In the final story of “Act 2” in Mark’s Gospel, we encounter Bartimaeus, who, although physically blind, has greater insight into who Jesus is than the disciples who have spent the last 3 years with Jesus. A poor, blind beggar proves to be more of the ideal disciple than those closest to Jesus! Through the example of Bartimaeus, we can better learn what it means to follow Jesus.

In Mark 10:13-31, Mark gives us two stories– a story of children and a story about a wealthy and righteous man. Seemingly unrelated, Jesus uses these two encounters to teach his disciples and us once again about His Kingdom. Specifically, in these passages, we see two different postures people display toward the Kingdom of God. One posture ensures the reception of His Kingdom, while the other posture ensures the rejection of His Kingdom.

As Christians, we experience highs and lows as we seek to faithfully follow Jesus. In Mark 9:14-29, Jesus descends from the heights of the Mount of Transfiguration down into the shadowy valley of ordinary life where He is met by faithless disciples, a desperate father, and a demon-possessed boy. Through it all Jesus teaches His disciples the necessity and power of dependent faith.

Jesus’ Transfiguration is perhaps one of the most well-known stories from the gospels. Yet, its purpose is not always clear. In today’s message, we will consider four purposes for Jesus’ transfiguration.

In the middle of the Gospel of Mark, Peter makes his great confession that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus explains to His disciples what it means for the Son of Man to be the Christ, and His disciples are scandalized. It turns out that Jesus is not the savior they expected, but He is exactly the Savior they needed.

Throughout Mark’s Gospel, the recurrent question is, “Who is Jesus?” Everyone agrees He is unique, but opinions vary widely when it comes to rightly identifying who Jesus is. Who Jesus is, determines how people approach Him. In Mark 7:24-37, we are introduced to two stories of people approaching Jesus. The first is a Syrophoenician woman with a demon-possessed daughter. The second is a deaf-mute man from the Decapolis. Both are Gentiles, and both of them, ironically, approach Jesus rightly.

Religion can’t save us. Religion can’t cleanse us because we have a relational problem. Our hearts are broken, stained, and defiled. What we need is more than quick fixes, laws, and behavior modification. What we need is new hearts.