In Mark 11:12–25, Jesus curses a fig tree, drives from the temple and speaks words of warning rather than comfort. These signs expose a serious danger: a faith that looks alive on the outside but bears no fruit. As Jesus confronts fruitless religion and corrupted worship, He calls His people to be rooted in Him, not in religious activity or appearances, and be marked by faith, prayer and forgiveness.

Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is often called triumphal; there are palm branches and psalms, shouts of “Hosanna”. Yet He rides in humbly, walks straight to the temple, quietly looks around, and then leaves. Mark reveals a King whose glory is revealed in humility, whose power is exercised through obedience, and whose path to victory runs straight through the cross.

As Jesus travels toward Jerusalem, He stops along the way for a blind beggar named Bartimaeus. When Bartimaeus cries out to Jesus for mercy, the crowd tries to silence him, but Jesus beckons him close, restores his sight, and invites Bartimaeus to follow Him.

In Mark 10:32–45, we behold our Savior leading His disciples along the way, exposing our hunger for recognition, and redefining true greatness in self-sacrificing love. At the center stands the Son of Man, who did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

In this week's sermon we look at the baptism of Jesus.

In Mark 10:17–31, we meet a man who appears to have everything: morality, wealth, influence, and religious devotion. Yet tragically, he walks away from Jesus. His encounter exposes a deep truth: eternal life cannot be earned through performance, but only received by grace. Jesus lovingly confronts the idol that holds this man’s heart.

In Mark 10:1–12, Jesus is confronted with a question about marriage meant to trap Him. Instead of debating technicalities, He brings listeners back to God’s original design, dignity, and purpose for marriage. This passage challenges our assumptions and leads us toward the hope of the gospel: the One True Bridegroom who remains faithful even when we are not.

In this sobering passage, Jesus exposes the pride in our hearts and the sin that shapes our habits. The disciples try to shut down a man casting out demons simply because he wasn’t part of their group. But Jesus warns about the tragic effects of sin, calling us from territorial pride and faith that measures others by our preferences, and into the humility and charity of true discipleship.

Jesus walks with His disciples and reveals His mission: the Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men, suffer, die, and rise. But the disciples are preoccupied with arguing about who among them is the greatest.

This Sunday we come to one of the more monumental moments in all of the Gospels: the Transfiguration.