Jesus, Help My Unbelief!

March 12, 2017

We all know that clean water is a necessity for life. In the United States most of us are not concerned about a lack of drinking water. However there are places in the world where finding enough drinking water is a great challenge. It’s not that there isn’t any water. It’s just that the source of water is contaminated. It is undrinkable. And so in those places there is an ongoing search for a source of good, clean water to sustain life.

As Christians we believe that Jesus Christ gives us life. And yet, every day we are faced with circumstances and questions that challenge our faith in Christ. Today as we look at Mk.8:14-26 I want to drive home the powerful truth that Jesus is the primary Source for our daily life in this world.

I. EVEN THOSE CLOSEST TO JESUS STRUGGLE WITH UNBELIEF. Mk.8:14-21

In order to get the context for this passage let me summarize the preceding events. In Mk.7:24 Jesus leaves the area of Capernaum which was governed by Herod Antipas. Antipas was the son of Herod the Great and it was Antipas who had John the Baptist beheaded. Many think Jesus left this area because of Antipas and because of increasing conflict with the Jewish religious leaders. Jesus goes northwest to the Gentile city of Tyre where he casts a demon out of a little girl. He then goes 20 miles north to Sidon and then turns southeast and makes his way to the east side of the Sea of Galilee into the Gentile area known as the Decapolis (the ten cites).

In Mk.8 Jesus is speaking to a crowd of about 4,000 gentiles who had been with Jesus for some 3 days and were running out of food. Jesus asked his disciples about how many loaves of bread they had. They had 7 loaves and a few small fish. So Jesus once again, miraculously fed the crowd of 4,000 people. They had seven baskets full of bread left over. It should not be missed that Jesus extended himself to the Gentiles just as he did earlier to the Jews in the feeding of the 5,000.

After this miracle Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee and returned to the area governed by Antipas. There some Pharisees came and Mk.8:11 tells us that they began to argue with Jesus, asking Jesus to perform a sign from heaven to test him. And Jesus responds by saying, “Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation." Jesus gets into the boat and sails northeast towards Bethsaida.

When you read a Bible story, it is often helpful to put yourself into the story. What is going on? How would you have felt, etc.? So here we are in the boat with Jesus and, “Shoot, we forgot to bring enough bread. There’s only one loaf here and there is 13 of us in the boat.” All of us have been in that kind of situation. We walk off and forget to bring our lunch or wallet, or whatever. But as they were talking about bread, Jesus had something far more important, on his mind. He tells the disciples to beware of the leaven or yeast of the Pharisees and Herod.”

In the Bible yeast rarely has a positive connotation. One exception is in Mt.13, where Jesus likens the growth of the Kingdom of God to yeast that slowly permeates in the dough of the world. But yeast generally refers to something that is negative. Just as yeast permeates a lump of dough causing the whole lump to rise, so negative, sinful thoughts, attitudes, and people have a way of infecting the whole. Here Jesus refers to the yeast or leaven of the Pharisees and Herod. What does he mean? Many think Jesus is referring to their hard, unbelieving hearts. Think about this, Jesus is warning his disciples about having that kind of unbelieving heart. “Really, Jesus? These are your disciples. You handpicked them. You don’t need to worry about these guys. They are on your side.”

But I don’t know, look at v.16. It’s like what Jesus said went in one ear and out the other. Somehow they had bread on the brain and all they could think about was the fact that they hadn’t brought enough bread with them. I want to submit to you that this conversation about bread is an indication of a serious deficiency in the faith of the disciples. They didn’t realize it, but Jesus did and he warned them that they were in danger of being like the Pharisees and Herod. So what is this about?

Well, when our lives are tied closely with this world, as they are since we live in this world, we will struggle with unbelief. Why is that? It is because the way of life in this world is all about sustaining one’s life through the acquisition of wealth and material goods through our own ingenuity. When we live or draw our life from this world, our awareness of spiritual reality and possibility is stunted. In other words we do not readily consider the reality and power of God in our daily living. There are many believers who for all intents and purposes are materialists and pragmatists. They live their daily lives without any real awareness of their need for God.

One thing we know about the disciples is that they were expecting Jesus to overthrow Roman occupation and restore the national kingdom of Israel. Their focus was on life in this world. When you focus on this world you will diminish Jesus.

In v.17-21 Jesus asks 7 back to back questions. And these questions show just how concerned Jesus was about the spiritual condition of his disciples. “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve." "And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" And they said to him, "Seven." And he said to them, "Do you not yet understand?"

What do you think the implied answer is to these questions? Jesus is implying that yes, their hearts are hard. They do not understand. They just do not get it. The disciples of Jesus did not view Jesus as being more than sufficient to care for their needs. They were not looking to Jesus for their life. They were looking to themselves. “We forgot to bring enough bread! “Now what are we going to do?”

If you have listened to me preach for any length of time, you know that one of my concerns is that the gospel message proclaimed today is focused on “getting my sins forgiven so that I can go to heaven when I die.” When the gospel is reduced to that thought there is little impetus to being a disciple, a follower of Jesus. “I prayed the sinner’s prayer and now I’m good to go to heaven when I die.” This is not the gospel proclaimed by Jesus, Peter, or Paul. The good news is that through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus living life in the kingdom of God is available now. When we come to Jesus in faith repenting of our sins and seeking his forgiveness we don’t get a ticket to heaven. Rather we immediately enter the kingdom of God and we begin living under the rule of Jesus Christ who is Lord of all. Heaven comes to dwell in us. In other words we received the resurrection, new creation life of Jesus to live right now in the power of the Holy Spirit.

If anyone had reason to think they had a lock on heaven, it would be the disciples who were close to Jesus. But Jesus is warning his disciples of having a hard heart of unbelief. Men and women, as Christians we do not live from this world. We do not draw our life from this world. We draw our life from Jesus. Do you struggle with unbelief? I don’t mean, do you sometimes have doubts. I mean do you live from you own sufficiency and ability or do you trust in Jesus for all things? Jesus couldn’t believe that they were worried about bread when he had shown them that he is more than able to provide bread. If they could not trust him for bread, how could they trust him for eternal living? These questions are for us to answer. Do we see and understand?

II. GROWING FAITH REQUIRES ONGOING RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. Mk.8:22-26

The boat landed and they came ashore at Bethsaida. Bethsaida was in the area governed by Philip the Tetrarch, who was also a son of Herod the Great and half-brother of Antipas. A blind man was brought to Jesus so that Jesus might touch him. This story also has bearing on the faith of Jesus’ disciples.

When Jesus healed people he did not heal everyone in the exact same way. For example when Jesus healed blind Bartimaeus in Mk.10 he merely told Bartimaeus to go his way and he could see. But that is not what Jesus does here.

Notice what Jesus does. He takes the blind man by the hand and leads him out of the village. Then he spits on the eyes of the man and lays his hands on him. Then he asks, “Do you see anything?” The man says, “Yes. I see people, but they look like walking trees.” Well, clearly more healing was needed, so Jesus lays his hands on the man’s eyes again and when the man opens his eyes his sight is fully restored. He sees everything clearly. And Jesus sends the man away.

Now this is very interesting. In a wonderful observation made by James Edwards, he points out that in v.23-25 there are 8 different Greek words used for sight and seeing. I looked at this and then contacted Edwards for clarification and, yes. He is right.  Why would Mark go to the trouble of using 8 different Greek words? Edwards suggests that Mark is making a very important point. With these words he is counterbalancing the questions Jesus asks his disciples in v.17-21. And in v.23 Jesus asks, “Do you see anything?” When Jesus healed Bartimaeus he didn’t ask if Bartimaeus could see anything. When Jesus does a miracle he usually makes a pronouncement of some kind. Here he asks a question. In fact it is a very similar question that Jesus asks his disciples in v.18. “Do you not see?”

In this miracle we see that Jesus touches the man repeatedly. We see that this man’s healing came in stages. Could that also be the case when it comes to our faith and trust in Jesus? Could it be that Jesus must continually work within our lives to strengthen and encourage our faith in him? Mark 8 is a significant dividing point in Mark’s gospel. The lack of belief that we see in 8:14-21 will transition into a better, but limited understanding as we work through this chapter.

What we need to recognize is that the only way for our faith in Jesus to become settled, sure, and consistent is for us to be at the feet of Jesus, listening to him and learning from him.

In Mk.9 a desperate father brings his son who has an unclean spirit to Jesus. The father says, If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus replies, “If you can! All things are possible for one who believe.” The man cries out, “I believe; help my unbelief!” Yes, all of us can make that cry. “Jesus help my unbelief.” Faith is a gift of God’s grace that is strengthened in the presence of Jesus. If we are not cultivating life in the presence of Jesus, we will be susceptible to hardness of heart. And when there is hardness of heart we do not look to Jesus for all of life and living. How is your heart today? Is your sufficiency for life resting fully on Jesus? Are you a follower of Jesus? Have you come to Jesus by faith for life under his rule, in his kingdom, through his death and resurrection? If not repent of your sin and call upon Jesus to save you and give you his life. Amen.

Taking a Seat at the Lord's Table

March 5, 2017

A child’s game sure to bring disappointment is musical chairs. If you have a group of 10 children, you set up 9 chairs in a circle with the seats facing out. While the music plays the children walk around the chairs. When the music stops each child must find a chair to sit in. But of course, one child will not have a seat, and that child is out. Each go you remove another chair so there is always one less. It is a game that can get rambunctious and cause hard feelings for children who want to win.

