GRACE BIBLE FELLOWSHIP | 恩道堂

Scripture Reading        : Mark 15:1-32

Theme                            : The Trial & Crucifixion of Jesus

1. The Romans Tried Jesus. The Jews did not have the legal authority to carry out capital punishment. Therefore, after condemning Jesus to death (Mark 14:64), they still had to obtain a final conviction by Pilate. Pilate found Jesus to be innocent, but he gave in to the pressure of the Jews to crucify Jesus. Barabbas was involved in an anti-Roman insurrection, common in Jesus’ day because the Jews would revolt against the foreign oppressors, the Romans. The Jews did not want a peaceful King, and would rather have someone perceived to be brave to fight for them.

2. The Romans Beat Jesus. In those days, purple was the colour worn by royalty. The soldiers also made a crown of thorns to mock Jesus. Condemned prisoners were made to carry the very tool of their execution, the cross, to the execution site. The beating and scourging (flogging – Mark 15:15) severely wounded Jesus, and He was physically unable to carry the cross. The soldiers made Simon carry Jesus’ cross. Simon likely became a believer and his son Rufus was active in the church at Rome (Romans 16:13).

3. The Romans Crucified Jesus. Wine mixed with myrrh acted as some kind of anesthetic to lessen the pain. Jesus refused to take it and showed that He was all ready to bear all the pain on the cross. Jesus was crucified in the third hour, which is equivalent to 9am in the morning. The cross was a tool designed to torture criminals, lasting up to days before the victim died. The victim had to push with his feet and pull with his hands in order to breathe, tearing the flesh and inducing more pain at the places where the nails were. In the end, the victim would die of suffocation due to inability to breathe.

Praying the Scripture

1. Pilate was a coward and he gave in to the pressure of the Jews. As the governor, he had the authority to set Jesus free and quell any unrest with his army, but he did not. Simply being neutral is not the same as saving faith, resulting in condemnation at the final judgment. Let us pray that we will be committed to following Jesus, and not remain “neutral”.

2. Simon likely became a believer, along with his family (Romans 16:13), through this contact with Jesus. Simon was not ashamed of identifying with a crucified “criminal”. Let us pray that we would not be ashamed of Jesus.

3. Jesus bore our sins on the cross, suffering physical pain. Let us thank Him for dying for us, and commit ourselves to living for Him who died for us.

经文：马可福音15:1-32

主题：耶稣受审与钉十字架

Scripture Reading        : Mark 14:43-72

Theme                            : The Arrest & Trial of Jesus

1. Jesus is Betrayed. In Middle Eastern culture, a kiss on the cheek was a sign of respect and showed the closest love and affection reserved for those with intimate relationships, like a disciple with his teacher. Judas chose to betray Jesus with such an act, showing forth his hypocrisy. The young man who fled naked was probably Mark himself, since the mob would have first gone to his house, where Jesus observed the Passover. Awoken by the commotion, Mark probably got up and hastily followed the mop, wrapped only with a linen sheet.

2. Jesus is Tried. The first trial Jesus faced was from the religious authority, the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was the Supreme Court of Israel, consisting of 71 members, led by the High-Priest. The trial of Jesus was illegal even by Jewish law, because Jewish law forbade the trial of anyone at night. However, the Sanhedrin wanted to quickly condemn Jesus to death, because it was their plot all along.

3. Jesus is Denied. Peter followed along, most likely together with John (John 18:15), while the rest of the disciples fled (Mark 14:50). However, when a servant-girl recognized Peter, he denied Jesus three times, fulfilling Jesus’ prediction. At this point, Peter was filled with sorrow and wept godly tears, unlike Judas, who went to hang himself (Matthew 27:3-10).

Praying the Scripture

1. Do we claim to love Jesus and follow Him, like Judas? Judas even showed outward signs of loving Jesus, including the kiss. However, his heart was full of hypocrisy and he betrayed Jesus. Let us pray that we will not only claim to love Jesus outwardly, but also genuinely love Him in our hearts.

2. Jesus kept silent during His trial, because He was determined to go to the cross to offer His life for sinners. If He had defended His own innocence, He would not have died, jeopardizing God’s plan to save sinners. Let us thank God for His willingness to die for our sins on the cross.

