Mark 11:27-28 They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. 28 “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”
 
THE day after his temple cleansing, Jesus walked in the temple courts. Clutter cleared, the Lord has room to work. Then the opposition confronted him.
   The priests, the teachers of the law and the elders want to know how Jesus has authority to do what he has done. This is a very appropriate response to Jesus’ radical actions. We can understand this. If someone entered your church with a group of people and began to criticize the church and preach, you should quickly ask, By what authority are you doing these things?” Formal training and anointing was required to minister in the temple. On the surface, the leaders asked Jesus a good question.
   They weren’t, though, concerned about proper preaching. Their leadership’s motive in the temple was profit. They had little concern for true prophets. The Jews’ every action was to preserve their authority.
   That’s why Jesus could not directly answer them with such authoritative words as recorded in John 14:10 “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.”  
   Jesus’ time to die was just days ahead. But it was not yet time to give the ruling Jews their excuse to arrest him. That would come under God’s authority, just as Jesus’ entire ministry had been accomplished. Day after day for three years the Son of God had pointed his disciples and all who heard him to the Father. Even more,  this has been his lifelong purpose. The very first words we hear from Jesus are in Luke 2:49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” The gospel also tells us: Luke 2:47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Things hadn’t changed since Jesus’ youth. Remember Mark wrote the people were astonished at his teaching (v. 18). But the astonishment did not transfer to understanding. The Sadducees, Pharisees, elders, disciples and the crowds were still trying to understand who Jesus is and what he intended to accomplish.
   In how many ways can Jesus say he came to give life: John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. And can our Lord be more clear to declare: John 11:25 “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Were there only a few who believed as Martha: John 11:27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
   For the world today and sadly for too many “churches”, the question remains of Jesus, “By what authority are you doing these things?” Fear of confronting sin keeps mankind always asking questions but never accepting the answer.
   Receive and know Jesus’ authority. This is the key to eternal life. 

Mark 11:22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.
 
THIS follows Jesus’ curse on the fig tree. Jesus keeps pressing into his disciples, so they will understand God’s power is available to them. Soon they will be in places where only God’s power will save them. He has shown Peter, John and James his glory on the mountaintop. He has corrected John's and James’ misconception of kingdom glory. He has demonstrated his healing power the blind Bartimaeus’ restored sight. Jesus has cleansed his temple of sin. He has caused a fruitless fig tree to die. God’s power curses the unfaithful and blesses true believers.
   These events also represent the future. People will enter into God’s glory only as they believe Jesus’ teaching. If they have no faith, they will die in the curse of their unbelief, condemned to Hell. “Have faith in God.” is Jesus’ gracious teaching to direct you to a powerful life in line with his will. He teaches more in this next passage:   
 
Mark 11:23-25 “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
 
You are likely wondering, “When has anyone prayed, and a mountain moved into the sea? Surely there have been many people of great faith. Wouldn’t someone have tried that prayer to prove Jesus correct?” It would be such an amazing faith prayer: “Mountain, move!” But is that what Jesus is teaching here?
   The mountain represents God’s power and majesty in the Jews’ teachings. God has shown his awesome power as he gave the law to Israel at Mt. Sinai. Jerusalem is on a strong mountain. Mountains are also a place of refuge and protection.
   Jesus’ teaching, then, tells us prayer is a power tool to access God’s will. A faithful person’s prayer will bring God’s will into one’s life or the lives of those for whom the prayer is offered. 
   Then there’s one more thing Jesus teaches about prayer when he taught the “Lord’s Prayer”: Matthew 6:12 “Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors…14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
   Have faith he will move in his purpose to redeem the needs you bring before him. Then pray, “Lord, your will be done.”

Mark 11:18-19 The chief priests and the scribes heard this and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. 19 When evening came, they went out of the city.
 
