Monthly Archives: April 2022

Sunday, April 17, 2022 The Resurrection of the Servant King

Read: Mark 16:1-8 Mark tells us that Mary Magdalene, another Mary, and Salome were present at the crucifixion of Jesus and that the two Marys had witnessed where Jesus was buried. Now that the Sabbath had passed and they were free to move about again, these ladies decided to go to the tomb in order […]

Saturday, April 16, 2022 The Promise of the Servant King

Read: Mark 8:31-38; 9:30-32; 10:32-34 Imagine how the disciples must have felt on the morning after Jesus was buried. Their minds would have been racing to make sense of the surprising events of the previous 24 hours. They had gone from sleeping in the garden, to scattering in the night, and ended up hiding indoors, […]

Friday, April 15, 2022 The Crucifixion of the Servant King

Read: Mark 15:16-47 Throughout Mark’s narrative of the Holy Week of Jesus, he has given us markers for each day to help us understand the time and place, but now, as we approach the end, Mark shows us what is happening by the hour, giving us even more of an opportunity to orient ourselves to […]

Thursday, April 14, 2022 The Cup of Suffering for the Servant King

Read: Mark 14:12-15:15 Interestingly, Mark doesn’t give us any of Jesus’ activities during the daylight hours on Wednesday or Thursday. We only see what is happening at night. Perhaps Jesus continued the same line of teaching in the temple, drawing crowds and infuriating the religious leaders in the process. Or, perhaps He’s resting in preparation […]

Wednesday, April 13, 2022 The Proper Worship of the Servant King

Read: Mark 14:1-11 There is an interesting lesson here in Mark’s account of the night before Jesus was betrayed. We get to see a contrast of true worship against utter betrayal. He is using a literary technique, highlighting the central story by bookending it with the unfolding narrative of the Pharisees seeking to arrest Jesus. […]

Tuesday, April 12, 2022 The Just Judgment of the Servant King

Read: Mark 12:1-12 Have you ever been listening to a sermon and thought, “I wish so-and-so could hear this?” I’ll be honest, I’ve even preached a sermon or two with particular individuals in mind. It’s easy to examine the faults of others, especially if they are irritating to us. Our own faults, however, are just […]

Monday, April 11, 2022 The Righteous Anger of the Servant King

Read: Mark 11:12-25 I played little league as a kid. As a result, I had to sell candy bars to raise money for the team. Because of this text, I wasn’t allowed to sell them inside the Church. I was, however, allowed to wait outside in the parking lot. Even as a kid, I wondered, […]

Sunday, April 10, 2022 The Triumphal Entry of the Servant King

Read: Mark 11:1-11 In ancient Rome, when a general had won a considerable victory for the Republic, they would hold a parade known as a Triumph. The victorious army would march through the city followed by their general, riding on a chariot pulled by four horses. He would be wearing a purple toga, a color […]

Daily Readings for Holy Week From the Gospel of Mark

Introduction:  Read: Mark 4:1-20 For the past several years, I have committed myself to writing out daily devotionals for Holy Week from one of the four Gospels. Each time I cycle through these familiar texts I am reminded of the unique perspectives each of them provide. While dealing with the same source material, they all […]