3. The fact that Peter (& John) followed Jesus to the courtyard of the High Priest showed that there was some courage in them. Before we condemn Peter for denying Jesus, we should examine ourselves – we might not even have as much courage as he did. Nevertheless, Peter denied Jesus, but he repented. We may be guilty of denying Jesus when we are afraid of letting others know we are Christians, or shy away from telling them the Gospel. Let us repent, like Peter, and boldly acknowledge our Lord and Savior.

经文：马可福音14:43-72

主题：耶稣的被捉与受审

Scripture Reading        : Mark 14:22-42

Theme                            : The Last Supper

1. Jesus’ Promise. As Jesus ate the Passover meal with the disciples, He instituted the Lord’s Supper. The bread represented Jesus’ body, and the wine represented His blood, and both symbolized His impending death on the cross. Jesus was still physically alive and eating and drinking with the disciples, so it is not possible that the bread turned into His flesh and the wine turned into real blood, which is the erroneous doctrine of “transubstantiation” taught by the Roman Catholic church. During this time, Jesus promised He will return and establish His kingdom on earth (“drink it new in the kingdom”).

2. Jesus’ Prediction. Jesus predicted that all His disciples would fall away and deny Him after His arrest. Peter displayed his pride by comparing himself with the rest of the disciples, emphasizing that he will not deny Jesus even when faced with death. Note that the other disciples actually did the same thing, a fact often glossed over because of Peter’s prominence.

3. Jesus’ Prayer. Jesus was not asking if God had the power to let this cup pass from Him (God certainly has the power to do anything). Jesus was asking if it were possible in God’s plan to forgive sins without the Son dying on the cross. It is necessary for the Son to die on the cross as a sacrifice to God, because God is just and will “by no means clear the guilty” (Exodus 34:7).

Praying the Scripture

1. When we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we should not be mourning over the death of our Savior. This is because He is risen, and He promised to come again and drink new wine in the kingdom. Paul wrote that we “proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). Let us pray that we will truly celebrate the Lord’s Supper with thanksgiving, and be fervent in proclaiming the Gospel.

2. Peter was proud to think that he will not fall, and so did the other disciples. 1 Corinthians 10:12 “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” Let us pray that we will be on guard at all times, and learn from the disciples’ failure, rather than judge them.

3. We should not be mourning Jesus’ death. On the other hand, we ought to mourn over our own sin, which made it necessary for the Son of God to die and offer His life as a sacrifice. There is no other way that God will forgive sins, except through the sacrifice of His own perfect Son. 1 John 4:10 “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Let us thank God for sacrificing His Son for us, and truly repent from our sins and obey the Lord.

经文：马可福音14:22-42

主题：最后晚餐

Scripture Reading        : Mark 14:1-21

Theme                            : The Passion Week

The Passover commemorated the “passing over” of Israelite homes by the angel of death, who killed the firstborn of all Egypt (Ex 12:1-13:16). The Feast of Unleavened Bread commemorated the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. Unleavened bread signified the absence of the leaven of sin in their lives and household (Ex 12:6; Lev 23:6-8).

1. The Plot against Jesus. Instead of remembering how the Lord rescued their forefathers out of Egypt, sparing their lives and leaving their sin behind in Egypt, the Jewish leaders plotted to kill Jesus – a murderous sin. Part of the plot was Judas, who would betray Jesus. The plot showed the extreme hardness of hearts of the Israelites.

2. The Preparation of Jesus. In contrast to the religious leaders, who were hypocrites plotting a murder while commemorating the grace of God, Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus (John 12:3), showed her total devotion to God by anointing Him with a very costly perfume. Mary’s anointing of Jesus became a symbol that anticipated His death and burial. Judas, who was part of the murderous plot, took the lead in rebuking Mary (John 12:4-5; Matt 26:8).

3. The Prediction by Jesus. When Jesus ate the Passover meal with the disciples, He knew and told them that one of them (Judas) would betray Him. Jesus was not a victim, but a victor, because the Old Testament already prophesied His betrayal (Ps 22; Isa 53) and He came to fulfill God’s predetermined plan to offer His live as a ransom for sinners.

Praying the Scripture

1. Jesus said that if we are angry with someone, we have already committed murder in our hearts. Are we guilty of murder while we thank God for saving us? Let us repent from this sin and ask God for forgiveness. We should also pray that God give us the courage to seek reconciliation with the party we are angry with.

2. Are we willing to part with our most treasured things in demonstration of our total devotion to God? Let us pray that we might devote our entire lives, not just our belongings, to serve God.

