Gospel of Mark

Olivet Discourse 1: Mark 13:1-8

Leave a comment

In this post I’m looking at the first part of a conversation between Jesus and some of his disciples. A question from the disciples leads to a lengthy and challenging answer from Jesus. The discussion took place on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the Temple at Jerusalem. This gives it the commonly used name of the ‘Olivet Discourse’. Christ’s response runs from verse 3 to the end of the Chapter, and provides a key source for His explanation of eschatology, or what many Christians refer to as the ‘End Times’. The same conversation is recorded in similar format in Matthew 24 and Luke 21. We’ve already looked at verses 1 and 2, and today we’re looking at verses 3-8.

13: As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!” 2 “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” 

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” 5 Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

Mark 13: 1-8

Horsham: 12th July 2025

We’ve already looked at the first two verses, noting the incredible beauty and grandeur of the Temple. The conversation reported in verse 1 and 2 probably took place when the disciples were within the Temple  with Christ. We saw that the shocking prophecy of the destruction of the Temple actually became a reality in 70AD.

Jesus has now moved out of the Temple courts, probably through the Eastern gate, following the path which crosses the Mount of Olives. Remember that this is towards the end of Holy Week, and it is likely that Christ and his disciples are travelling along this road to the village of Bethany, where they have been spending the nights. From their vantage point on the Mount of Olives, the view back towards the Temple, with the city beyond, would be absolutely stunning, and it is here that Jesus pauses with his closest friends Peter, James, John and Andrew. Christ’s prediction that the Temple, with its massive stones and huge importance to the Jewish faith, would be destroyed, would seem unimaginable and frightening to the disciples.

In that context, it seems entirely reasonable that the disciples should ask, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” For them, the ‘things’ in question seem to relate to the destruction of the Temple. Yet Christ’s response goes far beyond that.

The Olivet discourse is a long passage with some big challenges. Through Chapter 13 , Christ leads our attention to the destruction of the Temple, and on towards the last days, often now called the ‘end times’.

‘Watch out that no-one deceives you’
The phrase ‘watch out’ is sometimes translated as ‘be on your guard.’ Jesus is saying that there will be deceivers.   His arguments with Temple leaders showed that there were many deceivers, even while he was alive. The deceptions continued throughout the centuries, so Christ’s warning resonates even today.  Be on your guard!

‘Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many’
We know that there were people who, soon after Jesus died, claimed to be the Messiah. Throughout the generations there have been those who claim to be the one we should follow, and in many cases they have been successful. Many have been deceived. Even now there are those who would lead you astray. Be on your guard.

‘When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed’
Palestine was firmly in the grip of Roman occupation, but even so, there were wars and rumours of wars. Then, as now, such things created anxiety. These, said Jesus, were not automatically signs that the destruction of the Temple is imminent, nor, in the wider context of the Olivet discourse, do they indicate the imminent return of Christ. As I write, there is war between Ukraine and Russia, Palestine and Israel, civil wars in Yemen, South Sudan, and the list co. These are horrific conflicts, and I am alarmed by the incredible suffering caused by these conflicts, and I am perhaps even more anxious by threats of other wars which could so easily involve my own children and grand-children. But of course, the context here is that we should not be alarmed that these events herald the end of the world. Be on your guard.

‘Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines.’
As I write, the political ‘world order’ is changing.  Globally, there is political posturing at a level which has never occurred before during my lifetime. Nations are rising up against one another. Earthquakes are common. Globally there are nearly 80,000 earthquakes every year, and there is nowhere safe from them (even the UK has experienced 85 quakes in the first half of 2025, thankfully all of them have been minor). Globally we produce enough food to feed everyone, and yet there are famines. These things are upsetting and cause us anxiety, but they do not, of themselves, herald the return of Christ. Be on your guard.

All of these things, says Jesus, are like the beginnings of birth pains (v8b)

End Piece

We have much more to cover in this difficult Chapter, but I want to suggest that there is a growing theme which permeates Chapter 13. It is a theme which is consistent with the wider teaching of Jesus. It s simple. It is direct.

Be on your guard!

 

Gospel of Mark

Temple Destroyed: Mark 13:1-2

Leave a comment

The Temple Destroyed

13 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”
2 “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

Mark 13:1-2

Horsham: 9th July 2025

The Temple which was familiar to Jesus and the Disciples is sometimes known as ‘Herod’s Temple’. It  had actually existed since 516BCE, but during the time of Christ it was undergoing renovation. The renovations had started in 18BCE under the direction of Herod the Great, but were continuing during the life of the disciples. We cannot overstate how unusual this complex and the Temple building in particular was. The Disciples could have never seen any building of anything like the size or quality of the Temple. It was truly impressive sight.

