Mark Sermon Manu Week 5

Prayer

Isaiah 61:1–3 (CSB)

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners;

2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance;

to comfort all who mourn, 3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion;

to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair.

And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the Lord to glorify him.

Sermon Summary

Big Idea: Jesus has the authority, ability and ardent desire to meet our deepest needs.

Key Verse: Mark 2:10 “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”

Mark 1:41 “Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he told him. “Be made clean.””

FCF: Doubt and disbelieve of who God is in Jesus.

Fear that he won’t come near us

Don’t see our need for forgiveness — that we are the paralyzed man without it.

RS: Jesus demonstrates his authority, ability and ardent desire to be with us, through his words, healings and reconciliation to God through forgiveness.

Introduction/Welcome

Something to capture doubting God’s goodness and desire to heal

A story of healing?

Welcome

My name is Justin, one of Pastors here

Welcome 1st time, online

Bible

We’ll be in Mark 1:39-2:12 today.

Go there in your Bibles.

Pray

hearts to believe

The Heart of Jesus

Jesus is out doing Kingdom Ministry

Mark 1:39 (CSB)

39 He went into all of Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

[Map]

Things are going well, people are getting saved

delivered from demonic oppression

Mark 1:40 (CSB)

40 Then a man with leprosy came to him and, on his knees, begged him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

Leprosy

Also known as Hansen’s Disease (though it could have been any number of skin ailments)

Bacterial Disease that attacks the nerves and can cause the affected areas to lose the ability to sense touch or pain which can lead to injuries not being realized. (CDC)

Each year, about 150 people in the United States and 250,000 around the worldExternal get the illness.

Affects

They were required to live outside of cities and towns, have no contact with anyone, and declare themselves unclean when anyone approached. (NAC)

This banishment was not rooted in any fear of spreading the disease but of spreading religious impurity.

Leprosy was considered a primary source of uncleanness.

Like a corpse, the leper could impart impurity to objects found within the same enclosure.

As a result, he or she was viewed as a living corpse, and a cure was likened to raising the dead.

The leper was confined by a strict set of rules that governed his contact and relations with other people. (NIVAC)

The law regarding leprosy is found in Lev 13–14 and mentioned in Num 5:2-4.

The Leper

This man has been living in isolation and is desperate.

He must have heard about Jesus and sought him out.

Evidently he believes that Jesus is able to heal him, he doubt whether Jesus desires to heal him.

so he falls on his knees and begs Jesus, tears filling eyes, hopeful and in faith.

How man times has that been you?

We may say that we all believe that Jesus is able to do great things

But in our hearts we doubt that it is his desire to cleanse us, to come near to us.

Like the leper, some of us feel untouchable by God

unlovable by God.

Leprosy was considered a primary source of uncleanness.

Like a corpse, the leper could impart impurity to objects found within the same enclosure.

Some of us feel that way, so unclean, dirty and defiled that everything we touch is defiled too.

But look at Jesus’ response to this man.

Jesus’ Response

Mark 1:41–42 (CSB)

41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched him. “I am willing,” he told him. “Be made clean.” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.

We see four things here:

The Compassion of Jesus

The Nearness of Jesus

The Desire of Jesus

The Power of Jesus

Compassion

This word translated as ‘compassion’ there is anger.

Often we may thing that Jesus is angry with us, but that’s not what he is angry at

It is why most versions translate it as compassion,

he is angry at evil and brokenness

it is a righteous anger against sin and suffering

it’s a way of saying Jesus fights for you.

He is moved from a deep emotion into action.

Nearness

He touches the leper

this would have been unheard of

partially due to the possibility of infection, they believed it to be highly infectious in that day

but certainly due to the transference of uncleanliness.

But Jesus comes near and touches the man

He has no fear of absorbing defilement for that is why he came.

This was possibly this man’s first touch in years

His willingness

Jesus says “I am willing”

The word their is Thelos — which can be translated as it is my wish or desire.

Contrary to the man’ fear that Jesus would not desire to hear him

I picture Jesus eyes filling with tears and joy as he reassures him

I am willing — I desire this for you

and he speaks the words

His Power

“Be clean”

this is not a declaration but rather a demonstration of his power

it is the words themselves that drive out the leprosy

for the verb in not indicative (indicating what is true)

but imperative meaning a command.

He commands to leprosy to leave in the same way he commands demons to leave.

And Immediately the leprosy leaves

it has no option but to obey Jesus’ voice.

The Transformation

Realize that this person’s whole life has radically changed.

Not only has he been cleanses of this horrible disease

but he can now re-enter society and social settings

He can enjoy the embrace of a friend

Perhaps even pursue marriage.

Nothing is the same after you meet Jesus.

Leprosy was believed incurable, he or she was viewed as a living corpse, and a cure was likened to raising the dead.

That’s what Jesus does to people

Application: You are not a leper

Let me say this to you “you are not a leper” in God’s eyes

maybe you feel unclean, unlovable, unapproachable

but see and believe the words of Scripture

they were written down for us, for this very purpose

Jesus is not afraid of sin, of shame, of defilement

he comes to take it away, all of it

and he wants to come near to you

If you would come near to him, as the leper did — and ASK.

I promise you Jesus wants to come near, to cleanse, to purify, to make you new.

Story of redemption: Annie Lobert

You see Jesus has the authority, the ability and ardent desire to meet your deepest needs.

In fact, Jesus proves he can meet out deepest needs.

