Afleveringen
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Talk 40 Mark 13:24-37 Signs of His Coming?
Welcome to Talk 40 in our series on Mark’s Gospel. Last time we were looking at Mark 13:1-23 and considering some of the problems in interpreting this difficult chapter. I suggested that most of what Jesus says in that passage relates primarily to the events that would occur around the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD70, which Jesus so accurately predicted in verses 1-4. Today we’re considering the rest of chapter 13, verses 24-37, where, as we shall see, some verses are by no means easy to understand. But let’s begin by reading verses 24-31.
24"But in those days, following that distress, "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; 25 the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' 26 "At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.
28 "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. 30 I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Before we get into the passage let me remind you of what I said last time about difficulties interpreting the whole chapter. This will be a very brief summary, so, if you haven’t yet listened to, or read the notes on, last week’s talk, I recommend that you do so before going any further.
The first problem arises from the fact that Jesus is answering two questions asked by the disciples at the beginning of the chapter and it’s not always easy to decide which part of Jesus’ answer refers to which question. Is this verse talking about the destruction of the temple or does it refer to the second coming?
The second difficulty is deciding which parts of Jesus’ answer are to be taken literally and which are to be taken symbolically. In my view, much of the chapter is to be understood literally, but some verses must be intended to be understood symbolically or metaphorically.
In attempting to resolve these difficulties, I said that the first thing we must do is to find out more about the context, and I gave a brief description of what we know from history about the horrendous events that occurred surrounding the time of the destruction of the temple in AD70. So now, in today’s talk, I want to do three things:
· Examine two very different interpretations of verses 24-31.
· Emphasise why it’s a mistake to be constantly looking for signs of the Lord’s return (vv.32-37).
· Summarise what lessons we have learnt from the chapter as a whole.
Verses 24-31 Two different interpretations
Interpretations of these verses fall into two main categories:
a) Those who see most or all of this passage as referring to the second coming
b) Those who understand most or all of the passage to refer to the events around AD70.
Clearly these are two very different points of view, and we won’t have time to deal with them in great detail. So what I’m going to do is summarise four main arguments that seem to support the view that this passage relates to the second coming, and alongside them to state a counter argument that is sometimes made by those who take the alternative view. It is not my intention to be dogmatic, and, in fact, part of my purpose is to encourage you to form your own conclusions, but not to be too dogmatic, whatever your view may be.
1) In Matthew’s account one of the questions the disciples asked Jesus was about the second coming (Matthew 24:3). We would, therefore, expect that at least part of Jesus’ answer would relate to the second coming.
HOWEVER, one problem with this argument is that in verse 30 Jesus says, I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. So these verses, it is argued, cannot refer to the second coming unless Jesus himself mistakenly believed that the second coming would take place within a generation of his making the statement, which it clearly did not, but the fall of Jerusalem certainly did!
2) The events described in vv.24-25 would appear to be unique in world history. They are the kind of things one might expect at the end of the age and verse 27 talks of the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.
HOWEVER, in Daniel 7:13-14 we read:
In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
So, it is argued, in its original context, the Son of Man is coming to God and could well refer to Jesus’ ascension into Heaven rather than his coming from Heaven. Moreover, it’s difficult to see how Jesus could have intended us to understand phrases like the stars will fall from the sky (v25) literally. The terminology used in these verses is reminiscent of the poetic language used by the Old Testament prophets and should be interpreted symbolically. And in light of the fact that they were to be fulfilled within a generation, this, it is argued, is the best way to interpret them.
3) If the fig tree mentioned in verse 28 refers to Israel as it appears to in Mark 11:20-25, then the passage must relate to the end times when, according to this view, the full number of Gentiles has come in and all Israel shall be saved (Romans 11:25-26, cf. Luke 21:24).
HOWEVER, there is no need to assume that the mention of the fig tree refers to Israel on this occasion. Jesus could equally well have meant that, just as you know that when the leaves of a fig tree start to come out, the summer is near, so be absolutely sure that, when you see the things I have been talking about begin to happen, the dreadful events that will take place at the destruction of Jerusalem will soon come to pass.
4) In verse 31 Jesus says that Heaven and earth will pass away, which suggests that the passage relates to the time of the end.
HOWEVER, the point that Jesus is making in this verse is that whatever happens, his words will never fail. There is a clear claim to deity here. Who else but God could make such a claim? Jesus is the truth (John 14:6). You can rely on everything he says, whether it be about the second coming or the destruction of Jerusalem, or anything else, for that matter.
So that concludes my summary of two very different interpretations of verses 24-31, and in my view it would be unwise to take a dogmatic position on either side. There are some passages of Scripture that are open to more than one possible interpretation. However, when we come to verses 32-37 it seems obvious, to me at least, that these verses must relate to the second coming, as a comparison with the parallel passage in Matthew 24:36-44 clearly indicates.
Verses 32-37 Only the Father knows the timing, so don’t look for signs, but be ready
32 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. 35 "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back – whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!'"
As I have already said, the parallel passage in Matthew 24 makes it clear that it relates to the second coming. Jesus says:
As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man (vv37-39).
This cannot possibly refer to the coming of the Son of Man described in Daniel 7, which as we have seen may well be better understood to be a reference to Jesus’ ascension into Heaven rather than his return from it. But in these verses Jesus is clearly referring to his second coming which will be as unexpected as the flood was in the time of Noah.
However, unlike Noah, who was told on what day God would send the rain, no-one will know the timing of the Lord’s return. Jesus said that even he did not know. And if Jesus didn’t know, I wonder why some Christians seem to think that they can work it out! But it’s sometimes said in response to this criticism that it was only the day and the hour that we cannot know. But in the next verse Jesus says, You do not know when that time will come. The Greek word for time here is kairos, which does not refer to the time of day, but means season. This is backed up by what Jesus reiterated in in Acts 1:7 when he told his disciples:
It's not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father has put under his own authority.