Rather than flattening the top of the hill on which Jerusalem was built,  Herod built up a vast retaining wall which surrounded the peak, and created a huge platform which became the foundation of the Temple complex. We read that some of the stones used in building the Temple were 40 feet long, 12 feet high and 18 feet wide. Parts of the building were cladded with gold, whilst other exposed stone was pure white in colour. If we were to see it as the disciples saw it, we too would exclaim ‘What magnificent buildings!’

To be told by Jesus that this awesome structure would be destroyed would have been shocking. Not one stone left upon another. Utter devastation.

In 66AD, a little less than 35 years after this conversation took place, there was an Jewish uprising against the Roman occupiers. The ensuing war and overwhelming force of the Roman empire led to the occupying forces laying siege to the city of Jerusalem in 69AD. After months of fighting, as hunger and disease became rife in the city,  the Romans eventually gained access to the Temple in 70AD. They set fire to anything which would burn, before literally taking the Temple apart, stone by stone. Whilst some small parts of the platform remained and are still visible even today, this extraordinary building was reduced to rubble. Not one stone of the temple buildings remained upon another.

The Romans continued the destruction of the entire city, killing thousands of men, women and children, with others enslaved.

End Piece

As we will see, Chapter 13 can be complex and challenging, but here at the beginning is a simple, clear prophecy from the Messiah. As we see, within a generation, to the lasting dismay of the Jewish nation, the prophecy was entirely and accurately fulfilled.

The destruction of the Temple is one of the most devastating moments of Jewish history, and is commemorated even today with the annual fast of  Tisha B’Av.

For a wonderful source of information about historical and contemporary views of Jewish history and in particular the Destruction of the Temple, click here Link to www.chabad.org).

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Contemplative

Twenty Years On: 7th July, 2005

Leave a comment

7th July 2005 started like any normal day.

I arrived at work early, as I usually did. I had travelled for a couple of hours from Essex, across the London Underground network to Kennington in South London.

Around 8.45am, I walked into the canteen and heard mention of some kind of power surge which had stopped parts of the Underground. I was interested, but not greatly concerned. My 19 year old daughter was also working in south London, and would be travelling through central London about then. She was used to the Underground. She’d be fine.

Then the story started to change. It wasn’t a power surge. It was an explosion. I rushed to New Scotland Yard to support the senior management team to whom I was Staff Officer. My major incident role.

I was in on the first briefings. Multiple explosions. Someone mentioned five stations affected. Sky News had mentioned Liverpool Street. My daughter would have been travelling through Liverpool Street. Now I was concerned. (It later turned out that there were three stations directly impacted. Liverpool Street was not one of them).

Next briefing. Terrorism. Suicide bombers. Three stations. A bus explosion in Tavistock Square. Many casualties. The entire public transport system of London was completely suspended. The public were told to stay where they were. This was not a normal day.

That morning, I held my breath. Everybody in London did.  We all dreaded the news that someone we loved was amongst the casualties.  My daughter wasn’t. She arrived at her office late. She was distressed, but she was ok. She was one of the lucky ones. And so was I. For thousands of others, a devastating nightmare had started. For too many, it would be a life sentence.

52 dead. 700 injured, many with life changing wounds. Every one of them loved – cherished – by family and friends. Thousands more emotionally scarred by being involved in some way. Passengers. First responders. London Underground staff. Most just did what they had to do, then walked away.

Today, I’ve heard some extraordinary stories. There was a desperately moving moment when the names of those who lost their lives were read out by survivors and relatives in St Paul’s Cathedral, voices breaking with emotion.

Today, twenty years on, we remembered. Today I rediscovered my  immense, overwhelming sadness for those for whom the nightmare started on 7th July 2025. A day which had started as such a normal day.

Today, I remembered that we were amongst the lucky ones. The lucky ones have no right to forget how lucky they are.

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Gospel of Mark

The Widow’s Offering: Mark 12:41-44

Leave a comment

The Widow’s Offering

41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Horsham: 25th June 2025

This familiar incident takes place in the Temple, on the Wednesday of Holy Week. Jesus has been taunted by challenges from various religious and political groups who are keen to silence him. They are attempts to provoke him to blasphemy. They have failed.

