in a purple robe that someone found, and wove together a crown of long, spiky thorns, and forced it down over His scalp and forehead.

18. Then, in an attempt to completely humiliate Him, they began to mock-worship Him, saying, sardonically, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

19. As they said this, they smacked Him repeatedly all over His head with a staff made of a bamboo-like reed, and continually spat in His face until it was drenched and dripping with their hot saliva. All the while they kept blasphemously bowing their knees in homage to Him.

20. And when they finally grew tired of abusing Him, and of making sport of Him…when they had run out of profanities, and had no more obscene gestures to make towards Him… they yanked the purple robe off of Him and covered up His bloody nakedness with His own clothes. Then they drug Him out of the city to crucify Him.

21. At one point, when His strength failed and He collapsed under the weight of the heavy cross-beam He was carrying, they forced a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, who was coming in from the country, to carry it for Him.

22. And they led Him to Golgotha (which in Latin is called Calvary), meaning ‘The Place of a Skull’, because of the strange rock formation on the side of the hill there that eerily resembled the face of a human skeleton.

23. In a brief and rare moment of compassion they attempted to give Him a painkiller consisting of wine mingled with myrrh, but He refused it.

24. So then they just did it…as if being prompted and animated by a force greater than any of them, individually or collectively, they crucified Him. And as hunters seeking a trophy from the kill, they divided His garments and distributed them among themselves, throwing lots for them to decide who should take what.

25. It was about nine o'clock in the morning when they finally did the deed.

26. Now it was customary to place an inscription of accusation over the head of each crucified prisoner…but since Jesus was personally innocent of any crime, individually…and yet guilty by association of every crime, universally…the one they hung above His head just simply and poignantly read, “The King of the Jews.”

27. And with Him they crucified two convicted thieves, one on His right side and one on His left.

28. With this the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “He was just a number among the other transgressors.”

29. Since the crosses were lined up along the street there in front of Golgotha, He was very accessible to the moving traffic. And the people who walked by kept cursing Him and swearing at Him, using the worst and vilest kind of language imaginable. They shook their heads and made faces at Him, saying, “Just look at You! You who bragged that You would destroy the temple and build it back in three days…

30. If You’re such a powerful big shot, why don’t You show us what you’ve got? Rescue Yourself, and jump down from that cross!

31. Even the chief priests, with the Scribes, joined in the mass mockery, saying, “What do we have here? Someone who rescued others from death, but can’t even lift a finger to rescue Himself!

32. Let’s all watch to see if the Christ…the Messiah… the King of Israel…can come down now from His pitiful cross. If He can do that we’ll all fall down and worship Him, and believe that He is who He says He is!" Even those who were crucified on either side of Him swore at Him and railed on Him with hurtful insults, and all manner of verbal abuse, until it seemed as if the entire creation was cursing Him in unison.

33. When it was about midday, a mysterious and ominous darkness began to settle in over the entire surrounding area, and remained there until about three o'clock in the afternoon.

























34. At about this time Jesus cried with a loud voice in His native Aramaic, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which means, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

35. And some of those standing by heard it and completely misunderstood, saying, “Listen to that! He is calling for the prophet Elijah to come and help Him!

36. Then one man ran, and, filling a sponge with a mixture of sour wine vinegar and water, put it on a staff made of another bamboo-like reed and gave it to Him to drink, saying, “Wait…wait! This is gonna be good! Let’s see whether or not His friend Elijah does come to take Him down!”

37. And with that Jesus uttered a loud cry from the depths of His being, and exhaled His earth-life.

38. And at this exact instant, the curtain of the Holy of Holies in the Temple…the veil which symbolically divided all things holy from all things ordinary…was somehow torn in two from top to bottom, creating a new reality concerning where the presence of God could officially abide.

39. When the centurion who stood facing Jesus saw, up-close and personal, how elegantly He breathed out His own physical life in the midst of His own unbearable torture, he said, “Now I see it…really, this Man was God's Son!"

40. Now some women were also nearby, looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, the younger, and of Joses, and Salome.

41. These women were a part of Jesus’ large female following, and were in the habit of accompanying and ministering to Him when He was in Galilee. Aside from them there were also many other women who had come up with Him to Jerusalem.

42. As evening had already come, and since it was the day of Preparation, or the day before the Sabbath,

43. Joseph of Arimathea, a nobleman of honorable rank, and a respected member of the Sanhedrin…a man who had revelation of the Kingdom of God…dared the consequences, worked up his courage, and went to Pilate to ask for custody of Jesus’ corpse.

44. But Pilate found it hard to believe that He was dead so soon, so he conferred with the centurion and asked him to verify the actuality of Jesus’ death.

45. And when he was assured by the centurion that He was indeed dead, he gave the body to Joseph.




















46. And Joseph bought a fine linen cloth…the kind that was used at that time for swathing dead bodies…and, carefully and gently took the lifeless body down from the cross. Then he rolled it up in the linen cloth and placed it in a tomb which had been recently chiseled out of a rock. Then he rolled the very large stone which had been fashioned to serve as a protective door against the entrance.

47. And Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joses were both attentively observing where the body was laid to rest.

MkITN XV, Verses 1 - 15

1. Very early in the morning, after having deliberated through the night, the chief priests, elders, and religious leaders, along with the entire Sanhedrin, reached a decision. So they bound Jesus, and led Him away to be handed over to Pilate.

2. When He finally stood before the governor, Pilate asked Him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus calmly replied, "I am to each man whoever he says that I am...if you say that I am the King, then to you I am the King."