Jesus Forgives Sin

So Jesus heals the leper

tells him to go to the priest to be examined to ensure his re-entry back into society — b/c the Mosaic Law required this

he tells him not to tell anyone about what happened, yet he can’t contain himself

he goes and tells everyone

such is the effect of a transformed life

of someone dead brought to life

So many people hear about it that jesus can no longer enter towns.

Jesus again retreats to deserted places for prayer and ministry (Mark 1:45.

But people just keep coming.

so he finally goes back to Capernaum, his home base for the Galilean ministry.

And still the crowds are upon him.

Mark 2:1–2 (CSB)

1 When he entered Capernaum again after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 So many people gathered together that there was no more room, not even in the doorway, and he was speaking the word to them.

But then another miracle happens and Jesus makes a bold claim, one that would ultimately result in is execution

The Paralytic

Mark 2:3–5 (CSB)

3 They came to him bringing a paralytic, carried by four of them. 4 Since they were not able to bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and after digging through it, they lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying. 5 Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Four friends had heard about this Jesus and they were so confident that they risked a charge of vandalism to bring this person to Jesus.

Talk about being put on the spot.

here is this paralytic, can Jesus heal him?

this is in front of everyone

I imagine everyone just going dead silent

with anticipation

What is Jesus going to do.

Jesus knows it is a divinely appointed moment.

The time has come to reveal his true mission.

and he’s going to do it in a powerful way.

Mark 2:5 (CSB)

5 Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Jesus has just escalated this to another level.

It’s one thing to heal people and work miracles

It is on an entirely different level to claim to forgive someone’ sins.

Imagine

Someone out in the parking lot slashes your tires, keys your car

And you go outside and see this and are rightfully angry

Then I come along and say, that person is forgiven of this sin

How would you feel?

you’d say that’s not right

you can’t forgive his sin, he didn’t sin against you

only I can forgive his sin, since the offense was against me

and you would be right.

unless…I was God in the flesh

which is exactly what Jesus is.

Jesus claims to be God

Don’t miss the massive significance of what Jesus is claiming here.

By Claiming to forgive sins, Jesus is claiming to be God.

and The scribes, the religious experts, knew their bibles well and immediately pick up on this.

Mark 2:6–7 (CSB)

6 But some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts: 7 “Why does he speak like this? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

They were thinking places like Isa 43:25.

Isaiah 43:25 (CSB)

25 “I am the one, I sweep away your transgressions for my own sake and remember your sins no more.

Jesus doesn’t even let them finish their thoughts before he is on them.

Mark 2:8 (CSB)

8 Right away Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were thinking like this within themselves and said to them, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?

Jesus is reading their minds

He knows their thoughts

He asked them an important question:

Why are you thinking these things?

They accuse Jesus of blaspheming becuase the realize Jesus is claiming to do what only God an do.

They are rightfully outraged!

unless…Jesus really is God

This is where the whole world goes astray

they don’t believe that Jesus is God

Why don’t they believe?

doubt, unbelief — ultimately they are spiritually dead

They rely on their own understanding of the Law

they don’t have faith

We rely on our own understanding of the World.

What kind of thinks do you think about Jesus?

Why do you think these things?

but it’s not just unbelief

it becomes disbelief

becuase of what happens next.

Jesus heals the Paralytic

Mark 2:9 (CSB)

9 Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat, and walk’?

Now at one level they are both equally easy to say

but which is easier to do — for that’s what Jesus words accomplish.

Mark 2:10–12 (CSB)

10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”

—he told the paralytic—11 “I tell you: get up, take your mat, and go home.”

12 Immediately he got up, took the mat, and went out in front of everyone. As a result, they were all astounded and gave glory to God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Again in the imperative — Jesus words accomplish the miracle

Jesus says it and it happens

This paralytic who perhaps, has never walked, gets up for the first time

His life has just been radically transformed.

Nothing is the same after you meet Jesus

Why does Jesus do this?

So that they would know, all would know

that Jesus has the authority to forgive sins

because Jesus is God.

and as God, Jesus can forgive sins

Jesus then has the authority and ability (as God) to meet our deepest needs, but as we’ve seen above He also has the desire to do so.

Why?

our deepest need is the forgiveness of Sins.

Some of us, perhaps many of us, don’t feel this need.

But God knows what we need.

Think about it:

What has sin caused?

every moment of relational strife you have had

sin separates us from God (we were dead to him)

sin separates us from each other

sin creates a dissonance in ourselves.

By sinning, we have essentially unplugged ourselves from the only source of true life in the universe.

we have gone dark.

But Jesus comes as the light, to plug us back into the light, that we might be light as well.

The source of all suffering, sickness and sadness in our lives is from sin.

Jesus comes to forgive our sins

literally the word means that your ‘sins are being sent off’

being cast away forever

as far as from the east is from the west

See notes.

Sin and Forgivness

The Gospel

Conclusion

We have seen today the heart of Jesus and the hands of Jesus

That he has the ability, authority and ardent desire to meet our deepest needs.

What do we need to do or believe?

That no sin can keep God away for he desires to be with you

that Jesus came to bring us back to God

to bridge the gap — to plug us back in — to make us alive

This was written down for you and I.

Why do you doubt? Why do you disbelieve?

Why do you think these things in your heart?

Don’t you know Jesus knows your heart, just as he knew theirs?

He comes to you, will you come to Him?

Lean not on you own understanding but in all your ways know him (Prov 3:5-6)

His ways are higher than our ways, better than our ways (Isa 55)

don’t let you mind get in the way

believe as the leper did, as the paralytics friends did

and step into the kind of transformation that they experience.

true relationships again with God and others

The ability to walk in ways never possible.

It’s all about Jesus, and who He is.

sickness is not due to sin here