Most of those exchanges have taken place in the vast but crowded Court of the Gentiles, or the surrounding Colonnades. At this point, the small group have moved into the Court of the Women (don’t be concerned, gentlemen – this area is open t men and women). This is where the Treasury is located. This is a confined area, largely unroofed, containing a number of large containers called ‘trumpets’ (so called because of their shape), into which monetary offerings for the sacrifices and the work of the Temple were to be placed.

We can imagine Jesus and the Disciples, standing near the wall, perhaps in the shade, watching people placing their cash offerings into the ‘trumpets’. If we imagine that we are standing there with them, we will notice the steady movement of people passing through to offer their contribution to the Temple funds. The ‘trumpets’ are made of metal, and so large donations clatter as they are thrown in with a flourish. The noise attracts the attention of people close by. The more noise that is made, the larger the donation. The larger the donation, the greater the attention. The greater the attention, the greater the respect given to the donor.  This is a great way to get yourself noticed. The donor stands for a moment in an attitude of contrition and prayer, quietly enjoying the approving glances of those around him.

In the midst of the bustle, a widow, probably an older lady, approaches the trumpet close to where Christ and the disciples are standing. She receives no social security. There is no benefits system. This woman is living in extreme poverty. Yet still she brings her gift to the Temple. Her gift for the work of God. Without ceremony, she drops two of the smallest coins  into the mouth of the ‘trumpet’. Her gift slides almost silently into the vault below. She pauses. She prays. And then she moves on, quickly lost in the crowd. Her gift passes unnoticed. Except by the Son of God.

The contrast is stark. The rich are giving from their great wealth. In spite of their great generosity, they remain comfortable and affluent. The widow, in her poverty, put in all that she had, with no certainty of where her next meal will come from. She has nothing left but her trust in God.

In the narrative of Mark’s gospel, Jesus has just been teaching about the dangers and the damage of pride. Here again we see an example of prideful giving, against the humility of the woman who gives her all.

The End Piece

The lesson here is not just about financial giving, although that is part of the challenge.  Those who give of their time, their money, their resources, their gifts, their lives to Christ, and whilst giving generously, hold back much are like the rich man. The contrast is with the one who has so little to offer, yet gives her all. Hers is the true example of sacrifice.

There is a great symbolic truth here. It is our tragedy that there is so often some part of our lives  which we do not give to Christ. Somehow there is nearly always something we hold back.’ (Barclay, Loc 6094)

On this occasion, as you imagine yourself in the Court of the Women alongside Christ and the Disciples, try to see yourself as part of the action – stepping out of the crowd and approaching the ‘trumpet’. What will you offer? How much are you ready to sacrifice? What will you hold back?

Reflecting on His upside down kingdom – where the first shall be last, where the greatest shall be the servant of all, and those who want to gain their life will lose it, I wonder what Christ is saying to you through this simple story.

As in the story, the Son of God sees your sacrifice. I wonder what he says to his Disciples about you?

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Gospel of Mark

Watch out for the Teachers of the Law: Mark 12:38-40

Leave a comment

38 As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

Mark 12:38-40

Horsham: 23rd June 2025

In Mark’s Gospel, this teaching appears as part of the Holy Week narrative, when Jesus is spending most of his time in the Temple courts. The Teachers of the Law, sometimes referred to as scribes,  have been at the spearhead of attempts to catch Jesus out in his words, looking for an opportunity to turn the crowd against Jesus and arrest him on a charge of blasphemy.

The problem for the Jewish leaders was that many people in the crowd filling the Temple loved Jesus. They were amazed by his teaching. Jesus has already confronted the Teachers of the Law for their poor leadership and their inadequate understanding of the application of the Law. These Scribes were powerful men in Israel. To the delight of many in the crowd, they were very publicly humiliated.

Now, left alone with this attentive crowd, Jesus turns to those around him and attacks the Scribes. It’s a serious warning. There’s something very wrong here. You really need to watch out for these people. They love to flaunt their position of leadership. They love to be noticed in the market place. They love to take the best seats in the synagogue (ordinary worshippers would sit on the floor!).  They pray the longest prayers. Their faith, which should come from a genuine heart, has become a show. It’s performative. This is religious showmanship.  Jesus is condemning the religious elitism of the Jewish leaders.