So why does Jesus tell us to Be alert! Be on guard! Watch!? The answer is simple. He doesn’t mean watch for signs. He means Stay awake! Be alert (v33) literally means, Don’t go to sleep. It’s used of the disciples in Gethsemane whom Jesus found sleeping, and here in verse 36 Jesus says, If he (the Son of Man) comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. And the word for watch in verses 34, 35, and 37 means Keep awake, be vigilant. It’s used elsewhere in the New Testament in connection with:
· Not letting the enemy break through (Luke 12:39)
· Standing firm in the faith and being strong (1 Corinthians 16:13)
· Keeping awake in prayer (Colossians 4:2)
· Being sober and vigilant because the enemy goes about like a roaring lion… (1 Peter 5:8)
· Staying awake and not being found naked and shamefully exposed when the Lord returns (Revelation 16:15).
So, when the Lord tells us to watch, he is not telling us to watch for signs. He’s saying that because we do not know when he will return, we need to be in a permanent state of readiness. And we can do that without constantly looking for signs. We can do it by living lives that please him and by using the gifts and talents he has given us (Matthew 25:14-30). We should concentrate on telling others about him, not trying to know what Jesus has told us is not for us to know (Acts 1:6-8).
Lessons we can learn from the whole chapter
So now, as we draw to a close our discussion on this difficult chapter, let’s remind ourselves of some of the lessons we have learnt. I have pointed out that the problems of interpretation arise from two factors, 1) deciding which of the disciples’ two questions in verse 4 Jesus is answering at any point in the chapter, and 2) determining when the language he is using is meant to be understood literally or symbolically.
Because of these difficulties, I have suggested that it would be unwise to be dogmatic, but that perhaps verses 5-23 should be seen as largely relating to Jesus’ prophecy of destruction of Jerusalem in AD70, that verses 24-31 are open to either interpretation depending mainly on whether one sees 24-27 as literal or symbolic, and that verses 32-37 relate very definitely to the second coming.
However, despite the difficulties, I do believe that the principles that Jesus teaches in all three sections are relevant to all Christians throughout the history of the church, and so I want to conclude by reminding you of seven things that I have mentioned already, either in the last talk or in this. I hope that, whatever your view on the second coming, you will find yourself in agreement, at least with most of them.
· We must watch out for deceivers
· We must not be surprised by international turmoil and natural disasters
· We must expect to be persecuted
· We must continue to tell others about Jesus, relying on the help of the Holy Spirit
· We must not try to work out the timing of Christ’s coming, because it’s not for us to know
· We must stay awake, in a permanent state of readiness for the Lord’s return, because
· THE LORD IS CERTAINLY COMING and, if we’re ready, we simply do not need to know when.
Finally, as I mentioned last time, we’ll be taking a break for the rest of August, and our series on Mark will continue, God willing, in September.
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Talk 39 Mark 13:1-23 Jesus prophesies the destruction of the temple
Welcome to Talk 39 in our series on Mark's gospel. Today we're looking at chapter 13:1-23 where Jesus prophesies the destruction of the temple. We’ll deal with verses 24-37 next time. This is a difficult chapter, not least because of the strong convictions some Christians hold about it, but my intention is not to make dogmatic assertions about how it should be interpreted, but to point out some of the problems of interpreting it and to see what key lessons we can learn from it for ourselves today.
As we shall see, despite the NIV heading, Signs of the End of the Age, much of this chapter is not about the second coming of Christ, but about what Christians should do leading up to the destruction of the temple in AD70. That is not to say that none of the chapter relates to the second coming, but I want to confess at the outset my own personal scepticism about using passages like this to try to predict when the Lord may return. This is based on three things:
Firstly, the Lord himself said in verse 32:
No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
Secondly, he also said in Acts 1:7, just before he ascended into Heaven:
It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
Jesus told his disciples not to be concerned with such things but to get on with the task of world evangelisation.
And thirdly, my scepticism is based on the fact that so many attempts to calculate the timing of his coming have proved wrong. It’s not only the Jehovah’s Witnesses who have made predictions which they have been compelled to recalculate, but sincere Christians like William Miller, a Baptist farmer, who, based on his understanding of Daniel’s prophecy, was convinced that Jesus would return on a particular day in 1842 and then readjusted his calculations to the same day in 1843. He later admitted that he was wrong but said that, if he had his time all over again, he would still have arrived at the same conclusion!
And even in my own lifetime I have seen Christians making radical changes to their lifestyle, based on events taking place in and around Israel, as those of you who may remember the Six Day War may remember. But, having expressed my scepticism, let me now make it clear that I certainly do believe in the return of the Lord Jesus! In Acts 1, immediately after Jesus had told the disciples that it was not for them to know the timing of his coming, we read in verses 9-11:
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."
His return will be personal, physical, and visible. Of this we can be certain. But it’s not for us to know when. So, with all this in mind let’s now make a start on our passage in Mark 13. We’ll begin by considering two difficulties that make this chapter particularly hard to interpret, before looking at the historical context in which it is set.
Interpreting the passage
The first problem arises from the two questions the disciples ask Jesus in the opening verses.
1 As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!" 2 "Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." 3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 "Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?"
So, in verse 1, one of them draws Jesus’ attention to the size and beauty of the temple, to which Jesus replies in verse 2:
Do you see all these great buildings? Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."
Then Peter, James, John and Andrew ask him privately,
When will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled? (v4).
So, Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple and the disciples ask him when it’s going to happen and what sign there will be. Notice that here there is no reference to the second coming of Jesus. However, it’s clear from Matthew’s account that his disciples clearly connected very closely the destruction of the temple with the return of the Lord, because they ask him they ask him:
When will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? (Matthew 24:3).
