The Journey

The Journey

By Don Hatfield

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 Don Hatfield

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Table of Contents:

Introduction

Mark 1 The Road of Meeting

Mark 2 The Road of Authority

Mark 3 The Road of the Followers

Mark 4 The Road of Sowing

Mark 5 The Road of Grace

Mark 6 The Road of Sending

Mark 7 The Road of Hearing

Mark 8 The Road of Rebuke

Mark 9 The Road of Transfiguration

Mark 10 The Road of the Rich

Mark 11 The Road of Entry

Mark 12 The Road of His Warning

Mark 13 The Road of His Return

Mark 14 The Road of Betrayal

Mark 15 The Road of Death

Mark 16 The Road of Resurrection

Introduction:

Take a walk with me using you God given imagination through the Gospel of Mark. Stand on the bank and look down as John baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River. Then walk the dusty roads, wind down the cobble streets and climb the mountain paths as we get to know this man.

Be with Him as He heals the sick, cures the leper and raises the dead. Then follow Him up Calvary's Hill and be there close to Him as He gives His life for us. Yes, use your imagination and get to know your Savior a little better.

Read each portion of scripture then read the journey as I saw it. Then use your own imagination to take you there. Place yourself in each chapter, feel the heat, or rain. See the expression on the people's faces. Laugh or cry as you meet this man named Jesus. Last as you stand on Calvary's Hill bow your head and thank Him for the journey which will last for an eternity.

The Gospel of Mark 1

The Road of Meeting

John the Baptist prepares the way

¹ The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

² As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

³ The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

⁴ John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

⁵ And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁶ And John was clothed with camel's hair and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;

⁷ And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.

⁸ I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

The day was sweltering hot and I thought I might go for a swim in the Jordan River. I had heard that there was a lot of commotion going on from the Jews in the countryside as well as at the Jordan River. I had no idea what was going on with them but I thought to myself, perhaps if I go out to the river today they won't be there as it was drawing close to their Sabbath. But as I approached the river it looked as if the whole city of Jerusalem was there. I walked silently up to the edge of the crowd hoping that they would not notice the Gentile among them. Being a little taller than most of them I caught a glimpse of what was going on. There was a wild looking man in the river and it looked like he was wearing clothes made from camel's hair. His hair was black as midnight and his eyes dark and smoldering. I waited a little while for some of the noise to die down so that I could hear what he was saying. He spoke with an authoritative voice, repent, confess your sins, for there is one coming whose shoes I am not even worthy to tie. I will baptize you with water but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. I must confess that I had no idea what he was talking about. But then again I never did understand what these Jews were talking about when they talked about this one God of theirs. They finally left and I was able to get my swim and washing in, then I went into town to have some supper and get a good night's rest.

The Baptism of Jesus (9 - 11)

⁹ And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

¹⁰ And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

¹¹ And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

I awoke the next morning to a great deal of commotion as people were flocking back out to the Jordan River. I was taking a little vacation from my blacksmith business which I jointly owned with my brother in the city of Bethany. My curiosity got the best of me so I followed them out to the Jordan to find out what all the commotion was about today. I also must admit that the strange man from yesterday fascinated me. Again I walked up to the edge of the crowd and peered out into the river to see what this strange man was doing today. I asked one of the onlookers what the man's name was. He replied, that is John the Baptist son of Zacharias and Elizabeth, he eats only wild locust and honey. We love to watch his antics as you never know what he is going to do next.

As I was looking down at this man named John standing in the middle of the Jordan I saw a man approach John and began to talk with him. I saw John shaking his head over and over again holding up his hands as if in protest. I faintly overheard him say, No! No! No! Then I watched this man put his hand on John's shoulder and John begin to shake his head as if to say okay but he seemed seem humbled as he shook his head. How can I describe this man that John was talking to, there was nothing unusual about him and yet he seemed so different from everyone else? It was as if he held a magnet in his hand and was drawing people to him. I felt as if I wanted to approach him and speak to him but I stayed back in the crowd where I would not be noticed. Then I watched as John put him under the water, the Jews call this baptizing. Then he came up out of the water and I know this is going to sound strange but it was as if the very sky parted, the heavens open and the sun shone as I never had never seen it shine before. From my place in the crowd I could not quite make out all that was happening but it looked as if a white dove came down and landed on him. Then it was it is if the heavens opened up and spoke although I could not make out what was said. The crowd became silent. The strange man then walked into the crowd passing right by me. It was almost as if I could feel his eyes on me. I felt my heart melt within me as He walked by.

