
ANITHA JEBARANI
The Book of Mark in a nutshell
Mark
Hello and welcome to this cozy corner of the internet, where I invite you to explore the Book of Mark with me.

Learn from John the Baptist
Mark gives us a clear picture of John the Baptist's personality. This John is a very important character in the New Testament, as he is compared to the Prophet Elijah by Jesus Christ. John prepared the way for the first coming of Jesus Christ, just as we are called to prepare the way for His second coming. Let’s learn how to do this from him.
John was a humble man who lived a simple lifestyle. He preached God’s word and turned people from their sins. He lifted Jesus and not himself, as revealed in verse 8 “I indeed baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Dear God, create in us the humble spirit that John had. Help us to lead a simple lifestyle. May we always glorify Your name. Fill us with Your power to preach Your word to the people. Amen.

Jesus' Baptism
What can we learn from Jesus about Baptism? Jesus didn’t hesitate to be baptized. He said it is right before the Lord to fulfill it.
Hey friend, don’t wait for anything. Live a free life by loving Jesus and living for Him, declaring it to the world through baptism just as Jesus did.
Hey friend, you are the beloved of God. Stay cheerful. Follow Jesus.
And how did Father God respond to this action of His Son? In a beautiful way, He said: “You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”Mark 1:11




How do we know we are really following Jesus?
Those who followed Him became fishers of men. What are we becoming? Your genuine answer is the answer to this question.

Jesus' Ministry
Jesus's ministry: Jesus preached about the kingdom of God. Throughout the book, we see Jesus healing the sick, delivering people from demon possession. Interestingly, Jesus did not have long conversations with the demons; He simply shut them down.
Mark 6:34 says, “He began to teach them many things.”
Dear Jesus, thank You for Your work on earth for the people You created. May we be like You in bringing healing to people's hearts, minds, bodies, and souls. Use us, dear Jesus. Fill us with Your compassion and love. Fill us with Your power to deliver people from darkness.
In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.



People's reaction to Jesus' ministry:
Only when people love or adore someone will they gather around him. Here, wherever Jesus went, we see multitudes around Him. Mark 1:33 says, "The whole city gathered together at the door." Another beautiful verse says, "People came to Him from every direction" (Mark 1:45).
There is yet another verse that clearly pictures the situation around Jesus. It says, "He was in the house; immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door" (Mark 2:2).
Jesus loved people, moved, and acted with compassion toward them. He healed everyone who came to Him. Mark 3:10 says, "For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him."
What a glorious ministry He did.
Dear Jesus, fill us with Your Spirit. Use our legs, hands, minds, and bodies to do Your ministry through us, Lord. Let us be used for multitudes. May our ministry unto Your glorious name be a fruitful one.
In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
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Whom did Jesus heal?
When Jesus saw faith in people, He healed them. In one instance, He healed a paralytic man because of his friends' faith. In another incident, we see a desperate blind man crying out amidst the crowd surrounding Jesus, trying to get His attention. The people around Jesus saw this blind man and asked him to be quiet, but he shouted even louder and received his healing. No matter what situation you are in, Jesus can heal you. All we need is to put our faith in Him as our healer, call unto Him, and let Him see you. His one word, one gaze, or even a touch to the hem of His garment is enough.
Dear God, we pray for our families to enjoy better health every day, and we call unto You in faith for those who need healing. Heal them, dear Lord. Send Your one word to them. May You restore health to all those who have lost it due to illness and age-related health issues. Strengthen their bones, Lord, and bless them with the strength of an eagle. Thank You for hearing our prayers, Lord. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

WHO IS THIS SON OF GOD?
HE IS "THE GREAT I AM"

