Trinity Presbyterian Church OPC Newberg, 600 E Columbia Drive, Newberg, OR (2026)

05/30/2026

𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐢𝐦!

Jesus has just spoken to his disciples about some grim realities involved in following him. They include taking up your cross and giving up your life. But, in Mark 9:2–10, Jesus also shows representatives of his disciples an anticipation of his triumph.
A quotaion used in the Reflection for Trinity Presbyterian Church
http://trinitynewberg.org/http:/trinitynewberg.org/reflections/hear-him

“At the transfiguration mount, too, where the divine voice intimates that the divine favor continues to rest upon the Son as he goes to the cross, Jesus himself speaks of the new era which is in prospect through the approaching resurrection of the Son of Man (Mt. 17:9; cf. Mk. 9:9). The glory which belongs to the Son of Man will not wait to appear unto his return on the clouds of heaven; it will be manifested likewise through another stupendous supernatural event, the resurrection of the crucified one from the dead. It is through this exaltation of the Son of Man that he will first enter upon a full exercise of his sovereignty in the establishment of his rule and realm.” (Ned B. Stonehouse, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵, pages 237–238)

05/24/2026

𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐔𝐩 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬

Have you heard someone say: “We’re going out. Are you coming?” In Mark 8:34 Jesus challenges you to follow him — and outlines the cost of doing so.
The quotation used in the Reflection for Trinity Presbyterian Church
http://trinitynewberg.org/http:/trinitynewberg.org/reflections/take-up-your-cross

“Jesus announces as an absolutely requisite, 'life-saving' condition of discipleship: 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me' (Luke 9:23–24; cf. Matt.10 :38; 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 14:27). Cross-bearing is a comprehensive description of kingdom-discipleship, as the qualification 'daily' makes explicit. In response to the disciples' request for prominent kingdom status — kingdom 'dominion,' if you will — the only promise Jesus has for them (and us), this side of his return, is the 'fellowship of sharing in his sufferings' (cf. Phil. 3:10): 'You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with' (Mark 10:37, 39). John has got it just right: until Jesus comes again, the presence of the kingdom is bracketed by the realities of 'suffering' and 'endurance' (Rev. 1:9; cf. 3:11; 22:7, 12. 20).” (Richard B. Gaffin Jr, 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵, page 716)

05/17/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫

As you look at Mark 8:31–33, think of the reactions of a family to a son who volunteers for additional rotations in a war zone. Does he need to face danger and suffering? That might help you understand part of Peter's reason for rebuking Jesus.
Quotations used in the Reflection for Trinity Presbyterian Church http://trinitynewberg.org/http:/trinitynewberg.org/reflections/the-son-of-man-must-suffer

“Here is the marvel of grace and love. Death is the wages of sin and therefore Jesus' death pertained to sin. Nothing is more basic or central than this little expression 'for sin.' 'What the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh' (Rom. 8:3). 'When the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son' (Gal. 4:4)” (“The Death of Christ” in 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘰𝘩𝘯 𝘔𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘺, Vol. 1, p. 37)

“The suffering of Christ, which begins with his incarnation and is completed in his 'great passion,' is the will and command of he Father (Matt. 26:39, 42; John 10:17–18), proof of his absolute obedience (Phil 2:8; Heb. 5:8), an example to be followed by his disciples (1 Pet. 2:21), a ransom for their sins (Matt. 20::28; 26:28), a victory over the world (John 16:33; Co. 2:15).” (Herman Bavinck, 𝘙𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘋𝘰𝘨𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴, Vol. 3, p. 409)

“As often as we fail to believe, to serve the Prophet, Priest, and King, we are satans to Him. O yes, He is no more with us as He once walked beside Simon Barjonah, but His Spirit, we know, has returned to dwell with us; and as often as we do not believe Him, as frequently as our hearts ponder some other way of redemption, we grieve that Spirit. And that familiar phrase, 'grieving the Spirit,' is the New Testament term for what before the day of Pentecost was called 'being a satan to Jesus.'” (K. Schilder, 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘚𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨, p. 21)

05/10/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞

For most of us there are areas of life that are foreign enough that we don’t even know enough to ask the right questions. Jesus asks his disciples the most important question in the world (and Mark records the question so that you too can answer), but as recorded in Mark 8:27–30 he leads up to the crucial question with a preliminary one.
A quotation used in the Reflection for Trinity Presbyterian Church http://trinitynewberg.org/http:/trinitynewberg.org/reflections/the-most-important-question-you-face

“Contrary to the usual interpretation we think that there is nothing to suggest that Peter's apprehension of Jesus originated at that moment, through a sudden revelation as to who Jesus really was. No such revelation is recorded or even implied as taking place at that time. The account tells rather of a retirement into Caesarea Philippi where, without the benefit of new acts or new teaching on Jesus' part, and without any dependence upon a voice from heaven, Peer for the disciples expresses faith in Jesus as the Christ. What is new is not their recognition of Jesus but an open acknowledgment which is elicited by Jesus, and the recognition is evidently thought of as 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮. Jesus elicits the confession at this time, accordingly, not because now for the first time the disciples had emerged from the darkness of total ignorance into the light of knowledge of and faith in Jesus but because, on the background of open avowal of his messiahship, he wishes now to set forth the consummation of his messianic ministry and what it required of his followers.” (Ned B. Stonehouse, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵, pages 66–67)

05/03/2026

𝐃𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬?