GOD is Satan’s enemy. This is not news, but we must remember it’s the crucial truth of Jesus’ encounter with the priests and the scribes. The priests were usually Sadducees, who were the Jews’ political leaders. They rejected any teaching of eternal life. Wealth and power were their gods, and they would kill to stay in power. The scribes were the teachers of the law, also known as Pharisees. We’ve learned they had created many laws to more narrowly define God’s law. Still, they did hold to the Scriptures that pointed to God’s eternal kingdom. The Sadducees and the Pharisees generally hated each other. But they agreed on one thing: Jesus had to die. They would not tolerate this man who so powerfully encountered their corrupt rule.
   But these rulers had a problem. The crowd was astonished at his teaching. Some translations interpret this to mean they were spellbound. The Greek meaning is that they were out of their minds with amazement. Has there been a time when God’s Word amazed you to the point you were spellbound?
   We consider this point because it is rare to so powerfully respond to God’s grace confronting our sin. That dramatic day in God’s redemptive plan, the Holy Spirit moved the Son of God into God’s house to cleanse resistant hearts. God’s righteous indignation and holy anger marked his appearance. He waged war against the enemy, moving history to the day no unholy thing would remain on earth.
   Does God astonish you? It’s easy to be complacent about our salvation when we consider God’s love. Because of his gracious patience and long-enduring kindness, we can mistakenly believe he gently tolerates our sins.
   The truth is that we are born united with God’s enemy Satan. Our natural heart is under the devil’s influence. That’s why we must view Jesus with spellbound wonder to know God justly went to the manger, Jerusalem, the temple, the cross and the grave to open the way for us to become God’s precious possession, enemy to Satan.. Let’s respond with utter astonishment, happily knowing he has come as Savior to free us from his enemy’s deadly rule. Eleven times in his gospel Mark uses amazed to describe various reactions to Jesus’ teachings, miracles and truth. May you be amazed, too, God has become your True Ruler

Mark 11:15-17 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.”
 
JESUS is angry. This is the Judge, the Son of Man come to pass judgment on his people who do evil in his house. You understand this, don’t you?
   Imagine if you go to your home, and you find people selling cattle and sheep at your home’s entrance, and there are people lending money at extreme interest rates. You’d be enraged wouldn’t you? Your home was built for family life, not immoral business!
   That’s what is happening in the temple and in Jerusalem. God, the Father, had instructed Solomon to build his house to be a holy place to meet with his people. In the temple would be the ark of the covenant, which symbolized the heavenly Father’s earthly throne. The Father wanted the Jews to always know they must approach the temple in holy reverence. The were to worship him in total love, knowing he provided for their secure life under obedience to his commands. The temple is evidence of God’s pure love and mercy toward Israel.
   But who is in the temple? There are merchants selling cattle and sheep in the outer courts. This is the Gentile court. Gentiles who became Jews could worship there. But now there is no room for them. It’s as if your church had a special section for non-members, but it was filled with items to sell for the church leaders’ profit!
   The Jews’ leaders also established four such markets in Jerusalem in addition to the one in the temple. For a high price, pilgrims to the Passover and other feasts could buy the animals required for sacrifice. If the people brought their own, the priests often declared the animals unclean, forcing the Jews to buy “acceptable” sacrifices. It was common that about 250,000 animals were sacrificed at the Passover! The Passover had become a profit-making machine.
   There was more profit in the temple offering. The law required the Jews to pay this offering with the shekel. People often came with the commonly used Roman or Greek money. Money changers exchanged currency with pilgrims at exorbitant exchange rates. To add to the chaos in the temple, other merchants passed through, selling their goods. Jesus stopped this abomination and cleared the courts.
   Was Jesus just to be angry? In the law and the prophets we read such words as Jonah 4:2b I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. The LORD’s love guides him to be compassionate as he watches us struggle with our own desires. Then God tells us there comes the day when his anger rests on the unrepentant: Romans 2:8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.
   Jesus’ anger at the fig tree (See prior lesson.) and in the temple are solemn reminders we must hold his name holy in our hearts. Saved in Jesus we live in joy as we know glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good. (Romans 2:10)

Mark 11:12-14…20-21 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it…20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
 
