Jesus Brings the Kingdom: Mark 1:35-45

Introduction

We are moving right along in our journey through the book of Mark. I hope you have learned or been reminded about the greatness of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. In our text, we learn that Jesus, though He had authority and power, came for a specific purpose that unfolds in the progress of the book. He came for a reason and it was not what many in his day expected and many in our day mock. Jesus came to bring God’s Kingdom to earth. He came as both the messenger and the message. He came rescue captives and redeem sinners. In three scenes our text makes what I have stated clear. Let’s look at the first.

Narrative

To begin with, Jesus, as the bringer of God’s Kingdom, prioritizes its arrival through prayer: 35

Our text begins by describing another day in the life our Lord Jesus. He awoke early in the morning while it was still dark out. Many of you know this experience. His purpose, however, was particular. He desired solitude and communion with His Father in prayer. Thus, we are told that he went to a desolate place, a place where He could be alone with His Father, and prayed. Jesus, though true God, who in His deity needed nothing, was also true man. As true man He, though sinless, still need communion with the Father in prayer. Mark only mentions Jesus praying three times, including this one, but other gospels make clear that Jesus was a man of both private and public prayer. It is in prayer, that He was given the spiritual energy He needed to carry out His role as the bringer of God’s Kingdom.

T: Jesus, as the bringer of God’s Kingdom, prioritizes its arrival through prayer.

Next, Jesus, as the bringer of God’s Kingdom, announces its arrival by preaching: 36-39

Jesus’ privacy is interrupted abruptly by Simon Peter and those who are with Him much like the times I have been at work or in prayer when my daughter runs into my home office, yelling, “Daddy, daddy, come here.” Peter informs Him that everyone is looking for Him. People knew what He did the day before, and people wanted to be blessed by this man who preached with authority and healed the sick and demon-oppressed with power. Jesus’ response may come as a shock, look at verse 38 (READ IT). Here, Jesus states His purpose at this time, and that was to preach, telling of the coming Kingdom of God and calling on people to repent and believe the gospel. In other words, repent of sin and believe in Him. Rather than returning to Capernaum to the crowds that sought Him for what He could do for their temporary needs, He continued on His mission to announce and bring everlasting salvation. Mark summarizes what Jesus did in verse 39, read it with me (READ IT). Jesus went through out all of Galilee and preached in the Synagogues of the Jews, and cast out demons by the power of His Word. Jesus as a messenger and His message itself were authenticated not only by their truthfulness, but by the power of God that accompanied. This is the purpose of signs and miracles in Scripture they point to something, namely whether or not a person was a true prophet.

T: What we see in this second seen is that Jesus, as the bringer of God’s Kingdom, who prioritized its arrival through prayer, also announces its arrival by preaching

In the final portion of our text, we are faced with the truth that Jesus as the bringer of God’s Kingdom, demonstrates its arrival with power: 40-45

Sometime and somewhere in Galilee, a leper came to our Lord. There is great humility, utter desperation, and real faith implied in His coming, look at verse 40 (READ IT). He came to Jesus kneeling before Him and continually pleading with Him. The leper understood that Christ had the power heal Him and only need to desire it for it to be done. Leprosy was a skin disease common in Jesus’ time and place. It grossly disfigure a person and made the unclean according to the ceremonial law of Moses (). It was so grotesque that rabbis describe some lepers as the “living dead.” A leper in Israel had to separate themselves from the community and their friends and family. When in public they had to shout that they were unclean and dress in a way that drew attention to them as unclean people (). A normal person who touched a leper would be unclean as the leper was. What would Jesus do in response to this lepers breaking from custom and coming to Him? We find out in verse 41, read it with me, (READ IT). Jesus felt deeply for this leper’s plight. He reached out and touched a man who had likely not felt the touch of another human being in ages. Then He spoke words of both comfort and power. He desired for Him to be clean and commanded Him to be clean. The disease at that very moment left the man. Jesus had a purity and holiness more contagious than the flue and the leper caught it. As Jesus did with the demons, He charged this man not to speak of Him. Instead He told Him to go and obey the ceremonial law of Moses. Priests were to inspect those with leprosy and declare wether they were clean or not (; ). Jesus desires for His identity to be as the Messiah to be concealed for the time being because He had not yet accomplished what He came to do. Also, there were many misconceptions by the people of what He came to do. The man, who had been healed, however, didn’t comply. He preached about Jesus openly. His excitement is understandable. His disobedience is unjustifiable. The results though give us a glimpse of the identity and ministry of Christ. We may infer that Jesus is the suffering servant who bears the inequities of His people (). The leper and Him trade places. As Jesus fame spread, He like the leper when he was ill, no longer could appear in public, but had to dwell in lonely places. Jesus came as a substitute for His people, this is scened with the leper is shadow of greater things to come. Leprosy, disease, and demon possession were symptoms of something far more pervasive and deadly, sin. We are told that though He was forced to lonely places, He was not left alone. People from all over came to Him.

T: Jesus, as the bringer of God’s Kingdom, prioritizes its arrival through prayer, announces its arrival by preaching, and demonstrates its arrival with power. The big idea is that Jesus is the bringer of God’s Kingdom and the application that big idea is that you need Jesus. Now consider three charges I give to you in light of our text.

