Untitled Sermon

Mark 7:24-37

“The Splendid Savior”

Question: What Makes Jesus Excellent?

Introduction:

1. “The name Stradivarius (Stra duh vare eee us) is synonymous with fine violins. This is true because Antonius Stradivarius insisted that no instrument constructed in his shop be sold until it was as near perfection as human care and skill could make it. Stradivarius observed, "God needs violins to send His music into the world, and if any violins are defective God's music will be spoiled." His work philosophy was summed up in one sentence: "Other men will make other violins, but no man shall make a better one."

1. You see what made Antonius Stradivarius name associated with excellence was his dedication in what he sold and made. He was dedicated to creating and selling the best violins that were only splendid and flawless in every detail. Perfectly ready for playing the most beautiful music for God. That what made a Stradivarius violin excellent and associated with excellence.

2. But what makes the Lord of lords excellent? What makes Jesus Excellent? In this passage of Scripture, the people say, “He does everything well”. The idea there is everything He does is excellence, splendid, wonderful, he doesn’t mess up, or fail, He does everything Well! I don’t know what you’re going through this morning. Maybe you are having financial scares, or maybe something medical has come up that you’re not sure how to deal with. Maybe your family is lost and suffering. Maybe it’s your job that’s in trouble, or your marriage is falling apart. Let me tell you this morning, Jesus is a Splendid Savior! And I believe this passage will answer, “what makes Jesus Excellent”? I pray this morning it will encourage you and deepen your love for Jesus. To help you endure whatever trials you’re going through and lean on the great power and love of Christ.

3. READ PASSAGE Mark 7:24-37

4. So, what does this passage of scripture reveal to us about his excellence?

#1 He Hears the Cry of Sinners

1. This first person we meet is a Greek woman. A Syrophoenician (Sero fen eshun). Now Jesus in the passage before was with his disciples the other day around the sea of galilee near Capernaum. Israel is south of the sea of Galilee. And the pharisees along with scribes had made the trip up from Jerusalem to come and see Jesus. This is when the pharisees sees Jesus and his disciples eating with unclean hands, that is according to their tradition’s unclean hands, not Biblical unclean hands. Jesus rebukes them for their hypocrisy. Claiming to follow God but yet being far from him. After that Jesus gets up and makes the trip to the region of Tyre which is where we find ourselves this morning.

2. Tyre was north of the sea of galilee where he encountered the pharisees. It was on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Hopefully you’re getting a mental picture. Jesus traveled away from Jerusalem to this region, Gentile territory! When he gets there, he enters a house, not wanting anyone to know he is there. But he could not escape notice the Bible says!

3. Now you might be wondering, why didn’t Jesus want to be seen? Jesus was entering this house to get away from the crowds and spend some time with his Disciples, teaching them and explaining to them Word’s from God. This would have been his desire because he is entering a house with them. Don’t think Jesus is being mean, remember Jesus knows He is going to go to the cross and depart to sit at the right hand of God. So, he desires to prepare the disciples to carry on the Good news about salvation when he leaves, so he is training them. But he could not escape notice.

4. Picture seeing a celebrity for the first time in public. Jesus is wearing the hat with sunglasses. Ducking his head around corners. His disciples maybe are using their body to cover Jesus from being spotted. And Jesus looks up and someone spots him! “hey that’s Jesus! He’s here!” And here come the cameras. Camelaks are rolling up to drop off people to see Jesus. By the way I am making this all up, but you get the idea. In verse 25 we’re told that the woman hears about Jesus and comes to find him.