How well do you know Jesus Christ? You may be tempted to say: “Pretty well. I understand that he is more than a great teacher or leader. I believe (without fully understanding) that he is God, become man for my salvation. I know he came into this world to die for sinners, myself included. I’ve been studying the Bible a pretty long time, so I have a relatively good idea who Jesus is.” Mark’s account of Jesus’ interaction with his disciples (Mark 8:1–21) pushes you to re-evaluate how well you think you know him.

Quotations used in the Reflection for Trinity Presbyterian Church http://trinitynewberg.org/http:/trinitynewberg.org/reflections/do-you-understand-jesus

“Given the number of remarkable events already recorded in Mark's gospel, some at least of which should have been known to these Pharisees, it is not easy to see what more they required, but perhaps they had not yet personally witnessed any of the miracles, and were not prepared to trust to hearsay. It must be remembered, too, that the scribes in 3:22 did not doubt the occurrence of Jesus' exorcisms, but attributed them to demonic rather than to divine power. For them, even admitted miracles needed some authenticating sign to show that they were 'from heaven'.... Coming from the Pharisees, the request denotes not a readiness to be convinced, but an excuse for refusing to respond to the clear evidence already available in Jesus' teaching and ministry.” (R. T. France, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬, NIGTC, pages 311–312)

“Sometimes we think that only tragedy of major proportions could create hardness of heart and spiritual blindness in our lives. Jesus teaches his disciples otherwise. Here too little bread was a sufficient cause to show just how hard their hearts and how blind their spiritual understanding could be. Unbelief is like leaven: small, but influential; apparently insignificant, but all-pervasive in its influence.” (Sinclair B. Ferguson, 𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬, p. 123)

04/19/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐟 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫
How do you communicate with someone who speaks a different language? With someone who can neither hear nor speak intelligibly? Keep the question in mind as you look at what Jesus does in this incident recorded in Mark 7:31–37.
Quotations used in the Reflection for Trinity Prsbyterian Church http://trinitynewberg.org/http:/trinitynewberg.org/reflections/the-deaf-hear
“The man could not hear Jesus and he was also incapable of verbal communication. So Jesus 'spoke' to him in the language he could understand — sign language. The fingers placed in his ears and then removed meant, 'I am going to remove the blockage in your hearing.' The spitting and the touching of the man's tongue meant, 'I am going to remove the blockage in your mouth.' The glance up to heaven meant, 'It is God alone who is able to do this for you.' Jesus wanted the man to understand that it was not magic but God's grace that healed him.”
“Many years before, Isaiah had prophesied that one of the blessing of the messianic age would be that 'the ears of the deaf [would be] unstopped... and the tongue of the dumb [would] shout for joy' (Isa. 35:5–6). That day those Scriptures had been fulfilled in the Decapolis.” (Sinclair Ferguson, 𝘓𝘦𝘵'𝘴 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬, pages l14–116)
“The narrative concludes with a confession of faith which focuses on the messianic significance of the incident.... Mark intends an allusion to Isa. 35:5f. The choral exclamation of the crowd is the response of faith which recognizes in all the works of Jesus the promised intervention of God.” (William L. Lane, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘭 𝘈𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬, NICNT, p. 268)

04/12/2026

𝐏𝐞𝐭 𝐃𝐨𝐠𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧

You think of Jesus, appropriately, as compassionate. Why then, as Mark 7:24–30 records, when a woman is crying to him desperately for healing for her daughter, does Jesus tell her that it's not right to take the children's food and give it to the dogs? It seems out of character.
Quotations used in the Reflection for Trinity Presbyterian Church http://trinitynewberg.org/http:/trinitynewberg.org/reflections/pet-dogs-and-children

“The Lord Jesus indeed hid from Israel for a time but He did not disown His people. He could not do that because He could not deny God's covenant with them. God had first to fulfill His promise to Israel. God is eternally faithful to his covenant and grants His salvation by way of that covenant.” (S. G. De Graaf, 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, Vol. 3, p. 243)

“[T]he cure of the child of the Canaanitish woman is clearly significant, not simply as one more instance of a display of divine power, but as pointing to the flexibility of the rule that Jesus had been sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (15:24, 28).” (Ned B. Stonehouse, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵, pages 145–146)

“Jesus's true family consists of those who trust in him, not those who are related to him by blood. Because Jesus is restoring not only Israel but also all of creation, including gentiles (Matt. 15:21–28; 21:40–44), the true people of God no longer can be marked out by certain nationalistic badges that distinguish one nation from another.” (G. K. Beale, 𝘈 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘛𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺, p. 424)

04/04/2026

𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐇𝐚𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐔𝐩 𝐈𝐧 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲

“The Lord is risen indeed” is a refrain that is appropriate for every Lord's Day. The Christian Sabbath was moved to the first day of the week precisely because that was the day on which our Lord was raised from the dead. Celebrate it annually, if you wish, but also celebrate it each Sunday! And don't only look back to Christ's resurrection. Recognize, as Paul tells you in 1 Corinthians 15:54, that your resurrection is part of his being raised — and that makes very practical changes in how you live.

