Show me a sign!
Gospel of Mark: Jesus a life to serve • Sermon • Submitted
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· 6 viewsSigns and wonders do not produce faith.
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Wonder how HE feels
Wonder how HE feels
Have you ever wondered how Jesus felt? I know there are places in the scripture it tells us, but sometimes it is more than words, it is in a sigh. So tonight consider a few things as we go along.
Consider how the Lord reacted to their behavior and people today too.
Think about it, when they refused to believe in Him
Or they know and do not obey Him or refuse to obediently follow as they should.
Think about how Jesus must have felt then, would feel now.
Think about how Christ feels when people put off obeying the gospel.
Or when people fail to trust Him and obey Him in their daily walk.
So, in reality, tonight we are going to look at how Jesus, in just a few verses, deals with those who come to test Him.
First we look at the narrative (Mk8:11-13; Mt16:1-4 a little later)
Then look at some application
Finally at the sigh
11 The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. 12 Sighing deeply in His spirit, He said, “Why does this generation seek for a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
13 Leaving them, He again embarked and went away to the other side.
The Narrative
The Narrative
They demanded a sign, Jesus responds with a sigh and an assurance.
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They just came from the area of Decapolis (Mk7:31) to region of Dalmanutha (Mk8:10)
The Pharisee’s came out to argue, dispute with Him (Mk8:11)
The demand, the confrontation, was not anything new (Mk2:6-7; 3:22, 7:1-2)
Matthew accounts gives a little more information (Mt16:1-4)
They demand a sign, and not just any sign, but a sign from heaven (Mk8:11; Exo14; Jos6; Rom1:19-20)
Jesus response involved a sigh (Mk8:12)
Jesus had sighed before (Mk7:34; Jn11:33) and would again (Lk19:41-44)
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Just a little about a little known region called Dalmanutha. You can look at maps and most will not show Dalmanutha it is believed that it was on the western shore of Sea of Galilee.
The people we see the Pharisee’s, that should not surprise you for when ever Jesus does a miracle they, the Pharisee’s or as one commentator puts it “the truth squad” shows up to dry to cast doubt that the miracles, the signs, the wonders are from God. They cannot deny the proof of His power, he had just feed four thousand, opened the eyes of the blind, headed the leapers and provided for the masses in the feeding of the 5000 too. They chose to challenge the legitimacy of His power, the trustworthiness of His character and the authority behind His acts.
They just came from the area of Decapolis (Mk7:31) to region of Dalmanutha (Mk8:10)
The Pharisee’s came out to argue, dispute with Him (Mk8:11)
The demand, the confrontation, was not anything new (Mk2:6-7; 3:22, 7:1-2)
6 But some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?”
22 The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.”
and finally
1 The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem, 2 and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed.
Matthew accounts gives a little more information (Mt16:1-4)
Matthew accounts gives a little more information (Mt16:1-4)
1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came up, and testing Jesus, they asked Him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 But He replied to them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’
3 “And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times? 4 “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” And He left them and went away.
What did you notice, what did you see, what sticks out to you that you did not see in the Mark passage?
They demand a sign, and not just any sign, but a sign from heaven (Mk8:11)
Jesus response involved a sigh (Mk8:12)
Jesus had sighed before (Mk7:34; Jn11:33) and would again (Lk19:41-44)
5 After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
34 and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!”
33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled,
one more
41 When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.
43 “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, 44 and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”
Lk19:43-44
Jesus felt, Jesus felt deeply, just as you would for a child, a grand child. Jesus had compassion and gave us the ability to have a heart of compassion too.
Let me go back and expand on that they demanded a sign.
What kind of sign did they demand (v.11)?
What kind of sign did they demand (v.11)?
Why did they demand the sign (v.11)?
Interesting they demanded a sign, had they not seen enough signs? Had they not witnessed the other signs He had done and they questioned Him, challenged Him about them?
They were looking for, demanding specific signs, signs from heaven, like parting the Red Sea (Exo14), like walls falling down with a shout (Jos6), etc. Something dramatic that would be what they considered worthy of a Messiah.
To Jesus the whole world was a sign, was proof, and Paul elaborated on that too (Rom1:19-20)
19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
Jesus denied giving a sign for several reasons
If He gives a sign, He denies the reason for His miracles
False prophets even did signs and He wants no part with them.
Doing a sign upon command would be an insult to His character, why you may ask?
If the integrity of Jesus life
The words of His truth
The hope of His acts
If none of those things prove His authority and who He is, nothing will. so there was no sign to be given for it would have been futile.
If Jesus would have given a sign upon command he would align himself with the false prophets, destroyed the necessity of faith and opened Himself up to judgment according to the traditions of man vs. the commandment of God.
The Application
The Application
Jesus observed them and knew their intent, knew their heart. Jesus observes us and knows our behavior.
