The Superiority of The Savior
1) 2—09…AM…SBC 2)
“The Superiority of the Savior”
Mark 2:18-28
Introduction:
Ø significant to this portion of Scripture today is contrast of the old way (that of John and the Pharisees) and the new way (that of Jesus).[1]
Read Mark 2:18-28 and Pray
In v18 we observe that…
1) Christ is Superior over religious ritual v18-22
A- The Scenario v18
1- The persons complaining are here both John's disciples and the Pharisees, as appears from comparing Matt. 9:14 and Luke 5:33.
· the complaint is over why Jesus’ disciples are not fasting
B- Fasting - to go without food for a set time as a religious duty[2]
· Fasting shows up all over ancient biblical and non-biblical writings
1- OT - The most prominent feature is that fasting expresses submission to God, as the phrase עִנָּה נֶפֶשׁ shows.[3] “to humble the soul”
a- The only fast prescribed by the Law and closely related to the cultus21 was the fast of the Day of Atonement, the great day of national repentance, Lv. 16:29 ff.; 23:27 ff; Nu. 29:7.[4]
2- By NT times specific times and reasons for fasting existed and multiplies
a- personal loss—repentance—preparation—as an meritorious act
b- fasting was so important to the Jews that entire essay in the Mishna (collection of rabbinical laws) was devoted to fasting
Ø Jesus’ unorthodox behaviour did not only provoke the criticism of the religious authorities, it also puzzled ordinary people.[5]
Ø They wanted to know why Jesus’ followers were different from those of the Pharisees and John the Baptist and did not seem to worry about some of the rituals of Judaism like, for instance, the weekly fastdays.[6]
Ø Such practices, though not in the Law of Moses, had come to be just as important in Jewish eyes[7] and people wanted to know why it wasn’t important to Jesus as an obvious religious leader when it wasn’t important to all the other religious leaders of the day
C- Jesus drives home the lesson with three illustration that reveal Christ’s superiority over the Law
· by these illustrations Christ again contrasts to old ways of doing things with the new ways He taught
1- Bridegroom – in all three Gospels the question is stated so that the answer must be No.
a- Jesus gave a quick answer: nobody fasts at a wedding-feast. Fasting shows sorrow, and if there is any sorrow, it would be after the feast, when the bridegroom had left the party.[8]
b- Christianity is characterized by joy, not mourning[9] which symbolized fasting
Ø Bridegroom’s attendants fasting while the feast is in progress! How absurd, says Jesus as it were. Disciples of the Lord mourning while their Master is performing works of mercy and while words of life and beauty are dropping from his lips, how utterly incongruous![10]
Meaning:
1- Jesus was teaching that his disciples were not to be caught up in acts of sorrow when the joy and hope of their salvation had appeared and was not with them
2- The important truth which Jesus here reveals and which makes the passage so practical and filled with comfort especially also for today is that for those who acknowledge Christ as their Lord and Savior the proper attitude of heart and mind is not that of sadness but that of gladness.[11]
3- there is also a hint of eschatological foreshadowing by referencing that one day the bridegroom will not longer be around and fasting will be appropriate again in that day
2- Torn Clothing and New and Old Wineskins – newness of the Gospel vs old rituals of Judaism
a- Torn Clothing – when new patch is put on an old garment and then washed the new cloth will shrink and pull away from the old cloth and the tear becomes worse
b- Old and New Wineskins – when fresh wine is put into old, brittle animal skin containers the gas from the fermenting wine would burst the old containers and both would be lost
c- Salvation, available through Jesus, was not to be mixed with the old Judaistic system[12]
Application:
1- Fasting is a Christian Freedom
a- Aside from this passage and its parallels in Matt 9:14–17 and Luke 5:33–39, the New Testament says little about fasting. The only passages are Matt 6:16–18; Acts 9:9; 13:2–3; and 14:23.[13] (none contain the command to fast)
b- Jesus didn’t forbid fasting – Matthew 6:16 (the principle given is not to let it be known you are fasting)
2- Christ was not afraid to be counter-culture in his approach to ministry – he didn’t just conform
a- he wasn’t afraid to be offensive – the Gospel is offensive to those who don’t want to believe it
b- we shouldn’t be apologetic that we do not believe in a tolerant belief system
c- to adopt a tolerant belief system (everybody’s right) is to be an adversary of the Gospel
d- don’t be afraid to go against the grain when it is based on the Gospel
e- speak the truth in love but be bold for the sake of the Gospel – Romans 1:16
3- Discouragement in the life of the believer – Emmanuel must result in joy to us (Salvation application)
a- some unbeliever’s have more joy in their sin than Christians have in their salvation
b- may it never be so! – may God’s people display their salvation with joy unspeakable before all men
4- Salvation was never intended to be a “faith and” type of salvation – salvation is by faith in God’s Son
a- is there a specific time and place where repented from your sin and believed the Gospel?
