On the day following Jesus' cleansing of the temple, the chief priests, scribes, and elders band together to accuse Jesus of undue usurpation of authority that they may deem Him a blasphemer. Jesus, unshaken by their weight-throwing jettisons the conversation taking the discussion of authority to His own conclusions (Mark 11:27-12:12).

God sends Jeremiah to dawn, bury, then recover an unsightly loin cloth to display the ruin of Israel. God tells His people that famine and exile are to come, but the lying prophets continue to contradict God's word through Jeremiah. In this context, God becomes weary of constantly enduring and relenting for His people, yet He will continue nonetheless. God gives comfort to a complaining Jeremiah, but commands him not to marry because there is not safety in the near future of Judah. Notwithstanding, redemption is again promised. God assures His people that He will bring them back and this will declare His glory and heart not just to Israel, but to the nations as well.

Jesus, having already seen the state of the temple, returns with a plan. Before entering, he curses a fig tree for its fruitlessness, then drives out the money changers. We too must not be found fruitless upon His visitation (Mark 11:12-26).

Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem marks His holy presentation as King. This prophecy-fulfilling moment draws us ever nearer to the truth that Jesus is not the Messiah the people expected (Mark 11:1-11).

An uphill hike to Jericho is interrupted by a desperate man named Bartimaeus pleading with Jesus to have mercy on him. In Bartimaeus' example, we see a profound example for how one must submit oneself into Jesus' discipleship (Mark 10:46-52).

For hundreds of years, God has been sending Israel prophets to warn them about His coming judgment. Jeremiah has been called to be a tester of metals, but God continues to only find straw.

James and John, the sons of Zebedee make enemies when they ask Jesus to grant them places on His left and right in His kingdom. Jesus uses this as an opportunity to teach them how authority in His kingdom (Mark 10:32-44).

Jeremiah is called to ministry when judgment is close at hand. God has looked upon His people and found them astray. Jeremiah was appointed for a time such as this.

Heads turn when one approached Jesus with sincerity and desperation. Kneeling before Jesus, this man asks a deeply personal question which launches Jesus' dissertation on the economy of His kingdom (Mark 10:17-31).

The book of Isaiah ends with God's judgment, but we see that God's ultimate reconciliation is as much a mark of judgment as it is of salvation. God's resolution of all things is both in justice as well as in mercy.