3. Jesus is not a victim, but a victor. It is clear from Jesus words that the punishment that Judas would experience in hell is so great that “it would have been better for that man if he had never been born.” (Mark 14:21) Let us pray for our loved ones to believe in Jesus, or they too will burn in hell together with Judas for rejecting Jesus.

经文：马可福音14:1-21

主题：圣周

逾越节纪念的是神在埃及地杀害所有的长子时，“越过”了以色列人的家（出12:1-13:16）。除酵节则纪念以色列人离开埃及地。无酵饼代表以色列人的生命及家中没有罪的发酵。

Scripture Reading        : Mark 13:24-37

Theme                            : The Second Coming

This is the second part of the Olivet Discourse, when Jesus spoke about the second coming after telling them the events that precede the second coming.

1. Be Appointed. When Jesus comes again the second time, He will gather His elect “from the four winds”, a colloquial expression referring to everywhere. This means that none of those who belong to Christ and are appointed to receive eternal life would be left out. Angels will gather unbelievers for judgment (Matt 13:41, 49-50) and the elect for glory.

2. Be Aware. When the fig tree bears leaves, it is the sign that summer is coming. Jesus had foretold the events leading to the second coming, so believers must be aware and heed the Lord’s warnings.

3. Be Alert. At the moment when Jesus spoke these words to the disciples as a man, He did not know when the second coming would be. Even though Jesus is fully God at all times, He voluntarily restricted the use of certain divine attributes when He became a man. The main point of Jesus’ words, however, is that only being aware (knowing) of the second coming is not sufficient, if one is lazy and does not prepare for it. It is more important to act on the knowledge and prepare for the Lord’s second coming by doing His work now.

Praying the Scripture

1. When Jesus comes again the second time, there will no longer be any opportunity for sinners to repent. Let us pray for opportunity to share the Gospel with people we know, so that they too may be amongst those appointed to eternal life.

2. Let us pray for discernment to be aware of the events before the end-times, many of which are already occurring (e.g. wars, earthquakes, famine, false teachers, etc).

3. Being aware without taking action is like the foolish man described in James 1:23-24, who looks at a mirror but immediately forgets what he looks like. Let us pray that we may be diligent in doing the Lord’s work and prepare for His second coming.

经文：马可福音13:24-37

主题：主再来

这是橄榄山讲论的第二部；耶稣现在述说的是主再来时将发生的事。

Scripture Reading        : Mark 13:1-23

Theme                            : Events Before the Second Coming

Mark 13:1-37 is commonly known as the Olivet Discourse because Jesus preached this sermon on the Mount of Olives.

1. Destruction of the Temple. Immediately after Jesus warned about having the wrong hope in the religious system of the time, including giving to the temple, one of the disciples was still dull in understanding and marveled at the magnificence of the temple building. Jesus prophesied that the temple will be destroyed, and as history unfolded, Jesus’ prophecy came true (of course it did!) in A.D. 70. This had not happened at the time when Mark wrote the Gospel.

2. Death of Believers. Jesus warned that believers will be beaten and killed, and just as birth pains are infrequent at first but will increase in both frequency and magnitude just before the child is born, believers can only expect the persecution they face to get worse as the second coming of Christ gets nearer.

3. Devastation of the World. The abomination of desolation first referred to the desecration of the temple by Antiochus Epiphanes, the king of Syria, in the second century B.C. when he sacrificed a pig, an unclean animal, on the temple altar. In the future, the Antichrist will set up an image of himself in the temple (Dan 9:27; 11:31; Matt 24:15; 2 Thess 2:4). God graciously shortened this time of the Great Tribulation in the future to three-and-a-half years (Dan 7:25; Rev 12:14) for the benefit of His people.

Praying the Scripture

1. Recipients of the Gospel of Mark were Christians who were undergoing persecution in Rome. The temple in Jerusalem had yet to be destroyed, but when it actually happened, the prophecy recorded by Mark became a great encouragement for the persecuted believers that the faith they held on to is indeed true. Let us pray that we will have faith to believe that Jesus will come a second time, just as the Bible prophesied.

2. The Christians in Rome were undergoing great persecution at the time Mark wrote the Gospel. Mark was encouraging them to persevere, and prepared them to expect the persecution to only get worse. If we are suffering for the sake of Christ and His Gospel, let us thank God and pray for His protection and provision so that we may persevere.

