He is Worthy

Well good morning/

Good afternoon

You know I just love that last song

I think because it is just filled with Scripture

and not just any Scripture

But everything that points to to Jesus as the Messiah

You know like I said I chose those songs for a reason

Because as you will see today

He is truly is worthy

and we are going to prove it today

according to Scripture

Today will also be a test

A test to all those that have come to my Bible Studies

To see if you all recall the reason behind this odd passage of Scripture

That we are going to go over today

Either way,

It is good to be with you all

So if you have been with us for the last three weeks now

We have been walking through the book of Mark

And we have finally made it to the 12th verse!

Amen…

I know we move slow

But that’s ok

Because its in the details where we learn so much

I swear the more I learn about the Bible

The more I begin to understand

How some pastors can preach an entire series on just one chapter of the Bible

You know my mentor preached 64 sermons on the book of Matthew

And its just because there is truly a lot in there.

I mean once you get the theme, or as CH Sowders calls it, the meta narrative

Or as my seminary professor used to say,

Once you understand the seamlessness of the biblical story

and how Genesis through Revelation and how it all connects

It is truly fascinating how all of history comes together

under the blanket of grace provided to us by Jesus

And arguably once you start to truly understand the deeper things

And how it all connects

You see the world differently

You see the world as a fulfillment of Gods plan

And not just an accident

And to be honest, it brings you joy every day

And so today, we are going to continue and take the next few verses

and so please open up your bibles to Mark 1 12-13

English Standard Version Chapter 1

12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

Lets open up in prayer

So what is my number 1 rule when it comes down to Bible study

Context context context

And what is unique today is that without understanding the theme of the Bible

You will never understand why this peculiar passage is in the Bible

I mean by show of hands

Who in here has ever wondered why in the world this is in there

Really seriously look at this

And just like John the Baptist and the prophecies about this man

This instance was so important that

It is in each synoptic Gospel

And there appears to be a good deal of importance placed on this passage

Because there are only a few stories or a few passages that are repeated in all or most of the Gospel accounts

and so why this one?

Anyone ever wondered?

And so real quick lets just take a few noticeables out of the way

Or as I would call them… questions that just don’t make any sense….

You know I remember when I was a kid first hearing about the temptation of Christ

And even asking the question… why?

Christ wasn’t able to sin so whats the point?

What are they trying to prove?

I remember my parents looking at me thinking I was weird for asking such a question

But then I recall my daughter asking me the same thing

You know, Daddy if Jesus can’t sin then why is Satan tempting him?

Anyone else ever think of this or is it only me?

It just seems odd, like a mystery passage that is just randomly put in the Bible for no apparent reason

But then its the way in which Jesus is tempted as well that just truly threw me off for a bit

I recall later on in life thinking, why is Satan authorized to do this?

And really think on this

Because if you go to the other Gospel accounts, they go into much more detail

And I mean in the second temptation

Found in the Luke 4 Satan actually offers Jesus power?

And let that just sink in for a bit

Because Satan, is just a fallen angel

Just doesn’t make any sense

Satan, the individual who you have been told all your life

The one who is below God

The one who is created by God

The one who is eventually defeated by God

Is also the one who owns enough power and authority

That he is able to offer Jesus, the son of God, power and authority

Through temptation?

Then there is the question, how can you even tempt God

Isn’t Jesus God in the flesh?

That’s what the Bible tells me

Thats what the doctrine of the trinity tell me

That’s what the pastor and my Sunday school teacher tells me

How can God be tempted

Am I the only one that dares to ask such ridiculous questions

I recall thinking there really has to be something more to this

But then there is the weirdest question of all

Notice here in verse 12

It was the Holy Spirit, or the third person of the trinity

That initiates everything here

Meaning there is a purpose to this

It’s a piece of God’s plan… but what is it

Why? what am I missing

If I am being honest, prior to really digging deep into this passage

And being an individual who actually walked away from the faith for a while

Because of questions like this,

I found this to be the most ridiculous passage in the Bible

One that proved to me why the Bible was a book of fables

And false fairy tales

How many of you knew I haven’t always been a believer?

This passage right here this was perhaps one of the premiere passages

One of the solid proofs that proved to me this Jesus stuff was a bunch of nonsense

You know what I’ve even heard sermons preach on this particular passage

And I recall hearing about how we will run into certain temptations throughout life,

About how God will help deliver you from your temptation if you just focus on scripture

If you just look to God in all the hard times

And yet isn’t it unique that to me, those sermons never made sense.

I mean, don’t get me wrong of course those things are all correct

and of course those things are all right.

God will pull you out of temptation.

He will be with you in the hard times

but what does that have to do with Christ?

I mean you’re telling me that God is assisting Christ

in temptation

a man who can’t be tempted

a man who could never sin

Honestly what’s the point

does it make any sense to you?

And you know what, the longer I spend in chaplaincy,

These are the passages that people lose their faith on

Because pastor would rather preach emotional sermons

Rather than connect the dots of the biblical story

We as a church have stopped teaching and we began counseling from up on stage

And the result

We have millions of Christians, like myself, who were lost

Couldn’t make sense of it all.

You know what I remember it wasn’t until seminary until I ran into a person who had the same questions

And I remember this professor explaining the entirety of the biblical story to me.

It was at this point that I finally began to understand. 

I begin to understand why this seemingly insignificant and unimportant sentence within the Bible

was so desperately important 

You see it came down to one single word in the Bible

that is the holiness of God 

Because there’s not a single person to have ever existed apart from Christ

that ever qualifies to be the messiah,

That ever met the standard to be the messiah

let me explain 

Because it’s actually quite easy

But in order to do so I need you to go all the way back to the book of Genesis.

I need you to go all the way back to the garden

begin to take the narrative within the founding passages of the Bible seriously

As if they’re real history

because you see it’s within these passages

that we find the ultimate creative design for mankind

Its in these passages where we find what God had in store for this world. 

You see in Genesis 1

We find the mankind was in perfect relationship.

Something that we discussed yesterday during Bible study

we found that mankind was in harmony with God.

That mankind was able to walk with God.

That mankind was without sin and in perfect relationship with God, the father. 

And yet in God‘s perfect design, God created a test,

a test of free Will

a test of obedience

a test that mankind failed 

Almost as if God in his ultimate plan

Was giving us a us a way to to choose him

To choose sin or righteousness

To choose his ways or choose flesh

What I find most unique about this test

Mankind failed this test while living in perfection 

And really start to think on this

Because I think all too often we give Satan far to much credit

But there are truly only two individuals in the whole of Scripture that are given this test

Adam and Christ

And when you start to connect the dots you see every place where Adam failed

Christ succeeded

Almost as if this had story, this narrative had some cultural nuances to it

Like a right of passage

A test to ultimately see who is worthy to take the throne

And this is the reason for the choice of music I chose

Turn with me to Revelation 5 real quick as we begin to close

Revelation 5:9 “And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”

There is only one man who has ever passed the test

Only one man who has ever satisfied the will of God, perfectly

There is only one man worthy to offer the eternal sacrifice

that bought your soul

There is only one man worthy of opening the seal, or the deed to the earth

And there is only on man worthy of being called King

And that man is Jesus

This was short passage, was more than just a trivial statement

It was the ultimate test of power and the supreme right to sit at the place of honor

granted to the only one who is worthy

This is why this is placed at the beginning of the Gospels

Because as Mark opens up, as Matthew and Luke open up

They are confirming, they’re screaming

This is the one you have been waiting for

This is the one whose Kingdom we have been praying for

And so let me close with one passage.

Hebrews 4 15 and 16

New Living Translation Chapter 4

15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.