MANY have criticized this passage as untrue because Jesus’ curse on the tree was in springtime. Common knowledge is that fig trees do not bear fruit in the spring. Or do they? Interpreters understand that when Jesus went to the fig tree, he’s wondering, “Where are the figs?” because he expects figs to be on the tree. He should know whether it is time for the figs or not. The truth is that there are different varieties of fig trees. Figs were present all year in Judea.
   The phrase it was not the season for figs refers to the time to gather figs. An unusual feature of the fig tree is that it bears fruit before it produces leaves. Thus, when Jesus saw the leaves, Jesus expected fruit from the lush-looking tree.
   This story is not about our Lord’s hunger as a man. It is about Jesus’ hunger for souls as the Lord of the harvest. Jesus’ frustration and judgment of the “no fig” fig tree illustrates God’s response to faithless, fruitless people. For nearly 2,000 years God had been growing his people to bear fruit for his kingdom. But their desires were nearly always out of season with God’s commands. They continued to reject him, even as he walked into their lives. God judges the fruitless life that has rejected his life-giving gospel.
   Pay attention. This brief moment teaches a terrifying lesson. How quick God is to judge empty, hypocritical lives. The unrepentant will wilt under God’s judgment. God warned Judah in the days before Babylon destroyed Jerusalem, “The swift cannot flee nor the strong escape.” (Jeremiah 46:6) And God is warning the entire world today of eternal exile from his eternal home: Matthew 7:23 “Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Those whose faith is weak and fruitless will be condemned. Jesus has warned you.
   Jesus wants your faith to be in season with his purpose. Do you have a bigger faith than you did last year, last month or yesterday? Has anything changed in your life to strengthen your trust in what Jesus can and will do? Jesus wants you to be rooted in him, strong and sure of who you are. God has planted you and is preparing you for the eternal harvest: Revelation 22:2b On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
   God’s life-giving goodness awaits you when you root your life in Jesus to be productive and fruitful. 

Mark 11:11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve. 

GOD’S life lessons can come in the simplest scenes. Picture our Lord finished with the ceremony and joy of his glorious entrance into Jerusalem. He walks to the temple – his house. He looks around, and then leaves. At first, it seems as if you are watching a reality TV program. You are doing nothing watching someone else doing nothing! 
Something, though, is happening here. It is good for you to watch the Lord Jesus in action. Yes, you might say, “He didn’t do anything.” But he did. Psalms 14:2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Do you think Jesus found any who understood the things of God that evening? 
We know from Mark and other gospels that when Jesus looked around, he saw evidence of evil in the temple. The temple was at risk, but he restrained himself. Jesus left and prepared to return the next day to confront the evil in his house. 
Let’s consider Jesus’ actions in literal and spiritual terms. Regarding your physical house, the place where you live must be a testimony to the Lord’s grace on your life. God’s law commanded Israel to keep a clean camp as they journeyed to the Promised Land. There are various rules of personal and community hygiene established for general health. One of the first acts of the Passover Festival was to sweep the house clean of all dirt. God wants us to remember we are a temple of his Spirit. It is only appropriate we practice clean habits to physically honor the one who lives in us as we are saved in Christ. 2 Corinthians 6:16 For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
Jesus is very clear, though, that being clean only on the outside is hypocrisy. In reference to the Pharisees’ outward cleanliness, he chastised them for their unclean hearts, “Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” (Matthew 23:26) It is also fascinating to note that, “Be clean!” was one of Jesus’ physical healing commands. Matthew 8:3-4 “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.  Disease is the result of sin’s corruption into God’s perfection. Cleansing disease illustrates Jesus’ power to clean sin from our souls.
Baptism also illustrates the Spirit cleansing our souls, preparing us for eternal glory. 1 Peter 3:20b In (the Flood) only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also - not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
God further urges us to a clean life: Ephesians 5:10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. Protect your physical home and spiritual heart from evil. 
Here is Jesus’ lesson for you: Watch over your physical and spiritual house. See what is true in your home and in your heart. Cleanse anything that opposes God. Be clean outside and in.  

Mark 11:7-10 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!”
 
