Daily Bible Devotionals

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Mark 15. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“While Peter was in the courtyard below, one of the high priest’s servants came. When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, ‘You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus!’ But he denied it: ‘I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about!’ Then he went out to the entryway, and a rooster crowed.” Mark 14:66-68 (HCSB)

In Hebrew, the word for rooster is “gever,” which is similar to “gevura,” meaning constriction or restraint. In Jewish tradition, the rooster is also a symbol of new beginnings. Early in the morning, it is the rooster’s call that serves as the alarm clock, arousing man from his peaceful sleep, bidding him to begin his day’s work.

When Peter denies Jesus, the first crow of the rooster can be taken to symbolize his turning away from the Lord but not necessarily his disbelief. It is a stark contrast to Peter’s earlier statements of faith! Peter’s betrayal was in response to Satan’s vicious attack against his flesh.

“And the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” Luke 22:31-32 (NKJV)

Jesus knew that Peter would turn away, but He also knew the effectiveness of His prayers to the Father! Jesus was sure Peter would learn his lesson, and having done so, Peter would become the most effective Kingdom-builder among the original disciples.

Those who are reckless with their faith generally sin impetuously. Peter allowed himself to be constricted/restrained by the enemy’s pressure to the point where he acted against his personal beliefs. Self-preservation overrode faithful conviction. As a boa snake restrains its prey by constricting it, Satan squeezes Peter for the kill.

“Then he started to curse himself and swear with an oath, ‘I don’t know the man you’re talking about!’ Immediately a rooster crowed a second time, and Peter remembered when Jesus had spoken the word to him, ‘Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.’ When he thought about it, he began to weep.” Mark 14:71-72 (HCSB)

The second crowing of the rooster denotes a New Beginning for Peter. It is where he became profoundly aware of the gravity of his sin. With the rooster’s second crow, Peter’s heart changes from a mode of self-preservation to deep remorse over his self-absorption. Sadly, with morning came the end of the Sanhedrin’s search for testimonial evidence. Peter had lost his opportunity to defend Jesus at His trial.

Let’s consider today’s passage as an exhortation: Never be afraid to share your faith, regardless of social, economic, or personal consequences. Every day is a new beginning and presents us with myriads of opportunities to debunk the World’s testimony against the Messiah! Also, remember we serve a Messiah who knows our shortcomings. He sees sin before it happens, intercedes for us, and is faithful and just to forgive us and use us again.

“Then, if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah! Look – there!’ do not believe it! For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and will perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the elect. And you must watch. I have told you everything in advance.” Mark 13:21-23 (HCSB)

On my first visit to Israel, I noticed the abundance of posters bearing the image of Rabbi Menachem Schneerson. Also known as “The Rebbe,” Schneerson is believed to be the Messiah by many Lubavitch Orthodox Jews.

At Jerusalem’s Western Wall, a fellow handed me a business card bearing Schneerson’s smiling photograph, sporting the caption, “Moshiach.” Although the “Rebbe” died in 1994, many of his followers await his resurrection, or at least his next transmission of truth. I carry that card in my wallet as a reminder of today’s passage.

The hope of the coming Messiah is one of the driving forces behind much of the Jewish community. It drives why and how they worship. Their expectations of who the Messiah will be, what He should look like, and what He will do are not unlike those of the average religious Jew of Jesus’ time. It is a sad reality that Messiah has already come & gone, yet He is not recognized by most of the Jewish community at large.

“He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.” John 1:11 (KJV)

There have been more than 50 significant messianic pretenders in Judaism over the past 2000 years. Some of them have been very convincing. One eventually became a Moslem, and another converted to Roman Catholicism, but none have met the Messianic criteria laid out in the Tanakh (aka: Old Testament). Jesus, alone, met ALL of the requirements, which were applicable to His first coming, and He will fulfill all those pertaining to His 2nd coming, as well!

When the Temple was destroyed in 70AD, so were the Temple records. Today it would be impossible to provide a genealogy like Matthew’s, proving the Messianic line from David up to today. Messiah had to come before 70AD.

Just as ancient prophecies of Messiah’s arrival were met exactly by Jesus, so has His prophecy of pretenders come true...and the pretenders are still coming! The heart of man would rather believe in a lie than accept the truth of God’s Word. But that is what makes the gospel of Jesus of utmost importance and our call to be His witnesses so urgent! Messiah’s 2nd coming will not be to suffer and save but rather to redeem the remnant of believers (both Jewish & Gentile believers) and judge the sin of the World’s unbelief (both Jewish & Gentile unbelievers).

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6b (NKJV)

“Sitting across from the temple treasury, He watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich people were putting in large sums. And a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little. Summoning His disciples, He said to them, ‘I assure you: This poor widow has put in more than those giving to the temple treasury. For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she possessed – all she had to live on.’” Mark 12:41-44 (HCSB)

Throughout Mark 12 and the beginning of chapter 13 are a series of teachings, forming a continuous thought concerning money and the heart.