So, in his reply, Jesus is answering two questions, which in the disciples’ minds are closely related, one about the destruction of the temple and the other about the second coming. But when we try to interpret the passage, it’s not always clear which parts of Jesus’ answer relate to which of these two questions. What does seem clear is that much of Jesus’ answer related to the destruction of the temple and not to the second coming. How much, if any, refers to the second coming is a matter of debate. But more of that later.
The second difficulty that arises when we seek to interpret the chapter is deciding which parts are to be taken literally and which are to be taken symbolically. Although much of the passage is, in my view, clearly to be understood literally – for example it’s hard to see how let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains (v14) can be interpreted symbolically – some verses must surely be intended to be understood symbolically or metaphorically.
For example, as we shall see next time, the stars will fall from the sky (v25) can hardly be taken literally any more than the moon will be turned into blood in Acts 2:20. Such expressions need to be understood as symbolizing cataclysmic events the like of which have never been seen before. But how can we decide which way to understand any given verse? Literally or symbolically? Part of the answer at least lies in the historical context in which the passage is set.
We began by saying that what Jesus says in this chapter is in answer to questions about the destruction of the temple, which the disciples associated with the return of the Lord. To me much, if not all, of Jesus’ answer relates to the destruction of the temple, indeed, of Jerusalem itself. So what do we know from history about this?
The historical context
It all began in a single year when in AD 69 four Roman emperors succeeded one another, each time with violence, murder and civil war. In AD 70 Titus, the adopted son of Vespasian, the last of these emperors, entered Jerusalem, burnt the temple, destroyed the city and crucified thousands of Jews. The Jewish historian Josephus tells us how, during the siege of Jerusalem, people were starving and ate their own babies to stay alive, how they fought each other for scraps of dirty food, and how more Jews were killed by other Jews than by the invading Romans. If you want to learn more about this, just google AD70 Siege of Jerusalem.
Examining verses 5-23
Bearing in mind, then, the horrific events that would take place in AD 70, let’s now attempt to solve the riddle of which verses refer to the destruction of Jerusalem and which, if any, refer to the second coming. We’ll begin with verses 5-23 which, it seems to me, refer mainly to the years leading up to and shortly after the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, although some may possibly have a wider significance. I say this because of the immediate context. Jesus has predicted the destruction of the temple and is now replying to the disciples’ question in verse 4:
When will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled? (i.e. the destruction of the temple).
Jesus’ answer in verses 5-23 contains warnings about what was shortly to happen and instructions on what they should do which can be summarised as follows:
· Watch out for deceivers (vv. 5-6, 21-22)
· Don’t be surprised by international turmoil and natural disasters (vv. 7-8)
· Expect to be persecuted (vv. 9-14)
· Take appropriate action when the time comes near (vv. 16-23).
Watch out for deceivers (vv. 5-6, 21-22)
5 Jesus said to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and will deceive many.
21 At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. 22 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect – if that were possible.
Of course, the verses could refer to any time in church history including the period leading up to the Lord’s return, but, bearing in mind the context in which they are set, it seems that Jesus’ primary intention was to warn his disciples about what would happen in their own lifetime.
Don’t be surprised by international turmoil and natural disasters (vv. 7-8)
7 When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.
It’s easy to assume, as many have, that these things are to be taken as signs of Jesus’ near return, but again the context suggests otherwise. In fact all these things have been happening throughout church history, and are certainly very evident right now, but Jesus does not say the end is near. He says the end is still to come. And as we shall see next time, at the end of the chapter Jesus says you do not know. We won’t know when he is coming, and that’s precisely why we need to be ready!
Expect to be persecuted (vv. 9-14)
9 "You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit. 12 "Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13 All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 "When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong – let the reader understand – then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
Again, all these things could be said of almost any period in church history. They were certainly relevant during the lifetime of the disciples and no doubt will be right up until the time of the Lord’s return, so there is no need to see them as exclusively relevant to the second coming. But there are two things in this passage I feel I need to make special comment on, as in people’s thinking they are usually associated with and seen as signs of the second coming.
The first is in verse 10, where Jesus says, The gospel must first be preached to all nations. The Greek word for first is proton. This can mean either first in time or first in importance, or both. The immediate context in Mark, where Jesus is talking about his disciples being persecuted as they witness for him, suggests to me that he is stressing the importance of preaching the gospel whatever happens.
And, of course, this is applicable throughout the church age and is something Jesus emphasises in Acts 1:6-8. This is so important that the end will not come until the gospel is preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations (Matthew 24:14). So this verse does have a very real application to the second coming, but Jesus is stressing the importance of worldwide evangelisation rather than seeing it as a sign of his coming!
The second is in verse 14 where Jesus says:
When you see 'the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong – let the reader understand – then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
So what is this abomination that causes desolation? It was first prophesied in Daniel 9:27 and is believed by some to have been fulfilled in 168 BC when Antiochus Epiphanes sacrificed a pig to Zeus on the temple altar. However, since this took place before the coming of Jesus, it cannot be what he was referring to which was yet future.
Bearing in mind the context it’s far more likely that Jesus was referring to what happened in AD70 when the Roman general Titus placed an idol on the site of the burnt-out temple just a few years after the destruction of Jerusalem. That, of course, does not rule out the possibility of another fulfilment in the future, but in my view the Bible is by no means clear about this, and it would be unwise to be dogmatic.
Take appropriate action when the time comes near (vv. 15-23).
15 Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out.
16 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now – and never to be equaled again. 20 If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. 21 At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. 22 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect – if that were possible. 23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.
At the time of the destruction of Jerusalem the danger was imminent. Jesus’ instructions are specifically related to that situation. The basic message is, Get out quick! Don’t let anything delay you! You will never have seen anything like it! Things are going to be terrible! Don’t let anyone deceive you or distract you! But now it’s time for me to summarise my understanding of how these verses apply to us today:
1) Because these verses apply initially to the period before AD70, they contain some specific instructions (e.g. vv. 15-18) that relate only to that period.
