Saturday Scripture: Mark 12-14

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Here is Pastor Gabe reading from the book of Mark. Mark Chapter 12

And he began to speak to them in parables. A man planted a vineyard and put a wall around it, and dug a vat under the winepress and built a tower, and rented it out to vine -growers and went on a journey.

At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine -growers in order to receive some of the produce of the vineyard from the vine -growers.

They took him and beat him and sent him away empty -handed. Again he sent them another slave, and they wounded him in the head and treated him shamefully.

And he sent another, and that one they killed, and so with many others, beating some and killing others.

He had one more to send, a beloved son. He sent him last of all to them, saying,

They will respect my son. But those vine -growers said to one another, This is the heir.

Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours. They took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard.

What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine -growers and will give the vineyard to others.

Have you not even read this scripture? The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief cornerstone.

This came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes. And they were seeking to seize him, and yet they feared the people, for they understood that he spoke the parable against them.

And so they left him and went away. Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to him in order to trap him in a statement.

They came and said to him, Teacher, we know that you are truthful and defer to no one, for you are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth.

Is it lawful to pay a poll tax to Caesar or not? Shall we pay or shall we not pay?

But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius to look at.

They brought one, and he said to them, Whose likeness and inscription is this? And they said to him,

Caesar's. And Jesus said to them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are

God's. And they were amazed at him. Some Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and began questioning him, saying,

Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves behind a wife and leaves no child, his brother should marry the wife and raise up children to his brother.

There were seven brothers, and the first took a wife and died, leaving no children. The second one married her and died, leaving behind no children, and the third likewise.

And so all seven left no children. Last of all, the woman died also.

In the resurrection, when they rise again, which one's wife will she be? For all seven had married her.

Jesus said to them, Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the scriptures or the power of God?

For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how

God spoke to him, saying, I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the

God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

You are greatly mistaken. One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that he had answered them well, asked him,

What commandment is the foremost of all? Jesus answered, The foremost is,

Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, and you shall love the

Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.

The second is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

The scribe said to him, Right, teacher, you have truly stated that he is one, and there is no one else besides him.

And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.

When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, he said to him, You are not far from the kingdom of God.

After that, no one would venture to ask him any more questions. And Jesus began to say, as he taught in the temple,

How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? David himself said in the

Holy Spirit, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies beneath your feet.

David himself calls him Lord, so in what sense is he his son?

And the large crowd enjoyed listening to him. In his teaching he was saying,

Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like respectful greetings in the marketplaces, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows' houses and for appearances' sake offer long prayers.

These will receive greater condemnation. And he sat down opposite the treasury and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury, and many rich people were putting in large sums.

A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent.

Calling his disciples to him, he said to them, Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury, for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.

Mark chapter 13. As he was going out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him,

Teacher, behold, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings. And Jesus said to him,

Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.

As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning him privately,

Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?

And Jesus began to say to them, See to it that no one misleads you. Many will come in my name, saying,

I am he, and will mislead many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened.

Those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

There will be earthquakes in various places. There will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.

But be on your guard, for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake as a testimony to them.

The gospel must first be preached to all the nations. When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour.

For it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.

You will be hated by all because of my name, but the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be, let the reader understand.

Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. The one who is on the housetop must not go down or go in to get anything out of his house, and the one who is in the field must not turn back to get his coat.

But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are babies in those days, but pray that it may not happen in the winter.

For those days will be a time of tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation which

God created until now, and never will. Unless the Lord had shortened those days, no life would have been saved, but for the sake of the elect whom he chose, he shortened the days.

And then if anyone says to you, behold, here is the Christ, or behold, he is there, do not believe him.

For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show signs and wonders in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect, but take heed, behold,

I have told you everything in advance. But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken.

Then they will see the son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

And then he will send forth the angels and will gather together his elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of heaven.

Now learn the parable from the fig tree, when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near.

Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that he is near, right at the door.

Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

But of that day or hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the son, but the father alone.

Take heed, keep on the alert, for you do not know when the appointed time will come.

It is like a man away on a journey, who upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, assigning to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert.

Therefore, be on the alert, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning, in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep.

What I say to you, I say to all, be on the alert. Mark chapter 14.

Now the Passover and unleavened bread were two days away, and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to seize him by stealth and kill him, for they were saying, not during the festival, otherwise there might be a riot of the people.

