Book of Mark – The Synagogue Ruler Jairus

And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” And he went with him.

Mark 5:21-24

Book of Mark – Jesus Calming The Storm

And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Mark 4:38-41 ESV

As our church is going through the Book of Jonah, I remembered a similar event that happened in the Book of Jonah, there was a big storm as well and the ship was almost drowned. But then none of the men can do anything even Jonah. Only God was able to calm the storm in the end as Jonah was thrown into the sea as he was running away from God. When this event happened to Jesus and the disciples, we can see that Jesus had God’s authority over the water, sea and wind for He is God Himself!

The response from the disciples and the mariners were similar as well, they were filled with great fear! For the wind and the sea obeyed Jesus!

Book of Mark – The Storm

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion.

Mark 4:34-38 ESV

Book of Mark – The Parable of Mustard Seed

And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

Mark 4:30-34 ESV

This parable explains about the kingly rule of Jesus through his current ministry, it seems small and insignificant, some people have heard about it, some people have seen him, but only few responded to follow Him. One day the kingdom of God will be seen as the greatest kingdom of all, when all things will be revealed :)
Even now, we can see how Jesus’ ministry has grown, from 12 disciples, to the believers in all the nations across the earth, however everything will be revealed even more when Jesus come back :)

Book of Mark – The Meaning of Parables of The Sower

The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

Mark 4:14-20 ESV

Which soil are you? :)

Book of Mark – The Secret of the Kingdom

And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so that
“‘they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”
And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?

Mark 4:10-13 ESV

Book of Mark – The Kingdom Divided

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

(Mark 3:22-27 ESV)

The Pharisees are back again! And this time they accuse that Jesus is possessed by Beelzebul and also that Jesus is using the power of demon prince to cast out demons. Jesus rebuked them saying that it’s not logical, how can someone use the power of satan to cast out satan?
If satan starts attacking satan themselves, they soon will be destroying themselves. Instead Jesus claim that he’s the plunderer, he has come to plunder satan, he is the one who can bind the strong man.