Following Jesus in the Gospel of MarkSample

PREPARATION AND BETRAYAL

Look Closely: Apart from the momentary extravagant expression of love and devotion by one woman, Jesus is alone. Yes, He is surrounded by people He loves deeply, and they love Him too. Yet, the one who is carrying the greatest burden is preparing, warning, and supporting the ones who should be supporting Him. It’s a sad picture. However, it’s an eye-opening picture of how loving and strong our Savior is and how weak and fickle we are. We need Him far more than He needs us.

-List 3 heavy things that Jesus says.

-Identify the words of hope in this passage (This would be a good thing to highlight).

-What could be Jesus' purpose in identifying the failures that are happening or about to happen?

Challenge: Reflect on a way that you wanted to be strong for Jesus, but you did the opposite (The more recent the event, the better). What does Jesus want you to learn from this experience? Take time to pray, confessing what you need to confess, and praying about similar future challenges you might face. Write down any steps God might be putting on your heart to prepare. Based on today’s reading, what is the hope that Jesus offers you?