Mark 6 - Seeing Jesus

The sixth chapter of Mark centers around how we see Jesus. His reputation had spread at this point in his ministry, and people were talking about him. Some said he was a prophet, some said Elijah, some said John the Baptist come back from the dead (verses 14-15). How we see Jesus is important because it determines how we respond to him. How we relate to Jesus is the most important question of our lives. Our future, both in this life and the one to come, is determined by this question: Who is Jesus?

In a series of stories, we see how Jesus was received from a variety of perspectives. The first story in the chapter has Jesus returning to his hometown of Nazareth. The people are amazed at the change in him since he left. He is preaching with power and performing miracles. But their amazement quickly sours. They know Jesus’s family, his mother and brothers and sisters. He probably grew up in their synagogue. He was a carpenter here not long ago, and now he thinks he’s a prophet? The people take offense at him.

Jesus reputation was spreading. Even King Herod had taken notice. Mark tells us the story of how King Herod executed John the Baptist. He tells that Herod liked to listen to John, but he was puzzled by his words. John told him he was committing adultery and Herod was… interested. He didn’t repent, but he kept calling John back to speak with him. In the end, he has him executed to save his reputation. For Herod, John was a curiosity. Now Jesus is the next side show.

The people love Jesus. They swarm into the wilderness after him. He has compassion on them and feeds five thousand of them miraculously with only five loaves and two fish. In another gospel, we are told that at this point they want to come and make him king by force (John 6:15). The people see Jesus as someone they can use. He will be the instrument that frees them from Roman oppression. He will satisfy their stomachs. For them, Jesus is a just way to get what they want.

Even his own disciples do not understand him yet. That night Jesus walks out to them in the middle of the sea of Galilee (to escape the king-making mob). They are terrified, until he gets in the boat with them. Mark tells us, “They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves, their hearts were hardened” (Verse 52-53). Even the disciples didn’t get it. It is not until two chapters later that Peter makes his confession, “You are the messiah.”

The disciples often seem so dense, but it is important to remember that they still had a veil over their hearts. When Peter makes his confession, Jesus responds, “this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven” (Matt. 16:17). We can’t truly see Jesus as he is unless the Holy Spirit illuminates our understanding. Jesus told us, “No man can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44).

So how do you perceive Jesus? Do you find him offensive, like the people in his hometown? Or is he a curiosity? Just an interesting character, a good moral teacher, like King Herod saw? Like the crowds, is he just there to solve your problems when you need him?  Or is he the Messiah, the Son of God, as he revealed himself to his true followers? It’s the most important question.

Let’s look at the outcome of the responses of the people in this chapter. The people in his hometown were offended, and consequently they had no faith. The mighty works he did in other places were not repeated there. There were only a few healings. The people had no faith, and they missed his ministry completely.

Herod gets his chance to finally see Jesus the day he is crucified. He hopes to see a miracle but is disappointed. Jesus is silent before him. His curiosity quickly turns to ridicule. He mocks Jesus and sends him back to his trial.

The crowds are also disappointed. They chase Jesus all over the district of Galilee and eventually track him down. Jesus tells them the truth, that what they really need is spiritual bread and spiritual freedom. He explains that it can only be found through faith in him. Their hope ends in disillusionment. Many of his followers abandon him that day (John 6:66).

His disciples who stay get to see him as he truly is. “The lamb of God takes away the sin of the word (John 1:29). The King of Glory (Psalm 24:9). The Creator who stepped into his creation to redeem it (John 1:3). They receive the Holy Spirit and are entrusted with the gospel message. They are adopted into God’s family (Eph. 1:5). We need the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to us. We need him to transform our minds and make Jesus known to our hearts. I pray that he would reveal Jesus to you in a new deeper way today.

At one point in this chapter, Jesus invites the disciples to come away with him. They had just come back from a missionary trip and there was so much going on they couldn’t even eat. Jesus makes this invitation to them: “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” This is the only way to really get to know him. If you want to see him correctly, you must draw close to him. If you want to relate to him properly, you must be in a relationship with him. That invitation still stands. Come away with him. Spend some time with him in a quiet place. Let him refresh your soul.

Mark 5 - Quarterlife Study - Fear

We are in the fifth chapter of Mark this week and Jesus’s ministry is well under way. The chapter consists of three seemingly unrelated incidents: the healing of a demon possessed man, followed by a funeral where a young girl was raised from the dead, with an interruption in the middle where a woman is healed of a long-standing disease. There is, however, a common thread connecting all these events: fear. Let’s explore how this theme is developed in the chapter.

Let’s start by taking a quick trip back into the end of chapter 4. Here Jesus crosses the sea of Galilee with a small group of boats. A storm comes and threatens to overturn the boats, and Jesus is… sleeping. The disciples freak out, and wake him, and with a word he calms the storm. Then he asks them, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Jesus here gives us the key to defeating fear: Faith.

The thread continues in Mark 5. There are four different perspectives of fear given here. The first is the fear of the demons.

The demons come and beg Jesus not to torture them. This is an interesting request. It is obvious they have been torturing this man whom they have possessed. They are afraid of Jesus because he has the power to do whatever he wants to them. They fear their coming judgement. They knew his power, and they trembled. They ask for mercy. And amazingly, Jesus gives it. That astounds me. Even to demons, Jesus shows mercy. They deserved judgement, but he defers it. If Jesus can show mercy even to demons, he will show it even to the worst of us.

Before I started following God, I remember feeling the weight of my sin. I knew that I deserved judgement. There was a paranoia, this constant anxiety that I was going to get what I deserved. But Jesus offered me complete forgiveness. There was a real weight lifted when I accepted his grace. He offers you the same.

The demons beg to go into a herd of pigs nearby and Jesus allows it. They immediately cause the pigs to drown themselves. The people of the community come out to see what’s happened, and they see the demon possessed man now in his right mind.

The people are terrified. Instead of responding with joy at the man’s freedom, they ask Jesus to leave. They are afraid of what else Jesus may do in their region. Sometimes, we get comfortable in our mess. We would rather stay in our brokenness than let Jesus change our lives. We fear change. But change is what we need. The fate of the pigs causes the people to doubt Jesus’s character. What collateral damage will there be if he comes to our city? What collateral damage will there be if he enters my heart?

We need to understand Jesus’s heart for us. He only wants our good. And if there is anything that is going to be destroyed in our lives, it needed to be done. We need to trust him to reorder our lives as he sees fit. Jesus leaves at their request, but he leaves someone there to share the truth about his character. The man who had been freed from demon possession. He begs to come with Jesus, but he tells him to stay and spread the word about what God had done for him.

The next story happens after they cross the lake. The crowds have gathered again. A synagogue leader named Jairus comes to Jesus. His daughter is sick and he wants Jesus to come and heal her. One can imagine this man’s fear, his desperation, as his precious child lies on her deathbed. He is one of the few leaders of the Jews who did not oppose Jesus. Jesus agrees to come but is interrupted in the way.

The interruption is caused by a woman with an issue of blood. She had been bleeding for twelve years non-stop. Besides the pain and weakness this caused her, according to the Law, she was unclean. She was essentially an outcast because of her condition. Not only that, she had bankrupted herself on doctors trying to heal the disease.

What she does have is faith. She believes that if she can just touch Jesus, she will be healed. And it happens. Jesus recognizes that someone was healed by touching him, and he looks for her. Apparently, the woman thought she would just get her healing and slip away. But Jesus calls her out. And she comes, trembling with fear, and falls at his feet and tells the whole story. She is afraid. Why? Perhaps she thinks that Jesus will condemn her. According to the law, she was not even supposed to touch anyone. Perhaps she thinks he will take back the healing. Jesus tells her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” Instead of condemning her, he commends her faith.

At this moment, bad news arrives. Jairus’s daughter is dead. There is no need for Jesus to come any more. One can only imagine what is going through Jairus’s mind right then. If only they had been faster. If only the woman hadn’t stopped them. She’s gone. There is no more chance. Despair threatening to overwhelm him. But Jesus, in that moment, gives him hope. “Don’t be afraid, just believe.” These is great significance in these words. Over and over in the scripture we are told not to be afraid. On what basis? Based in our trust in God. He has a plan. He is our protector, our provider, our help. Just believe. Believe in Jesus. Believe that he can reach into your life and resurrect you just like he resurrected Jairus’s daughter.

These scenes over and over reveal people who are afraid. Jesus word to us is the same as to Jairus after his daughter died: “Don’t be afraid, just believe.” Whatever you are facing, Jesus is on control.

I’ll be honest, anxiety is something that I struggle with regularly. I don’t think I am alone in that. I’ve found that in dealing with fear, Philippians chapter 4 is a great help. Paul gives us three things to do when we are faced with fear.

1.       Rejoice

First rejoice. It’s so important he says it twice. “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say: rejoice!” Phil. 4:4. The word rejoice in the Greek is Xiarō. According to HELPS Word-studies it means to “delight in God’s grace”. Remember that God’s favor rests upon you. Take a moment to set your mind on Him. Consider what he has done for you. Delight in his grace. This should be a regular habit for us as believers. Rejoicing refocuses us on him instead of our problems. The very first thing we need to do when faced with fear is rejoice.

2.       Pray

The second things he says to do is pray. “Be anxious for nothing, but in all things, with prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God” Phil. 4:6. Instead of focusing on our worry, we need to bring our anxieties to the Lord. Let’s let our worries propel us toward God. Prayer is our lifeline to God. He is our ever-present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1).

And we are told to pray with thanksgiving. As we pray, let’s thank God for his promises and that he is in control. Remember, he is working it all for our good (Romans 8:28). This is a prayer of faith. It takes faith to thank God even in the middle of the storm. Faith is the fear killer.

In verse six, we are given our part to do. We pray, we give thanks. In verse seven, God tells us his part: “And the peace of God, which transcends understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” He promises us peace. And not just any peace, but a peace so great it transcends our understanding. We be in such a predicament that we cannot imagine how God could help us or restore our peace, but his peace is higher. His peace is based on his complete understanding of the world. Ours is a limited view. He knows what’s coming. Nothing has caught him unaware. He knew your struggle was coming before you did. He has a plan. His peace guards us. It fortifies our hearts and minds. I am so grateful for that peace that that stands sentry over me.

3.       Focus

Finally, Paul gives us one more thing to do here, that I believe is essential to maintaining our peace. In verse 7, he tells us, “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” We need to change our mental habits. When we focus on things that are not true or right or noble, we get dragged back into anxiety. How often have you worried about the future? We are concerned about what might happen. Something might go wrong; our plan might fail. But it’s not true, it’s just a possibility. We lose our peace because of something that may never even come to pass. We need to get rid of these negative thinking patterns. Let us “be transformed by the renewing of our minds” (Romans 12:2). We need to focus on wholesome things. We need to focus on Jesus.

If you are struggling with fear today, I pray that you will turn to Jesus in this moment. He has everything you need. “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3).

Mark Chapter 4 - The Parable of the Sower - Quarterlife Study

Mark 4 – Quarterlife study

This week we are in the fourth chapter of Mark. We are introduced here to some of Jesus’s parables. Jesus said nothing to the crowds without speaking in parables (Mark 4:34). In the last chapter, we got a glimpse into Jesus ministry style. He had compassion for the crowds, and he would preach to them, but he never gave himself fully to them. He explains this to his disciples by quoting Isaiah (Isaiah 6:9-10). “…they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven” (Mark 4:12). This is a surprising pronouncement, because it appears as if Jesus doesn’t want these people to be saved. Why wouldn’t he want to restore these people to a relationship with him? Isn’t that the reason he came?

I think the rest of this chapter helps to make it understandable. Remember that Jesus had an inner circle. He explains everything to them (Mark 4:34). Then he says to this to them: “Whatever is hidden is meant to be made known, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open” (Mark 4:22). “What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ears, proclaim from the rooftops” (Matt. 10:27). Jesus is committing the gospel to them. He intends to send them out to build the church (Matt. 28:18). They will make known to the world everything he taught and explained in secret.

Now let’s examine the first parable in this chapter in this light. This is often called the parable of the sower. The sower throws out seed on several types of ground, and we see what grows. Jesus explains the that seed is the word of God and the soil is our hearts. The point of the sowing is to produce fruit. This parable gives us insight into several conditions of the human heart. The main obstacle to producing fruit is the condition of the soil.

The only thing that can be done is to work the soil. I believe that this is what Jesus was doing with the crowds here. He was preparing their hearts to be ready to receive the gospel when the apostles went out to preach after his resurrection. He is tilling the soil of their hearts. He performs miracles. He preaches repentance. Just like John the Baptist preached: “repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matt. 3:2). His was the voice of one crying, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Mark 1:3). Get your heart right so that you will be able to receive what God is doing. This word still speaks to us today. I would encourage you to prepare your own heart, so that you don’t miss what God wants to do in your life.

Let’s take a closer look at this parable of the sower and consider how we can apply it to our lives. Jesus explains things to the disciples in verses 13-20. He describes four types of soil: the hard soil, the rocky soil, the thorny soil, and the good soil.

1.       The Hard Soil

The first place the seed falls is on the hard soil. This is the dirt on the path. It has been trampled, beaten down, packed tight. Life has made the heart hard. In these hearts, the word does not even take root. I am reminded of the Pharisees in the last chapter whose hearts were so hard they could not be moved to faith by Jesus miracles or his compassion. There are people out there who have been trampled by life, beaten down so far that they don’t have an opening in their hearts. These people hear the word and immediately reject it. Jesus tells us that Satan comes and steals the word. We should be careful of our hearts that we don’t become callus to his word.

2.       The Rocky Soil

The second type of soil is the rocky soil. These people receive the word immediately with joy. Life starts to grow in their hearts, but then trouble or persecution comes, and they fall away. This indicates why spiritual maturity is so important. Without roots, a Christian cannot last. We need to be constantly growing deeper in our faith. 

Trouble will come. Jesus told us that. “In this world you will have trouble…” (John 16:3). It is a fact of life, for the believer and unbeliever alike. But the rest of Jesus’s statement makes the difference: “but take heart, I have overcome the world.” He is with us to help us through the trouble. He came to this earth and endured suffering to endure it with us. The only way to endure, to stand firm, is to have a deep intimate connection with Jesus. If that doesn’t happen, you will be overcome.

3.       The Thorny Soil

The third type of soil produces plants that live but fail to produce. Sadly, I think this describes too many Christians today. Professing to follow God, but with fruit to show in their lives. Jesus explains just what causes this fruitlessness to occur. There are three things that will bring fruitlessness in our lives, the cares of life, the deceitfulness of wealth, or the desires for other things.  

The first is the cares of this life. There are the daily concerns in life that threaten to eat up all our time and concentration. These are things that need to be done. Providing for our families, taking care of kids, doing school or work, all the things that make life work. But it is easy to let these things take over our lives. We can miss our lives trying to juggle all the pieces. Consider for a moment how you measure success. Is it measured by your career? Family? The places you’ve been or the fun you’ve had? We need to be careful when we measure success by earthly things because it leads us to get our priorities mixed up. True success is a right relationship with God.  The problem comes when we get things out of order. When don’t give the proper place to the things of God our spiritual life suffers. These cares choke us when we put them before God.

The second thorn Jesus calls the deceitfulness of riches. Again, this is about our definition of success. The deceit here is the false promise that money will make you happy. If you just can get financially secure, your problems will be over. That is a false dream. Certainly, you need to work, and we need money to survive, but that is not what life is all about. Jesus told us, “a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). Defining success by your wealth is a good way to choke your life. Your possessions will end up possessing you. The only true security is found in trusting God. As Jesus said, “you cannot serve God and money" (Matt. 6:24).

The third thorn that chokes our life is the desire for other things. The question we need to ask is, what do I really want? What is competing with God for your attention?  Jesus wants our hearts. I’ve heard it said that if you want to know what is most important to you, then show me what you spend you time on. God wants to be our greatest desire. David said, “As the deer pants for water, so my soul longs for you.” Like a creature dying of thirst, let us be desperate for a drink of his living water.

God wants to fulfil all your desires in him. “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4). He will satisfy all our desires, but the first requirement is that we delight ourselves in him. The word delight is related to the Hebrew word for delicacy. It is like a finely crafted work of art. It indicates not just enjoyment of him, but a surrender to him. “…and he will give you the desires of your heart.” When we have made him our delight, when we have yielded to him, and aligned our desires with his, then we will be fulfilled. That is true success. That is when we will see fruit in our lives. All the desires of our heart will be met, because they line up with His.

4.       The Good Soil

The final soil Jesus speaks of is the good soil. This is a Christian life that produces fruit. It is the life in which we see the evidence of the work of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Eph. 5:22). It is the life that reproduces itself, sharing the gospel with others. We know from agriculture that the fruit also contains seeds. Changed lives should result in the spread of the gospel. Each generation produces another.

And, Jesus tells us, the fruit is produced in varying degrees. Some soils produce thirty, some sixty, some one hundred times as much as was sown. Fruitfulness is based on the condition of the heart. Some lives are more effective than others. We would be wise to ask ourselves why.

I would like to encourage you, take some time to cultivate the garden of your heart this week. Spend some time with God. Let the Holy Spirit work the soil of your heart and produce fruit in your life.

Holy Week Mix

 Holy Week Mix 

This is a mix I put together for Holy Week 2020. These are songs that really speak to me about Jesus's death, resurrection, and the whole passion week. Thought that I would share them. Comment with your favorite Holy Week song. Enjoy!

Mark chapter 3 - Quaterlife Study

Mark 3 – Quarterlife Study

In this chapter, the events described by Mark illustrate the relationships Jesus had with those around him. These range from interaction between Jesus and his enemies, the crowds, his disciples, and his family. I would like to look at this chapter through the lens of relationships.

His Enemies

This relationship is developed through two accounts. In the first, the Pharisees are watching Jesus for a way to accuse him. It is clear by this point they have made their decision about him. His is a threat to their power. He is their enemy. This is incredible because the Pharisees expected Jesus to perform the healing. They did not doubt his power to heal. They expected him to be moved with compassion  the man with the withered hand. Jesus calls up a man with a withered hand and asks them a penetrating question: “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?”

This puts the Pharisees in a dilemma. If they say it is lawful to do good, then they are approving on him healing the man’s hand. They cannot say it is lawful to do harm on the Sabbath. They might argue “yes, you can do good, but healing the man’s hand is not good.” Of course, that would be obviously foolish, and would expose the evil in their hearts.

So, they pick the only option of defiance available to them. They are silent. This makes Jesus mad. We do not often see Jesus angry. Why is he angry? Their hearts were hardening. They did not care about the need of the man with the withered hand. They had no compassion for him. All they cared about was their interpretation of the law.

But Jesus is also grieved. As he looks around at their faces, both emotions rise in him. Anger at the sin that hardens their hearts, and grief that they won’t repent. We know that God “…desires all people to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4) Jesus loves these people. He has compassion on the man with the withered hand and the Pharisees. Jesus truly loved his enemies. This is a good thing for us, because we were once enemies of God ourselves. But “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

The second run in with his enemies is found in verses 22-30. The Pharisees try a new tactic. They cannot deny his power, so they resort to calling it the work of Satan. Jesus quickly shows the foolishness of their argument. They would have Satan working against himself. It is a ridiculous charge. Then he goes on to say that “whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”. This is a powerful statement. But what is this sin? Verse 30 explains, “For they were saying, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’”  What they were doing was attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to the Devil. It was an absolute rejection of the Holy Spirit.

Why is this sin eternal? Think about what is happening here. The Pharisees have rejected the Holy Spirit. Remember the Holy Spirit descending like a dove on Jesus in chapter 1 when he began his ministry? He ministered through the power of the Holy Spirit. He healed people by the Spirit.  We get born again through the Spirit. If we completely reject the Holy Spirit, how then can we be brought to repentance? There is no other route. John 6:44 says, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them…”

Jesus warns that the relationship can be completely cut off. In blaspheming the Holy Spirit, they are separating themselves from access to a relationship with God for eternity. It is possible for a person to come to a place where they are no longer able to repent or even experience conviction of their sin.

Keep in mind in mind the words of Jesus, “This is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40) The only thing that matters in this life is your relationship with the Son of God. Was he your friend? Or did you make yourself his enemy?

The Crowds

The next relationship that Mark explores in this chapter is that of Jesus with the masses. Huge crowds heard about his works and came to see him. In verses 7-12, we see Jesus swarmed by crowds. He literally needs an escape plan, because the crowds are trying to crush him. We get the impression that these people are desperate. We see this kind of desperation in modern times when humanitarian aid is brought to places experiencing famine. It is heart wrenching to see people mob the trucks, desperately trying to reach the supplies. You get the same kind of feeling here. People who are suffering see a glimmer of hope, and they jostle and push and crush just to get close. The people believe that if they can just touch him, they will be healed.

Jesus responds to the crowds with compassion. In another place, he calls them sheep without a shepherd. He loves them, but he does not give himself to them. He teaches them, he feeds them, but he leaves them. He repeated tries to ditch them, going into the wilderness, or traveling to a new place, once even walking on water in the night to escape them.

Why does he do this? We might say what his brothers said to him, “You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!!” (John 7:4 NLT). Doesn’t he want the people to follow him?

After he feeds the 5000, they try to make him king by force. But Jesus slips away. He doesn’t want followers who are just there for the bread. He could have set up a kingdom, using his miracles, and having the people follow him, but that would not have accomplished his purpose. He didn’t just come for our obedience; he came for our hearts.

And the crowds are fickle. In his passion week, they cheer and praise him as he enters the city. “Hosanna!” they shouted, “Save us!” They worshipped him with palm branches, laying their cloaks on the ground for him to ride over. But those same crowds would be shouting “Crucify!” a few days later.

His Disciples

Which leads us to the disciples. Mark tells how Jesus called up to himself a select few. Twelve followers he calls apostles. These became his closest followers. Contrast them with the crowds. While he teaches the crowds in parables, he explains everything to the disciples. The crowds follow him because of what he can do for them. Because he can feed them or heal them. The disciples follow because of who he is. This is the essential distinction. The disciples travel with him and live with him and get to be a part of his life. Jesus gives them everything.

His Family

The last relationship that is address in this chapter is that with his family. When they first appear, they are coming to collect Jesus. They thought he was crazy. This is a completely different response we see than after his resurrection. At that point, his family becomes true believers. But for now, they think he needs someone to reign him in.

They finally show up when he is teaching in a house. It is another one of those meetings that are so packed that no one can even get in the doors. They send word to Jesus to come out to them. The response that Jesus gives almost sounds like a snub. “Who are my mother and brothers?”

Jesus follows this with “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” This is the awesome promise of God. We can be adopted into his family. He offers us the most precious of relationships. “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

Jesus uses the moment to teach an eternal truth, but he doesn’t dishonor his mother. His family came to him in the flesh, opposing the work of God. He could not give into them. But he still honored his mother. We see a beautiful instance of him following the commandment to honor your father and mother at the cross. Jesus has been beaten, whipped, mocked, and hung upon the cross, and still he has concern for his mother. He makes sure that he is taken care of, even as he is dying, entrusting her care to his closest disciple (John 19:27).

Jesus cared about relationships. He spent years pouring into his relationships with his disciples. That alone should show us that relationships are important. Nothing else will pass with us into the next life. This leads us to the question we need to ask ourselves. What is my relationship with Christ?

Am I his enemy? God offers reconciliation (Romans 5:10). Am I a part of the crowd? God offers to draw us near (James 4:8). Am I a disciple? God is calling you deeper (Luke 12:48).

Let me encourage you today, take time for your relationship with God.

Mark Chapter 2 – Quarterlife Bible Study

In this 2nd chapter of Mark, the gospel writer gives us four stories. Each one shows how Jesus overturns our expectations. And each one points to Jesus as the Messiah.

The first story begins with a packed house. We can see some of the difficulties produced from the last chapter. Jesus warned the man healed of leprosy to tell no one about it, but he does the opposite. Jesus’s fame spreads, and now the house he is preaching in is so full that people can’t even get in. A group of guys try to get their paralyzed friend into see Jesus, but they can’t even make it in the doors. Not to be stopped, they climb on the roof, tear a hole in it, and lower the paralyzed man down into the room. Jesus commends their faith.

This is where things get interesting. Jesus sees their faith and then forgives the man’s sins. Do you think that was why the man had come? We aren’t really told, but I have to imagine he came to be healed. This causes the religious leaders in the room to get upset. They are offended that Jesus would say this. Who does this guy think he is? Only God can forgive sins.

And they are right. At least partially. God alone truly can forgive sins. Remember David, after he sinned with Bathsheba told God, “against you, and you alone, have I sinned.” (Psalm 52:4) How is that? He stole Uriah’s wife and had the man basically murdered. He broke the seventh and ninth commandments. But who had given those commandments? They were given by God. It was God’s law that he had broken, and it was God he was ultimately responsible to. We can forgive other people for sins they commit against us, but we cannot forgive them beyond that. God is the judge, and only he can forgive sins.

Jesus goes on to prove his power to forgive sins by healing the man.

So, what are we to make of this story? Jesus does what only God can do. Mark leaves the conclusion up to us.

 In the second story, Jesus calls a tax collector named Levi to be his disciple. Now, tax collectors in those days had a pretty bad reputation. They would cheat people and we considered collaborators with the occupying Romans. A dinner is held that evening, and it is filled with tax collectors and other sinners, presumably Levi’s friends. Again, the religious leaders are offended. Why does Jesus eat with tax collectors and sinners?

The implication is that he is a sinner himself, or that he is making himself unclean by associating with them. Jesus responds by saying “those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I come not to call the righteous but sinners.”

Again, the expectation is overturned. Why is this prophet ignoring the “righteous” and focusing on sinners? The reader is forced to ask which group do I fall into? Am I the righteous Pharisee or the sinful tax collector?

I think we would all like to be the righteous person. We tend to downplay our own faults and magnify the faults of others. We are good people, right?