5. Let me pause for a moment. When was the last time you told someone about Jesus? I think this is neat, and I am speculating a little bit but hear me out. This woman gets the news that Jesus is here! Well why would she go find him unless she heard about who he was and what he can do? She has heard about him before! I mean if you didn’t know who George strait was, when someone comes up and says hey George straight is at Chuy’s right now! You would say, “Who?” And probably would want to go see him. But she has heard about Jesus. I got to thinking, how? This is Gentile territory, I mean I know Word travels fast. Well back in mark 5 Jesus sets a man free who was demon possessed living in the tombs. He would cut himself trying to end his life because of the consequences of his sin to opening himself up to demons. But Jesus sets him free. At the end of that passage the man wants to go with Jesus, but Jesus doesn’t let him. Instead he tells him to go and tell everyone about what the Lord has done for him. Mark 5: 20 “So he went out and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and they were all amazed.” I really believe that this man who had been set free, who loved Jesus because of what he had done for him, what no one else could do the Bible says! He goes and tells anyone he can, and I believe his testimony about Jesus reached this woman whose daughter is possessed by a demon. Why? Because in the next passage the Bible says Jesus is in the region of the Decapolis. The Decapolis is the region he is in right now, it was like a county. So this woman might have heard about how Jesus set the man among the tombs free and she thinks I have got to go see this man named Jesus, he can set my daughter free!

6. So, she finds him, and remember guys she is a Gentile, most likely a Greek but a Gentile none the less, not God’s chosen people. And she falls at the feet of Jesus and asks him. The other Gospels say she is crying out begging, to cast the demon out of her daughter. And what does Jesus do?

7. I mean listen; Jesus didn’t want to be seen! But yet he hears the cry of this woman! He could have slipped through the crowds, he did it before! He could have ignored her! But our savior our wonderful savior hears the cry of sinners, he hears her out! Let’s fast forward to the man who is mute. We’re going to be jumping back and forth between scenes.

The Mute Man:

1. The second person we encounter in these passages is a man who is mute in his ears and speech. Because he can’t hear, he can’t speak. He doesn’t know words! They didn’t have the best care back then, there wasn’t brail or teachers to help them. He was considered basically worthless. Jesus is still in the region of the Decapolis and is brought a man who can’t hear or speak. This man had some friends who brought him. And they beg Jesus to lay his hand on him. Now listen to me. Jesus really has no obligation to hear these people out. He is still in Gentile territory, and these people are most likely Gentiles. He could have refused them. Pushed them away. He could have said no, and he would still be Lord! But Jesus again listens to the cry of sinners!

2. If you’re here this morning and you never have repented of your sins! That means agree with God that he is good and true and agree with God that you are sinful and deserve divine punishment in a place called hell. Have sorrow over your sins against him and cry out and put your faith and trust in Jesus! If you never have been born again and your life changed from serving yourself to surrendering and following Jesus! Then listen to me! He will hear your cry of repentance and faith! He will not turn you away. Why? Because Jesus is wonderful, he is Excellent, and He hears the cry of sinners!

3. If you’ve been born again this morning, and you are struggling. If Jesus hears the cry of sinners who are not his own! The Gentiles! Won’t he hear the cry all the more of those of you who are his children! Won’t he give you grace in your time of need? Hebrews 4: 16 says, 16 Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need.”

4. Won’t he comfort your troubled soul with a reminder of the good news that your sins are gone, you’ve been forgiven! And nothing can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. Jesus will hear your cry because you are in his Son Jesus Christ. Look at the heart of our savior, he will not turn you away, he desires to save the lost and strengthen his children.

5. The people are asking Jesus to lay his hand on this man. The idea here is they are asking Jesus to bless him. That’s it. But Jesus in his compassionate heart is going to do more than that. He heard their cry.

8. #1 Jesus hears the cry of sinners

#2 He Sets the Captive Free

1. Back to the Greek woman. She is at the feet of Jesus asking him to cast the demon out of her daughter. This is her request, her daughter is being tormented by an unclean spirit, and she desires her to be set free. I mean this is a normal mom isn’t it. Her child is suffering, and she desires that Jesus set her free! Parents in here, when your child gets hurt, doesn’t your heart go out to them, you desire to help them. Listen to me parents, listen to me grandparents! This mom cares about her daughter! But listen, the greatest thing you can want for your child or gandchild is for their soul to be set free by the power of Jesus! To have their sins forgiven because they have surrendered their life over to Christ! And to give their whole life to following and serving the Lord Jesus! This woman goes to Jesus because that’s who her daughter needs the most right now! To be set free!