2) However, since what the disciples were about to experience then were only the beginning of birth pains (v. 8), it follows that similar things would continue to happen throughout the whole church age and that, with the exception of the specific instructions I have just referred to, the broad principles of what Jesus was teaching continue to be relevant to us today.
3) Because what Jesus is teaching here has been relevant throughout church history, there is no need to see the whole passage as relating directly to the second coming.
4) The parts that do appear to have a bearing on it must not be interpreted as signs, something which Jesus makes clear in the closing verses of the chapter, as we shall see next time.
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Talk 38 Mark 12:35-44 Jesus warns against the Teachers of the Law
Welcome to Talk 38 in our series on Mark’s Gospel. Today we’re looking at Mark 12:35-44. So far in this chapter, Jesus has faced questions from Herodians, Pharisees, and Sadducees, all of whom have been trying to trick him into giving an answer that might give them grounds for taking action against him. But on every occasion Jesus’ answers have silenced his opponents.
Now, in today’s passage, Jesus:
· asks them all a question which they are unable to answer (35-37)
· warns the people to beware of these hypocritical teachers of the law (38-40)
· and draws a contrast between their self-seeking behaviour and the generosity of a poor widow (41-44).
35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, "How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David? 36 David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."' 37 David himself calls him 'Lord.' How then can he be his son?" The large crowd listened to him with delight.
Jesus’ purpose in asking this question is not to catch his opponents out as they had tried to catch him out. His purpose was not retaliation, but to make them and the others listening think. As we shall see, the implications of his question are enormous. They reveal, without a shadow of a doubt, who Jesus really is. The teachers of the law had rightly understood that the Scriptures predicted that the Christ, God’s Anointed One, the Messiah, would be a son (i.e. a descendant) of King David. This view was widely held by the Jews at the time of Jesus, and Jesus is not disputing it. But what he is saying is this:
If the Christ really is to be a son of David (which he certainly is), how is it that David refers to him as his Lord?
Jesus is referring to Psalm 110:1 which says:
The Lord says to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’.
This psalm was widely held to be messianic (i.e. prophesying about the Messiah). But, asks Jesus, if David is speaking of the coming Messiah, how can he call him my Lord if he is one of his descendants? It would be unthinkable to a Jew that a child could be superior to its father, or a descendant superior to an ancestor. Matthew 22:46 makes it clear that the teachers of the law could not find an answer to this riddle, but the early Christians certainly knew it, as this very verse is quoted in Hebrews 1:13 where the writer is demonstrating the deity of Jesus. And this is what Jesus is trying to show them by his question. If the Messiah was to be David’s Lord, he must be more than a physical descendant. He must be none other than God himself. But that was a mystery that the Jewish leaders were completely unable to fathom.
Now, in the next section, verses 38-40, Jesus warns the people against the teachers of the law.
38 As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets. 40 They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."
The meaning of these verses is clear. The Jewish religious leaders – the majority, at least – were insincere and wrongly motivated. Note the words like to in verse 38. They enjoyed dressing differently, to show, as they thought, their superiority to others. They felt entitled to have the most important seats in the synagogues and places of honour at banquets. The motivation in all that they did was to be admired by others, and even their prayers were designed to impress others rather than to seek the blessing of God.
But Matthew’s account of what Jesus said is more detailed. In Matthew 23:3-7 Jesus makes the following accusations against the teachers of the law and the Pharisees.
1. They do not practise what they preach (v3)
2. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders (v4)
3. Everything they do is done for men to see (v5)
4. They love the place of honour at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues (v6)
5. They love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi’ (v7).
And in verses 13-36 we read how Jesus again and again calls them hypocrites, blind guides, blind fools, blind men, and even describes them as you snakes, you brood of vipers! and warns them of the judgment to come as a result.
Of course, it’s easy enough for us to identify with Jesus’ condemnation of the hypocrisy of the religious leaders of his day, but I wonder how seriously church leaders today take Jesus’ words of instruction to us as his disciples. Notice what he says in verses 8-12:
But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
If you're wondering why Matthew includes these verses and Mark does not, it's important to remember that Mark was writing for a mainly Gentile audience whereas Matthew’s audience was largely Jewish. It was important that Christians with a Jewish background should understand that there was no room for such practices in the Church of Jesus Christ. And the Book of Acts and the New Testament epistles bear witness to the fact that Jesus’ forthright teaching in these verses was largely followed.
For example, unlike the practice in many churches today, the gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4:11 were never used as titles. Words like apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher described a gift God had given a person to fulfil a certain role in the church. They were not used as titles. Paul did not refer to himself as Apostle Paul but as Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ. Agabus was a prophet named Agabus, not Prophet Agabus. Philip is described as Philip, the evangelist, not Evangelist Philip, and so on. Interestingly, no one is named as a pastor in the New Testament. Pastor means shepherd and it was the elders who shepherded the churches in the New Testament. Yet today the term Pastor is frequently used as a title, a practice completely foreign to the spirit of the New Testament.
But does it matter? Isn’t the culture different today? Yes, it is. But we should align our practices with the teaching of the New Testament, not with the culture of the day, or even the culture prevalent in the church. The New Testament does teach us to respect and pray for our leaders, but the culture of honouring pastors in some churches is in danger of encouraging the very things that Jesus was so strongly condemning in these verses.
But it’s time to return to our passage in Mark 12. So far we’ve seen how Jesus asks the religious leaders a question which they are unable to answer, but which clearly implies his deity (35-37), and then warns the people to beware of these hypocritical teachers (38-40) and in Matthew’s account telling his disciples that it must not be so among them. Now, in the final section of the chapter Jesus draws a contrast between the self-seeking behaviour of the religious leaders and the generosity of a poor widow.
41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on."