Today we are looking at Mk.3:21-35 and Mk.6:1-6. The Mark 3 passage is one of the sandwich passages. I want us to consider these passages because they speak to the matter of who has a seat at the Table with Jesus?

I. FAMILIARITY WITH JESUS DOES NOT GUARANTEE RELATIONSHIP. Mk.3:20-32; 6:1-6

In the first half of Mark’s Gospel we are amazed to see the goodness and power of Jesus. Jesus embodies and demonstrates the kingdom of God. But when the kingdom of God is revealed and proclaimed in this world there will be conflict. Already in Mk.2 when Jesus forgives the sin of a paralyzed man, the Jewish leaders who were present believed that Jesus was blaspheming because he was claiming for himself the authority of God to forgive sins.

In Mk.3 Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, in the synagogue and it was too much for the Pharisees who were present. It says in Mk.3:6 that the Pharisees went out and held counsel on how to destroy Jesus. In Mk.3:13 Jesus identifies and selects 12 disciples to be with him. And then in v.20 Jesus returns to Capernaum where he was staying in Peter’s house. (v.20-21).

In v.21 we read something surprising. Jesus’ family came to seize Jesus! They were saying that he was out of his mind! From what we can see, it would seem that his mother and brothers did not like what they were hearing. Clearly Jesus was not taking care of himself. Yes, he was doing good things, but the authorities were not happy and it would seem that Jesus was allowing the crowds to dictate his life. He didn’t even have time to eat. He was driven by the crowds. “What is Jesus doing? This is such an embarrassment to our family!” Clearly the family of Jesus felt that they knew what was wrong with Jesus and they were going to take care of him. And just like that, Mark starts into another story.

Some scribes came from Jerusalem to Capernaum to find out just what Jesus was doing. This is sort of like bringing the Feds in from Washington, D.C. to find out what is going on in Chicago. Of course the scribes were well educated in Jewish scripture and theology. They knew how to interpret the Bible and they were held in high regard by the Jewish people. When they saw what Jesus was doing, it was their esteemed opinion that Jesus was possessed by Beelzebul, which is another name for Satan, the prince of demons. In other words, they were giving the people the idea that you can’t trust Jesus because he is doing these things by the power of the devil. First it was his own family trying to seize Jesus, and then it was the Jewish religious leaders who were trying to discredit Jesus. They also knew what they were talking about. They were well educated.

No one is certain as to the exact meaning of “Beelzebul.” In his commentary, James Edwards points out that the name seems to refer to an exalted ruler over a house or dynasty. In v.23-27, Jesus quickly turned the tables on the scribes. He replied, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.” Jesus is asking, “What kind of sense does it make to say that Satan casts demons out of people? Satan wants to destroy people.” In v.27 Jesus implies that he is the one who enters into the house or dynasty of Beelzebul, binds him and liberates his captives.

(v.28-30) Many have read these verses and have wondered if perhaps they committed this unforgivable sin. What is the unforgivable sin? Verse 30 is helpful because Mark points out that they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” New Testament scholar, Dr. Walter Wessel writes, “Jesus had done what any unprejudiced person would have acknowledged as a good thing. He had freed an unfortunate man from the power and bondage of evil. This he did through the power of the Holy Spirit, but the teachers of the law ascribed it to the power of Satan.” James Edwards writes, “The sin against the Holy Spirit is...a specific misjudgment that Jesus is motivated by evil rather than by good, that he is empowered by the devil rather than by God.” I believe we are talking about an intentional misjudgment and a blatant, persistent rejection of Jesus. If you think you might have committed the unforgivable sin and you are worried about it, you have not committed it. The person who commits this sin is not at all concerned about it.

More importantly by putting this story in the middle of the first story, Jesus is saying something that is sobering. Look at v.31-32. Jesus’ own family were suggesting that Jesus was out of his mind and needed to be controlled. They were coming to do that. Now Jesus does not say that they were also committing this unforgivable sin. We know that at least James and Jude and his mother, Mary came to faith in Christ. But we don’t know about the others. Nevertheless, they were ignoring the obvious truth about Jesus and implying untrue things about Jesus. A dismissive attitude and a persistent heart of unbelief toward Jesus is dangerous.

(6:1-6) Here Jesus visits his hometown, Nazareth. By this time his reputation for doing miracles was well established. Jesus was well known in Nazareth. He grew up in Nazareth. You would think the people who knew him best would have given him a parade. “Local boy makes good.” What did they do? They diminished Jesus. “Wait, isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not his sisters here with us?” It is said that, “familiarity breeds contempt,” and that seems to be true for the people of Nazareth in regard to Jesus. So dismissive were they that Jesus marveled at their unbelief. Throughout the first half of Mark’s gospel, people are amazed at Jesus. Here Jesus is amazed at their unbelief.

Look at this. Jesus’ family, the religious leaders, and his own home town all rejected and dismissed Jesus. You would think they would have been the first to acknowledge and embrace Jesus. You would think they would be insiders.But no.

Perhaps you were raised in a Christian home with godly parents. Perhaps you went to church on a regular basis and learned much about Jesus. Perhaps you are well versed in the Bible. Well, none of this guarantees that you will embrace Jesus Christ as Lord. In fact, what we see here is that these people had hard hearts towards Jesus and that puts one in a perilous condition.

II. THOSE WHO DO THE WILL OF GOD HAVE A SEAT AT THE TABLE. Mk.3:34-35

So far we have been looking at people who had had significant access to Jesus: family, neighbors, and religious leaders. So far we have seen that they are on the outside, separated from Jesus, even antagonistic to Jesus.

But here we find Jesus in a house and the crowd is sitting around him. Jesus’ mother and brothers are standing outside calling him to come to them. When Jesus is told that his mother and brothers are seeking him, we are surprised at what Jesus says.

Who are Jesus’ family? Who has a seat at the Table of Jesus? Jesus says it is those who do the will of God. What does that mean? Well, I can tell you that Jesus is not just talking about doing good things for others. Doing good things is important and is surely a part of doing God’s will because God’s will is always good. But we’re not just talking about a general sense of doing good. It is more than that.

First we notice that these people were sitting around Jesus. They are attending to the presence of Jesus. They are listening to him. They are being with him. This conveys the idea of discipleship. In 3:14 we see that he called his disciples to be with him. None of his family, or neighbors or religious leaders wanted to be with Jesus. They wanted to control or hinder Jesus. But Jesus is seeking those who will be with him.

Assuming that you are a disciple of Jesus, how are you with him each day? I’m sure that many of us read a portion of scripture or a devotional booklet each day. We spend some time in prayer. And that is important, but it’s possible to do these things in a mindless way. So being with Jesus means that we engage mind and heart in his presence. We are cultivating an awareness that wherever we are and whatever we are doing, we are in the presence of Jesus who is at work with us.

Along with this, being with Jesus means that we trust him. We are with him because we trust him with our lives. We find our strength in him. We find forgiveness in him. Our very life is in him.

But there is something else. Doing the will of God means that we are willing to serve him. In Mk.3:14 it says, “And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach.” Doing the will of God involves serving the Lord. Jesus sends the 12 out to proclaim the kingdom of God in Mk.6. Now you may not be a preacher. That’s okay. If you are a disciple of Jesus he wants to use you to promote life in the kingdom of God through the way that you live and talk. He calls us to take what we learn from being with him into the world. And this is not just an individual undertaking. This is an ecclesial calling. The body of Christ is called to serve him in the world. And of course this means that as a local congregation we must be promote fellowship and community with each other and with the Lord.

Now before us is the Lord’s Table. Who qualifies to have a seat at the Lord’s Table? Well let me mention who does not qualify. People who have a Christian heritage but who have never personally embraced Jesus by faith as Savior, Lord, and King do not qualify to have a seat here. Just being born into a Christian family doesn’t make one a Christian. Jesus’ own mother, brothers, and sisters were not automatically followers of Jesus. What is more, those who were raised in the church and who have Bible knowledge about Jesus, but who have never repented of their sins and called upon Jesus to save them, are not qualified to have a seat at the Lord’s Table. Anyone who takes Jesus lightly does not qualify to have a seat at the Table. Jesus made it clear, that his family are those who do the will of God.

The Lord’s Table is highly significant and to be highly valued. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit believers, the Church, is brought into the presence of Jesus Christ around his Table. He didn’t give this ordinance to individuals. He gave it to the church and so it must have significant, ongoing value for the gathered church. The Lord’s Table is not a place for perfect people. It is a place for forgiven people, for people who have entered into and are living out his new creation life by faith. In a few moments we will gather to the Lord’s Table. Do you have a seat at the Lord’s Table? Do you know him? Unlike the game, musical chairs, there are plenty of seats available for those who know Christ. If you do not know Christ, this Table beckons you to come to Christ today. Amen

Please Hurry, Jesus!

February 26, 2017

There are different kinds of fear. Some fears comes suddenly when we are presented with an unexpected threatening situation. We hardly have time to think. We just react. Maybe we run or stand and find a way to control the situation. Other fears grow slowly. They take shape in our heart and mind as we contemplate various events and situations going on around us. Over time, as you see what is going on at work you begin to fear that you might be let go. Still other fears are the result of our family of origin. For whatever reason we are afraid of being rejected and so we don’t initiate.

