Jesus is the Consummation!
Mark 2:18-22
I) Why did the Jewish people ____________?
A) Voluntarily as a sign of _______________
B) During times of disaster and national ______________
C) As a sign of ________________ for sin
D) There was one day of ______________ fasting
E) They began to think of fasting as ________________
II) The _______________ with fasting
A) Fasting is not a replacement for doing what is
____________!
B) Fasting wasn’t for ___________!
C) Fasting is only appropriate when it reflects the
___________
III) Is fasting for _____________?
A) Jesus is the _________________
B) You don’t fast during the ____________!
C) But the bridegroom will ___________
D) And the early church _________ fast
IV) The change Jesus brings to worship is ______________!
A) A new _________ has begun
B) You don’t put a new patch on old __________
C) New ________ will break old bags
D) Jesus brings an end to _______________
E) Jesus brings an end to feasts and ____________
F) Jesus brings an end to ____________ laws
G) Jesus is the ________________ of the law
H) Jesus is more than just the _____________!
V) Lessons
A) It’s not about __________. It’s about Jesus!
B) Empty ceremony is _____________ useless
C) Fasting is okay if it reflects the ____________
Devotional Reading for May 17, 2026
Two priests decided to “improve” on or ignore God’s instructions. Alcohol may have been involved (Leviticus 10:8-9). God makes an example of them. The people are allowed to grieve, but the priests aren’t. Their work is too important. God does grant them some leeway though. Even though they were technically disobedient when they didn’t eat the sin offering, it wasn’t out of willful disobedience. It was out of grief.
Thought for the day: Serving the Lord is serious business. If we take our status as a kingdom of priests to heart, then we need to understand that there are certain responsibilities that go along with it. Those responsibilities are even greater for those in a teaching capacity.
1 Peter 2:9 (WEB) “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
James 3:1 (WEB) “Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgement.”
Devotional Reading for May 16, 2026
The first tabernacle service is blessed by God! The miraculous burning of the animals on the altar shows that He accepts both the priests and the people, and the people respond with profound worship!
Thought for the day: There seem to be particular time periods in Scripture during which the miraculous is more evident. However, just because we treat something as commonplace today, doesn’t mean that it isn’t miraculous too! We should always respond with profound worship when God works in someone’s life.
Luke 15:10 (WEB) “Even so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting.”
Devotional Reading for May 15, 2026
The consecration (making holy) of the priests is the fulfillment of the commands in Exodus 28-29, as exhibited by the repetition of “as/which the Lord commanded.” This is repeated seven times in the passage, quite possibly because seven represents perfection or completion. The idea of completion is also present by the oil being sprinkled seven times on the altar. The threefold placement of the blood on the right ear, thumb, and toe of the priest also symbolizes complete dedication and purification.
The neat thing about Jesus is that He is both offering and priest; both sacrifice and sacrificer. He is our great High Priest, and He is the one offering Himself for us. He didn’t need to be consecrated, because He was already holy! But various events in His life could be seen as His ordination: His baptism (Mark 1:9-11), His transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-6), or even His anointing (Matthew 26:6-13). The sinless gave Himself for the sinner so that we could be holy!
Hebrews 7:26-27 (WEB) “For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself.”
Thought for the day: “As the Lord commanded.” Good words to live our own lives by.
John 14:15 (WEB) “If you love me, keep my commandments.”
Devotional Reading for May 14, 2026
Chapter seven has continued instructions regarding the procedure for the trespass and peace offerings, as well as some additional comments about the other offerings. There are three specific situations specified for peace offerings: for a “confession” (the literal translation of the Hebrew word translated “thanksgiving”), when fulfilling a vow, and as a freewill offering (which would mostly likely be a praise or thanksgiving offering). We are also reminded of the prohibition against eating fat and blood.
There are also guidelines here for what the priests receive as their portion from the peace offering, as well some new information regarding the burnt offering. If the priest offers a burnt offering for a member of the congregation, the priest gets to keep the skin. That means there is something being provided for the priesthood with every offering!
Thought for the day: Even today those who work in the church are supposed to receive compensation.