Perhaps you’ll remember that in verse 40 Jesus accused the teachers of the law of devouring widows’ houses. To understand this fully we need to realise that in those days widows had little or no power in the courts. A husband would appoint a scribe or Pharisee to be the executor of his widow’s estate. This gave them authority to deal with the widow’s estate and a corrupt lawyer could easily trick a widow out of her house. In doing this they were directly disobeying their beloved Law of Moses which clearly stated in Exodus 22:22, Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. It’s not surprising that the word Pharisaical has become a synonym for hypocritical! No wonder Jesus said, Such men will be punished most severely.
So when he sees many rich people throwing large amounts of money into the temple treasury, Jesus takes the opportunity to compare their ostentatious behaviour with that of the Pharisees who prayed long prayers for a show, and to contrast it with the abandoned generosity of one poor widow. Note the contrasts between rich and poor, between one and many, between large amounts and only a fraction of a penny. Yet her offering was greater than all the wealth of all the others put together.
If, as we have seen, Jesus told his disciples not to behave like the Pharisees, here he is surely teaching them that they should follow the example of this poor widow. Her commitment was total. NIV translates the last few words of this chapter as everything – all she had to live on, but literally translated the Greek says her whole life! And that’s exactly what Jesus demands of his followers. Unless we deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow him we cannot be his disciples. And unlike the Pharisees he does not demand of us more than he himself was prepared to give. He threw in his whole life. It cost him everything he had.
So for us the challenge is not merely to avoid the hypocrisy of the Pharisees – and, if we’re honest, that’s not always as easy as it may sound – but to follow the example of the poor widow, whose prodigal giving is but a picture of the abandoned generosity of Jesus in giving his whole life for us.
As we have seen in previous talks, he was the fulfilment of what Israel was meant to be, he was the fulfilment of all that the temple stood for, and he was the fulfilment of the Law for he loved the Lord his God with all his heart and with all his mind, and with all his strength, and he loved us, his neighbours, enough to die for us.
Surely the least we can do, is live for him.
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Talk 37 Mark 12:28-34 The Greatest Commandment
Welcome to Talk 37 in our series on Mark's gospel. Today we are considering Mark 12:28-34 where Jesus answers the question, Of all the commandments which is the most important? But before we read the passage it will be helpful to remind ourselves what has been taking place in recent chapters.
We have seen in Chapter 11 how Jesus cursed a fig tree which was not bearing fruit and I suggested that this was an enacted parable telling of God's rejection of Israel. This is confirmed by the parable of the tenants in the opening verses of chapter 12. We saw also how Jesus drove the money changers out of the temple, and I suggested that this was a prophetic action declaring that the end of temple worship was near.
We have also seen how these actions annoyed the Jewish religious leaders and how they asked him various questions in an attempt to trap him. The Herodians tried to trap him by asking him a question about paying taxes to Caesar. The Sadducees tried to catch him out with a trick question about a woman who had had 7 husbands, and they asked whose wife she would be in the resurrection. Now, in today's passage, one of the Pharisees asks him a question about the law.
Now there is an interesting verse in Acts 21:28 which is relevant to all this. There we read that Paul’s opponents shouted:
"Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple area and defiled this holy place."
This verse reveals three things which the Jewish leaders were most concerned about – Israel, the Law, and the Temple. But these three things were totally superseded by what Jesus came to do. The nation of Israel and the Jewish temple were superseded by the church as the true people of God, a living temple, comprised of all the Jews and Gentiles who came to believe in Jesus. But what about the Law? Well, that’s the subject of today’s passage:
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
32"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
We’ll take this a verse at a time.
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
We know from Matthew 22:34-40 that this teacher of the law was in fact a Pharisee. He heard Jesus’ answer to the Sadducees’ question about the resurrection and was clearly impressed by it. Remember, the Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection but the Pharisees did. So, seeing that the Sadducees had failed to catch Jesus out with their question, the Pharisees got together and decided to test Jesus with a question about the Law.
29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Jesus answers by quoting two passages from the Pentateuch. He begins with what was known as the Shema which is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5. This begins with a declaration about God:
Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
He is the one and only true and living God, and that’s why we should hear (i.e. obey) him. Perhaps the greatest reason that people do not obey God’s commandments is that either they do not believe he exists, or that they do not really understand who he is. Knowing who God is gives us the greatest incentive to love and obey him.
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'
This means that we are to love God with every faculty, every fibre, of our being. In Matthew’s account, Jesus describes this as the first and greatest commandment. In Mark it’s the most important one. At first sight this might sound a bit strange. Does God really ask us to love him more than our fellow human beings? Isn’t that selfish of God? Well, before we jump to that mistaken conclusion, let’s remind ourselves of two things.
First, we need to remember how much God loves us. He loved us so much that he gave his one and only Son to die on the cross to save us from our sins (John 3:16). God wants us to love him because he loves us so much. And, if you’ve ever been in love, you’ll know that, essential to the very nature of loving someone, you desperately want them to love you too. If you didn’t want them to love you, could you really say that you loved them?
And secondly, God knows that, if we truly love him, we will want to keep his commandment to love other people. It’s because Jesus loved God so much that he went to the cross. He knew it was God’s will, and he knew it was God’s will because he knew how much God loved us and wanted to save us. And, of course, Jesus went to the cross because he loved us too. There’s no conflict between loving God and loving others, because that’s exactly what God wants us to do. That’s why Jesus says the second is like it (Matthew 22:39). These two commandments are inextricably linked. You can’t love God without loving your neighbour – Whoever claims to love God, but hates a brother or sister is a liar (1 John 4:20).
