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The Pharisees and Sadducees have attempted their “swings” at Jesus and now Jesus faces the last group of Jewish leaders, the Scribes. He’s faced with the question: “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Out of the 613 commandments, which one does Jesus choose? He replies with what we now know as the “Greatest Commandment” and a commandment on loving our neighbors. So how do we follow this commandment of Loving God? What does it take? What does it look like?
In this text, Jesus faces religious leaders from a sect of Judaism that denied the existence of an afterlife. The Sadducees thought they had devised a flawless theological trap for Jesus. But his response not only exposes the fallacy in their assumptions about Scripture and the power of God but provides true hope in the face of our mortality.
We’ve been told not to talk about religion and politics at the dinner table because they often elicit strong opinions and can be divisive. But politics – when understood broadly as how a group of people make decisions to live together – undergirds what it means to be in community (society, workplace, school, church, etc.). As Christians, how should we view and engage politics in light of our faith? We derive guidance from this morning’s passage where we understand the politics of Jesus as he confronts an explosive issue of his day.
As Jesus’s earthly life and ministry speed towards a dramatic conclusion at the cross, his authority is challenged and ultimately rejected by the religious leaders of his day. While the attitude and actions of his adversaries are the focus, we can also gain profound insights into the nature and character of the God who sent his Son on a mission to the cross.
When Jesus entered Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday, he went to the temple searching for fruit—the fruit of true faith. Sadly, there was none to be found. Consequently, Jesus cursed the temple, foretelling its demise. The question for us is what will he find if he visits our church today?
We experience anxiety and pain when we try to anchor our lives on things that can be so easily upended. The Psalmist exhorts restless and anxious people to root their security and hope in God during times of trouble. But why is God our best safety net in times of trouble?
It’s natural for us to praise things. We praise our children before others. We praise the vacations we’ve been. We praise others for their accomplishments. But we don’t find ourselves praising God easily. In fact, it might even be unnatural. Yet the Biblical authors call upon us to praise God. How do we become more natural in our praise of God?
Psalm 96 unabashedly declares the greatness of God and calls his people to worship him accordingly. This exuberant and uplifting psalm reminds us that God created us and redeemed us as his people so that we would declare his glory among the nations.
Who’s qualified to worship God this morning? Who’s allowed to approach the King of Glory? If this line of questioning seems out of line to you, then you need to take a careful look at this psalm of David. Psalm 24:1-10 Sermon preached by Pastor Jason Tarn on June 21, 2026 Audio: Renee LeongVideo: Michael JinEdit: Alexa Lopez
For a third time, Jesus predicts his passion, and yet again his disciples fail to see that he is leading them on a path of suffering and servanthood. They’re too blind because they’re too captured by worldly ambition. But surprisingly, Jesus doesn’t expect his disciples to suppress their desire for greatness. Our ambitions don’t need to be repressed. They need to be redeemed.
Despite the necessity of money in our lives, we often (and too easily) idolize wealth and possessions in our hearts. In today’s challenging text, Jesus tells us that those who seek riches cannot come to him. Our Lord starkly warns against the dangers of materialism, which prevent us from entering the kingdom. Instead, we are to treasure not our possessions, but Christ above all.
For a second time, Jesus predicts his death and resurrection. And for a second time, his disciples don’t understand what he’s saying. On the way to Jerusalem, thoughts of rejection and suffering fill Jesus’s mind. Meanwhile, his disciples are filled with ambitions for status and power. They have yet to grasp what greatness looks like in the kingdom of God. What about us?
You can take all the best experiences of your entire life and it will still be nothing compared to what the three disciples got to experience up on the high mountain. What did they experience and see on the mountain? What was the purpose of the transfiguration? Why did Jesus bring them up there? We’ll answer all these questions as we see what Jesus reveals about Himself to His disciples at the Transfiguration.
This passage marks a turning point. Up to chapter 8:27, Mark has been asking one central question, “Who is Jesus?” While the demons recognize him, everyone else is confused. In v29, Peter finally answers correctly, “You are the Christ.” From this point, the question shifts from his identity to his mission. Now Mark is asking, “Why did Jesus come?” Sadly, the confusion remains.
With this series of dramatic miracles, Mark concludes the first half of his gospel where he sets forth Jesus as the authoritative Son of God. Even though Jesus’ healing power and compassion are on full display, both the Pharisees and his disciples keep failing to understand who he is because they are spiritually deaf and blind, and have hardened hearts. We too often struggle in the same way to understand Jesus’ identity and purposes for our lives. How do we address this? We should:I. See Jesus as the compassionate provider through eyes of faith (7:31–8:10)II. Heed Jesus’ warning against unbeli
As in Jesus’s day, many who believe in a holy God feel unclean and unworthy to approach him. And, as in Jesus’s day, we assume what defiles us comes from the outside in. From individuals or influences external to us. But Jesus taught us that defilement moves from the inside out—originating from our hearts.
We all have a voice that focuses on our uncleanness. It never has a positive thing to say. It focuses on our failures. It reminds us of past sins. It reminds us of our inadequacies. How do we respond to this voice?
After he fed the 5000, the massive crowd was ready to take Jesus by force and make him their king (Jn 6:15). Lest his disciples get caught up in this misguided messianic fervor, Jesus sends them across the Sea of Galilee, smack dab into a storm. And it’s there, in the midst of the storm, that Jesus reveals to them his true identity and his kingly authority over all.
Tolkien coined the term “eucatastrophe” to describe a joyful catastrophe that comes out of nowhere at the end of a story to change everything for the better. He argued that all stories with eucatastrophic endings—the ones that move us to happy tears—are simply echos of the grand Eucatastrophe of human history.
In this famous miracle of feeding the 5,000, our Lord shows himself to be authoritative, powerful, and wise. But, above all these, he is compassionate. Compassion is something we all need and want to receive but is not always easy to show or give. How can become more compassionate to those in need? Look to Christ and remember the compassion that he showed to us. He is the compassionate shepherd not just for his disciples and the crowd who rushed to see him, but for us, the sheep of his flock.
In Mark’s Gospel, the crowds are initially highly receptive of Jesus and his ministry. But, starting in chapter 6, they begin to take offense. This sentiment begins in his hometown of Nazareth and spreads throughout Galilee as his disciples are sent to preach his gospel. A flashback scene featuring John the Baptizer and King Herod foreshadows how many in the world will respond negatively to Jesus and his disciples.
We have seen Jesus show His power over nature when he calms a storm. Then we saw Jesus’s power over demons. In today’s passage, we will see Jesus have power over sickness and death. We encounter a father whose daughter is dying, and a sick woman, both desperate for Christ's power to be revealed in their lives. So it is with us. We are all in need of Christ and His power in our lives.
This morning’s text delves into the frightening concept of demon possession. While some may dismiss it as a relic of ancient superstition, the Bible presents demons as real beings capable of possessing individuals. But as scary as that might be, the more terrifying character in the story turns out to be the One who has the power and mercy to heal the demoniac.
As Mark records Peter’s riveting eyewitness account of Jesus’ miraculous calming of a fierce storm, we encounter the unmatched power of Jesus that should strike both fear and comfort in our hearts. But, this story is not just about how Jesus is Lord of the storm and so can calm the storms of your heart, though that is true. It is far greater than that. It goes to the very heart of who Jesus is – as Lord of all, as supremely faithful, and as Savior of the world. Even as we might empathize with the disciples’ plight and reactions, let us not forget that the Jesus who was there for them yesterday
