Gospel of Mark Bible Part 56: Jesus Blesses Children [Bible Study]

Bible Study Title: Jesus Blesses Children

Scripture

Mark 10:13–16

“And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, ‘Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.’ And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.”

Parallel passages: Matthew 19:13–15; Luke 18:15–17.

Introduction

Last week, we saw Jesus teach on the sanctity of marriage as an institution ordained by God and a picture of the relationship between Christ and the Church. We also noted why Satan continually attacks biblical marriage and the home.

In today’s passage, Jesus turns from defending marriage to defending children. As His fame spread, people came to Him for teaching, healing, and blessing—and in this text, parents specifically bring their children to Him for a blessing.

Recently in discipleship class, we discussed baptism and observed that biblical baptism requires personal faith in Christ and repentance from sin (for example Acts 2, Acts 8, Mark 16), something infants and very young children are not capable of. Scripture calls for confession of Christ and belief in His resurrection from the heart.

What we do see in Scripture as appropriate for infants and young children is blessing—what many churches practice as child dedication—where parents bring their children before the Lord in prayer and commitment. In today’s passage, “they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them,” that is, for the laying on of hands and prayer.

Opening question: When you picture Jesus with children in this passage, what stands out most to you?

I. Parents Bringing Their Little Children

A. The Parents’ Desire

1. Parents were actively bringing their children to Jesus so that He might touch them—an act of blessing through laying on of hands and prayer.

2. This reflects faith: they believed Jesus’ touch and prayer mattered for their children’s lives.

3. This also reflects humility: they did not assume they could bless their children as Christ could, so they brought them to Him.

You can point out other times Jesus responds with righteous anger when something blocks people from God (for example, the hard hearts in the synagogue, the cleansing of the temple, or His woes against religious leaders). He consistently confronts anything that stands between God and His people.

B. The Disciples’ Rebuke

1. The disciples rebuked those bringing the children. Perhaps they thought Jesus was too important or too busy for children, or that children were not significant enough.

2. In the culture of the ancient Mediterranean world, children were considered dependents with little social status. They had no voice in public life and were viewed as lowly, vulnerable, and powerless.

3. The disciples’ attitude mirrored that culture: children seemed unimportant, especially compared to adults seeking teaching or healing.

   
   

Discussion:

• Why might the disciples have thought they were protecting Jesus’ time by turning parents away?

• In what ways can the church today fall into similar thinking about children?

  
  

C. Jesus’ Indignation and the Nature of the Children

1. When Jesus saw what the disciples were doing, He became indignant—deeply and morally displeased. This was righteous anger, not a mild annoyance.

2. Jesus is especially angered whenever anyone or anything comes between God and His people, particularly the weak, the young, and the vulnerable.

3. The word used for “children” in Mark can refer to children up to about twelve years old, while Luke uses a term that can refer to infants. This suggests a range of ages present, including very small children. Mark’s note that Jesus took them in His arms fits especially well with very young children or infants.

   
   

Discussion:

• How does it affect you to know that Jesus is angered when people are hindered from coming to Him?

• What does His emotional response teach us about His heart for the weak?

  
  

II. Jesus Rebukes the Disciples and Honors the Children

A. “Let the Children Come to Me”

1. Jesus’ command is simple and strong: “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them.” He reverses the disciples’ actions and corrects their thinking.

2. He gives the reason: “for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Children, in their weakness and dependence, picture the kind of people who receive the kingdom.

3. Jesus adds a warning and condition: “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”

   
   

B. Childlike Qualities Needed to Enter the Kingdom

From this and related passages, we see at least these childlike virtues:

• Trust – Children instinctively trust those who care for them.

• Simplicity – They do not come with complex self-justification or religious pride.

• Humility – They know they are dependent and do not pretend to be self-sufficient.

  
  

This fits with being “poor in spirit” and “meek,” as Jesus teaches in the Beatitudes, and with His call in Matthew 18 to become like little children to enter the kingdom of heaven.

C. Jesus’ Personal Care for the Children

1. Jesus does not simply make a point and move on. He takes the children in His arms.

2. He lays His hands on them and blesses them, likely praying specifically for them.

3. Even though He is in the middle of important ministry, He stops and makes time for the children and their parents.

   
   

Discussion:

• What do these actions teach us about the value Jesus places on children?

• How should this shape our priorities as families and as a church?

  
  

  

III. Infant Baptism, Original Sin, and Child Blessing

This section helps clarify what this passage teaches—and does not teach—about children and baptism, from a Protestant, believer’s-baptism perspective.

