9/21 - Mark 7:1-37 | Clean on the Outside, Filthy Within

In Mark 7:1–23, Jesus exposes the futility of man-made religion. The Pharisees clung to rituals, believing they could make them clean, but Jesus makes clear the true problem isn’t dirty hands—it’s a defiled heart. No amount of scrubbing, no tradition or rule, can wash away the sin that flows from within us. But the good news is this: what religion cannot reach, Jesus restores. Through His sacrifice on the cross, He took our filth upon Himself and shed His blood to purify us, giving us a new heart and Spirit. Where our rituals only mask, His redemption makes us truly clean. Nothing but the blood of Jesus can wash away our sin, and nothing but His grace can make us whole.