Today we are in Mark 5 looking at v.21-43. This is one of the sandwich stories in Mark. He beings with one story but puts another story in the middle of the first story. The middle story holds the key for understanding the whole passage. As we look at this passage in Mark, I want to commend to you the words of Jesus, "Do not fear, only believe."

I. FEEL THE DESPERATION. Mk.5:21-26

After restoring the demon possessed man, Jesus and his disciples sailed back across the Sea of Galilee. No sooner had Jesus arrived but a crowd gathered around him and a ruler of the synagogue named Jairus came and fell at Jesus’ feet. As a synagogue ruler he was in charge of the overall maintenance, security, and orthodoxy of the synagogue. He lined up those who would read the scripture, offer prayers, and preach.

But understandably, this man was deeply troubled because his 12 year old daughter was near death. He came and fell at Jesus’ feet and asked Jesus to come and lay his hands on her that she might live. He knew what Jesus could do and so he was hopeful that his daughter could be saved. Verse 24 simply says that Jesus went with him, along with a large crowd. Just a note to say that this is how Jesus is. He went around doing good. He was especially inclined to be a blessing to children.

But as they were making their way, something happened that caused a delay. There was a woman who suffered with a discharge of blood. Her bleeding problem began about 12 years earlier, just around the time when the little girl had been born. Imagine that. For 12 years she was bleeding! In just a few words Mark tells us a great deal about this woman. She had suffered much under the care of physicians. After all, in those days medicine was primitive. I was reading about how excessive menstrual bleeding was treated back then and I am not at all surprised that she suffered at the hands of physicians. But this was not just a physical problem. It became an economic problem. Doctors do not work for free. This woman had spent all she had to pay the doctors and she was no better. In fact, the bleeding grew worse.

And it is important to see that this was also a spiritual and social problem. In Judaism, menstruation caused a woman to be unclean. Whatever and whoever a woman touched also became unclean. She was not allowed to go to the temple to worship. Since the woman in this story had been bleeding for 12 years, she was essentially cut off from her community and from corporate worship.

Many people live with great heartache, suffering, and desperation. Today if one of our children becomes seriously ill to the point of death, even though the doctors can do amazing things, every parent is desperate to get help. We go for the best help available to us. I don’t know about you, but I am one who can easily worry about my children. They are dear.

But our own lives are also precious to us, to God, and to others. In Ps.22:20, David writes, “Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog!” Our lives are precious. There is within us a desire for life. And so when debilitating illness comes upon us we feel desperation and we go for help. We want to get better. We want to live.

And just like this woman, we may feel cut off from our community. We may not be able to get to church. And we find ourselves having to pay huge medical bills. Sooner or later, these are the realities of our lives.

II. EXERCISE FAITH IN JESUS. Mk.5:27-36

These verses hold the key to the entire passage. The woman had also heard about what Jesus could do. And as she thought about Jesus and her situation it occurred to her that if she could just touch his robe she would be healed. She could do that anonymously and avoid embarrassment. So, what did she have to lose? “Let me just touch his robe.” Now keep in mind that what she did was inappropriate. She was unclean. Just to give you an idea of some of the thinking in that day: one passage in the Talmud “teaches that if a menstruating woman passes between two men, either one of them will die (if she is at the beginning of her [period]). If she is at the end of her [period] the men will quarrel.” What a strange idea! Sounds like something men would come up with. Well, this woman was determined. She made her way to Jesus and touched his robe. Immediately she realized that she had been healed.

Just as immediately, Jesus realized that healing power had gone out from him. And he immediately asked, “Who touched my garments?” Think about this. A lot was going on in those moments. On the one hand Jesus and the disciples are trying to get to the bedside of a 12 year old girl who was near death. On the other hand, Jesus was trying to determine who had touched him. The disciples knew nothing about the woman and they became upset with Jesus. “Why are you wasting precious time? There are any number of people who probably touched you.” Jesus continued looking around and the woman realized that she could not evade Jesus any longer.

She came in fear and trembling and fell down before him. This is the third person to come and fall before Jesus in Mk.5. First it was the demoniac, then Jairus, and now this woman. She told him the whole truth. Notice that Jesus in no way called her out for making him unclean. Nothing makes Jesus unclean; he brings cleansing. But more importantly Jesus is not merely a dispenser of miracles. He pursues people. He desires relationship.

There are many people who cry out to Jesus for healing, as if Jesus is a dispenser of miracles. They cry out to Jesus but have no particular intention of embracing or knowing Jesus. What is more, Jesus was not going to let this woman go away thinking that the healing was merely the result of her touching his robe. It wasn’t a magical healing. If Jesus had not spoken with the woman, she might have told others, “Hey all you have to do is touch his robe and you will get your healing.” No. The healing was the result of her faith in him. This was a personal transaction grounded in faith. She acted on what she believed to be true about Jesus. And Jesus healed her, not his robe.

Jesus said to her, “Go in peace and be healed, or delivered of your disease.” Now this woman knew Jesus. She didn’t just experience the power of Jesus. She experienced the person of Jesus. We don’t know any more about her accept that she becomes a model of faith in this passage.

Unfortunately in ministering to the woman, Jesus delayed and the little girl died. In v.35 it says that some came from the synagogue ruler’s house and said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further.” Hear the reality of this statement. We all understand. Death is the final word. As long as she was hanging onto life there was a chance Jesus could heal her. But not now. She is dead. Jesus heard what they said and in v.36 he told the synagogue ruler, “Do not fear, only believe,” and Jairus listened to what Jesus said.

This is a great challenge for many of us who profess faith in Christ. Will we be overwhelmed by our circumstances or will we trust Christ in our circumstances? Mark wants us to think long and hard about these situations because he is seeking to encourage our faith in Christ. Exercise faith in Jesus in any and every situation.

III. ENTER INTO LIFE WITH JESUS. Mk.5:37-43

Jesus takes Peter, James, and John with him and they go to Jairus’ house. Already the paid, professional mourners were clapping their hands and wailing in loud, haunting laments. It was the expected way to express grief. They had seen death many times and there was no doubt in their minds that the little girl had truly died.

When Jesus arrived he said something that sounds odd. “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but ‘sleeping.” The mourners began laughing. What a dumb thing to say. They knew a corpse when they saw one. All the visible signs pointed to death. But for Jesus, death is never final. Jesus put everyone out of the house except for the three disciples and the child’s parents. They went into the room where the child was laying and Jesus took her by the hand and using endearing words he said, “Talitha cumi.” Little girl, I say to you, arise.” And of course she immediately came to life. She got up and began walking around.

There are a number of observations to make. First I want to observe that in Mk.5 Jesus ministers in three situations that involved uncleanliness. The demoniac, the bleeding woman, and the dead girl were all unclean according to Jewish law. In the Bible uncleanliness is transferable. Someone who is unclean will make a clean person unclean, except in the case of Jesus. Jesus makes all things new. Nothing you have done, nothing that has been done to you, puts you beyond the saving love, grace and mercy of Jesus.

Second I want us to see that when it comes to trusting in Jesus no one has a leg up. The synagogue ruler held a position of honor in the community. The woman who was bleeding was in a position of dishonor. But Jesus was more than willing to bring healing and restoration to her life. He didn’t over look her. In fact he particularized her. She was every bit as important to Jesus as Jairus. And because of this Jairus had to patiently wait. And this suggests a third observation.

Jesus is never rushed. Jesus is not bound by time and circumstances. And that can be difficult for us to accept. When we come to Jesus with a pressing concern we want him to act right away. And we want him to provide whatever it is we think we need. The question for all of us is, do we trust Jesus to know and do what is best in any and every given situation of our lives. Do we believe that Jesus has our best in his heart?

When Jesus walked this earth he was revealing the goodness and power of the kingdom of God. In fact he continually gave of himself sacrificially that others might experience restoration and life through him. Each of these people, the demoniac, the woman, the little girl were given a new life to live. Of course the deepest, most significant expression of the goodness and power of the kingdom of God is seen in the cross and resurrection of Jesus. On the cross Jesus died for our sins. He died and rose in order to heal the deepest sickness of our lives. It is our sinful condition, our rebellion and disobedience to God and his goodness.

True, we often pray for healing and just as often it seems that healing doesn’t come. If Jesus is the healer why doesn’t he heal? Well, do you trust Jesus enough to patiently wait for him? More importantly have you entered into the new life that he has made available through his life, death, and resurrection? The greatest gift that Jesus has to give is life in himself, not healing from a sickness. The miracles of Jesus were done to show that he is the source of life. If you are healed of a sickness in this world and yet fail to enter into eternal living through faith in Christ, you have settled for so much less. You have turned away from life itself and you will die.

Jesus didn’t just heal the woman. He brought the woman into a life giving relationship with himself. That is what he wants to do for you and me. When we receive new eternal life from Jesus through the forgiveness of our sins, we begin to learn by experience that Jesus is holding our lives safe and even if we get sick and our bodies die, our life is safe in the kingdom of God. This is the healing of utmost importance. Have you entered into life with Jesus?