3. At these words the chief priests started in with another litany of charges and accusations against Him.

4. When Pilate had heard enough, he stopped them and turned his attention back to Jesus, asking Him, "Aren't you going to answer your accusers and defend yourself? Don't you see how many indictments they are bringing against you?"

5. But Jesus by this point had said all that He wanted or needed to say about what was unfolding...He was still...He was silent...He was serene. Pilate was amazed at how someone who appeared to be so resigned to His fate could at the same time seem to be in charge of everything that was happening around Him.

6. Now it was the custom at the Festival to release one prisoner...anyone that the people requested, regardless of his crime.

7. And a man named Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in an uprising against Rome.

8. So the crowd assembled before Pilate and asked him to do for them what he usually did during the Festival.

9. "What is your pleasure?", asked Pilate. "Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?"

10. He made the suggestion, knowing that it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him.

11. But the chief priests were already moving through the crowd...stirring them up...influencing them to have Pilate release Barabbas instead.

12. "Well, what do you suggest I do, then, with the one you call the King of the Jews?" Pilate asked them.

13. "Crucify Him!" they shouted in unison.

14. "Crucify Him? Why? What crime has He committed?" asked Pilate. But by now a mob mentality had set in, and the people assembled were just mindlessly chanting louder and louder, "Crucify Him!"

15. And, wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. Then he had Jesus brutally flogged, and handed Him over to be crucified.

MkITN XIV, Verses 43 - 72

43. Even as He was saying these words, Judas appeared, accompanied by a huge crowd armed with swords and clubs. It was an unnecessarily large crowd, considering that they had come to arrest just one man. They were commissioned by the religious leaders, chief priests, teachers of the law, and the elders.

44. Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with the crowd. He had said to them "The one that I kiss is the man you want...arrest Him and lead Him away under guard."

45. So, walking right up to Jesus, Judas said, "Rabbi!"...and with these words he kissed Him.

46. Immediately the plan went into action. The men seized Jesus and arrested Him right on the spot.

47. As some of them grabbed Him and began to shove Him around, roughing Him up a bit, one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

48. "Seriously? This is the way it's going to be?" asked Jesus. "Am I leading a rebellion so dangerous that you think you have to come out with swords and clubs to capture Me?

49. I was with and among you every day...completely accessible...teaching in the temple courts. Why didn't you arrest me then? I'll tell you why...it's because none of this even makes sense unless you define it by what is written in the Scriptures, and the Scriptures must be fulfilled."

50. At these words everyone who was with Jesus, namely, His disciples, deserted him and fled.

51. A young man, wearing nothing but a sheet-like linen garment, was following Jesus, and somehow in all the chaos they seized him, as well.

52. But they inadvertently pulled the garment off of him, and he ran away, naked, leaving them holding the sheet.

53. Then they took Jesus straight to the High Priest, and all the chief priests, elders, and religious leaders came together for an impromptu trial.

54. Peter followed along after Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the High Priest, where he sat with the guards and warmed himself by the fire.

55. The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were scrambling to find some credible evidence against Jesus so that they could put Him to death, but there was just none to be found.

56. Many people stepped up to testify falsely against Him, but their statements could not be corroborated.

57. Others, trying to get in on the action, stood up and gave this false testimony against Him:

58. "We heard Him say, 'I will personally destroy this Temple made with human hands, but in three days I will build another one that is not made with hands.' "

59. But even their stories did not match up.

60. Seeing that entertaining these bogus testimonies was getting them nowhere, the High Priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, directly, "Aren't You going to answer? What do You have to say to the accusations that these people are bringing up against You?"

61. But Jesus remained silent...detached...giving no answer, and appearing as though He was only there, physically. Again the High Priest addressed Him, asking, "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?"

62. At this Jesus seemed to come back from wherever He had been, mentally, and said, "I am...and you will see the Son of Man sitting in the place of authority...the seat of the Mighty One...coming on the clouds of the heavenly realm."

63. And at this statement, the High Priest tore his clothes in reaction and protest to what he perceived to be blasphemy. "I think it's obvious that we don't need to hear any more witnesses", he declared.

64. "You have heard the obscenity for yourself...what do you think should be done?"
They unanimously decided that He was worthy of death.

65. And then a kind of frenzy set in among them. Some began to spit on him, and they blindfolded him, and began to violently pummel Him with their fists. All the while they were saying "Prophesy!" . Then the guards took Him away, and started another round of beatings.

66. Meanwhile, while Peter was down below in the courtyard, one of the High Priest's serving maids walked outside to where he was sitting.

67. And when she saw him warming himself, she just stopped in her tracks and stared at him. Unable to take her eyes off Him, she said, "Hey...you were with Jesus of Nazareth, too."

68. But he completely denied it, saying, "Lady, I don't even know what you're talking about." And getting up from there, he went outside the courtyard and walked into the vestibule. Just as he entered, he heard a rooster crow.

69. The girl spotted him again, and began to say to the bystanders, "This man is one of them...one of Jesus' close followers!"

70. But again he denied it, insisting that he didn't know Him, and had never even met Him. After a short while, the bystanders began to say to Peter, "Come on, man...admit it...you really are one of them...you are a Galilean...your dialect shows it!"

71. Then he sharply retorted, "May I be damned if I'm not telling the truth! And you're all a bunch of damn liars! I'm telling you I don't know the son of a...I mean the man...I swear I don't know the man you're talking about!"

72. And as these harsh words were still lingering in the air, a rooster crowed for a second time. When he heard it, Peter instantly remembered how Jesus said to him, "Before the rooster crows twice, you will utterly deny Me...you will deny any connection to Me three times." And when the realization of what he had just said came crashing in on him, Peter broke down and cried loud and hard.