31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
This is taken from Leviticus 19:18. First let’s consider what Jesus meant by 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' Let’s start with what it doesn’t mean. It doesn’t mean, as some have wrongly assumed, that Jesus is teaching us that we should love ourselves. I am aware that it’s often used this way to encourage people who, for one reason or another, have a low self-esteem, but neither in the original context of Leviticus 19:18, nor in the context of what Jesus was saying can this interpretation be justified. It’s a typical example of eisegesis, of reading into a text what you want it to mean. Christian counsellors must beware of using the methods of modern secular psychology. Using Scripture in this way can be dangerous, however much we may wish to encourage others. There are other ways to encourage such people without misusing Scripture – reminding them how much God loves them, for example.
But why am I so sure about this? Because, as we shall see in a moment, in Matthew’s account, immediately after saying, Love your neighbour as yourself, Jesus says that All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments (Matthew 22:39-40). But in Matthew 7:12 he says
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Putting these two passages together, we see that loving your neighbour as yourself means doing to others what you would have them do to you – and that presupposes that you love yourself.
So why does Jesus say as yourself? It seems to me that the obvious meaning is that we should love others as much as we love ourselves. Jesus knows that it’s human nature to love ourselves. The difficult thing can be loving others. Because of the tendency to sin we have inherited from our first parents, we are all basically selfish. This is very evident even in the behaviour of little children. They have to be taught to put others first, and that’s what Jesus is doing here.
But why does Jesus say, All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments? Because, if you really love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and if you love your neighbour as yourself, you will keep all the commandments. Notice what James says:
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’, you are doing right (James 2:8).
Let me illustrate the point I’m making by referring to the Ten Commandments. The first four relate to God, the final six relate to our neighbours. If we really love God with every fibre of our being, we won’t need a written law to tell us not to worship other gods, not to make idols, and not to misuse God’s name. And we will remember to set aside time to rest and to worship him. And if we really love others as much as we love ourselves, we will honour our parents, and we won’t murder, commit adultery, steal, tell lies about them or covet their possessions. Perhaps you remember what St. Augustine of Hippo said: Love God, and do as you please. Because if you truly love God you will only do what pleases him.
Notice what Paul says in Galatians 5. After reminding them that the entire law regarding our relationships with others is summed up in the single command, Love your neighbour as yourself (v.14), he goes on to tell them to live by the Spirit (v16) and they will not gratify the desires of the flesh. And in verse 18 he says, If you are led by the Spirit you are not under the Law. Why? Because the fruit of the Spirit starts with love (v.22). But that brings us back to our passage and the reply the Pharisee gave to what Jesus had said.
32"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
According to Matthew’s account, the man’s purpose in asking Jesus the question was to test him, presumably hoping to catch him out by getting Jesus to say something against the law of Moses. Remember, Jesus had more than once overridden the authority of the law – or at least the Pharisees’ interpretation of it. But now the Pharisee, having weighed up Jesus’ answer, is compelled to acknowledge that Jesus is right.
When people ask us questions about what we believe as Christians, their motive may not always be genuine. But if we give them an honest answer there is always the possibility that they may come to admit that we’re right. They may be nearer the kingdom of God than we think.
34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
In the previous verses we saw the man’s evaluation of what Jesus had said. In this verse we see Jesus’ evaluation of him. People have all kinds of different opinions about Jesus, but in the final analysis Jesus will have the last word. It’s his evaluation of us that determines our final destiny. Jesus said that the man was not far from the kingdom of God. But he did not say he was in it. We don’t know if this man ever entered it, was ever born again (John 3:3). It’s one thing to admit that something Jesus has said is right. It’s quite another to acknowledge who he is!
However, perhaps this man did finally come to a full realisation of the truth about Jesus. It’s clear from Acts 15:5 that some of the Pharisees had become believers in Jesus and were part of the church in Jerusalem, even if they were still struggling with the idea that Gentile believers did not need to be circumcised! It may still take some time after we become Christians to break away from the unbiblical traditions we have grown up with.
But let’s finish by asking why Jesus said that the man was not far from the kingdom of God. It was undoubtedly because the man had understood that the attitude of our heart is far more important than religious observance. There is no religious ceremony or ritual that can save us, whether it be the Old Testament sacrificial system, or Christian baptism or confirmation, or church attendance, or pilgrimage. When we understand that, we are not far from the kingdom of God, but we can only enter it by personal faith in Christ as our Saviour. And if we really believe that he loved us enough to die for us, we will love him with all our being, we will only do what we know is pleasing to him, and we will love others because we know he loves them too.
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Talk 36 Mark 12:1-27 Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders
Welcome to Talk 36 in our series on Mark's gospel. In our last two talks we were considering the meaning of Jesus cleansing the temple and of his cursing the fig tree in Chapter 11. I suggested that, rather than cleansing the temple, Jesus was by his actions declaring the beginning of the end of worship in the temple, because that was soon to be replaced by the living temple, the church. I also suggested that's the cursing of the fig tree was, in a similar way, an enacted parable declaring God's rejection of Israel as his people.
Today's passage, Mark 12:1-17, continues Jesus’ confrontation with the Jewish religious leaders, firstly in the form of a parable, and then in the account of two specific encounters, (1) with the Pharisees and Herodians, and (2) with the Sadducees, all of whom were bitterly opposed to Jesus. First then, the parable of the tenants.
As I mentioned this briefly last time, and because its meaning is so obvious, I shall devote little time to it today, especially as it is dealing with much the same subject as we were dealing with in the last two talks. But let’s begin by reading it.
The Parable of the Tenants (vv.1-12)
He then began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed. 6 "He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 7 "But the tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 "What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven't you read this scripture: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; 11 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?" 12 Then they looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.
As I say, the meaning of this parable is extremely clear:
· The man who planted the vineyard, the owner, symbolises God
· The vineyard is Israel
· The tenants are the Jewish leaders – and they knew it (v12)
· The servants sent to them are the OT prophets and John the Baptist
· The son of the owner is Jesus
· The ‘others’ to whom the owner gives the vineyard are the Gentiles.