 Life in this world is filled with sickness, sadness, hardship, and trouble. This past week I read about a pastor who was on a cruise with his wife and parents. Both couples were celebrating their wedding anniversaries. On the 3rd day of the cruise this pastor began to struggle doing basic things like reading his watch or writing a note. When the ship docked he immediately went to the emergency room and learned that he has a cancerous tumor in his brain. He has months to live. The good thing is that he has entered into life with Christ. He knows Christ. He writes, “I am asking God to heal me. My life is in His hands, and I can't think of a better place for it to be. If he chooses to take me home I am good with that. I am ready. For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” He continues, “I know where I'm going, and I'm ready. Though this is a very sad day for me, filled with tears, I have to say that there is a peace in the mix that defies understanding. He has proved Himself to me many times, and I trust Him.” Jesus said, “Do not fear, only believe.” So do you know Christ? Have you entered into his eternal, kingdom life? Amen

What Has Jesus Done for You?

February 19, 2017

This past Tuesday it was Valentines Day. Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love. On Valentine’s Day people do things for the one’s they love. But in our relationships it is not uncommon to feel that we are the one doing things for others and sometimes we wonder what others are doing for us. In 1986 Janet Jackson sang a song about that, “What have you done for me lately?” The song, “revolves around a woman's frustration with her partner in a relationship.”

Today we are looking at Mk.5:1-20. This event in the ministry of Jesus gives us opportunity to reflect on our relationship with Jesus. And as we look at this event I am going to ask the question: How much has Jesus done for you?

I. THE DEVIL HAS COME TO DESTROY. Mk.5:1-5

In 1Jn.3:8 it says, “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” These days talk about the Devil is more tongue in cheek than anything else. The reality is that many, including some Christians, do not really believe in the devil anymore.

Of course there are Christians who find the devil in everything and they are regularly rebuking or binding satan, praying for a hedge of angels to protect the church or family. I remember a woman who saw my mom itching her nose and concluded that there was a demon in her nose. She cast it out!

But many do not believe in the devil. And yet, according to 1Jn.3:8 Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. In his book, “Reviving Old Scratch: Demons and the Devil for Doubters and the Disenchanted,” Richard Beck points out that when we do away with the devil we are forced to attribute everything that is evil to a matter of social, political, or economic injustice, as if there is no spiritual component. If you don’t believe there is a spiritual component to the evil in this world, you will seek to deal with evil as if you are wrestling only with flesh and blood, as Paul writes. The spiritual power of God as a resource will be off the table.

So here we have a man who is in a pitiful condition. If you don’t believe in the devil you look only for non-spiritual causes. Maybe this man was deprived and abused as a child. Maybe he had a mental illness and his parents could not care for him. Eventually he was shunned by family, friends, and community. Maybe he alienated himself because of his behavior.

He was driven from the community and so he lived in the caves in which people buried their dead. Night and day he was crying out in a loud voice. He was cutting himself with stones. Well, what do you do with a man like this? People from the community tried to chain him up and put him in shackles. They tried unsuccessfully to subdue him. This man was a disruption to the community.

I remember a situation when I lived in West Africa. The principal of the school where I was teaching was actually chained up for a while because he seemed to be mentally ill. He was doing crazy things. Off senses, was the expression used. If the man in Mk.5 was living today he would be committed to a psychiatric facility and given drugs to keep him subdued.

Now in the case of this man the text tells us that he had an unclean spirit. Later in v.12-13, we see that there were many unclean spirits in this man. Perhaps they spoke as one voice. When we look in the Bible we learn that the devil has been sinning from the beginning. He is a tempter and a deceiver who prowls around looking to devour people. He is a liar and schemes against God and the people of God. He works in the arena of death, destruction, and fear. He works within the social, political, and economic structures of the world. The devil opposes all that is good and of God. And in this passage we see just what the devil can accomplish in the life of a person.

I am not going to try to explain what this is all about, because I don’t know. People are complicated and trying to discern the spiritual, physical, emotional, and social components is difficult. Did this man give himself over to an unclean spirit? I know someone who did that. Was this man raised in a home that practiced occult activities? We don’t know. It doesn’t say that this man was evil. It says that he had an unclean spirit. In many ways he was victimized by the unclean spirit. He was out of control. He was demonized. He was being destroyed in heart, mind, soul, and body. That’s what the devil does. The devil is seeking to do this in all of our lives.

I want to caution us to be careful what we say about people who are suffering in emotional ways. Maybe you know someone or have a family member who suffers in similar ways, cutting themselves, crying out uncontrollably, perhaps hurting others. I would hesitate to say that such a person has an unclean spirit or that he or she is demon possessed. Unless there is clear evidence to alert us to that reality we must be careful about putting labels on people. We can do great harm to a sensitive soul.

In the case of this man there were some signs to indicate that his problem was more than just mental, emotional, physical, and social. For one thing, when Jesus got out of the boat, this man was compelled to come and fall on his knees before Jesus. He knew who Jesus was. He seemed to have strength beyond what a normal person would have, breaking chains and shackles.

If the devil is given a foothold he will employ any and every resource at hand to destroy a person’s life. So, of course, the person will be effected spiritually, emotionally, physically and intellectually. That’s why it is not easy to discern. Suffice it to say that the devil has come to destroy. That is what he does.

II. JESUS HAS COME TO RESTORE. Mk.5:6-15

Jesus and his disciples had crossed the lake, experiencing a life-threatening storm. The disciples saw Jesus speak with authority to the winds and the waves, bringing peace and calm. They were in awe of Jesus. As soon as the man saw Jesus he came and fell on his knees before Jesus. In v.7, he says in a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?” James Edwards writes, “In Judaism, ‘Most high God’ is an epithet emphasizing the transcendence and exaltation of Israel’s God over pagan gods and goddesses and rival powers.” It is found 31 times in the Old Testament. In other words this unclean spirit knew that Jesus was Israel’s God, the one, true God in the flesh.

According to v.8, Jesus had already been commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. He asked the man to say his name. But it seems that the man was not able to even do that. The unclean spirit replied, “Legion, for we are many.” A Roman legion was the largest unit in the Roman army, containing as many as 5,200 men. This unclean spirit was like a legion of soldiers with a violent grip on this poor man.

The spirit begged Jesus to not send them out of the country. In Luke it says they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss.” The abyss refers to the final destination of satan and his demonic angels. Instead they asked Jesus to let them go into the herd of 2,000 pigs that was nearby. It says that Jesus gave them permission. And what happened next was astounding. The spirits came out of the man and went into the herd of pigs and the pigs rushed down a steep bank and drowned in the sea. No one was expecting that. If there was any doubt about the reality of the devil, all doubt was removed.

People raise the question about why Jesus would do harm to the local economy by letting the spirits destroy the herd of pigs. The text doesn’t address that question. Perhaps Jesus wanted everyone to see the reality of the devil and his work. Perhaps for Jesus the value of one life far surpasses the value of a herd of pigs.

In Acts 16 Paul was in Philippi and there was a servant girl who had a spirit of divination. She brought great gain to her owners by fortune-telling. The girl was following Paul and crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” When Paul commanded the spirit to leave the girl, her owners were upset and brought Paul and Silas before the rulers. Paul did a good thing, but took away the owners’ source of income. Paul didn’t seem too upset about that. He was more concerned about the gospel and the girl.

The pig herders went into the nearby city and told what happened. People came out to see for themselves. And they were amazed by what they saw. The man was sitting there, clothed and in his right mind. This is what Jesus does. He restores people to their right mind. He restores one’s identity. He restores wholeness. The man was sitting in the presence of Jesus. Do not lose that thought.

Jesus not only has the authority and power to bring quiet and calm to a raging storm at sea. Jesus has the authority and power to bring quiet and calm to the raging storms that the evil one brings into our lives. Is there anyone here whose life is fragmented? Is there anyone here whose life is being torn apart by a raging sea of fear, uncontrollable desires, and self loathing? Is there anyone here who has reason to think they are being oppressed by unclean spirits? Well, your ship has come in. Jesus is here and he loves you and he has all authority in heaven and earth at his disposal. He wants to restore your life.

III. EVERYONE IS CALLED TO RESPOND. Mk.5:16-20

In these verses we see a couple of different responses to this miracle. But to respond to the miracle is to respond to Jesus, the miracle worker. This is very important.

The townspeople were afraid and they begged Jesus to leave their area. Isn’t that amazing? You would think they would welcome Jesus, but no. “Jesus, please leave us. Leave us alone. You are disrupting our lives.” It should not surprise any of us when people express little interest in Jesus and the good news of life in the kingdom of God. Life in the kingdom of God is disruptive to life in this world. Living from this world is all about eating and drinking. In other words we derive our life from what is found in this world and what the people of this world produce. It is all temporal and therefore will not ultimately satisfy. And much of it is driven by pride and selfishness which ultimately destroys a person. However living from the Kingdom of God is all about eternal righteousness, joy, and peace. The kingdom of this world and the Kingdom of God offer two competing sources of life.

These people were amazed at seeing the man sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, but they were afraid that Jesus would cause too much upheaval and disruption. “Please leave.”

Jesus does not stay where he is not wanted. So he went back to the boat. But then something significant happened. The man whose life had been restored went to Jesus and he also begged something from Jesus. He begged to go with Jesus that “he might be with him.” Look at Mk.3:14. It says, “And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons.” Disciples are called to be with Jesus that they might learn from him. That is what this man wanted. He wanted to be with Jesus. He wanted to be a disciple of Jesus. Why? Well, because of what Jesus did for him he was more than willing to surrender his life to Jesus in discipleship.