KNOWING JESUS PERSONALLY
Jesus is someone who is not content with us following Him religiously alone. He desires a personal relationship with us.
When the Pharisees tried to test Him to see if He would heal on the Sabbath, He was angered and grieved at their hard-heartedness. Mark 3:5 says, “And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.” This verse shows how Jesus prioritizes compassion and healing over rigid religious customs. He asked them the right question in Mark 3:4: “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” This reveals His desire for His followers to act out of love rather than mere adherence to tradition.
Jesus seeks to have a relationship with His people. Respect for church customs without doing it out of love for Him is meaningless. We can see this in His intentional selection of His disciples. Mark 3:13-15 says, “And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons.” He called His disciples not just to follow but to share in His mission—to preach, heal, and cast out darkness just as He did.
Moreover, Jesus is a compassionate Master who cares about the well-being of His ministers. In Mark 6:31, He said to His disciples, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” This shows that He values rest and renewal after doing His work, ensuring that His followers are refreshed both physically and spiritually.
Most importantly, Jesus never tolerated business or profit-making in the church. He emphasized that His church is a temple of prayer. Mark 11:17 says, “Then He taught, saying to them, ‘Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a den of thieves.’” This demonstrates His zeal for maintaining the sanctity of worship and devotion.
Jesus can give us anything and perform any miracle for us, but the essence of the Gospel is this: to know Him as our personal Savior, our dear Friend, and our God. Let us grow in love and intimacy with Him, walking daily in His presence.



Unity in Christ
When we follow Jesus, He expects something from us.
In Mark 3:24, He says, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.” This reminds us that no matter what denomination, race, gender, or color we are, we cannot allow division among us as we work for the Kingdom of God.
In Mark 3:27, He says, “No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.” This teaches us to be strong as brothers and sisters in Christ, united in fellowship, so we can bind our enemy and restore what the thief has stolen from us.
At all costs, let us guard our peace and fellowship with each other as the Church, as the body of Christ. May God give us the wisdom to do so.
Dear Jesus, may we have no divisions but instead strong fellowship and peace with one another as Your Church and Your body. May You rule over us, Lord.
In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Seed and the Good land
As children of God, we ought to be fruitful. The fruit-bearing in our spiritual life depends on how we receive and nurture the seed. The seed is the Word of God.
In Mark 4:20, Jesus says, “But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” This verse emphasizes that the state of our hearts, symbolized as the ground, determines the extent to which we can bear spiritual fruit.
Jesus warns us not to let anything mess with the seed that He sows in our hearts. In the Parable of the Sower, He identifies the factors that can hinder the growth of the Word: the desires of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the pressures of tribulation or persecution. These distractions and challenges can choke the Word and prevent it from growing and flourishing.
However, when we keep the ground of our hearts in a good state—free from these hindrances—the seed of God’s Word grows and produces abundant fruit: thirty, sixty, and even a hundredfold. This teaches us to guard our hearts, nurture the Word with prayer and obedience, and remain steadfast in faith despite the trials we face.
Let us ensure that our lives are fertile ground where God’s Word can thrive and bear abundant fruit for His glory.





The Lamp
Jesus calls us His light, meant to be placed on a lampstand and not hidden under a basket. When we have light in us, the good in us, we bring hope to the dark places.
May God help us to shine brighter for Him every day.
Hear more
Do we have the habit of hearing God’s Word—whether from church, recorded sermons while traveling, or during our spare time? Jesus encourages us to listen more.
Mark 4:24 says, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.” This verse reminds us that the more we open our hearts to God’s Word, the more spiritual insight and blessings we will receive.

Deal with sin in Jesus' way
"Servant Leadership: The Jesus Way to Greatness"
Who is a leader? The world says it is someone in the top position, but Jesus teaches that a leader is someone who humbles themselves like a servant, someone who does not seek to exalt themselves.
The teaching of Jesus on this can be seen in Mark 10:43-45, where He says, “But it shall not be so among you; instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Hey friend, do you want your child to be a great leader? Teach them to serve. Do you want to be a great leader? Get ready to serve.
Dear God, bless us with such leadership that we may be of great use for Your kingdom. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.


Jesus knows
Have you gone through tough times and wondered whether God knows what you are going through? Great peace will fill your mind once you realize that God sees you and the path you are on.
Similarly, we see a widow in Mark who came to the temple and offered everything she had to the Lord. In Mark 12:41-44, Jesus observed the crowd putting their offerings into the temple treasury. While many rich people gave large amounts, this poor widow put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.”
Hey friend, Jesus knows our path. He is with us in every step of our way. We are not alone.

Maranatha
Like many, my favorite season of the year is the Christmas season. What a soothing story the birth of Jesus is. In Mark 13:33, Jesus talks about the second coming of Christ. May God help us to be ready to meet Him. Maranatha.