READING this, a praise song comes to mind, “Shout to the Lord all the earth let us sing, power and majesty praise to the King.” (Hillsong Worship) The praising crowd that day sang a praise song from Psalms 118:26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you. Throughout time, the LORD God has given us in many forms the words to praise him for his great and gracious coming to reign over our lives.
   The faithful of Bethany and Jerusalem that first “Palm Sunday” honored the King of kings. The cloaks on the colt and on the road, palm branches and other decorations were historical marks that a king was entering Jerusalem. God had granted a special favor to those in the crowd to witness this prophetic fulfillment. Many would have joyfully remembered this day when the news of the risen Jesus began to flood through Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside. Oh, how they would praise the Lord then!
   Has the King come into your life? What wonder and joy it is to praise the name of Jesus. When the day begins, praise the name of Jesus. When the noonday comes, praise the name of Jesus. Hosea 6:3b “As surely as the sun rises, he will appear.” When the night falls, praise the name of Jesus.
   When you consider your troubles, praise the name of Jesus. Remember, he has come as a servant to save you. When you are pleased in your blessings, praise the name of Jesus. Let it be known the Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. (Psalm 29:11) When it’s time to gather with others to worship, praise the name of Jesus. When you come home from worship, praise the name of Jesus.
   Praise the name of the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. Praise the triumphant King. Praise the one who knocks at your door to tell you he wants to be with you. Revelation 3:20 “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Praise the name of Jesus, who offers the forgiveness of sins. Acts 10:43 “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
   Jesus, the name above all names, is the sweet name of loving restoration. Jesus is the name of one who the Father sacrificed for your eternal soul. Jesus is the one who is risen and now sits at the right hand of the Father. Jesus is one who will come again. Revelation 22:12 “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.”  Praise the name of Jesus. He has given you a new song to sing of life eternal with him. Revelation 15:2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and over the number of his name. They held harps given them by God 3 and sang the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb: “Great and marvelous are your deeds, LORD God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. Amen.

Mark 11:1-6 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?' tell him, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’” 4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go.  
 
JESUS is the Living Word. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:3) Once again the LORD God of the universe shows us he is attentive to particular details to reveal his rule.
   With his instructions to his disciples, Jesus is essentially telling them, “I’m going to enter Jerusalem as the long-awaited King.” In past visits to Jerusalem he had entered as a rabbi with his disciples (John 2). And he has entered on his own (John 8) to preach. He has also avoided direct answers to the question, “Who are you?” (John 1, 8, 21). Jesus’ method was to guide his questioners to answer their own question with evidence of his life. Most, though, remained locked in their own misunderstandings. But now it’s time to boldy answer, “Who are you?” with, “I am the Christ!”
   Even the donkey colt is crucial to Jesus’ answer. God spoke to the prophets to prepare Israel for this day: Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9) Jesus is the King, who will confront the Jews with his deity. On that day his followers will, indeed, rejoice because God’s promises are coming true in Jesus of Nazareth.
   Bethany is a strategic starting place for this kingly encounter. Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave here. (John 11). Lazarus’ sister Mary anointed Jesus with expensive perfume (John 12). The people of Bethany were eager to see the one who could raise the dead go to Jerusalem to raise Israel from its Roman and religious bondage.
   That’s why Jesus could send two disciples to untie a colt he did not own. From eternity past this animal, its owners and others had been ordained for this day. They were willing to permit the Lord to borrow it because they knew Jesus. We can be sure the Spirit was moving events and men’s thoughts to God’s purpose.
   We understand once again that the Lord works in unity with mankind. He used the prophets to prepare Jerusalem for his coming. The disciples became his instant messengers as they obeyed Jesus’ instructions. The donkey’s owner and friends easily released the donkey colt, entrusting it to Jesus’ care. As this week moved from Sunday to Good Friday, Jesus will even use the Jews’ hatred to advance the Father’s salvation promise into a living, active community called the church.
   Jesus needs the church. We are the chosen to advance his kingdom on earth. When someone asks you to help in the church, if you feel a responsibility to tell someone about Jesus, if you have an urgent desire to pray for someone, stop and consider, “The Lord needs me to do this. He has planned the details for this moment, and I must respond.” How beautiful it is to know God welcomes us to serve his kingdom with him.   

