Providence Church

In the Garden of Gethsemane we see the full humanity of Jesus as he is overwhelmed by sorrow, let down by friends, and betrayed. The good news is not only that Jesus identifies with your sorrow in his life, but that he willingly surrenders his life to end all sorrow and save the world.

Into the treachery of the plot to kill Jesus, Mark inserts a story about a woman who anoints Jesus. Her devotion and worship show us what it looks like when someone has experienced the love of God personally.

We have been invited into God’s story – his people & his mission. Everything we have is from his hand. And yet,we want to think we belong to ourselves. Jesus tells this parable to remind us that we are stewards, not owners.

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey on Palm Sunday, it was picture of his humility and gentleness. The next day, he demonstrated his righteous anger, cursing a fig tree and cleansing the temple. The question is: Why was he so angry?

Bartimaeus is an example ofwhat it looks like to come to Jesus and follow him.

Here in Mark 10, Jesus invites us to consider his answer to an all-important question: What must we do to inherit eternal life? Through Jesus' interactions with this rich young man (and then with his disciples afterwards), we gain insight into both the path and the promise of eternal life.

As Jesus and his disciples get closer to Jerusalem, he continues to teach them about discipleship and life in the kingdom, this time through the lens of marriage and children.

Following Jesus means taking a radical stance toward sin. The stakes could not be higher, so we do whatever it takes to stay on the path of discipleship to Jesus. 

The disciples continue to be blind to how the kingdom of God works. So, Jesus has to correct their vision: how they see themselves and how they see others.

To follow Jesus and do his work requires spiritual power. So, how do we access and experience his power in our lives?