What Jesus Did

Here is another illustration Jesus used: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches."

—Matthew 13:31-32 NLT

Key Thought​

Throughout the Old Testament, God's people had been warned not to judge on mere appearances. We shouldn't be surprised that Jesus' Kingdom would start small and insignificant based on outward...

 

Later, as Jesus was teaching the people in the Temple, he asked, "Why do the teachers of religious law claim that the Messiah is the son of David? For David himself, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said,

'The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.'


Since David himself called the Messiah 'my Lord,' how can the Messiah be his son?" The large crowd listened to him with great delight.


—Mark...

 

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to [Jesus]. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do us a favor."
"What is your request?" he asked.

They replied, "When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left."

—Mark 10:35-37 NLT

Key Thought​

Sometimes the Scriptures are just too honest. I'm being a little sarcastic ... but just a little. The people we see, even those who are...

 

Realizing how much the man [who had asked about the greatest commandment] understood, Jesus said to him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.

—Mark 12:34 NLT

Key Thought​

Despite the hostile environment in which Jesus faced the tough questions put to him, he appreciated the honest seeking heart of this expert in the Jewish law. In an atmosphere where most questioners were trying to trap Jesus, Jesus still had...

 

[After Jesus answered that the greatest commandments are to love God and love others, the] teacher of religious law replied, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law."

—Mark 12:32-33 NLT

Key...​

 

[Jesus continued,] "The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these."

—Mark 12:31 NLT

Key Thought​

In the previous verses, [1] Jesus says that the greatest commandment is for us to love God. Now he says that the second great commandment also deals with love. This time, however, Jesus focuses our attention on our love for other people. In giving these two commandments — love God and love our neighbor — Jesus has...

 

Jesus replied, "The most important commandment is this: 'Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.'"

—Mark 12:29-30 NLT

Key Thought​

The essence of our response of faith is pretty straightforward. Love God. It can be said in a number of different ways: Love God above all things. Love God with all you are. Love God for as long as you have life...

 

One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate [between Jesus and the Jewish leaders]. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

—Mark 12:28 NLT

Key Thought​

An honest seeker overhears the questions intended to trap Jesus and is impressed with Jesus' answers. He asks an honest question: "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" When Scripture says something...

 

[Replying to the Sadducees, Jesus continued,] "But now, as to whether the dead will be raised — haven't you ever read about this in the writings of Moses, in the story of the burning bush? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said to Moses, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' So he is the God of the living, not the dead. You have made a serious error."

—Mark 12:26-27 NLT

Key Thought​

Jesus uses skill, wit, and cunning to argue with...

 

[The Sadducees said,] "Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother's name. Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children. So the second brother married the widow, but he also died without children. Then the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them, and still there were no children. Last of all, the...