The Day Jesus Blessed the Children

By Mary Vee
Mark 10:13-16

On this day, many men and women brought their children to Jesus for a blessing.

The disciples thought this to be a terrible idea. They shooed the people back, after all Jesus had more important things to do than to waste it on children.

Jesus said to his disciples, "Let the little children come to me. Don't stop them or their guardians from bringing them. The kingdom of God belongs to children such as these.

"Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 

Wood carving made in Bethlehem
Photo by Mary Vee

So Jesus opened his arms and welcomed the children. They giggled and ran to him. He touched each child and blessed them.

Come back to read more.

*Note from Mary Vee: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


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sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

The Pharisees Question to Trap Jesus

By Mary Vee
Mark 10:2-9

Photo by Mary Vee
Jerusalem

Usually when one or more Pharisee asked Jesus a question, they didn't want to be taught. No. Their goal was to trap Jesus or get Him to say a wrong answer.

But He never did. 

Like the time a group of Pharisees approached him near Jerusalem and asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"

These men had studied the Law of Moses. They knew the answer. 

Jesus, God's Son, answered this way. "Haven't you read that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife? The two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. What God has joined together, let man not separate."

The Pharisees didn't like the answer. They tried to trap him again with this question. "Why then, did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"

Jesus said, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. Anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."

By this time they'd entered a house. The Pharisees stayed with Jesus and his disciples ready to fire more questions. "Explain your answer."

"All right," Jesus said. "Any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against his previous wife. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery against her previous husband."

The Pharisees thought about His answer then said, "If this is so, it is better not to marry."

Jesus said, "Not everyone is mature enough to handle living the married life. Marriage isn't for everyone. Some, from birth, never even give marriage a thought. Other never get asked or are accepted. And some never get married for kingdom reasons. If you are capable of living the married life, then do it."

Come back to read more.

*Note from Mary Vee: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.

The Pharisees Plot

By Mary Vee
John 11:28-45

A tomb in Jerusalem
Photo by Mary Vee

Mary and Martha's brother, Lazarus, died. They put him in a tomb with spices. But when Jesus arrived, he performed a miracle, raising Lazarus from the dead.

...Some of the Jews went to the Pharisees and complained about what Jesus did.  

When the Pharisees heard the news, they called a meeting, inviting the Sanhedrin.

In the discussion, they said, "What should we do? Here is this man performing many miraclous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation."

Caiaphas served as the high priest at this time. He listened to the arguments then said, "Think about this. Wouldn't it be better for one man to die for the people than the whole nation perishing from Roman hands?"

Caiaphas didn't openly tell the Pharisees and Sanhedrin he'd prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation and all the scattered children of God, or that his death would unite them, making them one. 

"There is only one thing we can do. We must find a legal way to take his life."

The men at the meeting agreed.

Jesus, God's Son, knew what the men planned. He no longer moved about publicly in Jewish villages and cities. Instead he withdrew to a region near the desert, to a village called Ephraim where he stayed with his disciples.

Come back to read the next part.

*Note from Mary Vee: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


*********************************************************************************************

sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.