The Temptation of Jesus (12-13)

12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

I watched him as he walked away and about 50 people began to follow him. I also joined in the crowd staying well out site of him. The further we walked the more the others begin to dwindle away until finally there was no one but him and me walking. Then the path we were on began to narrow. The Olive trees which were blooming and so full of fruit begin to wither and become destitute of any leaves or fruit. The branches of the trees had begun to grow over the path as if trying to block out the sun. Even though the sun behind us was shining brightly, it became darker and darker. Darkness like I have never experienced. It was as if you could actually feel the darkness as it began to surround us. The path became so dense that you had to start picking your way through the branches of the trees that overshadowed it. It became so foreboding and oppressive that I finally had to stop. I could go no further and so I watched him as he worked his way up the path. I thought I would just wait here as I could see that the path ended at the precipice of a narrow cliff. I stayed there until it got dark and I could longer see. I decided to placed twigs and branches on the path so I could tell when He came back down the path and out of the dense thicket. If you were to ask me then why are you doing what you are doing and why did you do it for so many days I could not give an answer. All I can say is I just did it and I did it for 40 days. I would leave when darkness began to creep in. I would then go into town get something to eat. I would then find a place to sleep and rest for the night. Then early in the morning I would get back up and go back to the thicket. I would look up into that fog that never seemed to lift to see if I could catch a glimpse of Him. Every day for 40 days those branches that I placed over the path never moved. Above that thicket crows, vultures and ravens were always flying about and making screeching noises. Where and how I got the nerve to stay there I will never know. On the 40th day as I looked up the path I saw a figure approaching. I wasn't sure if it was the same man that had gone up because he looked so different. It was as if he had faced some terrible ordeal. He had lost weight, his garments were practically in shreds, his hair was matted to his head and yet he still had that resolute look on his face. I hid back in the olive trees and watched as he walked by. The further he got from the thicket the more the sun began to shine, the brighter the day became, there were scores of doves flying silently overhead and I know this sounds crazy but it is as if something or someone was ministering to him as his garments seem to mend themselves and become whiter than the whitest white that I've ever seen. I followed him back into town where he stopped at market and got something to eat. Then he sat down to rest and fell asleep and I also fell asleep watching him.

Jesus begins His Ministry (14 - 15)

¹⁴ Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

¹⁵ And saying the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

When I awoke he was still sleeping. I got up to stretch and I heard some men talking about the man called John the one who had been baptizing in the Jordan and the one who baptized the one I was following. They said he'd been arrested and put in prison for telling people to repent of their sins. I thought how ridiculous just because someone was telling someone to stop their wrong doing and do right they were put in prison. After he woke, I begin to follow him again and I heard him saying to others the same thing that the man named John had been saying. Repent, the time is come, the kingdom of God is near, the good news is here, just believe. I had the most horrible thought. Could this man who was saying the same thing as John had said, could He be put into prison also just for asking people to do right. There must be some misunderstanding, something I did not know. After all are there not laws that would not allow something like this to happen? Are there not good people who would stand up for this kind of wrong? Yes, surely there must be some mistake; good people would not allow this to happen.

Jesus Calls the First Disciples (16 - 20)

¹⁶ Now as he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

¹⁷ And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

¹⁸ And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.

¹⁹ And when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.

²⁰ And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.

I begin to follow him again as he walked down to the Sea of Galilee. He seemed to be in no hurry enjoying the bright morning sun and the gentle waves lapping at the shore. Then as He walked along the shore he stopped at a boat where two rough looking men were getting ready to cast their net out into the small waves.