But it gets worse. These people are coercing others, including people who live in poverty, to support and sustain their lavish lifestyle. They readily accept expensive gifts from people who have little. Some are even demanding gifts of properties from widows. Make no mistake – there are victims here.

Jesus says beware those who place themselves on a pedestal, especially in matters of faith. Beware of those who act as if they have a monopoly on the truth and themselves speak with absolute authority. These men are supposed to be the Leaders of Israel. They are supposed to be the ones the people can trust. Their arrogance, elistism and pride are breathtaking. ‘These men will be punished most severely.’ (v40)

End Piece

Religious people who put themselves on a pedestal. Who love to be treated as something special. Who expect the best seats. Religious people who abuse others in order to assert their authority, demanding donations to support their personal ministry, even from those who have little. None of that would happen today, surely.

This is a serious warning from Jesus, and it needs to be heard even in our own times. Religion, politics, celebrity and more. Pride is an ever present danger in every part of our culture. Pride is never a victimless crime. Where there is pride in leadership, there are victims.

This teaching seems all the more poignant, because until he is seen hanging on the cross, these are the last public words of Jesus. Until His resurrection, these are the last spoken lesson of the greatest teacher of all time.

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Gospel of Mark

Whose Son is the Messiah? Mark 12:35-37

Leave a comment

Whose Son is the Messiah?

 35 While Jesus was teaching at the Temple courts, he asked ‘ Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the Son of David. 36 David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared:

‘The LORD said to my Lord
“sit at my right hand
Until I put your enemies
Under your feet”’

 37 David himself calls him ‘Lord’. How then can he be his son?  The large crowd listened to him with delight.

Mark 12:35-37

Horsham: 17th June 2025

The action here takes place on the Wednesday of Holy Week. Jesus is having a busy day at the Temple. The religious and political leaders of Israel are provoking him. They want to arrest him. They want him out of the way. The knives are out. They want him dead.

Yet here is Jesus, out in the open, in the courts of the Temple, attracting attention. He is surrounded by this crowd who have witnessed his public humiliation of Temple Leaders, Herodians, Pharisees and Sadducees. This crowd love him. They are ‘listening to him with delight’ (v37). After all, who doesn’t like to see arrogant leaders slapped down once in a while!

Rabbi’s answer questions. That’s what they do. But sometimes, it is the rabbi who asks the question. In this case, the question he asks may sound strange to us, but it addressed a very familiar concept for the crowd. It’s drawn from Psalm 110. A Psalm of David. There’s a bit of a riddle in here somewhere. The crowd are keen to hear what Jesus thinks.

We need to look closely at the text of Psalm 110 as quoted here. Notice that the word ‘LORD’ appears first in capital letters. That means that in the Hebrew, the original word was ‘I AM’ – ‘Yahweh’. The second time it appears it is not capitalised. That means that the Hebrew word was ‘Adonai’. Adonai is also a name given to God, but is in some sense a lesser title. We might translated it as ‘Sovereign One’. So, we might think that in Psalm 110, God is talking to himself. That’s not the case. David, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (that’s Christ’s view – see v36), sees Yahweh inviting another, who also shares His Name, to sit at his right hand.

In this riddle, Jesus is saying to the crowd, ‘Who is this that God is calling to sit in the place of honour at his right hand?’ As a Christian, the answer is clear. The ‘Sovereign One’ is Jesus.

‘Psalm 110 is a prophetic Psalm, and David was saying by the Holy Spirit that when the Messiah had finished his labour in this world, He would be exalted to heaven and enthroned at the right hand of God.’ (Sproul, p294)

We can easily misunderstand the importance of King David to the Jews. He is a central and inspirational figure. He is their King. He was a renowned warrior, as well as a musician and poet.

There was a widespread acceptance that the Messiah would come from David’s descendants. There were, of course, many descendants – many ‘son’s of David’ – but only one was going to be Messiah. David was a successful warrior king, and there was a common expectation that the Son of David would be in the same mold. This fed the view that the Messiah would re-establish Israel, leading the nation to victory against Rome. Jesus did not deny that the Messiah would be of ‘David’s Line’ – people had started to call him ‘Son of David’ (eg,    ) but he repeatedly confronted and rejected any sense that he was to be a warrior ‘Messiah’.

So, David is referring to one of his descendants, yet he calls him ‘my Lord.’  It’s true in most cultures that the ‘son’ should respect the ‘father’. In general, that’s how family relationships work. So here’s the riddle. Whilst we know who the LORD is, who is the Lord in Psalm 110, and why does David call him my Lord?

