40 days with Mark and Jesus (40)

Sat 22 Mar: Mark 16:1-8

On this Saturday of waiting we look ahead to the early morning coming to us. ‘He has risen! He is not here.’ This good news is made known by angels and told to disciples. Jesus our Lord is declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead.

Prayer: Yours be the glory, risen, conquering Son. May we share in the joy and new life of your victory over sin and death and hell. Lord Jesus, strengthen this faith in us until you come again, you the Living One who was dead but is alive for ever and ever.

40 days with Mark and Jesus (39)

Fri 21 Mar: Mark 15:21-47

We should take our time today and read these words over again.
They think he can save himself by coming down from the cross, by staying on the cross he saves a lost world.
A Roman centurion confesses ‘Surely this man was the Son of God’, words we remember from Mark 1:1. This is to be our confession; the Son of God has died for our salvation.

Prayer: Lifted up was he to die, ‘It is finished’ was his cry; now in heaven exalted high: alleluia! What a Saviour! Lord Jesus teach me again that it is my sin you bear on the cross, my penalty you pay, my forgiveness you achieve, and let me sing with joy ‘Alleluia! What a Saviour!’

40 days with Mark and Jesus (38)

Thu 20 Mar: Mark 15:1-20

Pilate thinks he is a powerful man, but he is weak before an unruly crowd. The crowd thinks they can silence Jesus by crucifying him and the soldiers ignore his claims by mocking him. The powerful, majestic character in these verses is the Lord who is suffering for those who abuse him.
Prayer: ‘Not what I will, but what you will’. Lord Jesus so often we wish you would save us in our way, thank you that you have saved us your way.

40 days with Mark and Jesus (37)

Wed 19 Mar: Mark 14:66-72

We often wish we had been a disciple with Jesus, but perhaps not like Peter here. In the security of our comfortable lives how often do we deny our Lord?

Prayer: Under the light of your Spirit’s searching gaze, I confess that I have denied you, my Lord and Saviour. Forgive me for this most hateful of sins against you who loves me.

40 days with Mark and Jesus (36)

Tue 18 Mar: Mark 14:53-65

At one point our hearts cry out that the Lord Jesus would speak and answer these false charges, and then as we read his bold confession we wish he had been silent. How quick we are to speak when we should be silent and slow when we should speak. The Lord Jesus is hated for who he is, the one who will sit at the right hand of the Mighty One.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we marvel at your wisdom and your courage. You know well what to say and are able to say it. As we follow you give us your wisdom and your courage that we might speak for you.

40 days with Mark and Jesus (35)

Mon 17 Mar: Mark 14:43-52
ow the passion of our Lord, long predicted by him begins with his arrest in the garden. Our Lord is betrayed by a disciple, one committed to following him hands him over to his enemies. However, the betrayer is not in charge here, the Lord Jesus identifies himself and is willingly taken to his death.

Prayer: O Lord, we confess that we are often like Judas, quick to betray you and reject your way of the cross. Forgive us and restore us in Christ that we may follow him more faithfully.

40 days with Mark and Jesus (34)

Sat 15 Mar: Mark 14:32-42

The weakness of the disciples is contrasted with the troubled humility of the Lord Jesus. There is no other way chosen by God by which men and women may be forgiven, it is to this work of achieving our forgiveness that the Lord Jesus submits himself in the garden.

Prayer: Dearest Lord Jesus, we cannot look upon your prayers in the garden with cold and untroubled hearts, it was the burden of our sin that caused your distress. Make us ever thankful to you for your wonderful salvation undertaken for us.

40 days with Mark and Jesus (33)

Fri 14 Mar: Mark 14:22-31

Bread and wine are shared; the death of the Lord Jesus is displayed in this broken bread and poured out wine. One of those sharing the bread and wine speaks words of commitment and love but still the root of denial is found within his heart. Do we not find this same mixture of commitment and denial in our lives?

Prayer: Lord Jesus you know how often we declare our desire to be faithful to you and how often we stumble and fall. Keep us in your love and your grace, when we fall find us and restore us in your love.

40 days with Mark and Jesus (32)

Thu 13 Mar: Mark 14:1-21

Two meals, two people respond to the Lord Jesus. A woman anoints him for his burial, his dying love drawing out her deed of love. A disciple prepared the betrayal of his Lord and yet eats bread with him. What response does the Lord Jesus draw out from our hearts?

Prayer: Lord, you know the seeds of betrayal are often found in my heart. May your Spirit root them out and in their place plant such love for you as will grow into deeds of sacrificial service.

40 days with Mark and Jesus (31)

Wed 12 Mar: Mark 13:24-37

The Lord Jesus, who is the Son of Man, will return again, not now in humility and weakness but with all the glory and power of heaven. The day is coming but we don’t yet know when, therefore, we watch and pray that when he comes he may find us living as his own people.

Prayer: Open our eyes, Lord, enliven our prayers that when you return we might be found to be your children and be gathered into your eternal Kingdom.

40 days with Mark and Jesus (30)

Tue 11 Mar: Mark 13:1-23

There will be hard times and difficult days before the Lord fully establishes his Kingdom. The greatest danger is not that we suffer during these days but that being deceived we follow after false-Christ’s and are lost to the Kingdom.


Prayer: Our Father, we thank you for the gift of your word in which we are shown your Christ and that will keep us in your way, fix our hearts upon the Lord Jesus that we may never be drawn away from him.

40 days with Mark and Jesus (29)

Mon 10 Mar: Mark 12:35-44

The Lord Jesus teaches the crowds in the Temple about the Christ; the Christ is the son of David but is also the Lord of David. The devotion due to the Christ as Lord is shown by a poor woman giving everything to her God. Do we give everything in our following of Jesus Christ as Lord?

