The Religious Leaders Come to Jesus Again - Mark 11:27

Mark wrote how Jesus said, “What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them. And when you stand praying, forgive, if you have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses”, and in chapter eleven and verse twenty-seven of his book, Mark shared how “the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders” came to Jesus again where we read:

And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple,

there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,

The verse reads, “And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, ...” Mark began with the words, “and they come again” which means “and Jesus and His disciples made entrance and came another time” “to Jerusalem” or “into the city of Jerusalem which means set you double peace”: “and as he was walking in the temple” which means “and while Jesus was ambling within the sacred place of worship and prayer known as the temple”. Mark shared how Jesus and His disciples “entered” into “Jerusalem” again and when Jesus began to “walk” within the “sacred worship place” the following occurred.

The verse continues, “... there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,” Mark added the words, “there come to him” which means “there appeared and arose toward Jesus” “the chief priests” or “the high priests”, “and the scribes” which means “and the men who were learned in the Mosaic law and in the sacred writings and were interpreters and teachers”, “and the elders” or “and members of the great council or Sanhedrin”. Mark shared how the “religious leaders” which included the “high priests, the scribes and the members of the Sanhedrin”.

When we consider Mark's words in this verse, we see how these “religious leaders” were once again ready to approach and challenge Jesus. They took advantage any opportunity given to them to attempt to “discredit” or ruin Jesus' ministry. We shall see how this story unfolds in the next few verses, but suffice it for now to know that the “enemy of our souls”, “Satan”, will make every attempt to thwart the plan of “salvation” for mankind. Jesus is God's answer to man's sin problem, and since that problem separates people from God, Jesus came to bridge the gap even though He was to be opposed by the “religious faction” of the day.

Next time Mark shares how “the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders” ask Jesus, “by what authority do you these things”?, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".