MkITN XIV, Verses 27 - 42

27. "Initially, you're all going to respond very badly to what's about to happen to Me...in fact, each one of you is going to fall apart because of it," Jesus told them, bluntly. "I say this because there's a Scripture that states, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'

28. But after I have risen from the dead, I will go ahead of you into Galilee, and there we will open a new chapter in the story."

29. Peter blurted out, "I don't know about the rest of these guys, but I can assure you that if every one of them panics and deserts You, You can still count on me. I'm not like the rest of them...I'll never leave You...not even for even a minute!"

30. "Oh, buddy...I know that you think you mean that", Jesus answered, "but the truth is that today...actually tonight...before the first rooster crows twice, you're going to completely disown me three times."



31. But Peter emphatically insisted, "I don't think You understand how committed I am to you...even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you...it's just not possible." And at these words, all the others joined in and said the same.

32. Then there was no more discussion about it...they didn't know what else to say. In silence they followed Jesus to a place called Gethsemane, and there He said to them, "Just sit here and meditate while I pray."

33. Then He took Peter, James and John along with Him, and as they walked deeper into the garden, a sense of overwhelming and unspeakable dread began to settle in on Him.

34 "My soul is entering into a stark realization of death," He said to them. "I'm connecting with the death of all who are condemned, and there's no way to describe to you the pain and darkness of it all...please, stay here and keep watch...I need your support through this."

35. Then, going on a little farther, He fell like a dead man to the ground...and as the conflicting voices of both the Son of God and the Son of Man began to contend for His destiny, He prayed that He might just circumvent the hour, altogether.

36. "Abba...Father," He cried out, "everything is possible for You. Just take this cup away from Me! I can't...I won't drink it!" Then, in virtually the same breath, the visionary love of the Son of God overrode the natural survival instincts of the Son of Man, and Jesus said, "Never mind...I won't submit to the limitations of the human will...I accept the infinite possibilities of the divine will...of Your will...and of all that goes with it."

37. Then as the conflict between the human and the divine began to gradually taper off, He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," He said to Peter, "are you really asleep? Now, of all times? Couldn't you just keep watch and support Me for one hour?

38. You should be praying with vision and insight so that you do not succumb to the limitations of your humanity. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

39. Again He went away and prayed the same thing, as the tension created by the opposition of two potential realities temporarily resurfaced.

40. And again when He came back, He found them sleeping, because they were exhausted. They woke up again, but didn't know what to say to Him.

41. Returning the third time, He said to them, "Still?! You're still sleeping? Oh well...that's enough...it doesn't matter now, anyway. The hour has come. Take a good look...the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of rebels.

42. Come on! Let's go! Here comes My betrayer...it all starts now!"

MkITN XIV, Verse 12 - 26

12. When the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived...the day when it was customary to sacrifice the traditional Passover lamb...Jesus' disciples asked Him, "Where do you want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover meal?"

13. In answer to their question He sent two of His disciples, saying to them, "I want you to go into the city, and when you get there, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Just follow him wherever he goes.

14. Whatever house he enters, enter as well, and say to the owner of it, 'The Teacher asks, 'Where is My guest room? Where may I eat the Passover with My friends and followers?'

15. When you say those words, he will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and already ready. Make the preparations for the meal there."

16. So the disciples did as they were told, went into the city, and walked right into the scenario exactly as Jesus had described it. And there they prepared the Passover supper.

17. At evening time, Jesus arrived with the rest of the Twelve.

18. And they partook of the supper, but while they were reclining at the table eating, as was their custom, He said to them, "I need to tell you the truth about a situation which is about to unfold in the next few hours...simply put, one of you is going to betray me...one of you sitting right here, eating with me."

19. They were taken aback by these startling words, and then immediately were depressed by them, knowing that He always spoke the truth. So, bypassing denial altogether, and going right into acceptance of His prediction, one by one they said to him, "Please, Lord, tell me that it's not me!"

20. "All I can tell you is that it is one of the Twelve of you," He replied, "And I will tell you that it is the one who dips bread into the bowl with Me.

21. Everything that I've said would happen to The Son of Man will happen to Him...it is inevitable at this point...it's already written down. But the one who betrays the Son of Man will be irreparably damaged by his actions...at least in this dimension. In fact, this betrayal will affect him so deeply, and cause such pain in his heart, that it will seem to him that it would be better for him if he had not even been born."

22. Having no further response to these troubling words, the disciples just sat and ate in awkward silence. Then, while they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks for it, He broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying, "Go ahead...take it...and as you eat it I want you to have a paradigm shift...I want you to see beyond the appearance of the bread...visualize a new reality...I want you to know that 'this'...this group...this fellowship...this occasion...and even this bread is my body."

23. Then He took the cup of wine, and when He had given thanks for it as He did for the bread, He also served it to them...and they all drank from that one, common cup, Judas included.

24. As they were passing the cup around the table, He said "This is not just a common cup of wine...this is My blood of the covenant...the blood that creates a common bloodline...the covenant which provides atonement for the common man.

25. And the truth of it is, I will not drink again of the vineyard's harvest until I experience it through your new revelation of the Kingdom of God."

26. And when they had sung a familiar worship song, they all went out to the Mount of Olives.

MkITN XIV, Verses 1 - 11

1. By this time the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the religious leaders and teachers of the law were actively looking for some way to easily and justifiably arrest Jesus and kill him.

