Mark 1
Notes
Transcript
Big Idea:
Big Idea:
Good news: Jesus has come with the authority to make things right.
Intro:
Intro:
Hi Church Online. Thanks for joining us!
Today, we’re starting the book of Mark. And, based as per our 2022 Vision, we’re going to focus on Jesus. We’re going to discuss His story, what He taught, and what His life means for us. And our ultimate goal is to press into His presence that we may live in the fullness of His joy.
Let’s get started because we have a lot of ground to cover!
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Right off the bat, Mark tells us the purpose of his book… It’s a story about Jesus Christ. But I also appreciate the first part of the verse, “The BEGINNING of the gospel...”
I believe there is a literalness to Mark’s use of the word “beginning.” Like this is the starting point of the story, but I believe he’s hinting at much more...
You see, Mark is writing this gospel about 30 years after the actual events happened. And at the time, his audience was going through tough times - likely being persecuted by the Roman Emperor, Nero. Therefore, Mark isn’t writing simply to tell them good news about the past, but to remind them there is good news for today. That what began 30 years ago was just the BEGINNING. And what was started back then, is still happening now, because...
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
And as we start this gospel, this encouragement to us too. Yes, 2000 years has passed, but the good news of Jesus Christ still matter today! This story that began in 30 AD is for you and I too.
So… pay attention...
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,
“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way,
the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’ ”
John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Look at the last part of verse 4. Mark mentions John the Baptist in the wilderness. The wilderness is mentioned often in this chapter. Not just because it’s a factual part of the story, but also strategically. That’s because Mark’s audience would’ve understood the word “wilderness” in a specific way.
You see the wilderness was a place of hardship, trials, and death. The Christians Mark wrote for were facing circumstances that could be described the same way. And Mark is subtly and strategically telling them, “The gospel is not hindered by the wilderness. God does marvelous things there too.”
And once more, this story finds application for our hearts. We too can describe our current world a wilderness. Look around at our community and country. It wouldn’t be extreme to say it seems like we’re lost in a wilderness. And yet, we too can be encouraged, “God uses the wilderness for His good purposes.”
And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.
I think Mark may have been living in the wrong era. His writing reminds me a New Englander scrolling thru TikTok.
Because New Englanders are no-nonsense people… like, get-to-the-point type people.
Additionally, today, we have no attention span. Which is why we watch something on social media and then swipe when it’s too long or too boring. Some of you want to swipe me away right now.
It feels like that’s how Mark writes… He says...
Isaiah prophesied about John the Baptist 700 years before he was born - swipe!
John baptized tons of people - swipe!
God audibly spoke from heaven at Jesus’s baptism - like, swipe!
Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness - swipe!
And as silly as that sounds, it’s actually by design. There’s reason why Mark is moving so fast thru this section. There’s a point he’s making. And Mark’s point in this first section is our first point for today...
He wants us to know that…
1) Something and Someone big is coming (vv. 1-13).
1) Something and Someone big is coming (vv. 1-13).
During the Super Bowl, I got really excited to see the trailer for the new Jurassic World movie. I’ve been a fan of this series since Jurassic Park, which came out when I was 13 years old.
Remember that scene when the water begins to shake at the sound of a heavy footstep? The ripples in the water weren’t the point, but rather pointed to something big coming. That’s what Mark is communicating in these first 13 verses. There are a lot of important characters and events mentioned, but Mark has a specific point to make: All of these point to something and Someone coming...
And what is that something? Who is that Someone?
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
The “something” coming is the Kingdom of God. And the “Someone” is Jesus. And that’s what Mark wants us to focus on! Because the coming of Jesus is a big deal.
And Mark has more to say about Jesus...
Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.
And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
Lots of good stuff to talk about here, but there’s one major theme I want us to focus on… Point number 2 for today is...
2) Jesus came with authority (vv. 16-28).
2) Jesus came with authority (vv. 16-28).
When Jesus came announcing the Kingdom of God was here, it’s implied that He is King. Therefore, He has authority over this coming kingdom. In our passage, we see Him begin to exercise this authority this in two ways...
First, he used his authority to invite people into His Kingdom. My son Nole just had a birthday party at a jumpy place. Birthday parties are expensive! To invite ten kids to jump for 60 mins is like the price of a Super Bowl ticket! And even though it is Nole’s birthday, and we want him to invite his friends, he really doesn’t have the authority to do so. Mom does.
Nole needed permission to invite friends, but Janelle could invite whoever she wanted. She was paying. And there were a couple of moms who brought younger siblings who Janelle told, “It’s okay for them to come in.” Janelle invited people because she had authority. Jesus invites people because He has authority.
Now, check out this added insight… my friend Aiden helped me see this… Jesus doesn’t just have authority over the religious places… He is Lord over all. His authority extends over every part of creation, even the common (non-holy) places. Which is why we see Him inviting fishermen.
Here’s an application for us: Jesus is inviting you into His Kingdom, wherever you’re at:
Did you grow up in the church? He invites you.
Do you drive a snowplow? You’re invited!
Are you in 5th grade and use cuss words at school where your parents can’t hear you? You’re invited too.
Do you have secret addictions or currently practice things You know are inconsistent with God’s word. Come as you are.
Jesus is inviting everyone into His Kingdom. He has the authority to do so!
A second way we see Jesus’s authority exercised is His Lordship over the spiritual realm.
And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!”
Now, this might be a little weird for us, but we must recognize the spiritual realm in order to properly understand the story. The spiritual is just as real as the physical. They knew that back in the day… that was normal...
