The entire book of Mark is leading up to this moment. So many people missed what Jesus was doing. Everyone thought the Messiah would come to establish an earthly kingdom, but Jesus willingly laid down His life, so that we could be a part of His eternal heavenly Kingdom. The cross is the commitment point for every person. We have all sinned, and Jesus paid the price for us. Will you accept God’s grace and His love through the cross of Jesus today? And, if you are a Christ-follower, then will you live your life every day for His Name and Glory?

We hope that each we have communicated that nothing is more needed or urgent than seeing Jesus clearly and understanding who He is. How you answer the question, “Who is Jesus?” changes everything. We find that Jesus is the most surprising and compelling person in history.

But here’s the other question Mark wants to help answer in Mark 14: How do you respond to who Jesus is? Mary understood full devotion and realized devotion to Jesus would cost her financially, socially, and some criticism. Judas directly opposed due to personal interest. And although Peter failed Jesus, he humbly received His grace.

Of course, God's desire is for His people to be fully devoted. But He also wants us to know we don't have to be stuck in our failure, we can receive His grace and move forward in gratitude.

Let's move forward in grace and step into people who fully devote their hearts and lives to the person of Jesus.

Passages that address the end times are often hard to understand and difficult to apply to our daily lives. Jesus in Mark 13 tells His disciples these tough things not so they will start trying to predict when they would come, but so they would be ready when they did. Jesus is calling them to vigilant discipleship through the hard times and to be faithful ‘til the end. He encourages them to be faithful by being watchful. Watchfulness is the spiritual discipline of guarding our hearts and minds in the word, in prayer, and in community faithfully until He returns.

Any number of things can hold us back from experiencing the life Jesus yearns for us to have. From an attitude of superiority to focusing on myself more than focusing on God and others! Not to mention how tightly I hold onto my gifts and talents as opposed to bringing them to God for His plans and purposes. Throughout the Gospel of Mark, the authority of Jesus is central to a true understanding of who He is and what He has done for us. When we understand His sacrifice, our response is to naturally and thankfully, praise, worship, serve, and give all for His name and His glory!

Many of us have become very skilled at putting on a show. We know the right things to do and say in order to convince other people we have it all together. We try really hard to follow our own agenda, to never need any help, and to call the shots for our own life. The harsh reality, however, is that God never intended it to be this way. He wants us to come to Him because we find salvation in Him alone. His Kingdom is all about trusting God and serving others, as opposed to trusting myself and making sure all of my needs are met.

Jesus teaches what it means to be His disciple. The call for us is not to live like the world – simply for wealth, power, and success. The call is to know Jesus and to serve. When we commit to follow Jesus, then our lives should change. Healing comes in Jesus. Hope comes in Jesus. Life comes in Jesus. Live in Jesus this week and bring Him into your marriage, money, and ministry. Experience the spiritual sight and follow Him, as His disciple, with your life.

So often we live for the temporary. We spend so much of our time focused on the things of this world that will not last. We become consumed with money, shopping, sports, and more. And, while these things are not bad in and of themselves, they can take our eyes off of the bigger picture. Jesus wants us to focus on Him. He gives us glimpses of the eternal that really matters. There are only three things that are eternal: God, His Word, and people. Where are you investing your life? As a disciple of Jesus, invest your life in what will last forever. Focus on Jesus.

The call to follow Jesus is an invitation to faith. Many choose to stay in the crowd. It is comfortable in the crowd. It is easy in the crowd. But, Jesus longs for us to be disciples. To be a disciple means to engage with Jesus. It is a call to trust and to follow. There will be challenges along the way, but the journey is beautiful, deep, and rich. The call to faith means turning your life over to God’s agenda and experiencing joy and peace in Him. Following Jesus is where you see the miracles and truly live the life you were created to live.

We are continuing to learn from Jesus in Masterclass. In Mark 7, Jesus encounters religious opposition, a desperate mother, and a hearing and speech-impaired man. Through these encounters, we are encouraged to come to Jesus for healing. Jesus heals our hearts, our families, and the world, as we respond to the Good News and make Him known.

Jesus calls us to a life of faith. So often we think this life is only about what we can see, but the spiritual realm is unseen. Yet, this is where the miracles happen. When we “live by faith and not by sight,” we are able to “see” with our spiritual eyes the great things God is doing. Never lose the awe and wonder of what God is doing in your life, in His Church, and in our world. Only Jesus can change a heart, heal, redeem, and restore. Our God is at work. Place your life in His hands and trust Him to do great things through you for His glory. Live by faith.