As lessons Jesus taught progressed in the Gospel of Mark, it became evident, God desired a close relationship with Jesus' followers. As the Son of God, Jesus shared this desire. In His human form, Jesus showed how He desired a close relationship, reflecting our need for a close relationship. Created in God's image, this is one of the basic desires of life. Then it became evident relationships are a key factor in God's plan of salvation. Without relationships God's plan is lost. Misunderstanding of scripture combined with lack of a genuine relationship with Jesus led to the disciple's lack of support and disappointment at the cross. Once Jesus' disciples realized what they missed, the Spirit was able to effectively equip them for the task ahead. The same remains true today. Until you achieve an authentic relationship with Christ and His Spirit, you will never understand the deeper meaning of scripture, or be an effective worker in His vineyard. It all begins with a deep personal relationship with Jesus. As lessons Jesus taught progressed in the Gospel of Mark, it became evident, God desired a close relationship with Jesus' followers. As the Son of God, Jesus shared this desire. In His human form, Jesus showed how He desired a close relationship, reflecting our need for a close relationship. Created in God's image, this is one of the basic desires of life. Then it became evident relationships are a key factor in God's plan of salvation. Without relationships God's plan is lost. In Mark's Gospel, Jesus also mixed in lessons showing His disciples how to understand scripture. There are many reasons the disciples failed to learn either lesson. Complete misunderstanding of scripture combined with lack of a genuine relationship with Jesus led to the disciple's disappointment. Studying these details teaches a vital lesson about God's plan of salvation. Lack of support shown at the cross is meant to teach us lessons to properly equip us as disciples for these last days. Once Jesus' disciples realized what they had missed, the Spirit was able to effectively equip them for the task ahead. The same remains true today. Until you achieve an authentic relationship with Christ and His Spirit, you will never understand the deeper meaning of scripture, or be an effective worker in His vineyard. It all begins with a deep personal relationship with Jesus.