2. "It has to be done," they said, "but not during the Festival. If we make our move during an especially holy time like this the people may riot."

3. Meanwhile, in Bethany, Jesus was having dinner in the home of Simon the Leper. After the meal, while he was reclining at the table, a woman came in with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure and rare spikenard. Without asking permission or explaining her actions, she walked up to Him, broke the jar, and poured the perfume on His head.

4. Some of the guests who witnessed this were indignant, and said to one another, "Why this extravagant display, and waste of such expensive perfume?

5. This rare and costly substance could have been sold for as much as (or more) than a whole year's wages, and the money be given to the poor!" And they railed on the woman without restraint.

6. Jesus lashed out at them immediately, saying sharply, "All of you...leave her alone! Why are you bothering her...rebuking her for doing such a beautiful thing to me?

7. The bottom line is this...if you're really that concerned with helping the poor, you can relax...this isolated event isn't going to keep you from trying to wipe out poverty, altogether! But the truth is, no matter how much you help the poor, you will always have the poor with you...and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have Me, at least not in this physical incarnation.

8. She did what she could...acting out of what she knew to do. You can't even grasp the symbolism of this, but she poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare me for My burial.

9. I don't want to overstate the importance of this gesture, but, truth be told, wherever the Gospel is preached throughout the world in the future, what she has done will also be told in memory of her."

10. But that event was a turning point, especially for Judas Iscariot. As soon as this happened he went to the religious leaders to betray Jesus to them.

11. And this was the opportunity for which they had waited, so they were delighted to receive him. They also promised to give him a significant amount of money, so he began to watch for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them from that moment on.

MkITN XIII, Verses 21 - 37

21. And then if anyone should say to you, "See...here is the Christ...this person is the Messiah!" or "Look...there He is...that one individual is Christ!" do not believe it for a minute.

22. False "Christs" and false prophets will always come and go...but especially during this time many of them will arise and even show signs and seem to work miracles to validate their claims. They will do this in an effort to deceive people into thinking that one person alone can be the Christ. They will attempt to even lead astray those of you who have already responded to God's call.

23. So don't fall for this just because I won't be here in the bodily form that you recognize. Be on your guard...you may be vulnerable in my physical absence. Just remember I have told you all about this beforehand.

24. Then, speaking to them in poetic, prophetic vocabulary, or in a symbolic language of prophecy that his audience understood from their familiarity with the Law and the Prophets (Genesis 1:14 - 16; Isaiah 13:9, 10; 34:4; Amos 8:9; Ezekiel 32:7, 8), He said, "Immediately after this Great Tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light...

25. ...and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken." (In this way He used the same imagery that the Prophets of old had employed to speak of the downfall of earthly authorities and governors).

26. "Then they will see the Son of Man appearing in heaven, or in the heavenly realm, the sign of clouds indicating that this destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple means He is now enthroned in heaven, ruling in kingly power and glory...this cataclysmic series of events will show that the Kingdom has been taken away from a visible nation, and given to an invisible one.

27. And then He will send out messengers who will gather together His elect...those who have willingly responded to His gracious call...from the four winds, as it were, or from the farthest bounds of the known world to the farthest bounds of the heavenly realm.

28. Now learn a lesson from the fig tree...as soon as its branches become tender and put forth leaves, you recognize and know that summer is near.

29. In the same way...when you see these things happening, you may recognize and know that He is near...the manifestation of His Kingdom is at the door.

30. And this is why you need to hear this now...I'm not talking about some far-off, futuristic event that you would deem to be irrelevant to your life. On the contrary...this generation...the whole multitude of people living at this time...will not pass away before all these things take place.

31. The earth and sky may pass away, but these words of Mine will not perish or pass away until they are fulfilled.

32. But no one knows the day or the hour that all of these calamities will begin to come on this nation...not the angels in the heavenly realm, nor the Son of Man in His present physical manifestation, but only the Father.

33. So remain vigilant and pray with vision, for you don't know when the time will come for the beginning of this nation's destruction.

34. It is like a man going on a journey...when he leaves home, he puts his servants in charge of things, each with his or her own particular task. And he gives orders to the doorkeeper to be constantly on the look-out.

35. So pay attention and keep your eyes open, for you don't know when the 'Master of the house' is coming to shift the power that rules this nation...in the evening...at midnight...in the morning...

36. So again I say...maintain the practice of visionary prayer...or, to put it another way, watch and pray! Otherwise He may come suddenly, even in another manifestation, and find you asleep.

37. And what I say to you about the destruction of the Temple and of this nation I say to everybody about their own experiences...this event, as I said, will happen in your lifetime...but the admonition to be watchful and visionary is universally relevant and eternally important!"

MkITN XIII, Verses 12 - 20

12. “During this upheaval, brother will betray his brother to death, and a father will even betray his own child…children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed.

13. For a time it will seem as though everyone hates you because you are My followers. But whoever endures until the end of this period of testing will find that their salvation is real, durable, and fully intact.

14. The day is coming when you will see the sacrilege and the appalling abomination spoken of by the prophet Daniel…the desecration set up in the Temple sanctuary, where he should not be…watch for this, because when this city and Temple are destroyed, those in Judea must flee to the hills.

15. A person out on the deck of his or her roof must not go down into the house to pack or to even collect any belongings.

16. A person working out in the field must not return even to grab a coat.

17. And worse, yet, is how terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers during that period.

18. Even though this is inevitable, you should pray that it won't happen during the winter.

19. What’s about to happen to this Temple…this city…this nation... will be on a scale beyond what the known world has ever seen since the beginning of creation, or will see again.