2. The best thing for them is not a good job! It’s not education! It’s not college, or a spouse with money. It’s not a scholarship, it’s not good grades, it’s not sports! It’s not a safe neighborhood, it’s not a safe life! The best thing for your child is Jesus Christ! And his plan for them! Following after Jesus! Listen to me, I pray that our teens and children grow up to love and serve the Lord Jesus. I pray that God will send them all other the world no matter how dangerous, to preach the good news of Jesus! To pick up their cross and follow him even to death, that’s what the cross signifies, you are carrying death to self! Parents, grandparents, live and teach your kids about the greatness of Jesus, that he can set the captive free! Bring them to Church, sing praises with them! Pray for them and over them! Don’t give them mixed signals, but claiming Jesus is one breathe but yet denying him by your disobedience in the next. Teach them that he is a God we can trust with our lives, that nothing in this world is a reason to fear when we are in Christ! Soap box on the virus and punishing our kids!

3. Jesus responds to this woman. “let the children be fed first, because it isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs”. Now why would Jesus say this?

a. Well the Children are the people of Israel, they are the Jewish people. God’s chosen people are the Jews, to take the good news of salvation to the nations. And Jesus was sent first for the Jews. Notice what Jesus says, “Let the children be fed first” not, “only the children are going to be fed”. This is good news because who are the dogs? That’s me and most likely unless you’re Jewish, that’s you.

4. He says it isn’t right, meaning he is giving a reason to refuse to heal this woman’s daughter. He refers to the daughter as a little dog. The word for dog here is the word they used for a little house pet dog. One that staying inside. On the surface it seems like Jesus is being rude, I mean calling someone a dog isn’t usually nice. Jesus is using the cultural Jewish term for Gentiles, not to be rude or mean, but to test the faith of this woman. You see Jesus cares about people, and he cared about the faith of this woman! So, he says these words to test her, “will she really trust in me! Will she really understand her state!?” Listen if someone called you a dog, would you basically agree with them? That’s what this woman does, she says “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs”. By saying that she confirms yes, I am unworthy! What does this say about her?? She could have said, “wow you’re rude. I am a Greek, I value knowledge, we’re smarter than any old stinking Jew, how dare you refuse me”. But she recognizes that she is in the presence of the Son of God. And so, she agrees with him, yes, I am but a dog, I am not the chosen people of God. I am but the lowly dog under their table. But you are a great God, and even a crumb that falls off the bread to the children is enough for me! Casting out the demon of my daughter is a big thing for me, but for you Jesus it is a crumb off your bread, it is a little thing for you! Do you see the faith of this woman!? She understands who she is, and she understands who Jesus is!

5. This is a picture of salvation. You recognize your position before God, a dog. A dog that doesn’t deserve anything because like a dog, you have returned to your vomit, you’re sin over and over! But yet Jesus Christ in his great kindness and mercy, is willing to forgive you to set your free if you turn from this world to him in repentance and faith! He sets the captive free!

6. Look at verse 29. “Because of this reply, you may go. The demon has left your daughter”. Jesus sets that woman’s daughter free because that woman had faith in the Lord Jesus!

The Mute Man:

1. Fast forward again to this mute man in the similar region. Jesus hears the cry of those people who beg him to bless that man. Jesus takes the man to the side in private and does some strange things at first glance.

a. Number one Jesus puts his fingers in the man’s ear. My siters are weird sometimes, and to annoy me they would stick their finger in my ear. I would be watching TV and all the sudden wham! What in the world, you felt that immediately? Jesus sticks one finger in each of this man’s ears. Seems strange.

b. Secondly, Jesus spits on the ground and then touches the man’s tongue. Kinda gross, but that’s what he does. What in the world is happening?

2. Well this man is deaf? You can’t speak to a deaf person, can you? They can’t hear, so Jesus is speaking this man’s language. He puts his fingers in his ear signifying to the man that he is about to unblock his ears. He then spits, which is a cultural thing. It called the man to attention that he needed to be healed in his tongue and mouth, and that Jesus had the ability to help him. Then he touches his tongue letting him know he will set his mouth free to speak. Now why did Jesus do this, it was to communicate to the man in a way he could understand and feel. To show him look! What is about to happen is from God! That’s why he looks up to heaven! I don’t know why he sighed, but I bet it was a combination of two things. Jesus compassion for this man, his desire is to set the captives free. But I believe it is also over the sin of this world. Our sin has caused this, our rebellion has caused pain and suffering! Sorrow and death! And Jesus is sighing over the destruction you and I have caused! But he is the answer! Only Jesus can set the captive free!

