written consent

Jesus replied, "The most important commandment is this: 'Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.'" —Mark 12:29-30 NLT Key Thought The essence of our response...

Later the leaders sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. —Mark 12:13 NLT Key Thought "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." This occasion was one where this old saying was true. The Pharisees didn't get along with...

The religious leaders wanted to arrest Jesus because they realized he was telling the story [about the vineyard and the tenant farmers] against them — they were the wicked farmers. But they were afraid of the crowd, so they left him and went away. —Mark 12:12 NLT Key Thought Sadly, rather...

[Jesus continued the story:] "The owner then sent another servant, but [the tenants] insulted him and beat him over the head. The next servant he sent was killed. Others he sent were either beaten or killed, until there was only one left — his son whom he loved dearly. The owner finally sent...

"I'll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question," Jesus replied. "Did John's authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? Answer me!" —Mark 11:29-30 NLT Key Thought Jesus didn't try to defend his authority. It would be amply demonstrated. In...

[Jesus continued,] "I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too." —Mark 11:24-26 NLT Key Thought...

Then Jesus said to the disciples, "Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, 'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart." —Mark 11:22-23 NLT Key Thought Jesus did...

Jesus was in the center of the procession [as he was riding on the donkey into Jerusalem], and the people all around him were shouting, "Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! Praise God in highest heaven!"...

"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked. "My Rabbi," the blind man said, "I want to see!" And Jesus said to him, "Go, for your faith has healed you." Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road. —Mark 10:51-52 NLT Key Thought Isn't that such a simple question...

When Jesus heard [the blind man begging for mercy], he stopped and said, "Tell him to come here." So they called the blind man. "Cheer up," they said. "Come on, he's calling you!" Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus. —Mark 10:49-50 NLT Key Thought Jesus still...

"Be quiet!" many of the people yelled at [the blind man begging for mercy]. But he only shouted louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" —Mark 10:48 NLT Key Thought While we are not told to be quiet as Jesus physically passes by us, peer pressure and social agendas antagonistic to faith...

[Jesus said,] "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many." —Mark 10:45 NLT Key Thought Here is the heart of our hero, Jesus, given in one simple statement. His words must be our legacy. His example must be the pattern for our...

When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked [about being given places of honor], they were indignant. —Mark 10:41 NLT Key Thought Lest we think that James and John were selfish in their requests, we need to realize they were not alone. Envy and greed, the need for...

... Then Jesus told [James and John], "You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen." —Mark 10:39-40 NLT Key Thought God the...

"Listen," [Jesus] said, "we're going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans. They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him, but after...

[Jesus and the disciples] were now on the way up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were filled with awe, and the people following behind were overwhelmed with fear. Taking the twelve disciples aside, Jesus once more began to describe everything that was about to...

[Jesus continued,] "But many who are the greatest now will be least important [in the world to come], and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then." —Mark 10:31 NLT Key Thought God evaluates people differently than most earthly judges, critics, and cultures do. Those who...

Then Peter began to speak up. "We've given up everything to follow you," he said. "Yes," Jesus replied, "and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a...

The disciples were astounded. "Then who in the world can be saved?" they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God." —Mark 10:26-27 NLT Key Thought Jesus' assertion is true, or our faith is really...

[Jesus continued,] "In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!" The disciples were astounded. "Then who in the world can be saved?" they asked. —Mark 10:25-26 NLT Key Thought If we are talking about meeting a...