b- Salvation was never intended to mix with other systems of religion or systems of salvation
c- The salvation offered through Christ can stand on its own
Transition: Not only did Christ display his superiority over religious systems, but He also displayed…
2) Christ is Superior over The Sabbath v23-28
A- The Scenario v23
1- on a Sabbath day Christ and his disciples entered a field of grain where the disciples began to pick the grain and eat it
2- this action brought about yet another conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees
· these series of conflicts gives us a window into how Jesus himself dealt with conflict
Conflict and Conflict Resolution
1- most conflict begins one a person is offended or feels they are insulted just like the Pharisees were
2- Jesus was not going around intentionally offending people and neither should we
3- But Jesus could not always avoid offending the Pharisees with the message of the Gospel and on those occasions he loved them enough to tell them what they needed to hear
4- We don’t find Jesus shying away from conflict when it was centered on the Gospel and neither should we
5- We must not find ourselves coddling to those that are offended by the Gospel – the Gospel is offensive to those who chose to live their life contrary to it
· don’t let our culture indoctrinate you right out of the Gospel
· don’t fear ridicule, diversity, hate crimes or even jail – but fear God!
· love the world enough to tell them what they need to hear even when it isn’t PC or tolerable
· stand up for unborn, marriage, and most of all stand up for the Gospel
B- This conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees deals with the observance of the Sabbath, which was one of the most distinctive elements of Judaism.[14]
1- Just like with fasting, the Rabbis had instituted an entire section of Rabbinical law (Mishnah) devoted to the “rules” of the Sabbath
2- Jesus showed how absurd this was, teaching that the Sabbath was God’s loving provision to us for rest and worship.[15]
3- The disciples were actually not in violation of the Pharisees intricate web of Sabbath laws according to Deuteronomy 23:25
Deuteronomy 23:25 If you go into your neighbor’s standing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbor’s standing grain.[16]
· It is reported that the rabbis drew up a catalogue of thirty-nine principal works, subsequently subdivided into six minor categories under each of these thirty-nine, all of which were forbidden on the sabbath[17]
Ø But those who hated Christ didn’t care and were trying to find some excuse for having him condemned[18]
C- Jesus uses and illustration from the life of David found in 1 Samuel 21:1-6
1- David and his men, when famished, requested to eat the consecrated bread that was reserved for the priests alone according to Levitical law (Leviticus 24:5-9)
2- Jesus used this illustration which God did not condemn, to show that the Pharisees’ narrow interpretation of the Law blurred God’s intention.[19]
3- Jesus set forth the basic principle that human need should take precedence over ceremonial laws. [20]
Ø The point remains that Sabbath observance should not be reduced to legalistic restrictions.[21]
Ø Jesus meant that human beings were not created to observe the Sabbath but that the Sabbath was created for their benefit.[22] v27
Ø The sabbath was instituted to be a blessing for man: to keep him healthy, to make him helpful, hence happy, to render him holy, so that he might calmly meditate on the works of his Maker, might “delight himself in Jehovah” (Isa. 58:13, 14), and look forward[23]
Ø the rabbis were changing the sabbath into a cruel tyrant, and man into that tyrant’s slave[24]
Jesus’ point in all of this was that God instituted the Sabbath and He alone that laid down the rules for the observance of it, and since Jesus had been given the authority by His Father then He had authority over the Sabbath laws
Summary:
1- The point in both of these accounts is that what Jesus brought was a new and distinctive in contrast to what was the old or normal way of doing religion
2- Christ showed that He and His teaching were to be superior to all forms of religion
3- We find Christ asserting His authority as Lord and Master of all
Conclusion:
1- But is Christ finding superiority in your own life?