We naturally assume that a ‘son’ would show deference to his father. Yet David creates the image of  himself, the greatest king of Israel, showing deference to one of his descendants – the one who is his son, even calling him his (ie David’s) Lord.

Jesus is born in the line of David (Matthew 1), into the household of Joseph. But Joseph was not his father. His conception was through the Holy Spirit. Whilst we don’t hear Jesus commenting on the title ‘Son of David’, he is saying that he, the one who people regard as the Son of David,  is actually the Son of God. He is immeasurably higher, even than the greatest king of Israel, King David.

In the Psalm, David refers to the Lord – the Son of God. Knowingly or not, David is prophetically pointing towards, and acknowledging the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The Messiah.

End Piece

We view the Old Testament through a very different cultural lens to our Jewish friends. It’s easy for us to underestimate the critical importance of King David in Jewish culture. That’s because we know Jesus as the Messiah. For us, He is the important One.  He is the Son of God.

Jesus had challenged the order of things, even trashing the market in the Temple. The theme of the questions was ‘Who do you think that you are.’ Time and again, because of their own preconceptions and in-grained cultural beliefs, the people in power misunderstood who he was. In reality, they completely misunderstood their opportunity for relationship with him.

When I talk to people about Jesus, the response is often similar. People are still asking the same questions. People have absorbed lots of misinformation about who he is. They trip up on their own cultural beliefs and completely misunderstand who this Jesus is. They completely misunderstand their opportunity for relationship with him.

Yet here we are, 2000 years later, still talking about him. Such is the power of God. That is the influence of the Holy Spirit. That is who Jesus is.

Yesterday, today and forever. Jesus Christ is the same (Hebrews 13:8). Unchanging (Malachi 3:6). Son of God (Mark 14:61-62).

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Gospel of Mark

Greatest Commandment: Mark 12:28-34

Leave a comment

The Greatest Commandment

28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[e] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[f] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[g] There is no commandment greater than these.”
32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.

Mark 12:28-34

Horsham: 16th June 2025

The preceding verses of Chapter 12 have outlined an orchestrated attempt by religious and political leaders to catch Jesus out so that he could be arrested. First the Leaders of the Temple, then the Herodians and Pharisees, and then the Sadducees. These people want Jesus out of the way. They want him dead.

Mark turns our attention to an entirely different situation. This time a normal question comes from someone referred to as a scribe. As their name implies, the key role of the scribes was to make accurate copies of the scriptures (For more info click here: article by Christianity.com).  They were educated, learned and respected men.

‘In Judaism, there was a kind of double tendency. There was the tendency to expand the Law limitlessly into hundreds and thousands of rules and regulations. But there was also the tendency to try to gather up the law into one sentence, one general statement which would be a compendium of its whole message. ‘(Barclay, Loc 5902)

Throughout history, there have been attempts to summarise the core of Scripture. King David did it (Psalm 15). Isaiah did it at least twice (Isaiah 33.15 and 56:1). Micah did it (Micah 6:8). (for a simple discussion of these summaries see Barclay Loc 5902)

It was common for a rabbi to be asked to offer his own summary of the Law, so in the days leading up to Passover, it was reasonable for a scribe to approach a famous rabbi and put this question. “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”.

The first response is from Deuteronomy 6:4, the opening verse of the Shema, the words which committed Jews use at the start of every day, and which were carried by orthodox Jews in black boxes called phylacteries on their forehead or wrist. Every Jew knows this verse. Neither the scribe nor any other person listening would not be surprised that Jesus offers this verse.

The second part of his response is from Leviticus 19:18. Again, this is a deeply familiar verse.  It was familiar to Jewish people, and it’s familiar to us, although for different reasons. To us, the phrase reminds us of the parable of the Good Samaritan. To the Jewish mind, the ‘neighbour’ means anyone who is part of the family of Israel. Importantly, the way in which Jesus quotes it, he drops that restriction. The teaching of Jesus has a radical edge which we can easily miss.

Unlike those who are seeking Christ’s death, the scribe is not humiliated. He recognises the nuance of what Jesus has said. He affirms Christ’s summary and is himself commended. He is not far from the kingdom of God.

