Archive for category: GAMEtime Sharing

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 15:16-32.  Let’s go!

Mark 15:16-20 (NIV)
16  The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers.
17  They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.
18  And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”
19  Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.
20  And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

On verses 16-20:  After enduring the extreme physical torture of flogging (v15), Jesus is brought into the palace to be abused psychologically and emotionally by the soldiers.

All the things Jesus legitimately deserved – to be robed in royal robes, to be crowned with many crowns, to be bowed down before, to be honoured and praised – the soldiers took and applied to Jesus in the most mocking, humiliating and violent way.  (By the way, I believe people do something of the same today when they use the name of Jesus as a curse word, spoken out of frustration and irreverence.)

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 14:66-72.  Let’s go!

Mark 14:66-72 (NIV)
66  While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by.
67  When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. “You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said.
68  But he denied it. “I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,” he said, and went out into the entryway.
69  When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, “This fellow is one of them.”
70  Again he denied it. After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”
71  He began to call down curses on himself, and he swore to them, “I don’t know this man you’re talking about.”
72  Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
 
On verses 66-72: Earlier that day, Peter said to Jesus in front of the other disciples, “Even if all fall away, I will not…Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” (Mark 14:29, 31)  Yet hours later, that very night, Peter finds himself disowning Jesus three times. 

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 14:43-52.  Let’s go!

Mark 14:43-46 (NIV)
43  Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.
44  Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.”
45  Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him.
46  The men seized Jesus and arrested him.
 
On verses 43-46:  Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss.  It’s ironic how something so intimate could be used to signal something so evil.  That’s what Satan loves to do: take good things that God always meant to unite, give life, set free and express love, and pervert them into tools that divide, destroy, oppress and hate.
 

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 14:26-31.  Let’s go!

Mark 14:26-31 (NIV)
26  When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
27  “You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’
28  But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
29  Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.”
30  “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “today–yes, tonight–before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”
31  But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.
 
On verses 26-31:  Peter was so sure and passionate about his commitment to Jesus that he acted as if nothing could possibly shake him.  Not even Jesus’ Scripture-based prophecy that all the disciples would fall away (v27) seemed to affect Peter’s confidence that he would remain faithful to Jesus till the end.  “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you”, Peter says in verse 31.  But that was more Peter’s own pride speaking.  Peter underestimated his own weakness and how on his own, without Jesus’ help, he didn’t stand a chance of hanging onto his faith.  Peter wasn’t the only disciple who made this mistake.  All the other disciples made the same mistake.  Peter was just the most vocal about it.

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 14:1-11.  Let’s go!

Mark 14:1-9 (NIV)
1  Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him.
2  “But not during the Feast,” they said, “or the people may riot.”
3  While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
4  Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume?

On verses 1-9:   In Matthew 14:1-11 we see three groups of people: (1) those who have never been with Jesus, don’t understand Jesus and are looking to eliminate him (e.g. the chief priests and teachers of the law – v1-2); (2) those who are closer to Jesus and committed to honouring Him (v3-8); and (3) those who have committed their lives to Jesus before but end up leaving him (v10-11).  It’s from this second group, in particular the woman with the alabaster jar, that we learn some important truths about what worship is.