3. We are already experiencing many false prophets claiming to raise people from the dead or heal diseases. Jesus had already warned us beforehand not to be led astray. Let us pray that we will be discerning and be on guard against false teachers and false prophets.

经文：马可福音13:1-23

主题：主再来之前将发生的事件

马可福音13:1-37也俗称是“橄榄山讲论”，因为耶稣是在橄榄山上讲这道的。

Scripture Reading        : Mark 12:35-44

Theme                            : Jesus’ Warning to the People

1. Wrong Teaching. Jesus corrected the religious teachers’ wrong teaching regarding the true nature of the Messiah. The religious teachers taught that the Messiah was the descendant of David, and would merely be a man. Jesus taught the people that the Christ, meaning the Anointed One, would be someone higher than David, and is God Himself, since David addressed Him as “Lord”.

2. Wrong Motivation. Jesus also warned the people to beware of the scribes (and Pharisees). They loved the praises of men rather than God, and often put forth a show in their lengthy prayers to draw the attention of people. They also deceived widows into giving them money from the dead husbands’ legacy.

3. Wrong Hope. The poor widow was an immediate object lesson of Jesus’ preceding warning. She was already extremely poor, and after giving away everything she had, including the two small copper coins, she was going to starve to death. She had placed all her hopes in the religious teachers who were hypocrites and motivated by money.

Praying the Scripture

1. Many people today think of Jesus as a great teacher who taught wonderful teachings. Others think of Him as the founder of just another religion, Christianity. Jesus asked His disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” (Mark 8:29) Let us truly acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and our God.

2. Do we love the praises of men too? One possible indication is when we hope to serve in church in positions that are highly visible, like leading worship, preaching, etc. Let us pray that God will humble us so that we will serve Him out of devotion to Him, rather than for the praises of men.

3. Today, there are prosperity gospel preachers who similarly prey on widows and the weak. Let us pray that God will open the eyes of those who have been deceived, so that they will place their hope in the true Gospel according to Jesus.

经文：马可福音12:35-44

主题：耶稣向众人的警告

Scripture Reading        : Mark 12:13-34

Theme                            : Three Theological Traps

The leaders of Israel knew that Jesus spoke the parable of the tenants against them (Mark 12:12). But instead of repenting, they sent the theologians of their time (the Pharisees and the Sadducees) and politicians (the Herodians) to trap Jesus.

1. The Present. The Pharisees were a group of religious Jews who focused on the oral law, traditions and scribal laws. The Herodians were a political party of Jews who supported Herod Antipas, who in turn was a puppet of Rome. They came together in order to trap Jesus, because the Pharisees could accuse Jesus in supporting a Gentile ruler (Caesar) if Jesus said that it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar. On the other hand, the Herodians could accuse Jesus of going against Rome if He were to reply “no”. They were trying to trap Jesus in His theological application to the present.

2. The Future. The Sadducees were the most wealthy, influential and aristocratic of all the Jewish sects. All the high priests and chief priests were Sadducees. They controlled the temple business and were upset with Jesus for cleansing the temple, affecting their profits. They did not believe in the resurrection (Mark 12:18), but used a hypothetical scenario of the future resurrection to trap and discredit Jesus in front of the people. Jesus rebuked them for not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.

3. The Past. Finally, one of the scribes, who were experts of Old Testament law, came to test Jesus regarding His theological interpretation of the past – the commandments spelt out in the Old Testament. The Pharisees had determined that there were 613 commandments, but disputed on which was the most important.

Praying the Scripture

1. Some Christians believe a false dichotomy – they think there is a spiritual and a worldly aspect of their lives. However, the Bible teaches that we are to do all things for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). It is meaningless to engage in theological debates when we disobey God’s clearly-revealed Word regarding our responsibilities in the present. Let us pray that we will submit to the governing authorities, for this is God’s will for us (Romans 13:1-2).

2. It is equally meaningless to engage in theological debates of future eschatology when we disobey God’s clearly-revealed Word over many matters. Some Christians come up with all kinds of hypothetical scenarios in order to challenge the authority of the Bible (e.g. What happens to the uneducated man in the remotest part of the deepest jungle who dies without hearing the Gospel?), instead of obeying it (e.g. preach the Gospel to people around them). Let us pray that we will submit to the Word of God and be doers of the Word (James 1:22).