End Piece

‘What does it mean when a person is ‘not far from the kingdom of God’? It means he or she is facing truth honestly and is not interested in the ‘party line’. or even personal prejudices. It means the person is testing his or her faith by what the Word of God says and not by what some religious group demands. People close to the kingdom have the courage to stand up for what is true even if they lose some friends and make some new enemies.’ (Wiersbe, p142)

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Gospel of Mark

Whose wife is she anyway? Mark 12: 18-27

Leave a comment

Who’s wife is she anyway!

Marriage at the Resurrection

18 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 19 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection[a] whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26 Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’[b]? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

Mark 12: 18-27

Moreton, Dorset: 6th June 2025

We can’t help noticing as we read chapters 11 and 12 of Mark’s gospel that most of the major groups of first century Israel, religious and political, have come together into an uncomfortable coalition to take down this Jesus. First, it was the temple leaders, sent in like the advanced guard to catch him out. Jesus publicly humiliates them. Then it was the unlikely joint battalions of the Herodians and the Pharisees. Their attempt to catch Jesus out was no more successful, and they retired from the field bruised and silenced.

Next, onto the battle field come the Sadducees. We tend to think of them as a minor sect. In reality, they were important and influential in first century Judaism with a strong presence in the Sanhedrin. For them, Scripture was the Pentateuch – the first five books of what we call the Old Testament. They rejected oral tradition, and did  not regard the rest of Hebrew Scripture as the Word of God.  They  famously rejected, amongst many other things, the idea of resurrection. It’s  not surprising, perhaps, that their question is based specifically on the Law (Deuteronomy 25:5-6) with a focus on  the subject of resurrection. Sent into battle, their question is intended to catch Jesus out. If he denies the teachings of Moses, he will be guilty of blasphemy. For them, blasphemy is punishable by death.

Here’s the background. According to the Law, where brothers are living together, they have a particular family responsibility to fulfil. If such a married man dies, his brother shall takes the widow as his wife. Any children born from that second union will be counted as children of the dead brother, ensuring the continuity of his family line. This may sound strange in our ears, but it was a means of providing for the widow and her children, and of maintaining the family name. It created a strong family bond.

Like the Herodians, the Sadducees approach Jesus  with flattery, addressing Jesus as ‘Teacher’. They then set out some circumstances which they would like him to consider. Rabbi’s are expected to answer ‘tricky’ questions. about Scripture. It’s what they do.

In this case, the circumstances are intended to catch him out. A woman married a man who is one of seven brothers. When he dies, she marries the first brother. That brother dies. You get the picture. Eventually, all seven brothers die. Each of them has spent time as husband of this woman, but she has remained childless. And here’s the catch. When the resurrection comes, whose wife will she be?

Their intent is to make a mockery of the concept of resurrection. Such a matter cannot be properly resolved in the next life. The poor woman would, after all, have seven husbands.

Maybe there was a pause. A moment of silence. A moment of anticipation. The Sadducees, perhaps, start to think they have caught Jesus out. The Law of Moses, they want to say, simply isn’t compatible with your idea of resurrection. To allocate the woman to one brother at the resurrection, would undermine the other six. If Jesus, on the other hand, denies the resurrection, he undermines Jewish teaching and his own. Either way, they will be able to turn the crowd against Jesus and arrest him.

His response was not what they expected.

‘Your question demonstrates that you have no idea what you are talking about!’ The Good News translation says simply, ‘You are wrong!’

Jesus response is in two parts. Firstly, he tells them that in the resurrection we will be like the angels. The very concept of marriage will be redundant.   Resurrection is real, says Jesus, but life will not be as we experience it in this world. God can do this. His power is supreme.

Secondly, Jesus was saying that they have misunderstood even the part of Scripture which they accept and teach. When Moses approached the burning bush (Exodus 3), God declared himself to be the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. As written, the language says that these people are not dead. They are alive. Of course, they have left this earthly life.   They are resurrected. (This is well within the power of God! We remember that two of the disciples saw both Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration of Christ).

Far from undermining the Law of Moses, in his response Jesus has affirmed it, whilst challenging them for not fully understanding it. The Sadducees are in something of a fix. They know well that the word of God at the burning bush in Exodus 3 is used to affirm the existence of a resurrection, but in coupling this line with the news that the repeatedly widowed woman will not need a husband in the resurrection offers them little scope for supplementary questions.

To be firmly and publicly told that they are wrong is undermining. To be told by this young rabbi that they don’t understand their own Scripture is embarrassing. In the face of the packed Passover crowd, they are humiliated. They withdraw to lick their wounds.