2- The message of Christ rebukes both the self-righteousness of a Christian and the oppressive life of a sinner.[25]
3- The message of Christ is clear…He demands superiority in your life
- but when you give in to pride and arrogance you usurp the authority of Christ
- when you give in to lust you are saying that Christ is not enough for you
- when you give in to gluttony you are saying that Christ’s command of self-control is worthless
- when we give in to any of the lies of Satan we, by our actions, regulate the Gospel to a level it was never meant to occupy—Second best.
The Questions is simple, but extremely convicting…
What controls you, your passions or your passion for Christ?
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[1]James A. Brooks, vol. 23, Mark, electronic e., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1991), 63.
[2]Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament : Based on Semantic Domains, electronic ed. of the 2nd edition. (New York: United Bible societies, 1996, c1989), 1:540.
[3]Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vols. 5-9 Edited by Gerhard Friedrich. Vol. 10 Compiled by Ronald Pitkin., ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey William Bromiley and Gerhard Friedrich, electronic ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964-c1976), 4:928.
21 The injunction to fast at the feast of Purim in Est. 9:31 is unintelligible, v. Kautzsch, II, 445.
[4]Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vols. 5-9 Edited by Gerhard Friedrich. Vol. 10 Compiled by Ronald Pitkin., ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey William Bromiley and Gerhard Friedrich, electronic ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964-c1976), 4:928.
[5]D. A. Carson, New Bible Commentary : 21st Century Edition, Rev. Ed. of: The New Bible Commentary. 3rd Ed. / Edited by D. Guthrie, J.A. Motyer. 1970., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), Mt 2:18.
[6]D. A. Carson, New Bible Commentary : 21st Century Edition, Rev. Ed. of: The New Bible Commentary. 3rd Ed. / Edited by D. Guthrie, J.A. Motyer. 1970., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), Mt 2:18.
[7]D. A. Carson, New Bible Commentary : 21st Century Edition, Rev. Ed. of: The New Bible Commentary. 3rd Ed. / Edited by D. Guthrie, J.A. Motyer. 1970., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), Mt 2:18.
[8]D. A. Carson, New Bible Commentary : 21st Century Edition, Rev. Ed. of: The New Bible Commentary. 3rd Ed. / Edited by D. Guthrie, J.A. Motyer. 1970., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), Mt 2:18.
[9]James A. Brooks, vol. 23, Mark, electronic e., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1991), 65.
[10]William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, vol. 10, New Testament Commentary : Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark, Accompanying Biblical Text Is Author's Translation., New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-2001), 100.
[11]William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, vol. 10, New Testament Commentary : Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark, Accompanying Biblical Text Is Author's Translation., New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-2001), 101.
[12]John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985), 2:114.
[13]James A. Brooks, vol. 23, Mark, electronic e., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1991), 64.
[14]James A. Brooks, vol. 23, Mark, electronic e., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1991), 65.
[15]D. A. Carson, New Bible Commentary : 21st Century Edition, Rev. Ed. of: The New Bible Commentary. 3rd Ed. / Edited by D. Guthrie, J.A. Motyer. 1970., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), Mk 2:23.
[16]The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Dt 23:25.
[17]William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, vol. 10, New Testament Commentary : Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark, Accompanying Biblical Text Is Author's Translation., New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-2001), 105.
[18]William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, vol. 10, New Testament Commentary : Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark, Accompanying Biblical Text Is Author's Translation., New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-2001), 104.
[19]John F. Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary, The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983-c1985), 2:114.
[20]James A. Brooks, vol. 23, Mark, electronic e., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1991), 66.
[21]James A. Brooks, vol. 23, Mark, electronic e., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1991), 66.
[22]James A. Brooks, vol. 23, Mark, electronic e., Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1991), 67.
[23]William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, vol. 10, New Testament Commentary : Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark, Accompanying Biblical Text Is Author's Translation., New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-2001), 108.
[24]William Hendriksen and Simon J. Kistemaker, vol. 10, New Testament Commentary : Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark, Accompanying Biblical Text Is Author's Translation., New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1953-2001), 108.
[25]John MacArthur, F., The Gospel According to Jesus : What Does Jesus Mean When He Says "follow Me", Includes Index., Electronic ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Academic and Professional Books, Zondervan Pub. House, 1997, c1988).