20. In fact, unless the Lord intervenes and shortens that time of calamity, not a single person in this nation will survive…but for the sake of those who have responded positively to His choosing He will mercifully limit the number of those days.”

The painting at the top of the post is The Destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans, Under the Command of Titus, A.D. 70

MkITN XIII, Verses 1 - 11

1. As Jesus was leaving the Temple area that day, one of his disciples said to Him, “Teacher, just look at these magnificent buildings with their imposing and impressive architecture!

2. Jesus replied, "You may be rightfully impressed with what you see before you...the Temple is, indeed, something to behold. But the truth is, there is not one stone in that building that is not going to end up in a pile of rubble when this city is destroyed."

3. Later, Jesus sat alone on The Mount of Olives across the valley from the Temple. And Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to Him and said,

4. "Tell us more about the destruction of the Temple that you mentioned before. When are these things going to happen? Will that be the sign of the completion and consummation of this age and era?”

5. Jesus said to them, “Take care that no one deceives or misleads you on these points…understand these beginning events which mark the period between My resurrection and the Temple’s destruction…

6. For during this time many will come in falsehood, claiming, ‘I, alone, am the Christ’, and these deceivers will lead many away from the truth of Who and what the Christ is, in reality.

7. And during this time you will hear of wars and threats of wars…see that you don’t panic, because this must take place…wars will come and go as they always have…but the end of the age is not yet.

8. Nation will fight against nation…ruler will fight against ruler…earthquakes will occur in various places, as well as famines, as they always have. But this is only the first of the birth pangs…the beginning of a new order.

9. These events are a part of the natural flow of things, but when they begin to happen, pay attention to their significance! It means that some of you will be handed over to suffer affliction and tribulation, and will literally be beaten in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are My followers, but this can be your opportunity to demonstrate the power of the Gospel.

10. For this Gospel…this good news of the Kingdom…will be preached throughout the entire, known world as a testimony to all the nations.

11. But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry in advance about what you’re going to say. Just say what God tells you at that time…speak in the now…for it will not be just you speaking, but the Holy Spirit with, in, and through you.”

MkITN XII

1. Then Jesus began to speak to His audience in allegories, saying, "There was a man who planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress, and then built a watchtower. Then he rented out the vineyard to some farmers and moved away to another place.

2. At harvest time he sent one of his servants to these tenants to collect from them some of the harvested fruit of the vineyard.

3. But, to his surprise, they wouldn't hear of it. They seized him, beat him up, and sent him back to where he came from with nothing but a black eye and a bloody nose.

4. Then the man sent another one of his servants to them, but they took the violence up a notch with this man. They struck him hard on the head, and just generally brutalized him for a while.

5. So finally He sent yet another servant, but this one they just murdered in cold blood. In fact, over a period of time he sent many others, and some of them they beat up, and still others they killed.

6. As a last resort He sent a son, whom he loved, saying to himself 'Surely, they will respect my son.'

7. But, on the contrary, the tenants said to one another, 'This is the man's heir... come on, let's kill him, too, and the entire inheritance will be ours.'

8. So, indeed, they took the son and killed him, and threw his dead body out of the vineyard.

9. What, then, will the owner of the vineyard do in such a case? Certainly he has the right to come and kill those bloodthirsty tenants and give the vineyard to others.

10. Haven't you read the passage of Scripture that says, 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;

11 The Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our perception'?"

12. Then the religious leaders, teachers of the Law, and the elders looked for a way to arrest Him because they were at least intelligent enough to realize that he had spoken the extended metaphor against them. But they were cowards, afraid of the crowd, so they just left Him and went away.

13. But they sent some Pharisees and followers of Herod to bait Him, in an effort to catch Him saying something incriminating.




















14. They came up to Him and said, "Teacher, we know that You have integrity, that You are impartial...enlightened...indifferent to public opinion. So, because You don't pander to Your followers, but teach the way of God accurately, please tell us...in Your estimable opinion...is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

15. Of course He saw right through this trick question, and the pretentious motivation behind it. So He said to them, "Why do you keep trying to engage Me in your nonsense, playing these mind games with Me? OK, I'll bite...bring me a coin and let Me look at it."

16. They quickly handed him one, and He said, "The engraving on this coin...who does it look like? And, more importantly...whose name is on it?" "Caesar," they said.

17. Jesus said to them, "Then the answer is simple and obvious...give Caesar what is his, and give God what is His." And, once again, they were left utterly speechless by the clarity and candor with which He conveyed complex concepts.

18. Then, after this episode with the Pharisees, next came the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, with another provocative question for Him.

19. "Teacher," they said, "Surely you're aware that Moses wrote that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife, but no children, the man must marry his widowed sister-in-law, and raise up offspring for his brother.

20. Now, let's say, hypothetically, that there were seven brothers, and the first one married and died without leaving any children.

21. Then let's say that the second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no children. And the same scenario occurred with the third.

22. And so it went, but none of the seven brothers left any children. Then, finally the woman died, too.

23. Now, at the resurrection, whose wife will this woman be, seeing that she was married to all seven men?"

24. Jesus replied, "Your implausible premise is way off base because, clearly, in asking this question you reveal that you are ignorant of both the Scriptures, and of the power of God.

25. The fact is that in the next life, when the dead are raised up, they will have a completely different paradigm of human relationships...the concepts of sexuality, gender, and procreation will be rendered altogether obsolete, so, in that dimension they will neither marry nor be given in marriage...in that sense they will be in an exalted state like the angels in the heavenly realm.
