 End Piece

There is reassurance in this story.  Firstly, in Christ’s affirmation that resurrection is a thing. Secondly, he affirms that the constraints, rules and privileges of this world do not carry over to the next.

Yet there’s a warning here too. Be careful, says Jesus, how you handle Scripture. Picking out the bits which suit the agenda of your own Church, sect or party is dangerous. Picking and choosing the bits you want and disregarding others is manipulative. It is, in effect, making up your own religion. It is wrong.

And before you point a finger at the Sadducees and cry ‘hypocrite’, look to yourself. It’s great to learn Scripture. I love to hear people quoting Scripture – especially when they do it accurately! But it’s easy to take a verse out of context and build a whole philosophy around it which was never intended.

Scripture was, and sadly sometimes still is, mis-used to justify slavery, misogyny, racism and homophobia.

Using Scripture comes with a heavy responsibility. Just be careful. Lest the finger of the Living Jesus points at you and says – ‘You have misunderstood. You are wrong!’

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Gospel of Mark

Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar: Mark 12:12-17

Leave a comment

Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s: This story also appears in Matthew 22 and Luke 20

13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied. 17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

And they were amazed at him.

Mark 12:12-17

 Moreton, Dorset: 5th June 2025

There is a war on. The temple authorities, the leaders and custodians of the Jewish nation, are determined to be rid of Jesus. He has seriously upset them.

It is Passover. Jerusalem is at bursting point with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims swelling the crowd at the Temple. Their Temple. This Jesus is attracting attention. With so many eyes and ears around, they need to get this right. They need to catch him out in his own words. They want him out of the way. They want him arrested. They want him dead.

They have tried questioning his authority. In reply he told them a parable in which they, the leaders of Israel, were portrayed as the villains. Publicly humiliated, they are forced to retreat.

I can’t escape the idea that there was some kind of secret meeting place, some kind of strategic command point, hidden within the temple, where the leaders of every faction, religious and political, have come together to organise the disposal of Jesus. It is to this headquarters that they withdraw and make their humiliating report. It is quickly agreed that it is time for a new tactic.

Now, like a new tactical deployment in a war game, The Herodians approach Jesus. They are a political group who support the tetrarch King Herod. Herod sees himself as ‘King of the Jews’ and his supporters would be deeply angered by people openly applying that name to Jesus. The Herodians are not a religious faction, but they are sent into battle alongside some Pharisees. These two groups are unlikely partners. But these are challenging times. The need is urgent. Even past enemies sometimes unite in common purpose on the field of battle.

Rather than trying to catch Jesus out by leading him into blasphemy, they try to catch him out in treason against Caesar. They begin with false flattery. ‘We know that you are sincere and show deference to no-one, for you do not regard people with partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.’ (v14)

This thinly veiled attempt to soften him up, is followed up by what is intended as a killer blow. ‘Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them or not?’ If Jesus encourages payment to Rome he is in effect colluding with the Roman occupiers of Israel. This would give the Pharisees the opportunity to stir up the crowd against him as a collaborator. On the other hand, if he criticises the payment of taxes to Rome, the Herodians have him. He will be guilty of treason against Caesar. It’s a two pronged attack. Their confidence is high.

Jesus knows exactly who these people are. If he doesn’t recognise them personally (he probably does), their style of dress indicates the factions which they represent. He recognises the trap. He recognises the hypocrisy.

‘Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius..’ Roman coins carry the head of the ruling Caesar. Not, I suspect, the response they had anticipated. A coin is quickly found.

‘Whose head is this and whose inscription?’ The answer is obvious. It’s Caesar Augustus. They hold their breath, ready to pounce.  ‘Give to Caesar that which belongs to Caesar…’ The Herodians can’t argue with that. The Pharisees can! The excitement of the Pharisees crumbles when they hear the words ‘Give to God the things which are God’s.’ The Pharisees  can’t argue with that.

There is a moment while it sinks in. Neither the Herodians nor the Pharisees can stir up the crowd. They set out to humiliate him in front of the crowd. Once more, he has turned the tables on them.

Another skirmish lost. Embarrassed, the joint forces of the Pharisees and Herodians beat a retreat to that hidden command post where the strategy is under constant review.

With each lost battle, with each public humiliation, the determination to destroy Jesus increases.

End Piece

There was an expectation within contemporary Judaism that the Messiah would rid Israel of the Roman invaders, re-establishing the Kingdom of God. Jesus had the opportunity to take a very public stand against the Romans. He didn’t take it.