The townspeople got what they wanted. Jesus left. This man did not get what he wanted. Jesus said, “No.” He did not grant this man’s request. Perhaps having a Gentile among the disciples would have caused difficulties for Jesus. It’s just a thought. I don’t know. But Jesus said to the man, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

Was the man disappointed? It doesn’t say. Rather it says that he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.” The man didn’t just go home to his friends. He went into the Decapolis, the ten Gentile cities in that region and told people what Jesus had done for him. Why did he do this? He did this because Jesus told him to. He did this because he had become a disciple, a follower of Jesus.

Now I could end this by pointing out that we must also go and tell. And while that is true, I would rather ask you this: How much has the Lord done for you? Jesus Christ not only died that our sins may be forgiven. He rose from the dead to give eternal living in his kingdom now. What is different about your life because of Jesus Christ? Are you his disciple?

In the latter half of the 17th century, Lutheran Pastor, Benjamin Schmolck wrote these words, “My Jesus, as thou wilt! O may thy will be mine; into thy hand of love I would my all resign. Through sorrow, or through joy, conduct me as thine own; and help me still to say, "My Lord, thy will be done.” The man in Mk.5 not only said, “Thy will be done.” He did it! How much has the Lord done for you? What is your response to Jesus?

Obviously I don’t know what goes on in your heart and mind. I don’t know the deepest needs of your life. I do know the person who has the authority and power to restore your life. And he will do it if you will come to him and fall on your knees in repentance and faith.

What is your response to Jesus?

Even the Wind and the Waves?

February 12, 2017

Two weeks ago a guy I play hockey with shared some bad news. He and his wife learned that she had breast cancer and they were waiting to hear about whether or not she needs chemo. They were shocked. It came out of the blue.

That is the way of things in this world. Life in this world is not a respecter of persons. To be sure some of our problems are our own doing, but much of what happens to us just happens. It is beyond our control. We have little say over it.

In Marks’s gospel, Mark makes a point to show that Jesus has authority over all circumstances in life. If you just read through the first 4 chapters you will be amazed at what Jesus is able to do. Today we are looking at a very powerful event that took place in the ministry of Jesus. As we look at this event my hope is that you will come to realize that Jesus has authority over every circumstance of your life.

I. HEAR THE DISCIPLES REBUKE JESUS. Mk.4:35-38

Jesus had been teaching all day while sitting in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. As evening approached he told his disciples to sail to the other side of the lake. In other words they would be heading to the east side of the lake which was a Gentile area.

The Sea of Galilee is 13 miles long and 8 miles wide, about the size of Washington, D.C. It is about 700 feet below sea level and is the lowest fresh water lake on earth and second-lowest in the world after the Dead Sea which is 1,412 feet below sea level. It is also important to know that the Sea of Galilee is subject to serious squalls in the early evening. The squalls can quickly turn a sailing trip into a life threatening situation. Today these are called “sharkias,” which is Arabic for “shark.”

They began to sail across the lake and one of these furious squalls came and it was so serious that water from the waves was breaking into the boat and the boat was filling up.

A boat from around the time of Jesus was discovered in the Sea of Galilee in 1986. It was about 27 feet long, 7½ wide, and about 4½ feet high. Even though a number of the disciples were experienced sailors on the Sea of Galilee, this was a serious situation and they feared for their lives.

Now let’s think about this. They set sail at the request of Jesus. They were doing what Jesus asked them to do. If you will, they were in the center of God’s will, as we sometimes like to say. But obviously doing what God wants you to do does not shield one from the harsh circumstances of life. If we have that expectation we are going to be disappointed. Following Jesus does not guarantee health, wealth, recognition, success, or ease in this world.

Everyone knows that life in this world is subject to many frightening and dangerous circumstances regardless of your religious beliefs. We live in a fallen world where things go wrong on a regular basis. People get sick with viruses and diseases. Natural disasters are common. People make mistakes. People do bad things to others. There are bad germs and chemicals. Things break and fall apart. Accidents happen every day and clearly, God seems to allow his people to experience all that life in this world brings. Jesus told us that in this world we will have trouble.

And do not miss the irony. Jesus was in the boat with his disciples, sleeping! This story appears in all three synoptic gospels. It is the only time we read about Jesus sleeping. Of all times to be sleeping! The disciples woke him up and said, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” They were rebuking Jesus. “What? Are you are going to let us perish? We are your disciples!”

We would all say that Jesus truly cares about whether or not we perish. But the reality for many of us who are followers of Christ is that when we are facing terrifying circumstances we begin to question God. “How can you do this to me? Why would you allow this to happen to me?” For all practical purposes it seems to us that Jesus is asleep. He doesn’t seem to answer our prayers. He doesn’t always bring healing. And so we register our rebuke towards God and Jesus. “I don’t think God cares about me.”

Note that Jesus doesn’t rebuke his disciples by saying, “Hey, watch your tongue. You shouldn’t be talking to me like that! Don’t you know who I am?” I’m being facetious here. But I want to make the point that God and his Son, Jesus, fully understand our situations and they fully understand who we are and know the frailty of our frame. I believe it is always best to bring your complaints about God to him. Get it out in the open. These disciples thought they were about to perish and they woke Jesus up in desperation and rebuked him.

Perhaps you have, or are now, or will soon, face serious, even life threatening, circumstances. What doubts and questions do you carry in your heart about God? Give voice to them in prayer. It is important for your spiritual wellbeing.

II. HEAR JESUS REBUKE THE STORM. Mk.4:39, 41

The main take away from this story is that Jesus is Israel’s God come in the flesh, who exercises the full authority of God. The winds ceased and sea grew calm. In fact it literally says “there was a mega calm. We get our word, “mega” from the Greek word used here.

There are two Old Testament passages that seem to stand behind this event. The first is found in Ps.107:23-32. Let me read it. “Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the LORD, his wondrous works in the deep. For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.”

The second passage is found in the book of Jonah. You remember the story. Jonah boarded a ship to Tarshish in order to run away from God and God sent a terrible storm and Jonah told the pagan sailors that the only way to save themselves was to throw him into the water. They did this and the seas became calm. In Jonah 1:16 we read, “Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.”

One other observation: In v.39 Jesus rebukes the wind and the sea. The same word is used in Mark when Jesus speaks to demons to cast them out. There is no magic here. This is divine authority.

These observations are all meant to show that Jesus is God. Jesus is God, the same God as is found in the Old Testament. No one can calm the seas by merely speaking to them. We would laugh at a person who tried to do that. But as we will soon see, no one was laughing in the boat that day when Jesus said, “Peace! Be still!”

Are you a follower of Jesus Christ? Does Jesus Christ dwell in you, in your vessel, through his Holy Spirit? Do you realize who it is that lives in you? It is Jesus, God in the flesh, who has all power and authority in heaven and earth. He can do what God does because he is God!

III. HEAR JESUS REBUKE THE DISCIPLES. Mk.4:40

Now one would think that the disciples would have been laughing and high fiving each other. I can just hear them: “Whew, Lord that was a close one. We were almost goners. Thank you Jesus. You are the way-maker. Jehovah Jireh! The Lord will provide.” But that is not what we hear. In fact when Jesus said, “Peace! Be still!” It wasn’t just the wind and the waves that became quiet. Everyone in the boat became quiet. The next voice we hear is Jesus speaking to his disciples.

The lesson from this event is not about how God will get us out of perilous situations. If you take that thought home you will be disappointed in God and in life. It’s not that God never delivers us from perilous circumstances. He does. But that is not what we should expect because that is not what has been promised. In fact, Jesus told us to expect trouble in this world.

After the wind ceased and there was a great calm, Jesus rebuked his disciples. “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith? What did Jesus mean, “Have you still no faith”? Didn’t they show faith by calling out to Jesus? Wasn’t that a prayer of faith? I want to suggest to you that while they were surely right to call out to Jesus, they called out to Jesus in doubt and distrust. They had seen Jesus do all kinds of miracles, but when Jesus just kept sleeping in the boat they doubted. “Don’t you care that we are perishing?”

Have you ever called out to God in that way? “God, don’t you see that I can’t pay my bills?” “God, I have been looking for a job and you are not coming through for me.” God, why did you let me be abused and mistreated? Where were you when that was happening?” God, why don’t you heal me or my loved one? God, my marriage is falling apart and you don’t seem to be doing anything about it.” “God, why did you let my loved one die?” We often ask the why questions. But behind the why is a deeper question. “Don’t you care if I perish?”

Men and women, the lesson of this event is that we can and we must, trust Jesus in any and every situation. What Jesus said to the wind and the waves, is exactly what he is saying to our heart and mind. “Peace! Be still!”

Just listen to some scripture passages on this. Psalm 23:1-2 says, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters…Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” In Is.30:15 we read, “For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, "In returning (repentance) and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." In Acts 27 we read about Paul’s perilous journey by ship to Rome. In v.20 it says, “When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.” Then Paul stood up and said, “I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.' So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.” A day or so later we read, “As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, "Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you." And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves.” They were shipwrecked on the island of Malta. Every life on board was saved.

You see Paul had learned through the many experiences of his life that God can be trusted. He did not doubt that God was in full control of the situation, even though it looked hopeless. Jesus was present in the boat with the disciples on the Sea of Galilee. They could see him peacefully sleeping at rest in the presence of God. God was present in all his fullness on the ship with Paul, but he could not be seen. It makes no difference. God is always present and faithful. Jesus said, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

One more passage. In Ps.46:10-11 it says, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” One of the most difficult lessons for us to learn is to be still and know that God is God and that God is with us.” Not only is God with us. God is for us. Do not doubt his presence, his love, and goodness towards you.