26. But as to the main point of your question about the dead rising...have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the story of the burning bush, how God said to him, 'I AM (not "I Was", or "I Will be") the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?

27. In so revealing Himself, He has declared that He is not the God of the dead, but of the living...your ideas about the finality of death have caused you to completely miss the point!"

28. While this exchange with the Sadducees was still in progress, along came a religion scholar who heard the tail end of it, and was impressed with Jesus' knowledge, and the good answer that He had given them. So he asked Him, "Of all the commandments, can you tell me which one is the most important?"

29. "The most important one is about the one true God," Jesus answered, "It's this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

30. Love the Lord your God with all your passion, and with all your emotion, and with all your intelligence, and with all your energy.'

31. But there is a second one which is technically the same commandment...'Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself.' There is no commandment greater than this one, revealed in these two integrated dimensions."

32. "Beautifully stated, Teacher," the man replied. "And You are absolutely right in saying that God is one and there is no other but Him...

33. ...and that to have the full revelation of that you must love Him with all your passion, with all your intellect, and with all your ability, and to love your neighbor with the same love you have for yourself. Embracing this is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

34. When Jesus observed that the man had answered with such insight, He said to him, "You, sir, are on the very cutting edge of the Kingdom of God!" And from that point on no one had the nerve to ask Him any more questions.

35. And as Jesus taught in one of the porches of the Temple, He said to His audience, "Think about this...how can the Scribes say that the Christ is David's Son?

36. David himself, in a Holy Spirit-inspired declaration, said, 'The Lord said to My Lord, "Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool under Your feet"

37. The point is that David himself calls Him 'Lord'...so how can it be that He is his Son?" The huge crowd that was there that day was completely delighted with the way He challenged the pretentious Scribes and their conventional wisdom.

38. And in the course of His teaching, He went on to say, "Beware of the Scribes, who like to go around preening in long robes, basking in public flattery, and generally acting piously superior;

39. Sitting at the head table in every public forum...expecting a place of honor at every feast.

40. That in itself can be dismissed simply as a basic human weakness in them that manifests itself in a dysfunctional need for attention...it is what it is. What makes it so reprehensible with this group, however, is that all the while they are playing to the crowd, publicly, they are secretly exploiting widows...preying on them...going into their houses and devouring what little they have. And yet to distract the public from discerning their dark deeds, they make long prayers and elaborate speeches which make them sound intimidatingly holy. Be assured they will receive the heavier sentence of condemnation.

41. Later He sat down opposite the treasury and witnessed firsthand how the crowd was casting money into it. That day many rich people were obviously throwing in large sums.

42. And somewhere within the stream of people who were giving, a poverty-stricken widow came and unassumingly put in two copper mites, the smallest of coins, which added together are the equivalent of half of a cent.

43. And He called His disciples over and said to them, "Here's the truth about this little woman...she has demonstrated the relativity of giving, because even though she is poor, she has put in more than all those contributing to the treasury.

44. The others all casually threw their money in from out of their vast wealth and apparent abundance...they won't even miss the money. But she, out of her deep poverty, has put in everything that she had...in fact she has sacrificed all that she had on which to live, which is why she has given the most."

Don't Just Sit There...Blog Something!

Hey bloggers...great comments on the last post...I really appreciate your insights and input on MkITN XI...keep it coming...the finishing touches are being added to Matthew In The Now before going to the publisher...I'll get back to writing Mark In The Now next week...five more chapters to go, and then I can get started on Luke...at least I'll have the Gospels completed...

Pastor Ben (Nadiope) did an awesome job ministering at CITN last night...I knew he was anointed, but I didn't know he could be so funny...he's leaving for Uganda tomorrow, so keep him in your prayers...I (we'll) be there in a few weeks...

And Matt T. and the 404 singers/musicians also were excellent leading Praise and Worship last night...I especially enjoyed what Jonah was doing on percussion on You Said...P. Jimmie is at the Judah Conference in Orlando (Clint Brown's church), and will be back for Sunday...

I'm in New York through Saturday for the Pastors' conference, but you can still post on the blog while I'm there...P. Judah and P. Scott are performing today (Thursday) at the Manhattan Center...they'll be back late Friday, and performing at a youth conference in Columbus on Saturday...and Judah will be ministering on Realizing Your Dreams, too...Debye's speaking at Project 404 tonight...

Daisson made it to Afghanistan...please keep him, also, in your prayers...and Christina (and agree with me that she'll stop watching the news)...and Sofia...and new baby (due March 1)...

Keep in touch...I like to know you're out there...

MkITN XI, Verses 12 - 33

12. On the following day, when they had come away from Bethany, He realized that He was hungry.

13. And, seeing in the distance a fig tree covered with leaves, He went to see if He could find any edible fruit on it (in fig trees, fruit appears at the same time as the leaves). But when He came right up to it, He found nothing but leaves, because the natural fig season had not yet arrived.

14. And, immediately reacting to this natural limitation, He calmly said to it, "Fig tree, no one will ever eat fruit from you again." And His disciples overheard what He said.

15. So they kept on walking, and as they came to Jerusalem, He went again into the Temple area. And as He entered the porches and courts, acting on instinct, He began to personally and violently drive out those who sold and bought in the temple area, overturning the four-footed tables of the money changers and the seats of those who dealt in doves for sacrifice.

16. He wouldn't even permit anyone to carry any household equipment through the Temple enclosure, because it turned the temple area into a short-cut traffic lane, and contributed to the general disrespect that the public had for such a sacred place.