Main Points/Application

Jesus is the bringer of God’s Kingdom. Therefore, you need Him, so come to Him. Like the leper you are in desperate need of Jesus, not only for cleansing of the body, but of the soul. What can wash away your sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. All who come to Christ in faith like the leper may confidently know that Jesus desires to grant them forgiveness and eternal life. He will never cast out those who seek Him. He will cleans them with His blood, give them His righteousness, commune with them by His Spirit in His Word, Sacraments, and prayer. Moreover, He will dwell with them by the Holy Spirit as they further His Kingdom by preaching the gospel and making disciples. Whether you are a mature Christian, baby Christian, unbeliever, child, adult, man, woman, rich, or poor. You are utterly dependent upon Jesus. Unbeliever come to Jesus for salvation from your sins and the hope of eternal life. Believer, come to Jesus for strength and hope. Come to Him by partaking of His Word preached and observing the ordinance He gave His Church: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. By these your faith will be encouraged and strengthened and your sin will be mortified. Church, let us never forget who has redeemed us with His blood and who empowers us for His service. Let us never forget who we belong too. Let us consider the fact that right now in our gathering we are at the outskirts of heaven communing with God and joining the heavenly congregation in the worship of our God and savior Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the bringer of God’s Kingdom. Therefore, you need Him, so pray through Him. We saw in our text that Jesus was a man of not only public devotion, but of private devotion. He was purposeful in going out in private and communing with His Father in prayer. Pray simply is spending time with God. It includes meditation upon and praying through His Word and speaking our praises, confessing our sins, expressing our thanksgivings, and making our request. In Hebrews, we learn that we gain access to God in prayer through Jesus Christ, who is our perfect high priest. Jesus gives us access to the resources of heaven and the power of God. Prayer, according to apostle Paul, though not a peace of the Christians spiritual battle attire and weapons, provides us with resources to put it on and wield it against the kingdom of darkness both inside of us and outside of us. Prayer doesn’t have to be long or eloquent, but having a regular time devoted to private prayer is suggested by the example of Jesus. Prayer should be regular both for the individual Christian and the corporate gathering of a local church. God answers prayer and God changes us through our prayers. Christian are you weary, anxious, or depressed? Do you have to much to do and not enough time to do it? Are you battling a sin that you can’t shake? This week take time everyday to pray. Wake up early or stay up late. Take time to pray. Church, if we want revival in our church or an awakening in our community we must not only in private pray, but publically pray together for these things. With the many needs in our community and congregation, with the many lost people in our community and the world, you would think Wednesday Night prayer meeting, Sunday School, the corporate gatherings on Sunday, all of which are times in which we pray together, would be bursting at the seems. Gathering with and praying with the saints, among taking of the ordinary means of grace, would be the excuse to skip everything else and not something to find and excuse to miss. You, who are hear, though you may not feel like much is happening, are being change by God and encouraged by Him. Keep gathering. Keep praying.

Jesus is the bringer of God’s Kingdom. Therefore, you need Jesus, preach about Him. Jesus ministry was a ministry of preaching. He, as the King, proclaimed the reign of God. We are His ambassadors. We are to herald His message to the utter ends of the earth. God has a people of every nation, tribe, and tongue. He has set the glory of His name upon redeeming this people. Thus, we can be certain that our preaching will never be in vain. Furthermore, the preaching of the gospel is always effective. It hardens the hearts of some and softens the heart of others. We don’t know what fruit our preaching will bear in our audience. We do know that we have all been commissioned to preach the gospel and make disciples. We know this will be our mission until the end of the age and that Jesus power and presence will strengthen us to fulfill this purpose. Jesus preached. We too should seek to preach the gospel. We should call the lost to enter the Kingdom of God through Christ. We should call each other to keep trusting in Christ. We should encourage each other with the fact that what Jesus began in His first coming, will complete in His second coming. Our justification and sanctification will lead to our resurrection and glorification at the end when Jesus returns. The riches, possessions, and kingdoms of this present age will all pass away. Jesus and His Kingdom will remain forever. Are you numbered among this eternal Kingdom? If so, rejoice in Christ and take courage. If no, then repent and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ that I have preached today.

You need Jesus, so hope in Him

Conclusion

Jesus is the bringer of God’s Kingdom. As the bringer of God’s Kingdom He prioritized its arrival through prayer, announced its arrival by preaching, and demonstrated its arrival with power. Considering all this I have reminded you need Jesus and charged you to come to Him, pray through Him, preach about Him, and hope in Him. When we consider the ministry of Jesus, as Mark portrays it, we might put it the following way. “Jesus’ ministry was one of announcing, demonstrating, and establishing the kingdom of God. He announced it by preaching. He demonstrated it with miracles. He established it in His death.”

In our text, Mark hasn’t gotten to Jesus’ giving of His life as a ransom, but he is definitely moving in that direction. The Kingdom of God in Christ that was promised beginning in , foreshadowed in Israel, and proclaimed by the prophets, broke into a world in the birth of Christ. It was announced and demonstrated in the ministry of Christ. It was established in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It will be consummated when Jesus returns to rescue His people from final judgement and cast His enemies into it. That said, this text bids you like the leper to come to Jesus who will not send you away, but will have compassion on you and cleanse you of your spiritual disease called sin.

Christian, like with every passage you are encouraged to keep cleaving to Jesus for strength, encouragement, and hope. In gratitude, you should obey His commands.

If you are a Christian, like with every passage you are encouraged to keep cleaving to Jesus for strength, encouragement, and hope. In gratitude, you should obey His commands.

Church, we are to be the local and visible expression of the spiritual reign of our Lord Jesus by being a church that submits to His Word and proclaims it unashamedly.

Unbeliever, I bid you to come to the Lord Jesus. His blood alone can rid you of your spiritual uncleaness and cleanse you from your sins. His righteousness alone is able to give you approval in God’s sight. His Spirit and Holiness alone can make you holy. His resurrection alone can give you hope for resurrection and eternal life. His return alone gives meaning to life and hope to one day be in a world without sin and death. Jesus alone is our hope in life and in death, so come to Him all who are weary and He will give your rest.