In v.41 we read that the disciples, “were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Jesus revealed himself as God exalted over the earth. “Even the winds and the waves obey him.” And we are called to exalt him and obey him by trusting in him.

I don’t know what you are going through in your life. I know that all of us will experience perilous circumstances and the wind and the waves will fill our hearts with fear. At some point, unless the Lord returns, all of us will die. But we need not fear. Christ is in the boat with us. Call out to him in faith and trust. He will not let you go. With Christ in the vessel we can smile at the storm.

Recently Angie and I learned that a dear pastor friend of ours has ALS. We’ve known this couple for many years. He is a gifted pastor. But now his earthly life is going to be cut short. There is nothing good about having ALS. When I read their updates, I am overwhelmed with the sadness. He is unable to talk. His wife recently wrote, “Some days he's frustrated because he can't talk to the bank/insurance/pizza place and so on, on the phone! He will tell you that he is working at getting closer to God, so that he can feel God's constant presence as he goes through the day. I see him working at that! The peace that passes understanding, is not just a line in a memorized verse anymore. It's necessary for coping with his days. Knowing that you all are praying for him, specifically, is a great comfort and he says that often!

I don’t know what you and I will experience in the next week, month, or year, but whatever comes into our lives, we must entrust ourselves to Jesus. Fix your eyes on Jesus. He will bring you through everything and your eternal life is absolutely safe with him. No one and no thing can take your life away from Jesus. Amen

Bearing Fruit With Jesus

February 5, 2017

Just about every day we are put into a position of having to respond to others. The phone rings and the telemarketer forces you to respond in some way. The mail brings your new car insurance rates and you have to respond in some way. Many of us respond by just hanging up the phone. We might accept the new insurance rates or look for something else. One way or another we will respond.

In the gospel of Mark people are called to respond to Jesus. I found it interesting to learn that Mark uses what some have called, “sandwich stories.” Mark tells about an event, then weaves in another event only to return to the first event. James Edwards points out that the middle event is the key to understanding the whole passage. There are 9 of these sandwich stories in Mark’s Gospel

Today we are going to look at one of them. It is the parable of the sower. This parable forces us to respond to Jesus in one way or another. So let me ask you, What is your response to Jesus?

I. JESUS CHRIST WANTS ALL TO HEAR THE GOSPEL. Mk.4:1-9

We have just been at the Lord’s Table in communion with him. Every time we come to the Lord’s Table we are acknowledging by our eating and drinking that we believe Jesus Christ is the absolute center of our living. Everything about our life depends upon and revolves around Jesus who gives us his eternal life.

In this well-known parable we see that the gospel is presented and embodied by Jesus. Let me drop down to v.14 where Jesus begins to explain the parable. In v.14 he says, “The sower sows the word.” Clearly, Jesus is the sower of the good news through his words and his actions. In v.3 we learn that the sower “goes out” to sow. That’s what Jesus did. This same expression is found in 1:38 where Jesus says, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out." It’s the same Greek word.

In v.3 Jesus begins the parable with the word, “listen.” In v.9 he says the same thing. Jesus is calling people to listen up because what he is saying is of great importance. The word for “listen” in both verses means to hear and respond.

So Jesus is the One who sows the word. Last week in the story of the paralytic in Mk.2 a crowd was gathered and Jesus was preaching the word. What is the word? Well, according to Mk.1:15, the word is that “the Kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel.” The Jewish people in that day would have thought that the kingdom of God was basically synonymous with the kingdom of Israel. On Palm Sunday the people embraced Jesus thinking he was going to restore the kingdom of Israel. But as Jesus tells this parable there is a different emphasis. The kingdom of God is the good rule of God. Those who repent, turn from their own way of seeing and doing things in order to enter into a new life in God’s good kingdom. I do not believe that Jesus was preaching a different gospel from the gospel we have heard. The gospel spoken by Jesus is for everyone. Jesus spoke the good news about having a new life, but it is also true that Jesus is the good news about having a new life. To embrace his good news is to embrace Him.

In the parable the sower, the farmer, sows the seed lavishly. The soil in Israel is not generally great. It is rocky and often shallow, so the farmer is indiscriminate, hoping that some of the seed will fall on good ground. What is the result? Well, it looks as if about 75% of his efforts proved fruitless. Seventy-five percent of the seed fell on unproductive soil. It’s not very promising. But then we see that the seed that fell on good ground had an amazing result. It produced 30, 60, and 100 fold. In other words, for every seed sown, it produced 30, 60, and even 100 more. From my reading, a yield of 30 fold in Palestine would have been considered miraculous.

Jesus came lavishly preaching the good news of eternal living in the kingdom of God. He went around validating his message with amazing miracles. Jesus went mostly to the Jewish people, but he also went to Gentiles. But as the word of the gospel is sown into the world, it would appear to be generally unfruitful. So few people seem to embrace Jesus. But then again, the Sower is not just any farmer. And the gospel is not just any message. The Gospel is brought by the person of Jesus who is God in the flesh. Jesus is the one who brings the harvest. “The gospel is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes.” God’s word will not return empty. In fact, the results produced in the good soil are amazing because the life of God is working in the hearts of those who receive Jesus.

It is important to understand that the message and person of Jesus is the only hope for our lives. The gospel message of Jesus is the only message that promises eternal life with God in his kingdom. The gospel seed that Jesus sows is the only seed that produces such a fruitful yield. So it is imperative to listen to Jesus. Don’t miss this good news.

II. JESUS CHRIST BRINGS DIVISION. Mk.4:10-12

These verses are the key to the whole passage but they are not so easy to understand. In Mark’s gospel there are insiders and outsiders. The insiders are those who embrace Jesus. The outsiders are those who persistently harden their hearts in unbelief. In v.11 Jesus says that he purposely speaks in parables and then he quotes from Is.6:9-10 as an explanation for why he speaks in parables.

Isaiah 6:9-10 is quoted in each gospels, Acts, and Romans, always in the context of unbelief and hardness of heart. It almost sounds as if Jesus is purposely teaching with parables in order to confuse people so that they do not understand and turn in repentance. But that is not what I believe Jesus is saying. After all, as Peter writes, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

I believe Jesus is saying that the reason he speaks in parables is to challenge people to discern the condition of their heart. Jesus wants people to come to a decision concerning him. To those whose hearts were open and believing, Jesus graciously gave more and more understanding about life in the kingdom of God. To those whose hearts were closed in unbelief, Jesus did not give further understanding. They had no interest. The parables present an opportunity for all who hear. It’s an opportunity to explore deeper or to refuse to listen. God does not force himself on anyone but offers himself to everyone. In Jesus Christ the good news is presented in a powerful way and people must respond to Jesus.

There is an element of warning in these verses. Those who persist in hardness of heart and refusal to believe in Jesus are on a trajectory towards death and hell. A person who is persistent in unbelief will see and hear but not perceive or understand. And so they will not turn or repent and find forgiveness. This past week I was reading in Ez.35. In a pronouncement by God against the people living in the area of Mt. Seir, God refers to their “perpetual enmity.” A few verses later God says that the result of their perpetual enmity would be their perpetual desolation. To be at enmity with God always leads to desolation. How could it be any different? If a person refuses to embrace life in God’s kingdom, the only alternative is death apart from God’s kingdom. So Jesus calls everyone to listen carefully to him and make a decision regarding him.

III. JESUS CHRIST CALLS BELIEVERS TO DISCIPLESHIP. Mk.4:13-20

Suppose a person listens to Jesus preach the gospel and responds in belief. What does that response look like? This is what Jesus discusses as he breaks down the meaning of the parable.

As Jesus proclaims the good news of the Kingdom of God, there are those who hear but their hearts are so hardened in unbelief that the gospel never penetrates and Satan easily takes the good news away.

Those whose hearts are like the rocky soil hear the gospel and they receive it joyfully. It sounds good. But their hearing, their understanding of the gospel does not go very deep. As soon as difficulty or persecution comes they immediately fall away from the faith. “This isn’t what I signed up for.”

In v.18 we read about people whose hearts are like the thorny soil. They hear the good news, but their lives are so full having to deal with life in this world, along with their desires to get rich, be successful, and have material things, that there is no room for the gospel in their lives. They hear it but it never controls them. They don’t have time to attend to the gospel and Jesus. There is no fruit. None of these people know or follow Christ even though they all heard the good news of Christ.

In v.20 we read about those who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit. It is interesting to note that in v.15-19 the word, “hear” is written in the aorist tense which conveys the idea of once and done. Been there, done that. But in v.20 the word, “hear” is written in the present tense, which indicates continued action. They hear and continue hearing. In others words they accept, they embrace Jesus and the good news about life in the kingdom of God. They take Jesus into their hearts. And they are bearing fruit.

What is the fruit? Growing up I was often told that the fruit was seen in people coming to Christ as a result of my sharing the gospel with unbelievers. Jesus does not define the fruit other than to imply that it comes from accepting Him. If fruit bearing is limited to the number of people I bring to Christ, I would have to say that I bear little fruit. I believe the fruit we bear is seen in a life that is transformed as a result of following Jesus. Our character, our conduct, our conversation, our thoughts are transformed in keeping with the character, conduct, conversation, and thoughts of Jesus. We are not talking about being a nice person. Fruit bearing is what results from our discipleship to Christ. Disciples are those who apply themselves to follow Jesus. Being a disciple is not optional. Rather it is the essence of hearing and accepting the gospel. Being saved and being a disciple are not two different things in the teachings of Jesus.