Perhaps, the most endearing teaching is the account of Jesus’ recognition & honoring of a poor widow as she presented her offering in the temple. It is worth noting that Jesus was WATCHING the crowd as they gave their money. He wasn’t just in the proximity of the offering box; He was watching intently. So much so that Jesus noticed even the smallest of offerings.

Messiah’s notice of the widow’s offering adds to the urgency of His warning against the Scribes. “They devour widows’ houses and say long prayers just for show.” Mark 12:40a (HCSB)

Jesus’ observation of the widow is closely tied to His quoting of the “Shema” (Hebrew for “Listen/Hear”) earlier in Mark 12. “Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is ONE. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Mark 12:29-30 (HCSB)

This widow was living out the Shema while the Scribes only rendered lip service. For his glory, she believed in God with all that she had and was. The Scribes were exploiting all she had to bring glory to themselves.

Sadly, the religious leaders, those whose job it was to exemplify the Shema, had chosen to ignore Jesus’ exhortation. “Then Jesus told them, ‘Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.’” Mark 12:17 (HCSB)

In coveting the things of Caesar, they robbed God of His most cherished offering: themselves.

Given what the “shepherds of Israel” had become, is it any wonder Messiah will predict the temple’s destruction at the beginning of Mark 13?

Let us always remember that Jesus intently watches our “offerings,” whether they be offerings of money, time, or talent. As God is One, let us each worship Him “singularly,” that is, wholly & completely.

“The next day when they came out from Bethany, He was hungry. After seeing in the distance a fig tree with leaves, He went to find out if there was any fruit on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. He said to it, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again!’ And His disciples heard it.” Mark 11:12-14 (HCSB)

“Early in the morning, as they were passing by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. Then Peter remembered and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed is withered.’” Mark 11:20-21 (HCSB)

One of the most enigmatic passages in the New Testament is this episode where Jesus curses a fig tree. What makes the story so bizarre, for some people, is that the fig tree wasn’t even in season for bearing figs. For many years, I felt sorry for the fig tree, as if one could have remorse for a tree!

My opinion of today’s passage changed when I read Micah’s prophecy of this account. In my Bible, this passage is titled: Israel’s Moral Decline.

“How sad for me! For I am like one who – when the summer fruit has been gathered after the gleaning of the grape harvest – finds no grape cluster to eat, NO EARLY FIG (emphasis mine), which I crave. Godly people have vanished from the land; there is no one upright among the people. All of them wait in ambush to shed blood; they hunt each other with a net. Both hands are good at accomplishing evil: the official and the judge demand a bribe; when the powerful man communicates his desire, they plot it together. The best of them is like a brier; the most upright is worse than a hedge of thorns. The day of your watchmen, the day of your punishment is coming; at this time, their panic is here. Do not rely on a friend, don’t trust in a close companion. Seal your mouth from the woman who lies in your arms. Surely a son considers his father a fool, a daughter opposes her mother, and a daughter-in-law is against her mother-in-law; a person’s enemies are the people in his own home. But, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.” Micah 7:1-7 (HCSB)

When Jesus cursed the fig tree, He was, in effect, cursing what Jerusalem had become. As the fig tree withered, so Judaism in Jerusalem would soon wither and cease to produce fruit. Within a short time, the Romans destroyed the temple in 70AD. To this day, Temple worship is dried up! Notice how Micah’s prophecy chronicles the “behind the scenes” activity of Messiah’s last days, beginning with the cursing of the fig tree and leading up to His being ambushed, beaten, betrayed by close friends, and crucified…and ultimately, His resurrection.

“As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up, knelt down before Him, and asked, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘Why do you call Me good?’ Jesus asked him. ‘No one is good but One – God.’” Mark 10:17-18 (HCSB)

At the end of Mark chapter 8, we read Peter’s confession that Jesus is Messiah. The backdrop for that conversation was a place called Caesarea Philippi. Caesarea Philippi was a place of pagan worship, where idols were carved into the cliff face, ala Mt. Rushmore. Three rivers merge there and form a waterfall that feeds the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River, eventually ending in the Dead Sea. Caesarea Philippi was considered so evil among the Jews that it was known as “the gates of Hell.”

When Jesus asked His disciples who people said He was, behind Him would have been various idols.

“So they answered, ‘John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.’” Mark 8:20 (NKJV)

In Mark 10, a man known in Scripture as “the rich young ruler” calls Jesus “Good Teacher.” It is an honest evaluation from a young man who is impressed with Jesus’ teaching but stops short of confessing Him as Messiah. It reminds us of Jesus’ conversation with “the teacher of Israel,” Nicodemus, in John 3. Nicodemus begins that conversation, “We know that You are a teacher….”

In the Hebrew translations, this “rich young ruler” in Mark 10 called Jesus a good “rabbi.” This title is a step up from those who only considered Jesus to be on the level of a scribe (advanced student). The young man actually considered Jesus to be a rabbi…one who had authority.

When the young man added “good” to the rabbinic title, this intrigued Jesus and demanded clarification. Jesus was essentially saying, “If you are confessing that I am the ‘God Rabbi,’ you’ve got it!” This man was close to the truth, yet so far away.

