January 19 – Chronological Gospels

“Come, follow me.” — Jesus (Matthew 4:19)

We are starting the new year off right by following Jesus through the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, wrapping up on Easter on April 1st. We’ll be hopping around the four gospels for a chronological perspective of Jesus’ life on earth. Join our study by reading today’s scripture below and journaling about it using SOAP (click on the “What’s SOAP?” link above to learn more). Below today’s scripture is an example SOAP from our team. We love hearing from you! Please use the comment section of our website to share your SOAP, thoughts or questions on the reading, or prayer requests. Join us as we build unity and community through God’s Word!

Mark 3 Jesus Heals on the Sabbath Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” 4 Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. 5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. Crowds Follow Jesus 7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed. 8 When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. 9 Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10 For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. 11 Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him. Jesus Appoints the Twelve 13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter), 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Jesus Accused by His Family and by Teachers of the Law 20 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21 When his family[b] heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” 22 And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.” 23 So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house. 28 Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.” 30 He said this because they were saying, “He has an impure spirit.” 31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.” 33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked. 34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

SOAP Note

Blind to Who He Is | Dyea Rowland

Scripture

Mark 3:21, 31

Observation

There were lots of expectations by the people of who Jesus was and who He was going to be. Some of the people followed Jesus immediately; some didn’t know what to think about Him; and some downright despised Him. In verse 11, the unclean spirits knew who Jesus was. Now, I know Jesus wasn’t there to cause confusion and I believe that is the reason He stated many times to keep quiet; but, in this chapter there appears to be a lot of confusion and fear in the religious leaders, the disciples, and Jesus’ family.

Application

The word that You keep laying on my heart today is necromancy. The world is becoming even more blind to who You are and are taking on this old way of living. Conjuring or summoning what “they” believe are deceased spirits, these spirits enter and alter the person, as they allow possession of their bodies. More and more television hosts and actors are taking this approach, wanting the power and gaining the attention of so many. You’ve been showing me more and more of this deception. Now it’s easy for me to say I follow You, but it’s easy for me to see why people are blind to who You are, as Your truth is becoming more and more repressed and replaced with lies, which sound like truth, going out over the air waves. As I saw, these devils deceive, as they proclaimed Your authority (so a little bit a truth mixed with a whole lot of lie).  Actors who allow possession of their bodies and some of whom state their scripts come from the “dead ones” won’t watch their finished production. This should speak volumes of what is going into our souls and into our children’s souls. I’ve seen an influx of mockers too. When it comes to speaking truth, the mockers take truth out of context because of lies and their own fear. The attempt is to make anyone who speaks truth sound crazy, just as this chapter attempts to make You sound crazy. There were many who made You out to be crazy, but I know that’s not the case. I want to keep my eyes on You, so I do not become blind to who You are. People still have expectations, but I don’t believe they know what those expectations are, so they’re quick to follow the next best thing — especially, if it brings fame and fortune, they’re ready to sign on the dotted line. Fear of the unknown, fear of real truth and fear of what others will think quickly sets in, and most won’t and don’t see that it’s truly the spirits of devils.

Prayer

Father, staying intentional and keeping my eyes on Jesus will only help me discern truth from the lying spirits of the devils. Thank You for opening my eyes, so that I too am not blind to who Jesus is. In His name…Amen.

The Discover One Thing main website follows a reading plan that goes through the entire Bible in one year. Click HERE to check out today’s Discover One Thing post.