3. Jesus then says, “Be opened!” Immediately his ears were opened, and his tongue was loosed! Literally the chains broken off, he can hear, he can speak! Two entirely different people, but yet both were captive to the consequences of sin! And Jesus casts out a demon and sets this man free!

4. Jesus can set your free this morning. He can save you and forgive you of your sin, past, present, and future. He can set you free Christian of that sin you’ve done, you don’t have to hold it from him, you can confess it to him knowing that Jesus paid for it. He can lift that burden from you.

He hears the cry of sinners

He sets the captive free

#3 He Does Everything Well

1. What makes Jesus excellent? He does everything well. This Greek woman runs back home! At least I imagine. And she enters her house to find her child lying on the bed and the demon was gone. I believe this is significant. Because no doubt this demon when the girl opened herself up to it was causing nothing but pain, sorrow, stress, and anxiety in this girl’s life and the life of her mother! She couldn’t rest, couldn’t sleep. She didn’t have any peace! Never sitting still, I can picture the mom up with her at night trying to calm her as the demon took over and tormented her. But this was different. Her mom walks in and what does she see? Her daughter lying down, still and at peace. She has been set free! Who knows how long it’s been since she had rest from the demon? But now she has it permanently.

2. Do you remember when Jesus set you free? Do you remember when the Holy Spirit brought conviction over the sin of your life and your conscience was guilty before God, but then you saw the kindness of Jesus and surrendered to him! And all your sins were removed, they were placed upon Jesus as your substitute in your place. He was crushed by God so that you could have peace with God! What a day that was. I remember when I was 21 years old, I repented and put my trust in Jesus. I remember the being set free, knowing that my sins were placed on Jesus. Oh, the peace that Jesus brings. He does everything well. Do you have peace with God this morning? You can.

3. After the man’s ears and mouth were set free, the people are amazed. And Jesus orders them to tell no one! You have to understand this. Jesus wasn’t telling them to tell no one anything, just don’t tell everyone about what he just did. Why? Because it would cause Jesus to be overwhelmed. He couldn’t enter many places because people would swarm him for things, he could do for him. Here’s what I want you to understand. He kept ordering them. And they kept disobeying. They didn’t care for the Lord Jesus, just for what he did. They disobeyed him multiple times, because he kept ordering them not to, that’s what it means when it says “the more he ordered them”. He would order them not to and they would just continue to say it, then he would do it again, and they would continue. It’s like when your child does something wrong, “hey don’t do that. I mean it. Stop. Hey, will you please stop.” He is ordering them to not tell anyone. But they don’t listen. They are astonished, and they say something that is completely true! Jesus has done everything well, excellent, he has done splendid work. Nothing he has done has failed or is wrong, he has done all things well! He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak! It is true!

4. I don’t want you to miss this. They speak truth about Jesus. But their hearts are far from him. They were really impressed with what he did, not with him as Savior and Lord. Because if they believed he was Lord and trusted in him as Lord. They wouldn’t be blatantly disregarding his commands.

5. Some of you even today. Speak truth about Jesus, but you continue to deny him by the way you live. You disobey his commands as a lifestyle. You don’t have a desire for Christ because of what he has done for you on the cross, you have a desire for the things he can give you! Eternal life, a good reputation! It’s about you! You disobey him, You don’t come to Church even though it’s a command, no matter what it might cost you it’s a command. You don’t witness. You don’t serve in the Church, rather you watch everybody else serve in areas in ministry. We need people to serve! But just like these people, it’s not about Jesus it’s about you and your concerns. I beg you this morning if that’s you, if you never have cried out to the Lord Jesus for salvation and your life proves it, let me tell you he will hear your cry of repentance and faith. You ask, “What qualifies me coming to Jesus? Being a sinner.”

6. He will hear you and save you, if you never have been set free Jesus Christ can set you free from your sin and eternal destruction.

7. Why? Because He does everything well. Jesus is Excellent. Be encouraged Christian, Jesus is a splendid savior. You can have a hope and peace this morning no matter what is going on in your life. Let’s pray.