17. And He began to declare to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations?' But you have denigrated this hallowed place...a place set aside for such universal worship...into nothing more than a den of petty robbers!"

18. And the religious leaders and the scribes got wind of this occurrence, and, as a result, became more aggressive in seeking some way to destroy Him. They feared Him, intensely, because the entire population was awe-struck at His revolutionary and revelatory teaching.

19. And when evening came, He and His disciples, as was their custom, went out of the city.

20. In the morning, when they were passing along, they noticed that the fig tree He had so casually spoken to was completely withered away, dead down to its roots.

21. And Peter remembered it right away and said to Him, "Master, look! The fig tree which You sentenced to barrenness has withered away!

22. And Jesus, replying, said to them all, "Realize that you have the very faith of God resident within you...don't just try to 'have faith in God'...embrace, instead, the inherent God-faith that you already have.

23. Let Me reveal this truth to you...you're impressed with what happened to the fig tree, but the fact is that you have the power and ability to say to this entire mountain, "Be lifted up and be thrown into the sea!", and see it obey you! You've seen me actually speak to a storm...or command the dead to live again...well, in the same way, if you can connect the God-kind of faith that is in your own heart with the creative ability that is in your own mouth...if you say what you believe, and believe what you say...you can produce these kinds of results!

24. This is why I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer...whatever you decree...BELIEVE...accept the reality that it exists in another, unseen dimension, simply because you say it. Don't suspend or delay belief until you see it manifested in the physical realm, because what is unseen is more real than what is seen. Be confident that your request is granted to you, and you will get it...your own irresistible faith will attract it to you.

25. But when you enter into a season of prayer, remember that it's meant to be much more than simply making a list of declarations and petitions. Your prayer-life is more about changing you than it is about getting God to change things for you. It's about creating personal transformation so that you can change what needs to be changed in the world around you. So, for that reason, prayer should affect your horizontal relationships, as much as it does your vertical relationship...that's why I tell you that whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone at all, you need to forgive him or her and just let it drop...leave the past in the past...let it go so that you can pray in the now, without having all the emotional baggage from yesterday drag you backwards. When you set these things in order, it's as if your Father Who is in heaven is forgiving you your own failings and shortcomings, and letting them drop, leaving you mentally and emotionally cleansed from distractions.

26. But if you do not forgive, you set negative, universal laws into motion that prevent you from receiving the blessing of forgiveness from your Father in the heavenly realm."

27. And they came once again to Jerusalem, but this time the religious leaders, Scribes and Elders were there in the Temple. So when Jesus was walking around in the courts and porches of the Temple area, they came to Him;

28. And they said to Him, "We want to know by what authority are You doing these things...who gave You the right to do them?"

29. Jesus said to them, "I will answer your question with another question. If you can give Me a legitimate answer, I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

30. Was the baptism of John a supernatural product of the heavenly realm, or was it simply a man-made ritual? Tell Me what you think.

31. And they stepped aside and conferred and argued with one another, saying, "If we admit that we think it was heavenly, no doubt He will say, 'Why then didn't you believe him?'

32. On the other hand, how can we say that we think it was merely an idea that originated from the mind of a man?" They knew they couldn't say that because they were afraid of the people, and practically everyone considered and held John to be a prophet.

33. So they came back to Jesus and said, "We don't know what to tell You." And Jesus said to them, "Fair enough...so neither am I going to tell you by what sort of authority have I done and do these things."

MkITN XI, Verses 1 - 11

1. As they neared Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples ahead.

2. And He gave them very specific instructions, saying, "I want you to go into the village ahead of you, and as soon as you enter it you will find a young colt tied which has never been ridden by anyone. When you find it, I want you to unfasten it and bring it here to Me.

3. If anyone should ask you, 'Why are you taking this animal which doesn't belong to you?', just say to them, 'The Lord needs it, but He will send it right back here when He's through with it.'"

4. So they went on their way, and, sure enough, they found a colt tied at the door of a house as soon as they entered the village, and they went right up to it and loosed it.

5. And some who were standing there said to them, "What do you think you're doing? Why are you untying this man's colt?"

6. And they said to the people exactly what Jesus had told them to say...and it worked! The people allowed them to go without saying another word.

7. And they brought the colt to Jesus, and started throwing their outer garments on it, creating a sort of festive, makeshift saddle...and He sat on it.

8. And many of the people who were around took their cues from the disciples and began to spontaneously spread their garments on the road. Still others joined in with the impromptu decorating, and scattered a layer of leafy branches which they had cut from the fields along the route on which He would be travelling.

9. And still others formed a parade of praise, preceding Him on the road and crying out, joyfully and triumphantly, "Hosanna! Save, Lord! Praised and infinitely blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord!

10. Praised and blessed in the name of the Lord is the coming Kingdom of our father David! Hosanna! Save, Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"

11. And this is the way Jesus entered into Jerusalem. Once He was inside the city, He went into the Temple enclosure. Walking in, He looked around, surveying everything...taking it all in...and He made some serious observations about what He saw there. But it was getting late in the day, so He went out to Bethany together with the Twelve.

MkITN X, Verses 46 - 52

46. Then they came to Jericho, and spent some time there. But as Jesus and His disciples were leaving the city, they passed a blind man by the name of Bartimaeus, which means "son of Timaeus", sitting by the roadside, begging.

47. When Bartimaeus heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out as loud as he could, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

48. And many who were in the crowd following Jesus immediately rebuked him, and told him to shut up. But he ignored them and shouted even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

49. Jesus stopped and said, "Don't shut him up...call him over here!" So they called to the blind man, "Hey, beggar man, things are looking up for you! Get up on your feet...Jesus is calling for you!"