A. Avoiding Eisegesis: What the Passage Does Not Say

1. Some traditions have used this passage to support infant baptism, but the text itself speaks of Jesus blessing children, not baptizing them.

2. In the New Testament, baptism is consistently connected to personal repentance and faith in Christ. It is commanded for those who hear the gospel, believe, and turn from sin.

3. Historically, evidence for infant baptism becomes clearer in the centuries after the apostles, especially after doctrinal formulations about original sin developed and spread. That is a historical development, not a New Testament command.

   
   

B. Original Sin and Personal Responsibility

1. Some views of original sin teach that infants are born not only with a sinful nature but also with Adam’s guilt in a legal sense, which was used by some to argue for the necessity of infant baptism.

2. However, passages like Ezekiel 18 emphasize that each person is responsible for his or her own sin: the soul who sins will die; the son will not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father the guilt of the son.

3. Scripture consistently teaches that judgment is according to one’s own deeds and one’s own response to God. Sin is fundamentally a personal rebellion, and forgiveness is received through personal repentance and faith.

   
   

You can state here that God does not condemn infants to hell for Adam’s sin, and that He is just and righteous in all His judgments.

C. Biblical Requirements for Baptism

1. Baptism in the New Testament is closely tied to:

   • Hearing and believing the gospel.

   • Repenting of sin.

   • Confessing Jesus as Lord.

2. Infants and very young children are not capable of these responses.

3. Therefore, this passage is better understood as support for child blessing/dedication rather than infant baptism.

   
   

Discussion:

• Why is it important to base our baptismal practice on clear New Testament teaching about repentance and faith?

• How does it comfort you to know that God judges each person for his or her own sin, not for someone else’s?

  
  

IV. Receiving the Kingdom and Ministering to Children (Application)

A. Receiving the Kingdom Like a Child

1. Jesus makes childlikeness a condition of entering the kingdom: “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”

2. This does not mean being childish or immature, but being humble, dependent, and trusting toward God.

3. Adults must lay down pride, self-sufficiency, and spiritual arrogance, and come to Christ the way a child comes to a loving father.

   
   

Questions for personal reflection:

• Where have you grown “too grown-up” for simple, humble dependence on God?

• What area of your life is Jesus calling you to trust Him in a more childlike way?

  
  

B. Our Responsibility Toward Children

1. Jesus’ example calls His disciples to welcome, protect, teach, and bless children.

2. We should be good role models—showing children what it looks like to follow Christ in faith, obedience, and love.

3. We must avoid causing little ones who believe in Him to stumble, and we must never hinder them from coming to Christ.

   
   

Practical applications:

• Prioritize children’s ministry and teaching the Bible clearly to children.

• Encourage parents to bring their children to the Lord regularly in prayer and dedication.

• Support child dedication services where parents publicly commit to raising their children in the faith and the church prays and blesses them.

  
  

C. The Value of Children and the Evil of Destroying Them

1. Jesus uses children as examples of the humility and dependence required to enter the kingdom of God.

2. A culture that destroys children—born or unborn—stands in direct opposition to God’s regard for life and to the very picture Christ uses to describe kingdom entrance.

3. Abortion, especially when embraced and celebrated in a culture, is rightly seen as a satanic assault on Christ’s design for life and family, and on those whom He declares precious.

   
   

Applications:

• Pray for an end to abortion and for laws and hearts to change.

• Pray for those who have been deceived or pressured into abortion, that they would find forgiveness and healing in Christ.

• Speak the truth in love, affirming that there is full pardon at the cross for every sin when we repent and believe.

  
  

V. Conclusion and Suggested Prayer Time

Therefore, we must receive the kingdom of God like little children—with childlike trust, simplicity, and humility. Jesus welcomes those who come to Him in this way and warns those who will not.

As a church, we should continue to offer child dedication, laying hands on children and praying for them, asking the Lord’s blessing and protection over their lives. We should also call every person who is old enough to understand the gospel to repent, believe in Christ, and then obey Him in believer’s baptism.

We must continually pray for our children, encourage them, and model Christ for them. We must also do all we can, spiritually and practically, to oppose the destruction of children in our culture, while extending grace and hope to those who are wounded by their past.

Suggested closing prayer focus:

• Thank the Lord that He welcomes us like children.

• Ask Him to give us childlike hearts toward His kingdom.

• Pray for the children in our families, church, and community.

• Pray for those hurt by abortion or false teaching, that they may know the forgiveness and healing found in Jesus Christ.

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