This last point is not made clear in the passage but is in harmony with Paul’s teaching in Romans 11 which we looked at last time. So the parable confirms the line we have been taking in our last two talks.
Jesus concludes with a quote from Psalm 118:22-23. He himself is the stone the builders rejected and has become the most important stone in the building of the new temple which was to be his church. The builders who rejected him were the Jewish leaders – see Acts 4:11 where Peter applies this same scripture directly to them (see also 1 Peter 2:4-8). No wonder the Jewish leaders were looking for a way to arrest Jesus. Which introduces us to the next section.
An Encounter with the Pharisees and Herodians - Paying Taxes to Caesar (vv13-17)
13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn't we?" But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. "Why are you trying to trap me?" he asked. "Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied. 17 Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him.
We’re very familiar with the Pharisees constantly opposing Jesus. They were sometimes joined by the Herodians who were a political group. What they had in common was their fear that Jesus might cause political unrest and that the Romans would impose even more sanctions on their nation and so affect their position in society and frustrate their own personal ambitions.
So both groups wanted to get rid of Jesus and the question about paying taxes to Caesar, the Roman Emperor, was designed to trap him. If he said yes, it would turn the people against him because they hated their Roman oppressors. And if he said no, Jesus would be in trouble with the Romans who might very well accuse him of treason. Either way, they thought they had got him!
But Jesus always had an answer for them. He answers, as he so often did, by asking them a question. He asks for a coin and then asks them whose portrait is on it and whose inscription. They then reply, Caesar’s. So Jesus says, Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. In other words, The coin belongs to Caesar, then. So you'd better give it back to him! And don't forget to give to God what belongs to God. Brilliant!
But how does this apply to us as Christians? Let’s look at what Paul has to say in Romans 13:
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes…
This applies whether we like the government that has been elected or not. The exception to this is when the authorities want you to disobey God, who is of course a higher authority. As Peter and John said to the Jewish Sanhedrin who ordered them no longer to teach or preach in Jesus’ name:
Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard (Acts 4:19-20).
But now let’s turn to the next trap that was set for Jesus. This time it was by the Sadducees. Along with the Pharisees they formed the Jewish Sanhedrin (a council of national religious leaders). The Pharisees believed in life after death, spirits and angels (Acts 23:6-8). The Sadducees did not. So now let’s read Mark 12:18-27.
An Encounter with the Sadducees – Marriage after the Resurrection
18 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 19 "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"
24 Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26 Now about the dead rising – have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!"
From this passage I have selected three main areas from which we can learn:
1. Jesus’ opponents and our opponents
2. The basis of Christian certainty
3. Life after death.
1 Jesus’ opponents and our opponents
The first thing I'd like you to notice is that the questions Jesus’ opponents asked were not genuine. They didn’t believe in the resurrection (v18), but they ask him a question about it. There was no genuine desire to find out the truth. They just wanted to catch him out.
Jesus knew this, but he gave them an answer anyway. Sometimes we need to bear witness to the truth even when the questions people ask are not genuine.
Secondly, their questions were based on ignorance. The only authority they accepted was the Pentateuch and they couldn’t find resurrection in the Pentateuch, so they didn’t believe in it. But in v32 Jesus shows them it’s there in Exodus 3! The point Jesus is making is that at the time God revealed himself to Moses at the burning bush, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were all long since dead. But God doesn’t say to Moses, I WAS the God of Abraham etc. He says I AM. Because Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were still alive, even after they had died.
The Sadducees hadn’t read the Pentateuch carefully enough. Very often, the questions people ask us are based on ignorance too. When they criticise the Bible, it’s not a bad idea to ask them, Have you read it? It’s important that we should know our Bible well, and know how to interpret it correctly. And one important principle of interpretation is that it’s Jesus’ interpretation of the Old Testament that matters.
Thirdly, we see that religious leaders can be in error. Notice what Jesus says in verses 24 and 27:
24 … "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 27 …You are badly mistaken!"
Their error sprang from the fact that they did not know the Scriptures well enough and had no real experience of the power of God. Sadly, this is true of many religious leaders today. We must not be led astray by them.
Finally, the opponents of Christ usually differ among themselves. The Pharisees now had an answer to the Sadducees but were more interested in defeating Jesus than in learning the truth. And it’s much the same with many people today. Nevertheless, we still have a responsibility to tell them the truth. But that brings us to the basis of our certainty as Christians.
2 The basis of Christian certainty
The Sadducees were in error because they did not know the Scriptures or the power of God. It follows, therefore, that if we want to know the truth we must understand both the Scriptures and the power of God. Both are important. As a Pentecostal minister, I am both an evangelical and a charismatic. I believe in the authority of the Bible and I believe that God’s miracle-working power is still available to us today. Some Christians believe in one without the other. But to neglect either is to miss God’s best for our lives.
God is all-powerful. So don’t limit your faith to what you can see. It’s the Scriptures that tell us what to believe. We can believe in life after death, resurrection, because God is all-powerful. We can say like Paul when on trial before King Agrippa:
Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
It’s a matter of simple logic. Our faith is not contrary to logic, but logic is not the main basis for our belief. We believe in resurrection because of what the Scriptures say. Look at how Peter quotes Psalm 16:8-11 in Acts 2:25ff. The resurrection was inevitable because of what God had said in the Old Testament. And in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 Paul insists that Christ was raised from the dead according to the Scriptures.
In short, we believe in the power of God as revealed in the Scriptures. Like the noble Bereans in Acts 17:11, who examined the Scriptures every day to verify what they were hearing, we need to do the same. It is not enough to believe in the power of God. We must believe the Bible! Failure to do so will only lead to error. Supernatural manifestations must be tested to see if they are in line with Scripture. And the great certainty of our Christian faith is the evidence of the resurrection of Jesus as revealed in the Scriptures.
3 Life after death
So what does Jesus teach us in this passage about life after death? Four things:
i. He assures us that there is life after death (vv. 26-27).