1 Timothy 5:17-18 (WEB) “Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle the ox when it treads out the grain.’ And, ‘The laborer is worthy of his wages.’ “
Devotional Reading for May 13, 2026
The beginning of the chapter concludes the instructions for the trespass offering. The rest of the chapter contains various instructions as to how the offerings should be conducted. If the instructions weren’t followed, the sacrifice was ineffective and the offender was punished (7:18, 20-21).
Some highlights: (1) the fire was kept going at all times, (2) the burnt offering was offered in the morning and evening, (3) the grain offering helped provide for the priests, (4) unless it was given by a priest (then it was completely burned), and (5) some of the meat from the sin offerings was also consumed by the priests.
The ongoing fire speaks to the ongoing nature of the sacrificial system. Aren’t we glad that we have Jesus?!?!
Hebrews 10:10 (WEB) “by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Thought for the day: The trespass offering dealt with trespasses against God and man, and detailed the restitution that needed to be made. Are there any relationships in your life that you need to attempt to restore?
Matthew 5:23-34 (WEB) “If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
Devotional Reading for May 12, 2026
There is some discussion as to whether Leviticus 5:1-13 belongs with chapter 4 (regarding the sin offering), or Leviticus 5:14 forward (regarding the trespass offering). The main difference is the issue of restitution. The focus of the sin offering was the purification of the sinner, but the trespass offering was concerned with repaying the debt plus additional compensation.
Jesus is our trespass offering, because Jesus paid the debt we owed for our sin, and He paid it with interest! The creator died for His creation.
Romans 6:23 (WEB) “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Galatians 1:3-5 (WEB) “Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father— to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Colossians 2:13-14 (WEB) “You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us. He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.”
Thought for the day: “Jesus paid a debt He didn’t owe, because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay.”
Psalm 118:21 (WEB) “I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me, and have become my salvation.”
Devotional Reading for May 11, 2026
The purpose of the sin offering is to make atonement for the worshipper’s broken relationship with God. This chapter deals with unintentional sins and the offering brought when made aware of them. The variations in the offering depend on the worshipper’s position in the congregation (for example, a priest is different than a common person).
Of all the offerings that foreshadow Jesus, this is perhaps the easiest to recognize. Jesus is our sin offering! He gave Himself for OUR sin.
Isaiah 53:10 (WEB) “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him. He has caused him to suffer. When you make his soul an offering for sin, he will see his offspring. He will prolong his days and the LORD’s pleasure will prosper in his hand.”
Matthew 20:28 (WEB) “even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 (WEB) “For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Hebrews 7:26-27 (WEB) “For such a high priest was fitting for us: holy, guiltless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself.”
Thought for the day: When the worshipper realized their sin, they repented by bringing an offering. Although the eternal penalty for our sins is taken away when we believe in Jesus, our day-to-day relationship with God is still affected by our sin. We need to bring an “offering” of confession and repentance for that!
1 John 1:9 (WEB) “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Sermon outline for 5/10/26 (Radio broadcast 5/17/26) — “Motherhood in Mark and Beyond”
Motherhood in Mark & Beyond
I) Mary’s role is ____________________
II) But Jesus shows us that ____________ goes beyond physical ties
III) And that _____________ family is very important
IV) But that doesn’t mean we ignore our ___________ ties
V) ___________ is required even when obedience and respect aren’t
VI) The best is when the spiritual and physical ___________
VII) There are certain ______________ of a godly parents
A) We should be ________ workers
B) We should take care of our ____________
C) We should be ______________
D) We should be ______________
E) We should be ___ ___________
F) We should be ______________
Devotional Reading for May 10, 2026
The peace offering is also called the “fellowship” or “covenant” offering. The sacrifice could be offered for anything from petition to praise, with the emphasis being the fellowship of the worshipper with God. Only a portion of this offering was given to the priests or burned on the altar, and the worshiper and his family consumed the rest. The fat was burned up instead of being eaten, and it represented giving your best to God. No blood was consumed in any of the offerings, because the blood brings atonement.
Leviticus 17:11 (WEB) “For the life of the flesh is in the blood. I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life.”
The peace offering is also a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ!
Romans 5:1 (WEB) “Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Thought for the day: The peace that we have with God should also be manifested in our day-to-day lives.
Galatians 5:22-23 (WEB) “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control.”
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