3. Similarly, many Christians busy themselves with theological discussions of the past (e.g. Do the Old Testament prophecies for Israel now apply to the church?), but they neither serve God nor their brethren (evident when they do not serve in the local church). The scribe was only “not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34), but he was not actually in the kingdom. Let us pray that we will truly enter the kingdom through the obedience of God’s Word.

经文：马可福音12:13-34

主题：三个神学圈套

以色列的首领晓得耶稣所陈述的园户的比喻是针对他们的（12节）。可是，他们不但不肯悔改，还派当代的神学家（法利赛人和文士）和政治家（希律党的人）给耶稣设下圈套。

Scripture Reading        : Mark 11:27-12:12

Theme                            : The Hardness of Israel

1. Israel Rejected John. After Jesus cleansed the temple, the leaders of Israel (“the chief priests and the scribes and the elders”) challenged Jesus authority in “doing these things”. The challenge referred to the immediate events before (the cleansing of the temple), and also everything else that Jesus did. Instead of answering them, Jesus replied with a counter-challenge. The reply of the leaders showed that they rejected John the Baptist as a messenger of God.

2. Israel Rejected the Prophets. Jesus told the parable of the tenants to reveal the hypocritical character of the leaders of Israel. The vineyard is a symbol for Israel (Ps 80:8-16; Isa 5:1-7; Jer 2:21). God (the owner) entrusted the Jewish leaders (the tenants) to do His work, but they did not fulfill their duty. When God sent prophets (the servants) to warn Israel, they rejected the prophets and killed them.

3. Israel Rejected the Son. Finally, in the parable, the owner (God) sent his own son (Jesus Christ) to the tenants (Israel). Instead of respecting the son, the tenants killed him, symbolizing His rejection and imminent death on the cross. Because of their hardness of hearts, the owner will “destroy the tenants” (judgment) and “give the vineyard to others” (establishment of Christ’s church, which will consist mostly of Gentiles).

Praying the Scripture

1. We do not have prophets from God today, foretelling the future by God’s authority. However, prophecy continues in the form of forthtelling. When a pastor faithfully proclaims God’s Word (the Bible) from the pulpit, he is in effect proclaiming “thus says the Lord.” Let us pray for our pastor, that he will not fear rejection, but faithfully proclaim God’s Word from the pulpit.

2. Israel rejected the prophets that God sent to them. When we reject and despise the message that is preached from the pulpit, we are rejecting the leaders that the Holy Spirit appointed (Acts 20:28), making us similar to Israel. Let us pray that we will be like the Bereans, who “received the Word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (Acts 17:11)

3. If we were to continue in hardness of hearts, judgment will eventually come to us. Other than eternal hell-fire, God will also judge hardened sinners by withholding His Word from them and giving it to others who are willing to listen. Let us pray and repent from the sin of rejecting God and His Word, so that we will not incur judgment.

经文：马可福音11:27-12:12

主题：硬心的以色列

Scripture Reading        : Mark 11:1-26

Theme                            : The Jerusalem Ministry

1. Coming of the King. Unused animals were regarded as specially suited for sacred purposes (Num. 19:2; Deut. 21:3; 1 Sam. 6:7). It was therefore fitting for the unique nature of Jesus. Jesus rode on the donkey as He entered Jerusalem, fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 regarding the coming king. The donkey represented peace, instead of conquest. Jesus did not present Himself as the glorious, irresistible ruler that the people expected, but as the One bringing peace (between God and man).

2. Cursing of the Fig Tree. In the fig tree, the fruit appears together with, and sometimes before, the appearance of leaves. The fig tree with an abundance of leaves ahead of season held out the promise that it had fruit. However, the promise turned out to be false. The fig tree was therefore a symbol of Israel’s failure to produce the spiritual fruit that it professed to have. Jesus used the tree to teach the disciples a lesson of God’s condemnation of hypocrisy.

3. Cleansing of the Temple. The Jews turned the temple into a market place, instead of using it properly for worship. When Jesus did not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple, it was referring to the temple court. Mark alone described the temple as a place of prayer for “all the nations”. The temple court alone was available to Gentiles for prayer, but the Jews turned it into a place of profit and greed, thus depriving Gentiles the only place in the temple where they could worship. Because of this, Jesus cleansed the temple.

Praying the Scripture

经文：马可福音11:1-26

主题：耶路撒冷事工