Mark 4:21-41 - Who is this man?

Who is this Man Mark 4:21-41 Summer Hill Church Sunday 26 July, 2020 1. Would you recognise God? a. If you met God, what would you expect him to look like. i. I mean, all other things aside, what would you expect? (1) now I know we are all well taught Christians, and so we would say Jesus ii. but really, if you grabbed a workmate, or a friend, or even just a regular person in the street - what would they say. What would you expect God to look like. (1) Here are some ideas - see if you can guess them (a) BRUCE (b) BRUCE 2 (c) MP (d) SIMPSONS (e) THOR (f) ODIN iii. Which of them, if you met them, would you think was God? (1) I know at least some of would like to meet Chris Hemsworth, or even Morgan Freeman, but that's not the same thing. b. the thing is, even in the movie Thor - when they first met him, they had a hard time believing he was a God, because of preconceptions about what God is like i. or even that there is a God - if you rule him out of existence then nothing will convince you of who God is. (1) or if you grew up like me with a conception of "Gentle Jesus, meek and mild"- then the picture of the real Jesus that comes from the Bible can be quite difficult to accept. ii. and the ancient world was no different. What they expected of God, and his kingdom was formed by their preconceptions and expectations, not from reality. (1) so when Jesus strode onto the scene in 30AD preaching the "Kingdom of God is near" then they found it hard to believe that he was the king - that he was God incarnate. Even with the healing miracles. (a) After all Elijah had healed - in fact he even resurrected the widow of Zarephath's son in 1 Kings 17:22 (2) so what would this Jesus offer that was different. After all he was just a carpenters son from Nazareth iii. Jesus starts this section by telling 3 parables. (1) if you remember from last week, the parables are not just illustrative stories about the kingdom of God, though they are that (a) they are actually stories that divide us - that test our hearing (i) will we listen and listen with the appropriate heart and so we heard Jesus say: 1) Then Jesus said, "Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear." Mark 4:9 (b) So what do we hear as he relates these three parables 2. Hidden to revealed a. the first parable is about light (v21) i. He said to them, "Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it on its stand? (1) the answer is meant to be obvious even to the less visually endowed of us. The answer is obvious - in fact so obvious that he explains it ii. For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. (v22) (1) I think this is actually continuing the theme of the parables that Jesus began with the parable of the sower last week (a) as we've already discussed - that they are illustrations that have a point - a point of explanation, (b) but also a point like a sword - that divides people into those who will understand and those who will not. (2) and the hidden meaning of the parables is meant to be explained - but only those who want to know will find out. (a) see it's not a secret knowledge - one to be hidden away and is impenetrable. (3) rather it's meant to be unpacked, explained, and understood. But - and here's that somewhat ominous (a) If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear. (v23) iii. and so we have to carefully weigh - not what we hear - as in what enters our earholes - that is very hard to control, (1) but weight what we act upon - what we listen to - might be the better way for us to put it. (a) because what we act on displays our heart and desires and wishes (i) and this will be used to measure us, 1) it's not enough just to hear, we need to let it change us - to create in us a new outlook a new way of thinking. (b) James puts it quite clearly (i) Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. James 1:22-24 b. it's all about our ears - not our auricles - but the ears of our heart. i. will we let Christ reform our patterns of thinking - so that we think God thoughts more often and world ways of thinking less often. (1) do we value the scriptures more than reddit, facebook, or instagram, or even friends. (a) because if we get it wrong the consequences are pretty awful (v25) (i) Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. (b) So listen carefully, and because it's meant to be understood and lived out we are even more to blame when we fail to hear and understand. 3. Small to big i. the next 2 parables are introduced the same way - This is what the kingdom of is like... (1) it's a shift in subject but not form - we are still in parables, so it's testing our hearing (2) and the both of the parables make the same point (a) something small becomes big ii. and at the moment - the kingdom of God is looking pathetically small (1) a single small common man, with a band of 12 followers. (a) if you were looking for the kingdom of the God of all the universe you would not expect to find it here. b. the first of the parables emphasises that the growth of this kingdom is not the work of the sower but the work of God. (v27) (1) Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. ii. it doesn't matter how hard he works, or whether he is lazy or industrious - the crop comes "though he does not know how" - we know it is from the hand of God (1) and his harvest is therefore also all from the hand of God. The kingdom of God is not about how small it is, or how much is put into it, it's about who is in control of it - and in God's kingdom, God is in control. (a) and it is still like that with the kingdom. (2) the most important part of the growing of the kingdom from the seed that is sown is not how hard the sower works. (a) it's not about how brilliant the arguments are, or the preaching is, or even how likeable we are. (3) the most important part of the growth of the kingdom is that God is at work - which is why our prayers are sooo important. (a) as we plead with God to open peoples hearts to his message. c. the second parable is also about small things becoming great, but this one emphasises the comparative size. (1) the comparison of the mustard seed to the tree is one to show that small beginnings can have great outcomes. (a) the image is of the tiniest seed becoming a large garden tree - so big that animals can shelter under it (i) here's a mustard seed - it's so small - and yet it grows (ii) into a large tree! as you can see (b) the beginnings of something don't relate to the end directly (2) so what are we seeing here? (v30) (a) Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like,... It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, ..." (3) the Kingdom starts tiny - a single man, then gathering a ragtag bunch of followers, and it keeps growing till now (a) according to the repository of all wisdom - Wikipedia (i) Christianity ...is the world's largest religion, with about 2.4 billion