And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”
Notice the amazement was over Jesus’s authority, not existence of the spiritual realities. They didn’t say, “Whoa, you mean demons are real?”That was normal. We have forgotten this today. And it’s not because the spiritual realm ceased to exist 2000 years ago. And our ignorance of this is probably a major reason why our communities are in such a mess. We think every problem can be attributed to, or fixed by, physical solutions. But the truth is, there are spiritual forces of darkness trying to destroy us.
That person who is horribly mean to you for no reason. That might be spiritually influenced because the Bible says we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood.
That mental and emotional darkness over your life that won’t go away… there very well could be a chemical imbalance impacting your health, but it can also be spiritual darkness tormenting you - like in this story.
And that’s why Jesus’s authority is significant. Because He has authority over the evil we can’t see too. And while they eagerly afflict us… they don’t want none of Him.
I saw a reel on Instagram of Russell Westbrook (plays on the Lakers) shooting and getting fouled pretty hard. Russ is a big dude… 6’3, 200 lbs, all muscle. When he got fouled, he turned around like he was gonna fight… until He realized it was Giannis. He instantly backed down. Giannis is 6’11, 242 lbs. Russ didn’t want none.
When Jesus came into the world with authority… the spiritual forces of darkness didn’t want none. They knew who He was. But is that the purpose of His authority? To invite and intimidate?
No, point number 3...
Jesus has authority to make things right (vv. 21-45).
Jesus has authority to make things right (vv. 21-45).
We see this back in verse 21, when Mark writes, “and [Jesus] taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.” In Jesus’s day, the Rabbis would just quote one another and make reflective statements about the Scriptures. But when Jesus taught, He taught with authority, instructing and compelling people to get right with God - as was the original purpose of the Scriptures.
This is applicable to us today too. Our culture (even in the church) doesn’t believe in absolute truth, let alone the authority of God’s word. We say, “You believe what you believe, and I’ll believe what I believe.” But King Jesus has come, with authority to call us into conformity with His Word, not just to make spiritual suggestions.
Jesus’s exercises authority to make things right again in verse 29...
And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
We touched on this just a moment ago, but Jesus is Lord of all - of both the physical and spiritual. And He has authority to heal us from physical sickness and free us from spiritual bondage. Both the results of sin making things wrong, and Jesus has come to make them right.
However, one reason we don’t experience this freedom is we skip a simple step...
Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her.
Have you told Jesus about your needs? He has come. He has authority. And He’s ready to make things right.
Let’s finish up chapter 1...
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.
Jesus’s is also exercising authority to reconcile the world. He’s restoring creation to its proper place - to make right the relationships between God and man. We see the beginning of this in two specific ways...
Jesus told Simon Peter, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is WHY I CAME OUT.” Jesus doesn’t have authority to save a local area or people group. He’s come to save the world.
And He shows us the boundless expansion of His Kingdom when He encounters a leper. Now, what you must know about leprosy is it was a skin disease that did a lot of damage. More than that, it caused the infected to live isolated. You were not allowed to be around people and... people didn’t want to be around you. Worst of all… it was a hopeless diagnosis. The priests of Jesus’s day would say the healing of leprosy was as likely as someone being raised from the dead. Impossible!
So, when the leper asks Jesus, “If you will, you can make me clean,” it’s appropriate to hear a tone of desperation and heartache. The sense being, “I have been rejected by everyone. So if you refuse to heal me, I understand. Especially if you’re a holy man. God’s representatives typically stay away from me.”
But what was Jesus’s response?
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.”
Jesus not only used His authority to physically heal the man, He also used His authority to make right the understanding of God’s heart. This Kingdom that is coming… it was for EVERYONE! Even the rejected. No matter who you are or what you’ve done, if you come to Jesus, He will stretch out His loving hand to make you clean.
Here in chapter 1, Mark’s point is to show his readers that Jesus has comes with authority to make things right. This matters to us because we live in a world that’s gone wrong. Therefore, that’s good news, amen?
Response:
Response:
As we close, let me encourage a response based on how the leper responded to Jesus. Jesus came in power and made things right for the leper. God did the impossible! But then Jesus commanded him to not tell anyone.
There’s a reason why, which I’m sure we’ll discuss as we progress thru Mark, but here’s what I want us to notice… the leper didn’t listen. And his disobedience had consequences. Not necessarily on the leper, but on Jesus’s Kingdom-mission. Mark tells us it hindered how Jesus could openly enter other towns.
Here’s what I’m getting at: The proper response to Jesus’s authority is obedience. If Jesus is Lord, we should live like we believe it. Therefore...
Will you accept Jesus’s invitation to be part of His Kingdom? That may require you to leave things behind. But what you gain will be far better than what you lose.
Will you respond to God’s authoritative word with obedience? Even though Jesus says, “Come as you are,” He doesn’t want you to stay as you are. Sin has made you wrong. Jesus has come to make you right.
When Jesus’s says everyone is invited, do you (as a Christian, as His authorized representative) invite everyone. Do you invite anyone?
And if you’re listening today, and you’ve heard Jesus’s invitation, and you’re ready to receive it, the process is simple… Verse 15, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
If you’re ready to walk into the Kingdom of God, turn from your sin (leave it behind) and put your faith in Jesus (follow Him as Lord and Savior). And by His grace, love, and authority, He will forgive you, make you new, and give you the promise of eternal life.
Let’s pray...
Father thank you for Your word. I pray that everyone who hears it will respond to its authority. Not because You’re a harsh Master demanding obedience, but because You’re a Loving Savior desiring to make things right. Forgive us for our sins. Today, make our lives right thru Jesus.
In His name we pray, amen.
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