Today, there are still many opinions as to who Jesus is/was. Sadly, not much has changed in 2000 years. Some say He had a demon; some say He was a liar; others a “good teacher” or perhaps a prophet.

The real question is: Who do YOU say Jesus is? Messiah? Then right you are! The GOOD NEWS of the Gospel is that He has fulfilled all the works of the Torah (Law) so that we may inherit eternal life by His Grace when we place our faith in Him. But apart from receiving salvation (which is paid for entirely with the blood of the Messiah), following Jesus isn’t easy. For many people, following Jesus requires more than they are willing to give up. Be strong and take courage so that you may faithfully follow Him wherever and however He leads…trusting in His goodness because of His “God-ness.”

“For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt should lose its saltiness, how can you make it salty? Have salt among yourselves and be at peace with one another.” Mark 9:49-50 (HCSB)

I heard a comedian once say, “I bought some powdered water…I don’t know what to add.” Perhaps similar logic could be used to explain the uselessness of salt-less salt!

Theologians have tried to explain this passage from several different angles. First, in the days of Jesus, salt was a valuable commodity. Soldiers were partially paid in salt. The word “soldier” comes from the Latin term “sal dare,” meaning to give salt. Our word “salary” comes from the similar Latin word “salarium,” meaning to get salt. In today’s passage, the image of “Fire” is obviously speaking of a trial or difficult season.

Using this approach, Jesus could have been saying that our worth will be determined (or at least evaluated) by how well we endure suffering. That is, the trials we face should bring us to an understanding of the value of our faith.

Furthermore, if the trial exposes that we are unfaithful, what good is our religion (outward expression) if founded on such weak faith? In such a case, corrupted religion must be scrapped & hauled away, with true religion brought in to establish the proper faithful foundation.

Continuing with that line of thought, Jesus would be directing His disciples to have peace with one another by seeing each individual’s value to the kingdom, as a soldier “worth his salt” has value to the Roman Empire.

Another approach to “saltiness” is that Temple sacrifices had to be seasoned with salt as a sign of the permanence of God’s covenant.

“You are to season each of your grain offerings with salt; you must not omit from your grain offering the salt of the covenant with your God.” Leviticus 2:13a (HCSB)

“Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.” Romans 12:1 (HCSB)

In this case, Jesus is saying that the trials we endure act as a preservative reminder of God’s covenant with us through Messiah. Trials make us cry out to Him. When He responds faithfully, our faith is strengthened. If our flesh compels us to rebel against Him (because of trials), it would be better to abandon our flesh in favor of our faith. Additionally, the strength of a healthy church is that it holds us accountable and encourages our relationship with the Lord.

Here’s the obvious: The Christian life is not absent of conflict. Rather, it is the presence of peace in the midst of conflict that should distinguish us as belonging to Jesus.

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Mark 8. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Then the Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, ‘Why don’t Your disciples live according to the traditions of the elders, instead of eating bread with ritually unclean hands?’ He answered them, ‘Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commands of men. Disregarding the command of God, you keep the tradition of men.’” Mark 7: 5-8 (HCSB)

Many people believe that Jesus rejected ALL traditions. This is not so. There are many New Testament traditions. (see also 1 Corinthians 11:2 and 2 Thessalonians 2:15)

As for Oral Rabbinic traditions, in John 7:37, Jesus and His disciples participated in a Sukkot festival observance, which is not mentioned in the Tanakh (Old Testament). It is only found in the Mishna, a collection of rabbinic writings. On that occasion, Jesus took the opportunity to refocus a water-drawing ceremony, traditionally conducted by the High Priest, into a statement of His Messianic role. John 10:22-39 has Jesus in the Temple at the “Festival of Dedication,” aka, Hanukkah. There He was, the “Light of the World,” in the Temple at Hanukkah, a traditional Jewish holiday not directly mentioned in the Old Testament but supported by tradition.

When Jesus took issue with the “tradition of the elders”(or the “Oral Torah” as it is also known), it was whenever the Pharisees placed human tradition over God’s command. As long as a tradition is consistent with the Bible and honored by the people as such, there is nothing wrong with the tradition. We cannot assume that ALL rabbinic tradition is bad. It must be weighed by God’s Word and should never be esteemed higher than His Word.

Pertaining to today’s Scripture, the practice of ritual hand washing is still in effect in Orthodox Judaism. The rationale has less to do with hygiene and is based mainly on the idea that “a man’s home is his temple,” with the dining table, his altar, his food, the sacrifice, and himself the priest. Since the Torah requires priests to be ceremonially pure before offering sacrifices on the Temple altar, the “Oral Tradition” requires the same for every man before eating a meal.

So, which traditions are permissible, and which ones lead to sin? My answer is simple: Read the Bible. By spending quality time in God’s Word every day, we learn His heart. We learn to love the things He loves and hate the things He hates. In short, we become discerning as to which attitudes & behaviors honor God.

The more we disregard His Word, the more susceptible we are to follow a “teaching of men” instead of the Way of the Lord.