followers. (4) Which is not what Jesus is saying - that it will become the largest religion - but that this tiny mustard seed of a movement, that is starting here and now, will grow and grow and grow (a) the kingdom of God has come near - here and now - and it's starting it's growth. You can't judge the kingdom by the size of the seed. ii. these parables become typical of Jesus' teaching (v33) (1) With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. iii. and he as we heard last week, in 4:11 (1) The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables (a) and he explains it to the twelve. (v34) (2) He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything. iv. but that phrase sets us up for the events to follow 4. Teacher to God a. we heard the events of the calming of the storm read so well by Sharon. I won't take you through the detail of them i. it's worth noting it's evening - often a quiet time on the lake (a) in a boat very like this one. (2) they're also followed by other boats. ii. unexpectedly a huge squall (a windstorm) came upon them and threatened to swamp the boat, (1) and these experienced fishermen were afraid for their lives. iii. and Jesus was asleep - though getting wet, and buffeted. (1) but look at the disciples and what they did and said (v38) (a) The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown? (2) They know Jesus is powerful, but they panic and call on him for help. (a) they have respect - they call him "teacher" (i) the normal greek word for someone you follow as a disciple. (3) they respect him, and need his help - but something extraordinary happened - and it was all in 2 words the in v39. Silent! Quiet! (a) in fact I think most of us imagine him getting up, standing in the boat reaching out and shouting at the storm (i) but the text actually only says - he woke up - and said "Quiet" "Still" and it all stopped. iv. the effortless power that was on display - that he could just say a word and the storm itself was stilled - that would give anyone cause for thought and awe don't you think? (1) and so their reaction is quite understandable isn't it. (v41) (a) They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" (2) see, they hadn't put it together yet - they didn't understand who he was (a) they didn't have faith in that sense. (3) but it's even a bit bigger than that - because the wind and the waves are the domain of God to control. (a) and the echo here of Psalm 107 is quite strong (i) He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. (b) The "he" is the Lord - YHWH - the creator God - and here is Jesus doing exactly the same thing 1) - Even the wind and the waves obey him! (ii) Jesus is not yet claiming to be equal to God - he's just doing the things only God does! (c) but in true disciple's style, it isn't till chapter 8 that the pennies finally drop for them and Peter - the big mouth - says: 1) "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Messiah." (d) then they get it - at least after a fashion - but not yet, (i) they haven't yet worked out who he is, even though he has been explaining everything to them (4) and in two chapters, they don't understand about the significance of the feeding of the 5000, and a chapter later in Mark 7 Jesus says - and you can almost hear the slight exasperation (a) "Are you so dull?" he asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? (5) at times the disciples are very slow to learn, but then so are we (a) and the disciples in this moment have learned something crucial. (6) they have moved from "Teacher" to being confronted with the possibility that this man, who eats and drinks and walks and talks with them, is God himself. (a) No wonder they say is "Who is this man" (7) So what is our answer to that question? 5. Who is this man? a. face to face with Jesus of Nazareth - who do you think he is? i. have you come to some understanding of who he claims to be, and how he backs up that claim. (1) because how you hear this is absolutely crucial ii. remember the warning Jesus gave in v25? (1) Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. iii. How you respond, how you listen to Jesus is crucial. (1) the way you respond in action to his words is faith and obedience. (a) Faith in his promises and obedience to his commands. (2) without them, even what we have now - the good things of the earth, the things we enjoy, the relationships, the things we love, the good things we have will be taken away. iv. the thing is, that as a human he almost certainly wasn't a Hemsworth, or a Freeman, and certainly not a Carrey (1) he was completely unremarkable in how he appeared (a) but what he did and what he said changed the world, forever (2) and so the question still remains sharp for us all - who is this man b. and don't let yourself get away with the easy answer of "he is God" i. because that easy answer is actually really hard (1) if he really is God, then what should we be doing about it (a) if you're not yet a Christian, then it's crucial you work this out. (2) the whole of life, all your future hangs in the balance on the answer to this one question - who is this man (a) is he - as Peter claims - the Messiah, the Son of the living God - the great king of God's kingdom and God himself (b) or is he a deluded fraudster or madman. Someone you can comfortably just ignore (i) and if you take that position - how do you know that. What is your evidence? What has convinced you so thoroughly that he is a lunatic or a liar. (ii) Or are are you ruling him out of existence because of your preconceptions ii. and if you're a believer here - someone who does believe that Jesus is he Messiah, the Son of the living God - the great king of God's kingdom and God himself (1) then what evidence is there of it in your actions, in your behaviours, and in your conversations (a) how has obeying Christ made a difference in your life other than turning up to Christian club for an hour or so on Sundays. (2) here is your challenge - take time this week to write a list of the 10 top things that you think would be different in your life if you weren't a Christian - and for this exercise, you can't count just turning up to church. (a) challenge yourself on this. Be honest. Be humble. You can't fool God. Try not to fool yourself. (i) and then ask yourself why is there a difference. And plan to change. We all need to change. You aren't alone in this. (3) Sometimes we should be a little more like the disciples and: (a) be terrified and ask each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" Let's pray Heavenly father, we know we don't treat you as we ought to. We know we are so often failing to know and understand and even hear you, even though you have so clearly spoken to us. Open our hearts Lord we pray, and by the work of your Spirit make us ever more obedient to your Son in whom we place our trust. In whose name and for whose sake we pray. Amen. page 0 of 0