‘Give to Caesar that which belongs to Caesar.’ You are called to live in this world. Even Jesus seems to accept that payment of taxes are one of the few certainties of life. The word translated as ‘give’ or ‘render’ means to ‘pay back’ or ‘give what is due’.

I’m interested that, when these verses are quoted, the second part often gets overlooked. We forget it’s there. That, in case you haven’t noticed, is the really important bit. If Jesus hadn’t said it, the Pharisees would have been all over him! The message is simple. Every good thing that you have comes from God (James 1 17). Jesus isn’t just referring to money. Time. Resources. Gifts. This phrase becomes ‘Give to God what he is due’. Your time. Praise. Worship.

There is no area of your life ‘off limits’ here. In every area of your life, you need to give God that which is due to him. Relationships. School. College. Workplace. Neighbours. Friends. Family. Relationship. Marriage. Finances. Leisure. Nothing in your life is off limits when it comes to your relationship with Jesus. Not even your personal ministry.

You are called to live in this world (John 15:19). But you are not of this world (John 17:14). You are called  serve Jesus. You are called to live differently. That’s counter cultural. That’s what it means to follow Jesus.

‘Give to God that which belongs to God.’ (Mark 12:17)

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Gospel of Mark

Parable of the Tenants: Mark 12:1-12

Leave a comment

This parable is referred to as the Parable of the Tenants, and also appears in almost identical form in Matthew 21 and Luke 20.

12 Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.

6 “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

7 “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

9 “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:

“‘The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
11 the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

12 Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.

Mark 12:1-12

3rd June 2025: Moreton, Dorset

Jesus has been confronted by some of the leaders of the temple community. They have already challenged his authority. Their attack was unsuccessful. They had to back down. They were publicly humiliated. Now, before they can get away, Jesus seizes the initiative by relating this parable.

Parables are generally short stories with a simple but direct message. It’s usually unhelpful to analyse the detail of a parable too closely, but this one is different. Every detail has a meaning. Everyone hearing Jesus was familiar with the idea that in Scripture, the vineyard is a reference to the nation of Israel. Everyone knew about small vineyards with fences, watch towers and tenant farmers. They were all over Israel. Everyone knew that the tenants were required to provide a portion of their produce to the landowner.

Most people hearing the story would have been horrified. The lawlessness described is unthinkable.  Sometimes, tenant farmers did rebel against their landlord, and occasionally things got ugly. But to kill the servants was despicable. To kill the son of the landowner, was unconscionable.

Remember, this is happening during the build up to Passover. So when Jesus mentions Psalm 118 – one of the Hallel Psalms which are spoken by  Passover – something clicks in their mind. They realise that as in Isaiah, the landowner represents God. The penny drops. They recognise who each of the characters in the story represent. They recognise themselves in the story.

In this parable: ‘The tenants are the leaders of Israel into whose hands the nation was entrusted. The messengers are the prophets who were disregarded, persecuted and killed. The son is Jesus himself. And the sentence is that the place which Israel should have occupied is to be given to others.’ (Barclay, The Gospel According to Luke, p.329)

This parable is being told against them. Jesus is saying that before God, they, the leaders of Israel, are the bad guys. Worse still, without actually saying it, Jesus is implying that he is the son. If the landowner is God, Jesus is again claiming to be the Son of God. He is the all important stone which was rejected by them, the builders of Israel. They understand exactly what Jesus is saying. Previous generations of leaders persecuted and executed the prophets. They are planning to kill the son. God’s son.

Be in no doubt. Jesus knew that he, the Son, was to be killed, by them, the keeper of the vineyard. He wants them to know that he knows.

Once more, they are desperate to arrest him. But they are afraid of the Passover crowd.

Once more they are publicly humiliated in front of the temple crowds.

Once more, they have no choice but to walk away.

End Piece

This incident takes place on the Wednesday of Holy Week. This parable tells us that Jesus knows what is ahead. He knows that his death is imminent.

The temple authorities are utterly infuriated. Over and again, their authority has been challenged and their humiliation has been very public. Like wounded soldiers, they retire from the scene of the battle to lick their wounds and consider their next move. These are dangerous men.

Here is Christ. Courageous. Obedient in the face of his earthly enemies. Resolute in the face of approaching and increasingly inevitable death.

For this particular group of leaders this battle may have been lost, but their war against Jesus of Nazareth is not over.

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK