Mark 2:18-28

Review

Beloved Son: Mark 1:10–12 “10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: 11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.”

Authority to defeat demons: Mark 1:22–25 “22 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. 25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.”

Mark 2:1-3:12 is the context we fall in this morning;

We heard about Jesus healing the paralytic and forgiving his sins

This section as a whole shows increasingly the separation of Jesus from the pharisees and as we also heard last week, infuriates them to the point of planning how to kill him Mark 3:6 “6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.”

Introduction

Mark 2:13–17 KJV

13 And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them. 14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him. 15 And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him. 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? 17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Tax collectors: bid job; renounce their identity as Jews completely even leaving family; despised

Important that Jesus doesn’t require repentance to eat with them. Repentance is what we do when we follow or are following Him

Fasting

Mark 2:18–22 KJV

18 And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not? 19 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. 21 No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse. 22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.

Levit 16:29-34 calls for 1 24 hour fast each year on the day of atonement; the pharisees, in a display of “holiness” increase it to twice a week (Mondays and Thursdays)

Fasting is not merely relinquishing food for a period of time, but an act of worship which expresses one’s dependence on God.

“Both parables are about the relation of Jesus, of Christianity indeed, to traditional Judaism.”

The parables illustrate the radical posture and presumption of Jesus. Jesus is the new patch and the new wine. He is not an attachment, addition, or appendage to the status quo. He cannot be integrated into or contained by preexisting structures, even Judaism, Torah, and the synagogue. He is, of course, neither ascetic nor anarchist, and thus he participates as a human being in human structures.

The fast is subordinate to Jesus

Sabbath

Mark 2:23–28 KJV

23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. 24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? 25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? 26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him? 27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: 28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

Sabbath:

4th Commandment: Exodus 20:8–11 “8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.”

rest from every labor for Jews, slaves, animals, even plants (harvesting) because God rested on the 6th day (tied to creation)

24 hours sunset Friday to sunset Saturday

Was seen as an eternal sign of belonging and blessing of Israel as God’s special, chosen people

Ezekiel 20:12 “12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.”

Pharisees eventually pervert the law to the point the Talmud describes it as a holy ordinance of God and anyone who observes it becomes a partner with God in the creation of and bringing salvation to the world

Made for man Exodus 23:12 “12 Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.”

The Sabbath is subordinate to Jesus

Conclusion

Hebrews 4:10–11 “10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”

Biblical faith submits to God. Jesus in declaring His authority over fasting as law and the sabbath told the Jews then and declares to us now, He is God the Son

We can either save ourselves through works righteousness in how “good” we act and the law righteousness in how close we keep the rules or we can’t.

And we know we can’t: James 2:9–10 “9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. 10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”

Mark 1:14–15 “14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

The Gospel is the good news that Jesus has kept the law perfectly and as such has fulfilled the law and CAN save you from the wrath of God that will be poured out on all sin and those who are separated from Him.

Galatians 2:16 “16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

Ephesians 1:3–10 “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:”