Quotations from the Reflection for Trinity Presbyterian Church http://trinitynewberg.org/http:/trinitynewberg.org/reflections/death-has-been-swallowed-up-in-victory

“By his own bodily resurrection, as the 'firstfruits,' death's final and complete destruction has already occurred for Christ personally an so is assured for the rest of the the harvest. But for them their actual, bodily participation in that destruction has yet to occur. Further, verses 50–52 make clear that the future victory over death in verses 54–55 will be at the time of the 'last trumpet,' that is, the final judgment (cf. 1 Thess. 4:16; Matt. 24:31).” “the culminating note on which the chapter ends (vv. 57–58) is consonant with this conclusion. Paul assures Christians, 'your labors are not in vain in the lord,' and that is so because of 'God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. But, from the immediately preceding verses (the references to victory in vv. 54–55), for them that death-destroying victory, while secured and certain, is still future.” (Richard B. Gaffin Jr., “Justification and Eschatology” in 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵: 𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺, pages 637 & 638)

“We can measure the upreach of our faith, the depth of our love, and the outreach of our hope by the extent to which we gravitate in our thought to that event when the Lord himself will be finally glorified and when the people of God shall enter into the complete fellowship of him in that exalted and final glory.” (𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘰𝘩𝘯 𝘔𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘺, Vol. 3, pp.245–246)

03/28/2026

𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞

Few things cut more deeply than betrayal, whether in a business relationship, a friendship, or a marriage. Mark describes the meal which is both the Last Supper, the last Passover, and the first Lord’s Supper as taking place in the context of betrayal. Mark 14:12–26 warns you of the sin of betrayal, summons you to heed the gracious warning Christ gives, and comforts you with the Savior who gave himself for you.
Quotations used in the Reflection for Trinity Presbyterian Church
https://trinitynewberg.org/http:/trinitynewberg.org/reflections/betrayal-at-the-table

“Judas is the example par excellence of the man who believes that he can never sin his way out of the grace of God. We should remember him if we ever think we can decide the point at which we will stop sinning. Sin deceives as well as hardens. It leads us to that great hardness of heart and blindness of understanding which ignores the last amber light. Ultimately even the warnings of the Son of God through his word are silenced. (Sinclair B. Ferguson, 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸, p. 228)

“He whose parent is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who does His will, has eaten His bread and will live eternally. But whoever is born of 'the father, the devil' eats the food of Satan....” “The sop which Jesus gives has the same effectiveness as the Word which God gives. That Word, also, never returns void; it achieves whatever pleases God and quickly effects the purpose for which God sent it. That Word forces choices upon men. It converts men, or it hardens them. It makes men bow, or it stiffens their necks in haughty obstinacy.” (K. Schilder, 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘚𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨, p. 176)

03/22/2026

𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧!

Tevye, in “Fiddler on the Roof,” asks, “How do we keep our balance?” The answer is: Tradition! It tells you how to eat, to sleep, to work, and what clothes to wear. You may smile, but traditions are important for you, also. And that’s not altogether bad. In Mark 7:1–23, Jesus contrasts mere human traditions with obedience to God.
Quotations from the Reflection for Trinity Presbyterian Church http://trinitynewberg.org/http:/trinitynewberg.org/reflections/tradition

“In their concern for the fulfillment of the letter of Scripture they forget that the Law was provided not for its own sake but to benefit men. It is an expression of God’s covenant faithfulness as well as of his righteousness and in no circumstance was obedience to one commandment intended to nullify another.” (William L. Lane, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘭 𝘈𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬, NICNT, p. 252)

“To presume to be wiser than God and holier than the law of God is not sanctity but sanctimony, and sanctimony is a vice.” “He who today forbids what God allows will almost certainly tomorrow allow what God forbids. The reason is obvious. Because of his emphasis on the commandments of men he is in imminent peril of neglecting the law of God.” (R. B. Kuiper, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵, p. 268)

“[T]he concept of sin and the sense of sin is sharpened and deepened by Jesus. Precisely by moving away from human ordinances and going back to the law of God in the Old Testament, he again makes the law known to us in its spiritual character....” (Herman Bavinck, 𝘙𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘋𝘰𝘨𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴, Vol. 3, p. 135)

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