Jesus says to the man, 'You are not far from the kingdom.' In a sense that's high praise given the interactions he's been having with the various leaders of the Jewish Temple.

But a miss is as good as a mile? How can we not just be 'not far from the kingdom', but actually be assured of 'eternity as citizens of the king'?

The comment from Jesus comes in the context of an exchange about the most important commandment, to love God from all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

Join us live from Village Church today as Dominic Steele opens up this important passage.

The effect of this story and the earlier one in chapter 11 is to show Jesus knowledge and complete governance of events as his hour of death approaches.

Jesus is not a tragic hero caught in the wash of events beyond his control.

There is no hint of desperation, fear anger or futility on his part. As the commentator Edwards notes, Jesus does not cower or retreat as pilots are hatched against him.

He displays, as he has through the gospel, a sovereign freedom and authority to follow a course he has freely chosen in accordance with god’s plan.  

Judas and others may act against him, but they do not act upon him.

Mark 14:12 On the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they sacrifice the Passover lamb, his disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and prepare the Passover so that you may eat it?”

13 So he sent two of his disciples and told them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Wherever he enters, tell the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?”’ 15 He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make the preparations for us there.” 16 So the disciples went out, entered the city, and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

As I have been reading the commentaries on Mark’s Gospel in preparation for Daily Bible Time and teaching on Sunday I found a helpful little excursus in Edward’s commentary on the women in the gospel of Mark. We are going to follow his notes today. 

My reflections after reading Edward’s excursus on women. 

It is completely impossible for Jesus to be painted as anti women.

It is only appropriate that Jesus be seen as a massive advocate of woman.

And by application, Jesus disciple’s should follow the example of our Lord.

Judas is fully responsible for his actions in betraying Jesus. He is not a victim of circumstances. He is a sovereign moral agent. who freely chooses evil in going to them. He went to them. They didn't seek him out, apart from putting up a notice around the town. We see here divine grace using even human evil for it's saving purpose.

Mark 14:10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. 11 And when they heard this, they were glad and promised to give him money. So he started looking for a good opportunity to betray him.

In a fulfilment of Psalm 41, in an act of spectacular kindness to the poor man 'par excellence', Jesus, a woman anoints the body of Jesus before his death.

Mark 14:3 While he was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured it on his head. 4 But some were expressing indignation to one another: “Why has this perfume been wasted? 5 For this perfume might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii[b] and given to the poor.” And they began to scold her.

6 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a noble thing for me. 7 You always have the poor with you, and you can do what is good for them whenever you want, but you do not always have me. 8 She has done what she could; she has anointed my body in advance for burial. 9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

It's not the first time that Mark has mentioned the plot to kill Jesus. He previously referred to it in Mark 3:6, 11:18 and 12:12. But from here the tension increases and the momentum speeds up.

14:1 It was two days before the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a cunning way to arrest Jesus and kill him. 2 “Not during the festival,” they said, “so that there won’t be a riot among the people.”

What happens when we die? What will it be like? What about those who are nearest to us on earth?  Will I still have a special relationship with my wife in heaven?  Will you still treat your parents as father and mother?  Will our close friends here be our close friends there?  It’s all very well to look forward to meeting tens of thousands, but are we not created in such a way as to still want an inner circle?

There are lots of questions we have about heaven? Today our lead pastor Dominic Steele takes us to a question on heaven that was put to Jesus and opens up both the how of the resurrection and the fact of the resurrection.

I am giving the Village Summer Kids Club leaders studies each day from 1 Thessalonians. And we are up to the last verses. Today it's how to think about those who lead us in the Lord. How to give recognition and regard to them in love because of their work.

This passage comes as an encouragement to Village Church. Not as a rebuke. I think the culture on these issues is excellent in our church. I give thanks and praise to God for our members here.

1 Thessalonians 5:12 12 Now we ask you, brothers, to give recognition to those who labor among you and lead you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to regard them very highly in love because of their work.