While he was in Bethany, at the home of Simon the leper, and reclining at the table, there came a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume of pure nard, and she broke the vial and poured it over his head.

But some were indignantly remarking to one another, why has this perfume been wasted?

For this perfume might have been sold for over 300 denarii, and the money given to the poor.

And they were scolding her. But Jesus said, let her alone, why do you bother her?

She has done a good deed to me. For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you wish, you can do good to them.

But you do not always have me. She has done what she could.

She has anointed my body beforehand for the burial. Truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.

Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went off to the chief priests in order to betray him to them.

They were glad when they heard this, and promised to give him money. And he began seeking how to betray him at an opportune time.

On the first day of unleavened bread, when the Passover lamb was being sacrificed, his disciples said to him, where do you want us to go and prepare for you to eat the

Passover? And he sent two of his disciples and said to them, go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water.

Follow him. And wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, the teacher says, where is my guest room in which

I may eat the Passover with my disciples? And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished and ready.

Prepare for us there. The disciples went out and came to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the

Passover. When it was evening, he came with the twelve. As they were reclining at the table and eating,

Jesus said, truly I say to you that one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.

They began to be grieved and to say to him one by one, surely not I. And he said to them, it is one of the twelve, one who dips with me in the bowl, for the son of man is to go just as it is written of him.

But woe to that man by whom the son of man is betrayed. It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.

While they were eating, he took some bread, and after a blessing he broke it and gave it to them and said, take it, this is my body.

And when he had taken a cup and given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.

And he said to them, this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.

Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when

I drink it new in the kingdom of God. After singing a hymn, they went out to the

Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, you will all fall away, because it is written,

I will strike down the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. But after I have been raised,

I will go ahead of you to Galilee. But Peter said to him, even though all may fall away, yet I will not.

And Jesus said to him, truly I say to you, that this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you yourself will deny me three times.

But Peter kept saying insistently, even if I have to die with you, I will not deny you.

And they all were saying the same thing also. They came to a place named

Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, sit here until I have prayed.

And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled.

And he said to them, my soul is deeply grieved to the point of death. Remain here and keep watch.

And he went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground, and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass him by.

And he was saying, Abba, Father, all things are possible for you.

Remove this cup from me, yet not what I will, but what you will. And he came and found them sleeping and said to Peter, Simon, are you asleep?

Could you not keep watch for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation.

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Again he went away and prayed, saying the same words.

And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him.

And he came the third time and said to them, are you still sleeping and resting?

It is enough. The hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Get up, let us be going. Behold, the one who betrays me is at hand.

Immediately while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, came up accompanied by a crowd with swords and clubs, who were from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.

Now he who was betraying him had given them a signal, saying, Whomever I kiss, he is the one.

Seize him and lead him away under guard. After coming, Judas immediately went to him, saying,

Rabbi, and kissed him. They laid hands on him and seized him. But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear.

And Jesus said to them, Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me, as you would against a robber?

Every day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But this has taken place to fulfill the

Scriptures. And they all left him and fled. A young man was following him, wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body, and they seized him.

But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked. They led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes gathered together.

Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest, and he was sitting with the officers and warming himself at the fire.

Now the chief priests and the whole council kept trying to obtain testimony against Jesus to put him to death, and they were not finding any.

For many were giving false testimony against him, but their testimony was not consistent.

Some stood up and began to give false testimony against him, saying, We heard him say,

I will destroy this temple made with hands, and in three days I will build another made without hands.

Not even in this respect was their testimony consistent. The high priest stood up and came forward and questioned

Jesus, saying, Do you not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against you?

But he kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning him and saying to him,

Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One? And Jesus said, I am, and you shall see the

Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming with the clouds of heaven.

Tearing his robes, the high priest said, What further need do we have of witnesses?

You have heard the blasphemy. How does it seem to you? And they all condemned him to be deserving of death.

Some began to spit at him and to blindfold him and to beat him with their fists and to say to him,

Prophesy, and the officers received him with slaps in the face. As Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing

Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, You also were with Jesus the

Nazarene. But he denied it, saying, I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.

And he went out onto the porch. The servant girl saw him and began once more to say to the bystanders,

This is one of them. But again, he denied it. And after a little while, the bystanders were again saying to Peter, Surely you are one of them, for you are a

Galilean too. But he began to curse and swear, I do not know this man you are talking about.

Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how

Jesus had made the remark to him, Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.

And he began to weep. This has been

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