Prayer: Lord Jesus there is no one more worthy of the love and devotion of my heart and life than you, lead me in such ways of humble and wholehearted devotion to you.

40 days with Mark and Jesus (28)

Sat 8 Mar: Mark 12:18-34

God’s not dead, he is always alive and those saved by Christ are alive to God. It is this eternally living God, who has shown us his love in Christ Jesus, that we are to love and as we love him so we are to love our neighbour and love our self.

Prayer: ‘The King of love my shepherd is, whose goodness faileth never.’ How you have loved me, my God and my Saviour, may I love you and learn how to love my neighbour through Jesus Christ my Lord.

40 days with Mark and Jesus (27)

Fri 7 Mar: Mark 12:1-17

A parable which offends the self-righteous religious people who think they don’t need a Saviour is followed by a challenge from them, they think they are so clever but are left amazed by the wisdom and grace of God in Christ.

Prayer: O Lord, we are not often enough amazed by your being God with us in Christ Jesus our Lord. Overwhelm us with your glory and your grace that we might acknowledge your saving love for us.

40 days with Mark and Jesus (26)

Thu 6 Mar: Mark 11:20-33

Now we come into the temple and sit before Jesus that he might teach us. Before entering the Lord Jesus displays his authority over the fig-tree and then has his authority challenged by the temple authorities. If we refuse to know Jesus as he makes himself known to us we will never know him or learn by what authority he does these things.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I confess that I seek to abuse your authority to control and manage you even as I try to worship you as my God. Forgive my sin and humble me before your glory.

40 days with Mark and Jesus (25)

Wed 5 Mar: Mark 11:1-19

Vision from the prophets made real, cries of praise and prayer from the psalms given true voice, Jesus the Son of God rides into the city of God and enters the temple of God. Rather than joyful recognition and welcome they sought how they might kill him. How do we reject and deny the claims of Jesus to be God and Saviour?

Prayer: O Lord our God, every promise you made you have kept in Jesus our Saviour. We praise and bless you for all your faithfulness and kindness towards us.

40 days with Mark andJesus (24)

Tue 4 Mar: Mark 10:32-52

A third prediction by Jesus of his death and resurrection; another misunderstanding from his disciples. The path of discipleship is not about getting the good seats in the Kingdom but about humbly receiving the salvation won for us by Christ our Lord. Do we not see this in the response of Bartimaeus to his healing “Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.”

Prayer: ‘Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to your cross I cling.’ Lord Jesus, make these words my prayer today.

40 days with Mark and Jesus (23)

Mon 3 Mar: Mark 10:17-31

We read that Jesus loved this young man, and our hearts are drawn to him as well. The disciple of Jesus is not one who only obeys the commands of God but whose whole heart and life is given over to following Jesus in his cross bearing way.

Prayer: O Lord, search my heart today. You know how I long to follow Jesus and be his disciple, help me by your Spirit’s work to follow wholeheartedly in the way of your Christ.

40 days with Mark and Jesus (22)

Sat 1 Mar: Mark 10:1-16

The Pharisees come to test and accuse and find one who teaches the truth of God. Parents bring their children and find the warm welcome and prayers of one who as God with them loves them and their children. Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank you that you make known the truth of God, your Father and our Father; we thank you that you welcome those who come to you seeking the Kingdom of God, which has come near in you.

40 days with Mark and Jesus (21)

Fri 29 Feb: Mark 9:30-50

Even after a second prediction of his saving death the disciples argue about who is the greatest and prove to be stumbling blocks to others who would follow Jesus. In what ways are we like these twelve disciples?

Prayer: O Lord, forgive me when I limit your salvation and cause those you died for to stumble in your way. Teach me the humility needed to follow you in the path of the cross.

40 days with Mark and Jesus (20)

Thu 28 Feb: Mark 9:1-29

The glory of the Lord Jesus is revealed on mountain top and in valley healing. We see Jesus made known as the Son of God by the voice from heaven and the powerful saving of a young life. Where do we see the glory of Christ made known today?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are worthy to receive our praise and thanksgiving, may our prayers of praise be added to the choir of angels every singing your glory.

40 days with Mark and Jesus (19)

Wed 27 Feb: Mark 8:22-38

A blind man healed and a blind disciple sees. Here is the heart of the Gospel: this Jesus is the Christ of God, he saves by his death on the cross and calls all people to follow him through the cross into new life.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, how great is your love for me. As I survey your wondrous cross may my heart be broken before you and in my life may I follow you in the way of the cross.

40 days with Mark and Jesus (8)

Tue 26 Feb: Mark 8:1-21

Even after a second feeding miracle the twelve disciples still do not understand who Jesus is. The yeast they and we with them are to beware of is that denial of Jesus as the Son of God, that refusal to receive this Jesus as our only Saviour. We may see mighty things from God and still despise and reject his salvation in Christ Jesus our Saviour.

Prayer: O Lord, I confess it offends my pride to depend upon Jesus as my Saviour, work in my heart by your Spirit’s powerful presence to root out this pride and bring me to depend upon Christ alone.

40 days with Mark and Jesus (17)

Mon 25 Feb: Mark 7:24-37

Faith in Jesus as Lord is found in a Gentile woman and a deaf man. This is not positive thinking but clinging to the reality of God with us in Christ. The woman does not set her daughter free; the deaf man does not fix his ears, the Lord Jesus displays the power and compassion of God in works of mercy and grace. Do we place our faith in this Jesus as Lord and Christ?

Prayer: Open our deaf ears and set free our sin enslaved hearts that we might live by faith in Christ Jesus our Saviour. O Lord, do this mighty work for those we know who are deaf to you and in bondage to this world.