But the fact of the matter is we don’t live up to God’s standard of perfection. The scripture says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23), and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).

And, if we do uphold our self-righteousness, we run the risk of missing Jesus. “For this judgement I have come into the world, so that he blind will see and those who see will become blind.” (John 9:39). Self-righteousness blinds us to our need for him. If instead we acknowledge our sickness, we get the good news. Jesus came for us. Our past doesn’t scare him. He is not put off by our sin. He came to heal it. And he meets us where we are. Jesus here claims to be the answer to our problem of sin. He is the great physician and the only one who can truly deal with the sin in us.

The third story centers are around fasting, and Mark gets right to the point. Why don’t your disciples fast?

Fasting (the practice of abstaining from food for spiritual purposes) in ancient times had several purposes: mourning, repentance, aiding prayer, worship, and experiencing the presence of God. Fasting was a common practice in ancient Israel, and Mark tells us that the disciples of John the Baptist and the Pharisees both practiced the discipline. The idea was to draw near to God, whether for comfort, forgiveness, or communion.

So, why don’t your disciples fast? The answer Jesus gives is astounding. He basically says, fasting is all about me. “How can the wedding guests fast when the bridegroom is with them?” The reason fasting is done is to get close to God. The disciples couldn’t get any closer because he was already there with them. Again, the implication is that he is God. He has claimed so far to be able to forgive sins, he is the cure for sin, and now he is the very thing we seek.

As a side note, notice he says his disciples will fast when he is taken away. Fasting is a normal part of the Christian life. If you have never tried it, I would encourage to do so. But do your research first, you need to make sure you are doing it in a safe way.

The forth story centers around the Sabbath. The fourth of the ten commandments said that no work was to be done on Saturdays. It was to be a day that was holy to the Lord. The Jews were very strict about this. Jesus and his disciples were walking through a field one Sabbath and they started picking some heads of grains as they walked and eating them. The Pharisees are again offended.

Why do your disciples do what is unlawful on the Sabbath?

Jesus replies with a story from life of David. David and his men were running from King Saul who wanted to kill them unjustly. On the way they went to a priest and asked him for bread. The only bread he had was holy bread. It had just been taken from the temple, and it was meant for the priests only. David and his men ate it. Jesus’s implication seems to be that the Pharisee’s hyper-legalism follows the letter but not the spirit of the Law. The Pharisee’s did not understand the purpose of the law in the first place.

Jesus goes on to say, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” God’s law was not meant to hurt us, but to bless us. A day of rest and worship is a very good, necessary thing. The Pharisee’s had turned it into a burden.

Then he says something that must have been shocking. “The son of man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

Let me insert a note here about this phrase, the Son of Man. This was Jesus’s favorite designation for himself. He called himself that 80 times in the gospels. This is sometimes confuses people into thinking he was claiming to be divine. That is not he case at all. He is fully man and fully God, so he certainly can refer to himself that way, but there is something deeper going on here. Jesus is referring to prophecy.

In Daniel Chapter 7, Daniel has a vision, and it goes like this:

 ¹³ “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. ¹⁴ He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

This “Son of Man” is given authority over the whole world and his kingdom never ends. When Jesus calls himself the Son of Man, he is identifying himself as this Messiah.

He says that the son of man has authority even over the sabbath. He is greater than the law, because he is the creator of the law.

The claims that Jesus has made in this chapter are expansive. He claims to have authority to forgive sins. He claims to be the answer to our sin nature. He claims to be the end goal of our devotion. He claims to have authority over the law. He claims to be the Messiah. These require a response. Who do I think he is? What claim does he have on my life?

We are left with the question that Pilot faced the day of Jesus’s crucifixion. Matt. 27:22 – “What shall I do with this Jesus?”

The Great Commission

The Great Commission

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” - Matt. 28:16



We have been studying the period of time between the resurrection of Jesus and Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out. During this time Jesus appeared to his disciples, and he gave them this command, this commission. In the last post, we talked about being disciples, and this week we are talking about making disciples. This is the job of every Christian; disciples make disciples. 

The word Christian means “little Christ. We are supposed to be like him, and we are here to continue His mission. “Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." John 20:21. We are supposed to be doing the things that Jesus did when he was here. That is the great commission. We are supposed to go out like harvesters, and bring people to Jesus. God made it clear that this message is supposed to go out to every nation, every people group, everybody. The scripture says, all creation. This good news is for everybody. 