Mark 10:51-52 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” 52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
 
WE know that when Jesus asked the question he knew the answer. His purpose was to have Bartimaeus speak his need. It’s the same reason we pray. The LORD God knows our needs, praises and petitions. He wants to hear us speak to him in the same way you want loved ones to speak their joys and needs to you.
   Notice Jesus asked Bartimaeus the same question he asked James and John: “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:36) Whether one is Jesus’ close disciple or a blind beggar, with this question Jesus brings the realm of all his power and possibilities into a person’s life. His answer to James and John pointed them to a deeper submission to God’s will. His answer to Bartimaeus pointed him to the height of God’s healing grace. What causes the different answers?
   Perhaps it was the motive behind the petition. James and John’s request, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” was their effort to gain Jesus’ favor above the others. Bartimaeus’ plea was to be whole. He wanted to see as most people do. Then Jesus responded to his plea:
 
Mark 10:52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
 
Jesus did not say, “Be healed.” He healed Bartimaeus in the essence of the man’s faith. We can all say, “I have faith in Jesus. He should heal me.” Jesus, though, saw Bartimaeus’ faith as a true understanding in Jesus’ deity. Calling Jesus, Son of David, revealed Bartimaeus knew the law and the Prophets. He believed the Scriptures. He had faith God’s Word pointed to God’s Son. He knew the signs and the evidence of the Son of David come to reign. In faith he called to Jesus.
   And in faith he followed Jesus. Bartimaeus’ faith submitted his heart to Jesus. The man’s first response to his new vision was to follow Jesus along the road. We can easily consider he testified in Jerusalem to his Lord’s great salvation. He would have hailed the Christ on his entrance to Jerusalem: Mark 11:9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” We can believe he would also have been among the 3,000 saved on the Pentecost when the Spirit began the church. (Acts 2:41) Bartimaeus was certainly an evangelist for the Savior.
    Faith is more than believing what God will do for you; faith is knowing what God wants you to do with him. As you may be wondering, “What will God do for me?” perhaps you might first consider, “What does the LORD want me to do for him?” Your faith will open your heart to receive the Lord’s restoring power in the manner he will give to you. 

Matthew 20:31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
 
Mark 10:49-50 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
 
YOU’VE had a long day. Worse, it’s been a long week. And even worse it’s been a long, long time since you felt any joy or heard any hope in your heart as the friend who wrote, “I haven’t smiled inside and out for a long time.” Too often dark clouds seem to hover over your soul. You look around to see people enjoying life, loving others and being loved. You don’t have the relationships you’d hoped for, or they have disappeared as loved ones are gone from your life. You wonder, “Why can’t I have what they have?” You feel as an outcast. People talk to you, but no one knows what to really say because you seem so sad.
   Then one day you hear a voice say, “On your feet! Jesus is calling you.”  What? Jesus is calling me? Why would he care about me? Life is always handing me more heartache than I care to consider. Are you sure he’s calling me?  
   The Bible teaches Jesus does, indeed, call to you. Since the day Eve and Adam broke God’s command, the LORD has been calling to his creation, “Get up!” He said it to Gideon: Judges 7:9 During that night the LORD said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands.” Jesus said this to his disciples in Gethsemane’s sorrow: Luke 22:46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” He says it to the once-lame man now restored: John 5:8 “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” Do you think the Holy Spirit told Jesus, “Get up out of that grave!” The crowd urges Bartimaeus and his friend, “On your feet. He’s calling you.”
   Bartimaeus responded as we all should when the Lord commands, “Get up!” He threw his cloaks aside; he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. Bartimaeus wanted nothing to impede his run to Jesus.
   Has Jesus sent someone to urge you, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Jesus calls us to stand up and go to him with heart, mind and soul. He urges us to encounter and overcome in his name all the things that keep us from him, especially your own discouraged mind.
   Jesus loves you. Yes, you’ve heard that before, but listen closely to the Son of God. Get out of your comfortable sad chair. Move off the easy couch of despair. Get on your feet, so you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand, to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. (Ephesians 6:10, 13b) Get up and know what the Lord of Life has for you!
     Who knows, he might give you new eyes to see how wonderful life is when you know Jesus’ mercy is on you.