So what is your response to Jesus? Are you his disciple? Have you embraced Jesus as Savior, Lord, and King? Is your life bearing fruit in keeping with the person of Jesus? Turn from your current way of living and come to Jesus in faith. He will bear fruit in your life. You will begin to be like Jesus. Amen

This Is Amazing Grace

January 29, 2017

If you are going to run for president you need to write a book. Many of the candidates running in the recent election, including President Trump, published books. The books are designed to educate people about the candidate.

In some ways the gospels are like those books. The gospels are written to inform us about Jesus. They give some biographical information, but the purpose of the gospels is to proclaim Christ as Lord and Savior and to call everyone to repent and embrace Jesus as Savior, Lord and King. In Mk.1 Mark begins to show Jesus’ authority. In v.27 the people are amazed that Jesus is one who teaches with authority and even has authority over unclean spirits. In v.34 and 42 we see that Jesus has authority to heal sickness, even leprosy with a mere word. In Mk.2 we learn that Jesus has authority ascribed only to God. We see that Jesus Christ has authority to forgive sin.

I. WE SEE SAVING FAITH. 2:1-5a

From Mk.1:29 it appears that Jesus made Capernaum the center of his public ministry, staying at the house of Peter. As was the case in Mk.1 so in Mk.2 we see a crowd gathered around Jesus. Now many are enamored by crowds. Crowds are considered to be a sign of success, good marketing, and having a good product. And it would seem that the disciples were also enamored by crowds. In 1:35, Jesus gets up early in the morning to pray, but Simon interrupts Jesus because, “Everyone is looking for you.” “Come on Jesus, you’ve got to run while the sun is hot. Make the most of your moment.”

In his commentary on Mark, James Edwards points out that crowds being gathered around Jesus is common in Mark’s gospel. But Edwards also points out that in Mk we never see, “crowds turning to Jesus in repentance and belief.” He goes on to say, “The single most common attribute of crowds in Mark is that they obstruct access to Jesus. Thus, despite Jesus’ popularity, crowds are not a measure of success in Mark. They constitute ‘outsiders’ who stand either in ambivalence or opposition to Jesus.”

Why was the crowd there? Verse 2 says that he was preaching the word to them. In 1:14-15 we see that Jesus was preaching the word of the gospel of God. Jesus was teaching about the kingdom of God that was embodied in his person. In 1:22 it tells us that the people were astonished at his teaching because “he taught as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.” The scribes taught by quoting the traditions passed down through the years. Jesus brought a new, wonderful teaching about life that only he could give. Because Jesus is God in the flesh and embodies God’s kingdom, eventually one has to respond to Jesus. Either you embrace him as your Lord and King or not. The crowd filled the house and pressed in around Jesus to hear the word.

In v.3 we read about four men who were bringing a paralytic on a bed to Jesus. Since access to Jesus was impossible, the men went up on the roof and dug through the dried mud and thatch and lowered the bed right in front of Jesus. You can be sure that it was a mess. People, including Jesus, would have had dirt falling down on them. How disruptive. Most teachers do not like being interrupted, but it didn’t seem to bother Jesus. In fact, Jesus was impressed by the faith of these men.

What was it about their faith that caused Jesus to take note? We see that their faith moved them to action. We don’t know if these men really understood who Jesus is. We don’t know if they had a correct understanding of the gospel. What is clear is that they trusted in Jesus. Perhaps they had heard about or seen some of Jesus' miracles or heard him teach. But at some point they decided to act on the basis of what they believed to be true about Jesus. Faith and knowledge work together. In the Bible we are given sufficient knowledge and understanding about who God is and how he has revealed himself in the person of his Son, Jesus Christ. The question is has our knowledge become belief? Having knowledge and believing are two different things. If we believe something it means we have trust in that knowledge and we are willing act on what we say we believe. Faith is acting on what we say we believe. If we do not act on what we say we believe then we don’t really believe what we say we believe. In Heb.3-4, the writer refers to the Israelites who came out of Egypt. They saw the power of God. God promised to lead them into a land flowing with milk and honey in which they would enjoy rest, provision and protection from God himself. But the writer of Hebrews reminds us that they rebelled in unbelief and did not enter into God’s rest. Instead they died in the wilderness. Then in Heb.4:2 it says, “For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened.” The NIV puts it this way: “For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.” They did not believe. Two thoughts. You may have the right knowledge about God and Jesus and still be lost in your sin. There are professing Christians who can repeat the creeds and Bible stories but they don’t know Jesus. They have knowledge but have not combined it with faith in Christ. Having the right information does not make one a Christian. Second, you may have some misunderstandings in your knowledge about God and Jesus and yet be a committed follower of Jesus, fully trusting, believing in him. I imagine we will all have our understanding about God corrected when we are in the new heaven and earth. The scriptures are given to point us to Jesus that we might enter into his wonderful life by following him in faith, trusting in him and living in the light of what he does and says. One this kind of relationship with Jesus is transformative unto eternal life in the kingdom of God. Our faith in Christ is revealed in our character, conduct, and conversation as we follow him. Faith always leads to action in keeping with Christ.

There is something else that we learn about faith here. One does not get the impression that these men were concerned about what others thought of them. Their goal was to get to Jesus. You see when a person knows that he or she needs Jesus, and they act on that need, the only thing that matters is coming to Jesus. They will not let anyone or anything get in the way of their coming to Jesus. In Mk.10 we read about Jesus being in Jericho. As he was leaving Jericho a blind man named Bartimaeus was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus who was passing by he began to cry out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The crowd around him rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But Bartimaeus cried out all the more. You see, he didn’t care about the crowd because he needed Jesus. Saving faith is not concerned about what others will think. A person with saving faith comes just as they are to Jesus

So let me ask you. Do you have faith in Jesus? In other words are you trusting Jesus to the point that you are willing do to whatever he has commanded us to do because you believe that Jesus knows what he’s talking about, you believe that Jesus will keep his word, you believe that only Jesus can bring eternal life in the kingdom of God?

II. WE SEE SAVING GRACE. 2:5b-12

Why did these men bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus? They were hoping that Jesus would heal their friend. Surely Jesus would have figured that out. So why did Jesus say, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Did Jesus have an ulterior motive? Was Jesus just using the paralyzed man to challenge the unbelief of the scribes and to show the scribes that he has the authority to forgive sins? Somehow assigning an ulterior motive to Jesus doesn’t sound right. It sounds a bit manipulative on Jesus’ part. Jesus didn’t usually say, “your sins are forgiven,” when performing a healing miracle.

Along with this it was a commonly held belief that serious illnesses were the result of sinful living. You remember the blind man in Jn.9. The disciples asked Jesus, “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind.” And Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” Generally, illness is not the result of our sins.

That said, illness may, indeed, be a result of our sins. In Ps.107:17-18, we read, “Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death.” Perhaps that is the case with this man who was paralyzed. Obviously we don’t know the details of the man’s life, but Jesus did. Edwards points out, Jesus didn’t say, “Your sin is forgiven.” He said, “Your sins are forgiven.” It is possible that this man was involved in certain kinds of sin that were related to his paralysis.

One thing we can be certain of is that Jesus loved this man and was very interested in both spiritual & physical cleansing & healing. What I’m trying to say is that before Jesus healed the man physically, he did something profound and far more significant in this man’s life. He granted forgiveness of this man’s sins.

All of us have memories of sinful things we have done. Every one of us knows what it is to feel guilt and shame. We might be able to push the memories, guilt and shame out of our minds for a while, but eventually it comes back to haunt us. And for some of us, the sins we have done have left emotional and physical scars in our heart and body.

In front of others we appear well adjusted and successful in living our lives, but underneath the sin gnaws at our hearts. We are not told how this man responded to Jesus’ pronouncement of forgiveness. My hunch would be that this word from Jesus brought deep relief and release in this man’s soul. This is saving grace.

But what about the response of the scribes? In one way or another, all sin is sin against God. And sins against God can only be forgiven by God. So they were quite upset that Jesus, a man, would put himself in the place of God by announcing the forgiveness of this man’s sins. In fact it was blasphemy. According to Lev.24:16, the punishment for blasphemy was death by stoning. This was serious!

In v.8 we see that Jesus knew what these scribes were thinking. “Why do you question these things in your hearts?” Then Jesus asks them, “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk'?” Of course it is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” because no one can validate the statement. So Jesus pronounces a word of physical healing to the paralytic in order to show that not only does he have authority to pronounce physical healing, but he has authority to forgive sins. Only God could heal a paralyzed man with a spoken word. Only God can grant the forgiveness of sins with a spoken word. Jesus is clearly God in the flesh with the authority to forgive sins. This is saving grace, undeserved, yet freely given.

