Today services weres at the Franklin’s and Simeon preached the sermon.

For the children’s story we read about  Mary and Joseph completing their journey to Bethlehem, and finding the inn full. The innkeeper offered them lodgings in his stables instead and baby Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a manger.

We picked back up in Mark for the sermon and Jude, Gideon, and Eliza took turns reading Mark 14:53-72 and Mark 15:31-15.

This passage covered the two trials of Jesus that Mark tells us about. We discussed

• Peter denies knowing Jesus three times before the rooster crows twice, just like Jesus predicted.
• Jesus is put on trial but he’s not really saying anything. We read from Isaiah 53 about the silent lamb..
• When the witnesses don’t agree with one another Jesus implicates himself – the time for secrecy about his identity is over.
• Pilate knows Jesus isn’t guilty and tries to release him – asking the crowd whether Jesus or Barabbas should be released. The crowd wants Barabbas freed.

At the end we talked about how the story is one of wrongdoing by the courts, the leaders, even the mob as an innocent man is condemned to death.. And yet despite all the corruption and failure Jesus turns out to be the most significant fact that is related…  There is something encouraging in that for us today…

Thank you for reading! 🙂