50. Instantly the man tore off his coat, jumped to his feet and found his way over to Jesus.

51. "OK...what do you want Me to do for you, friend?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Teacher, I want to see!"

52. "All right, then...go!" said Jesus, "Your own faith has healed you!" And immediately Bartimaeus received his sight, and began following Jesus along the road with everyone else.

MkITN X, Verses 17 - 45

17. As Jesus went out into the street, a young man came running up to Him, greeted Him reverently, and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to experience the fullness of eternal life?"

18. Jesus answered him, "First of all...why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.

19. And secondly, you already know the commandments...'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother, etc.'"

20. "Yes, Teacher," he responded, "I do know the commandments, and I have devoutly kept all of them to the letter since I was a boy."

21. Jesus looked at him...looked beyond his religious pretentiousness and misguided concepts of discipleship...and just very simply loved him. "All right...if you're really that serious about inheriting the Kingdom...about walking in the fullness of eternal life...then do this one thing...go, sell everything you have and give all the profits and proceeds to the poor, and you will have treasure in the heavenly realm. Then come, and follow Me!"

22. At this specific word the young man's face fell. Unable to recognize the possibility that Jesus was uniquely offering him, he went away very sad because he had great wealth, and his great wealth had him.

23. Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, "You know, for some reason it is really difficult for the very rich to enter into the Kingdom-life."

24. The disciples were amazed at his words, because of the illusions that they themselves held concerning the supposed invincibility of the rich. But Jesus said again, "Children, what great discipline is required to enter the lifestyle of the Kingdom of God!

25. It is easier for a camel to go through the gate in Jerusalem called the eye of the needle, through which it cannot pass unless it stoops first, and has all its baggage removed. After dark, when the main gates are shut, travellers or merchants have to use this smaller gate, through which the camel can only enter, unencumbered, and crawling on its knees."

26. The disciples were even more amazed at these words. This scenario had unearthed some very wrong ideas that they obviously had held...it revealed that they considered the very rich to be in another class, altogether, and not necessarily in need of the same saving grace as the poor to whom they regularly ministered. They said to each other, "Well, if the rich have this much trouble connecting with the Kingdom, who then can be saved?"

27. Jesus looked at them and said, "With man...or, rather, from a merely human perspective, this is, indeed, impossible...but not with God...when the rich bow their knees to Kingdom authority, they are equally blessed with the poor...and the bottom line is that, regardless of how much wealth someone has or doesn't have, when it comes to entering the Kingdom, all things are possible with God!"

28. Peter said to him, "Well, none of this really even applies to us, anyway, because we have left everything to follow you!"

29."Look, here's the truth about that," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for Me and the Gospel,

30. will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age...homes... brothers...sisters...mothers...children...fields...
and, yes, with them, persecutions. The Kingdom-life requires that you rethink your current definitions of wealth and poverty...all these things you will abundantly receive now...as the young man who left would have received, had he received the word I gave him...and, in the age to come...in the era of manifestation...a full revelation of all that the realization of eternal life has to offer!

31. But many who in this culture and world-system seem to be first will be last, and many who now appear to be last will be first."

32. After this they were on the way going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them with a distinct sense of purpose and direction in His stride. At this point they were all beginning to second-guess their commitment to follow Him at any cost. Some of the things that He had been saying had left them bewildered and perplexed, and those who were still following were becoming more and more unsettled and afraid over what was potentially on the horizon for them all. So He took the Twelve aside again, and began to tell them exactly what was about to happen to Him.

33. He said, "Look...I don't want anything that is about to happen to take you by surprise, so here is the full plan...we are going up to Jerusalem, and there the Son of Man will be turned over to the religious leaders and the Scribes...and they will condemn and sentence Him to death, and turn Him over to the Roman government.

34. And they will mock Him, spit on Him, whip Him and put Him to death. But after three days He will rise again from the grave."

35. The disciples had no response to these startling and very specific words, but James and John, the sons of Zebedee, later approached Him and said to Him, "Teacher, we desire You to do for us whatever we ask of You."

36. And He replied to them, "Well...what is it that you desire Me to do for you?

37. And they said to Him, "We want you to promise us that we may sit, one at Your right hand and one at Your left hand, in Your glory...when Your majesty and splendor are finally revealed."

38. But Jesus said to them, "You boys don't even know what you are asking. Do you honestly think that you are able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism of affliction with which I am about to be baptized?"

39. And they immediately replied to Him, "Without a doubt we are able!" And Jesus told them, "All right...the cup that I drink you will drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized...

40. But to sit at My right hand or at My left hand is not Mine to decide...as the Son of Man, I am completely submitted to a Higher authority...but that honor will be given to those for whom it is divinely ordained and prepared."

41. When the other ten disciples got wind of this exchange, they began to be resentful and even furious with James and John.

42. But Jesus called them all together to Himself to settle things down, saying to them, "You've all seen how ego-centric rulers throw their weight around...you experienced, firsthand, how when people get a little authority they easily become power-drunk.

43. Well, it can't be that way with any of you...not if you're going to live the Kingdom-life...in this new world order, whoever desires to be great among you must become your servant,

44. And whoever desires to be most important...whoever wants to be first in rank among you...must be willing to act like the slave of all when it comes to fulfilling the law of love.

45. For even the Son of Man did not come to have service rendered to Him...on the contrary, He came for no other purpose than to serve...to ultimately give His life as a ransom for, or rather instead of, many.