At the heart of all sin is an unwillingness to honor God as God. Rather than worship God, we choose to worship things or even people. This is idolatry and idolatry always leads to further rebellion and sin against God. What is amazing to me is that God does not treat us as our sins deserve. Rather God sends his Son, Jesus into the world to offer forgiveness of sin and a brand new life under his good rule. Many people have a problem with God because they have heard that God is going to send people to hell because of their sins and because they do not embrace Jesus. But wait a minute! If there is a good God who is worthy of our wholehearted worship and obedience, and if this God provides a way for us to receive forgiveness and life from him why should anyone have a problem? The reason people have a problem with God is because they don’t want to surrender their autonomy and worship him. It is difficult to look at the life of Jesus and conclude that God is vindictive and mean. In Jesus God offers saving grace.

The paralytic lay on the bed in front of Jesus. He never asked for forgiveness. Maybe he was bitter and resentful towards God. Maybe he thought forgiveness was not available for him. But Jesus, God in the flesh forgave his sins. Maybe you struggle to believe that God could and would actually forgive your sins and wipe the slate of your life clean. Well, Jesus loves you and has already provided saving grace for you if you will come just as you are and receive him.

Jesus: The Son of God

January 22, 2017

This world is a pretty dark place. Yes, there is much beauty. There are many wonderful people. But I am becoming more convinced that the world is far darker and given to violence and destruction than many want to admit. At the same time I am also more and more convinced that the only hope this world has is found in Jesus Christ.

This morning we begin looking at the gospel of Mark. Many consider Mark to be the earliest of the gospels. Most believe that the author is John Mark, the traveling companion of Paul and Barnabas and who was later in Rome with Peter. In fact Papias, who was bishop of Hierapolis until 130 AD, said that Mark was the secretary and translator for Peter. He wrote down the recollections of Peter.

Mark’s gospel is filled with action. The word, “immediately” is found often. Jesus enters into the lives of people. When you read Mark’s gospel, you are confronted with Jesus who wants to enter into your life. In fact as we will see today. The highest potential for living life to the full is found in knowing Christ.

I. GOD IS ON THE MOVE. 1:1-8

The last of the Old Testament prophets is Malachi. Malachi was a contemporary of Ezra and Nehemiah. Israel had returned from the Babylonian exile and the temple had been rebuilt. But as time went by their faith became stale. The people of Israel were just going through the motions, observing the Sabbath and other rituals, but their hearts were far from God. So God sent Malachi to call the people to repentance. Mark 1:2 quotes from Mal.3:1. In Mal.3:1 God says, “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple.” This is a prophecy of the coming of both John the Baptist and Jesus, the Messiah.

Between the time of Malachi and the birth of Jesus there was a period of some 400 years. Four hundred years went by without any clear word from the Lord to his people, Israel. During those 400 years Israel was continually oppressed by other nations. As Mark begins his Gospel he wants his readers to understand that the coming of Jesus is deeply tied to the history of Israel.

This is important. It’s important because the gospel, the good news about Jesus is not something that just happened in a vacuum. Jesus brings to fulfillment the history and significance of the nation of Israel. But I must not get too far ahead of the story.

In v.2-3 Mark combines Mal.3:1 with Is.40:3. Isaiah was written roughly about 170 years before Malachi. And yet, both Isaiah and Malachi refer to the same messenger. Isaiah 40:3 says, “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” Mark tells us that this voice is none other than John the Baptist. John the Baptist is the voice crying out in the wilderness, preparing a highway for our God. And who is our God? It is Jesus Christ. Do not miss what Mark is saying. The word, Christ, is the Greek word for the Hebrew, “Messiah” or anointed one. Jesus is God’s anointed King. But according to Mark, Jesus is in fact God. In Is.40 the messenger is preparing the way for God. Jesus is God in the flesh. He is fully God and fully man.

Now how did John prepare the way of the Lord? It says in v.4 that John was in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from Judea and Jerusalem were going out to listen to him and be baptized as they confessed their sins. In v.6 Mark tells us how John dressed and what he ate. Why is that important? Well, this description pretty much matches the description of the Old Testament prophet Elijah. In fact, in Mt.17:10-13 the disciples ask Jesus, "Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?" And Jesus answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.’ Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.” There was a belief in the days of Jesus that before the Messiah would come, Elijah would make an appearance. John came in the spirit of Elijah.

John was not just preaching that people needed to get right with God. He was preaching that people needed to get right with God because God was about to do something. After 400 years, God was on the move. Someone was coming who would be far mightier than John. This one would baptize people with the Holy Spirit of God.

Now suppose you were down at Daly Plaza and some guy stood up and started preaching that you needed to repent because an important person was coming to town. Would you pay much attention to that guy? Probably not. Why did these people listen to John? I mean, John didn’t do any miracles. It is because John was talking about things these people understood. Many Jewish people were looking for the Messiah, the Savior who would bring deliverance. John spoke about the Messiah and the people understood. John’s message connected with their understanding of the Old Testament and the longings of their heart. And many repented preparing to receive this one who was coming.

Repentance means to change direction. Based on new information, a person changes the direction of his or her life. If God was about to do something wonderful how would you prepare for it? Would you just keep living the way you have always lived? Or would you want to have your heart ready to receive God’s gift? John was saying that to receive God one’s heart must be tender, open, and repentant. God is on the move. Are you ready for him?

II. GOD IS ON THE MOVE IN JESUS. 1:9-13

Matthew and Luke take the time to describe the birth of Jesus. Mark starts his gospel right at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. During those days when John was preaching and baptizing Jesus came from Nazareth and he was baptized by John. Did Jesus have any sins to repent of? Did Jesus need a baptism of repentance? No. Jesus was without sin. So why did Jesus get baptized by John?

I believe that Jesus was seeking to identify with all those who wanted to be right with God, ready to receive the One who was coming. Those who want to be right with God in their lives are tracking on the same page as Jesus. Jesus was identifying with people whose hearts were open and tender towards God. He was showing that he also has a heart that is tender towards God. As Jesus said In Mk.2:17, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.

Notice what happened when Jesus came out of the water. The Holy Spirit descended on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Notice that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are referenced in these verses.

A number of scholars have suggested that there is a parallel here with Gen.1. In his book, “King’s Cross”, Tim Keller points out that there is only one place in the sacred writings of Judaism where the Spirit of God is likened to a dove. In Genesis when God created the heavens and the earth, it says, “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” The Hebrew word for “hover” can also be translated, “flutter.” The rabbis translated that sentence like this: “And the Spirit of God fluttered above the face of the waters like a dove.” Keller makes the point, “Mark is deliberately pointing us back to the creation, to the very beginning of history. Just as the original creation of the world was a project of the triune God, Mark says, so the redemption of the world, the rescue and renewal of all things that is beginning now with the arrival of the King, is also a project of the triune God.” At Jesus’ baptism God the Father publicly affirmed Jesus Christ as his beloved Son.

In v.12-13 we learn that after his baptism the Holy Spirit compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness. In the wilderness Jesus was tempted by Satan. If there was ever any doubt that Jesus experienced life as we know it, these verses should help to bring clarity. After Adam and Eve were created, the serpent, the Devil came and tempted them in regard to God’s command to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They disobeyed, sin entered into the world, and Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of God.

Here is Jesus out in the wilderness fasting for 40 days, being tempted by Satan. “Command these stones to become bread and eat.” But Jesus replied, “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” If only Adam had said that.

Men and women, in the Bible, Jesus is referred to as the second or last Adam. Listen to what Paul writes in 1Cor.15:45-47. “Thus it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.” Adam disobeyed in temptation. Jesus, the second Adam did not. The Adam of the old creation brought sin into the world. The second Adam makes all things new.

Jesus entered into life as we know it. He was tempted in all ways like us but was without sin. Time and time again Satan tried to thwart Jesus from doing the Father’s will. But Jesus was faithful all the way to the cross. Here is a man who not only died for our sins, but also showed us how to live a “with God” life.

III. GOD IS ON THE MOVE IN JESUS, ANNOUNCING GOD’S KINGDOM. 1:14-20

In v.15 we find the basic message of Jesus. “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.” In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When Jesus came to this earth as a man, the kingdom of God became visible on earth. Jesus did the will of God on earth as it is done in heaven. In the gospel of Mark we are going to see what happens when the kingdom of God invades the world as we know it.

The kingdom of God is the rule of God. The kingdom of God is found wherever God’s will is accomplished. God’s will was and is accomplished in Jesus. For a brief time, Jesus showed the world through his public ministry what the kingdom of God is like.

Notice in v.1 the reference to the “gospel of Jesus Christ.” Notice in v.14, the reference to the “gospel of God.” Are these two different gospels? No. As you know, the word “gospel” means “good news.” The good news of Jesus is about receiving the life of God by entering into his eternal kingdom. That is the gospel. But we cannot fully appreciate the gospel apart from the cross and resurrection of Jesus. It is through his death and resurrection that Jesus makes forgiveness of sin a reality for all who believe.

Notice what happens next. Jesus calls some fishermen, Simon and his brother Andrew, James and his brother, John. “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” In both instances it says, “They left their nets and followed him.” “They left their father in the boat and followed him.”

Jesus did not tell them to say a sinner’s prayer. He just said, “Follow me.” The sinner’s prayer is important, but first we hear the call to follow Jesus. Eternal living in the kingdom of God is found in following Jesus and believing all that he does and says. Jesus didn’t even tell them where he was going. Instead he indicated that by following him their lives would change.

My hope is that as we immerse ourselves in Mark’s gospel, we will find Jesus to be compelling and we will apply ourselves to study Jesus and learn from him and enter into life with Him in the kingdom of God.