The gospel message is just relevant today as it was 2000 years ago. The word Gospel means “good news.” What is the good news? Jesus came to save us. The promised messiah has come. Our world has no other answer to its problems. Jesus is the only way. You want to make an impact on the world? Share the gospel. We will not solve social justice problems apart from Jesus. The world has a sin problem, and Jesus is the only answer. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father, except through me.” [John 14:6] Jesus is the only way to salvation. That is not the message our culture propagates, but it is the truth. 

This generation has the same needs as every other. We all need Jesus. Nothing else will satisfy. We all have a hole inside that only God will fill. We try to fill it with other things, drugs, alcohol, power, money, attention, relationships, entertainment, anything. It will not satisfy us. It may fill it for a moment. It may distract us. But it will leave us empty in the end. Only God can fill that hole, because he created it. He created us for communion with Him. 

So let's look at this passage in Matt. 28. 
"All authority has been given to me." Jesus won the war. Adam and Eve lost the authority that God gave them over the Earth. Jesus won it back at the cross. He defeated the spiritual forces of darkness.
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” [colossians 2:13-15]

He said because he had been given all authority, we were to go make disciples. We make disciples because he has authority. There are two kingdoms out there, the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness. Jesus has the authority so we can bring his kingdom to earth. The enemy forces that have had power over the earth are defeated. Because Jesus has authority, we can preach the gospel, we can invade the kingdom of darkness. It is all about His power. We are his instruments. He delivers people, but he might use you to be the instrument of that deliverance. Because he has all authority, people can be saved, redeemed, forgiven. 

I have to remind you that this life is temporary. We will not live here forever. Life is short. The other day, my daughter was riding with me to school and she said, “Dad, you are going to die soon.” She is five. I was surprised, to say the least. I asked her why she said that, and she said, “Well, you are.” It opened the door to a good conversation about how life is short and we need to live for God. We need to be reminded that we are going to die. Can I tell you? You are going to die. And when you do, your eternity will be determined by what you did in this life. I don’t want to scare you. I am not trying to manipulate you here. But this is reality. Hell is a real place. The bible describes it as a place of eternal torment, a lake of burning fire. And there will be a lot of people who go there. The point I and trying to make is that, if our time on this earth is so short, we had best make good use of it. And we have the potential to impact someone’s eternity. I don’t like the idea of hell. It would be really nice if bad people simply ceased to exist or something like that. But that is not what the bible teaches. That is not reality. This should place a burden in our souls for the lost. People's eternal destiny is at stake. 

So I hope that I have impressed upon you the importance of this mission. But the question remains: How do we make disciples? Here a couple of thoughts.

One biblical model of evangelism is to witness to the people God has already put in your life. We all have a group of people who we are in contact with regularly. This could be family, friends, coworkers. In the New testament there was a word for this, it is called your oikos. It is usually translated as house or household. 

These are those people you have frequent contact with, usually around 8-15 people. These are people God has placed in our lives so that we can be a witness to them. Paul taught that if someone became a believer and they were married to an unbeliever, they should stay married, because they could be a witness to their spouse. “How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?” 1 Cor. 7:16. He also taught slaves to live in such a way as to win over their masters. Parents are supposed to teach their children about the Lord. The point is, we can make disciples without meeting anyone new, there are already relationships that you have in your life that can be a way to make disciples. Your lifestyle is a huge witness to unbelievers. We are the light of the world. People should see us and see Jesus. I am not talking about putting on a show or a mask like we have no problems. I am talking about being real, loving people, just letting people see your faith, see what God is doing in you.

In every case where Jesus is talking about send out the disciples, the great commission, he talks about the Holy Spirit. They are tied hand in hand. The Holy Spirit empowers us to fulfill the great commission. He told the disciples “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." [Luke 24:49] They could not start the mission until they had the Holy Spirit empowering them. Then it was easy. They were transformed. 

In my own wisdom, I don’t know what to say. I don’t have the power to save anybody. But the Holy Spirit can. We have to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to accomplish anything. The freeing thing is that it takes the pressure off of us. All we have to do is seek God and be willing vessels. He will teach us what to say, he will lead us to the right place and time. We must have the Holy Spirit leading us, or our work will be a failure. The only way to build the kingdom is through the power of the Holy Spirit. 
Be ready, for the Holy Spirit to use you. How can you be ready? Read the bible. Have to have the word in you. Pray, get used to listening to his voice. Look for opportunities. 
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matt. 9:37b-38