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You know the example of Saul of Tarsus (Act9:3-5)
The 7 churches in Asia (Rev2:2, Rev2:9, Rev2:13, and Rev3:1, 8, 15) Jesus found fault where it was due (Rev2:4, 2:14, 2:20, and Rev3:2, 16)
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You know the example of Saul of Tarsus (Act9:3-5)
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,
The 7 churches in Asia (Rev2:2, Rev2:9, Rev2:13, and Rev3:1, 8, 15) Jesus found fault where it was due (Rev2:4, 2:14, 2:20, and Rev3:2, 16)
3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; 4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,
And even more alarming is what we find in book of Revelation
The 7 churches in Asia (Rev2:2, Rev2:9, Rev2:13, and Rev3:1, 8, 15) Jesus found fault where it was due (Rev2:4, 2:14, 2:20, and Rev3:2, 16)
The 7 churches in Asia (Rev2:2, Rev2:9, Rev2:13, and Rev3:1, 8, 15) Jesus found fault where it was due (Rev2:4, 2:14, 2:20, and Rev3:2, 16)
1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this: 2 ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false;
2 ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false;
9 ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this: 9 ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this: 13 ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
And then Jesus went on to say
To the church at Ephesus
Rev
4 ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
4 ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
To the church at Smyrna
14 ‘But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality.
and the church at Pergamum
20 ‘But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
RE
We know according to the scripture nothing hidden will stay that way, it will be revealed (Lk8:17) So think about it, do you think Jesus sigh’s when He looks, observes today?
The Sigh
The Sigh
Jesus who knows all things because He created all things and holds all things together see’s and feels and how could He not but sigh at times.
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When man refuses to obey His gospel (Mt11:28-30)
When our conduct as His children is not that different than that of the world (Mt5:44-48)
When the Kingdom is not a priority if our lives (Mt6:33)
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When man refuses to obey His gospel (Mt11:28-30)
28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Obey by coming to Him, this is beyond just the original obeying the gospel, isn’t it?
When man refuses to obey His gospel (Mt11:28-30)
When our conduct as His children is not that different than that of the world (Mt5:44-48)
44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46 “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 “If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
7
May we not look like the world, but help transform the world to look like Jesus, but that starts with us looking like Jesus first.
When man refuses to obey His gospel (Mt11:28-30)
When our conduct as His children is not that different than that of the world (Mt5:44-48)
When the Kingdom is not a priority if our lives (Mt6:33)
So if we are to look like Jesus, we need to seek Jesus first, and I do think Jesus would sigh when we don’t
33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
30 “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
More reasons to sigh
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When tribulation/persecution causes us to stumble (Mt13:20-21)
When anxiety or materialism makes us unfruitful (Mt13:22)
When discouragement makes us abandon prayer (Lk18:1)
When the traditions of man replace commands of God (Mk7:7-9)
When denominationalism defeats His prayer for unity (Jn17:20-21; Act2:42; Eph4:3)
When the love of world replaces the love for the Father (1Jn2:15-17)
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When tribulation/persecution causes us to stumble (Mt13:20-21)
When anxiety or materialism makes us unfruitful (Mt13:22)
20 “The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.
When discouragement makes us abandon prayer (Lk18:1)
When the traditions of man replace commands of God (Mk7:7-9)
tribulation is unavoidable, we will have tribulation according to the Words of Christ (Jn16:33, ref only)
When the love of world replaces the love for the Father (1Jn2:15-17)
When tribulation/persecution causes us to stumble (Mt13:20-21)
When anxiety or materialism makes us unfruitful (Mt13:22)
When the traditions of man replace commands of God (Mk7:7-9)
When the love of world replaces the love for the Father (1Jn2:15-17)
The 7 churches in Asia (Rev2:2, Rev2:9, Rev2:13, and Rev3:1, 8, 15) Jesus found fault where it was due (Rev2:4, 2:14, 2:20, and Rev3:2, 16)
When the Kingdom is not a priority if our lives (Mt6:30)
22 “And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
When tribulation/persecution causes us to stumble (Mt13:20-21)
When anxiety or materialism makes us unfruitful (Mt13:22)
When discouragement makes us abandon prayer (Lk18:1)
1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart,
When the love of world replaces the love for the Father (1Jn2:15-17)
When we give up on prayer in the hard times, when anxiety or the desires of the world make our life in the kingdom unfruitful and when the tribulations are upon us we stumble. But yet we still are not done, a little more
When tribulation/persecution causes us to stumble (Mt13:20-21)
When anxiety or materialism makes us unfruitful (Mt13:22)
When discouragement makes us abandon prayer (Lk18:1)
When the traditions of man replace commands of God (Mk7:7-9)
7 ‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’ 8 “Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”
9 He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.
When tribulation/persecution causes us to stumble (Mt13:20-21)
When anxiety or materialism makes us unfruitful (Mt13:22)
When discouragement makes us abandon prayer (Lk18:1)
When the traditions of man replace commands of God (Mk7:7-9)
When denominationalism defeats His prayer for unity (Jn17:20-21; Act2:42; Eph4:3)
When the love of world replaces the love for the Father (1Jn2:15-17)
20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
Jesus prayer for the apostles and unity through their words, doctrine, teaching (Act2:42). Unity of the Spirit in which we are to guard according to (Eph4:3).
When denominationalism defeats His prayer for unity (Jn17:20-21)
When the love of world replaces the love for the Father (1Jn2:15-17)
15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
1Jn1:17
17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
Jesus stood ready to save all who came to Him, and today that has not changed. it is not about signs it is about the Savior. The Savior who is willing to save anyone by faith to apply His grace and mercy and grant access into the kingdom.
So how does Jesus look and view you? AS A CHILD OF THE LIVING KING! when we walk with Him!
Signs were for a purpose not for a production
For those who are misguided, mistaken, who he still wanted to sa
Miracles were for healing,