He is not the God of the dead but of the living.
ii. We will be like the angels in heaven (v25)
This doesn’t mean that we will become angels when we get to Heaven. In Hebrews 12:22-24 angels are distinguished from the spirits of righteous people made perfect.
However, Jesus’ main purpose is to point out the fallacy in the Sadducees’ reasoning when they ask, Whose wife will she be? He is not saying that we will not recognise our loved ones when we get to Heaven. He is saying that relationships will be different.
iii. There is life after death now. We don’t have to wait until the resurrection.
Abraham is alive now (26). He lived some 2000 years before Jesus, but he was still alive when Jesus spoke about the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:22 ff. And, as we saw at the transfiguration, Moses and Elijah were still alive at the time of Jesus. When we die as Christians we go to be with Christ which is far better (Philippians 1:23). To be absent from our body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).
iv. Ultimately there is to be a resurrection
Jesus had already predicted his own death and resurrection on three different occasions. He got that right, so we can trust him about our resurrection! Look at what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
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Talk 35 Mark 11:11-33 (continued) The Cursing of the Fig Tree
Welcome to Talk 35 in our series on Mark’s Gospel. Today we’re continuing to look at Mark 11:11-33. As we said last time, there are two interrelated stories interwoven in this passage – the cursing of the fig tree and the so-called ‘cleansing’ of the temple. I suggested that Jesus’ actions were not really a cleansing (i.e. to make it fit for purpose), but rather an enacted parable declaring the beginning of the end of worship in the temple which was soon to be destroyed. It was to be replaced by a new temple, not one made with human hands, but a living temple made up of God’s people the church. If you have not already heard that talk, I encourage you to do so, as it is closely connected with this one.
Today we’ll be considering the significance of Jesus’ cursing of the fig tree and I’m going to suggest that this too was an enacted parable. So let’s begin by reading Mark 11, starting at verse 11.
Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve. 12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.
Then we have the story of Jesus clearing out the temple, so now, jumping to verse 20:
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!" 22 "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. 23 "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
So what can we learn from this story? I’m going to deal with this under three headings:
· Lessons about Israel
· Lessons about Jesus
· Lessons about us.
The subject of Israel and its future is one over which Christians are often disagreed. I hesitate to deal with it because of the strong opinions held on the subject. But I’m going to address it,
(1) because I want to be faithful to the text of Scripture,
(2) because of what’s going on in Israel at the moment,
(3) because so many Christians are preoccupied with that.
Lessons about Israel
If I am right in saying that Jesus’ actions in clearing the temple were a kind of enacted parable declaring the end of temple worship, the question naturally arises, is the cursing of the fig tree also an enacted parable signifying God’s rejection of Israel? I’m going to give you three reasons why I think it is:
1 God himself likens Israel to a fig tree (Hosea 9:10)
When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your fathers, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree (something exceptional and wonderful). But when they came to Baal Peor, they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol...
In Mark 11 Jesus is looking for early fruit on a fig tree but finding none. So he curses it. In Hosea, God is saying that at the beginning Israel had been a delight to him, something rare and precious, like grapes in the desert or like early fruit on a fig tree, but now they had forsaken him and had followed idols. (Compare v1 where he calls them Unfaithful).
2 Jesus’ parables clearly indicate God’s rejection of Israel
In Mark 12:1-12, (the very next chapter) Jesus tells the parable of the tenants. A man plants a vineyard and rents it to some farmers and then goes on a journey. At harvest time he sends a servant to get some fruit from the vineyard. The tenants seize him and send him away empty-handed. He sends other servants, but they are all badly treated. Eventually he sends his son, and they kill his son. As a result, Jesus says, the owner of the vineyard will kill the tenants and give the vineyard to others.
This reminds us of Isaiah 5:1-7, where God describes Israel as a vineyard he has planted which only produces bad fruit and so will be destroyed. All this strongly suggests that the cursing of the fig tree is a picture of Israel’s failure to please God by producing the fruit he is seeking. (Cf. also the parable of the fig tree in Luke 13:6-9).
3 The overall teaching of the New Testament.
Paul teaches that the true Jew is not a person physically descended from Abraham, but anyone, whether Jew or Gentile, who has believed as Abraham believed. Consequently, it is not the Jewish nation, the state of Israel, that are the people of God, but the company of those who believe, the church, the body of Christ, whose members are, as we saw last time:
…a spiritual house …a holy priesthood …a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God …who are now the people of God (1 Peter 2:5, 9-10).
But where does that leave the nation of Israel today? Doesn’t God still have a plan for Israel as a nation? Well, it all depends on how you interpret Romans, chapters 9-11. These chapters teach five things:
1. Not all Jews are God’s children (9:6-8, 10:16)
It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. 7 Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." 8 In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring.
But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" (10:16)
2. It’s only the believing remnant who are (9:27)
Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the Israelites be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved.
Paul will say more about the remnant in chapter 11. But why aren’t all Jews God’s children?
Because, whether we be Jew or Gentile, salvation is by faith.
3. Salvation is by faith (10:30-32)
30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works.
That’s why he says in 10:1 that
4. The Israelites need to be saved (10:1)
Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.
It’s not that they haven’t heard the message. In verse 19 Paul says:
Did they not hear? Of course they did
But sadly, Israel are a disobedient and obstinate people (21).
However, despite all this, Paul says that
5. God did not reject his people (11:1-2)
I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew…
But what does Paul mean by God’s people? (11:2-7)
But what does Paul mean by God’s people? (11:2-7)
From what follows in verses 2-7 it seems that’s he’s talking about what he calls a remnant.
Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah – how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 "Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me"? 4 And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal." 5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. 7 What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened…
(You may remember what Paul said in 9:27 – only the remnant will be saved.)
So, Paul begins by saying that God has not rejected his people (vv1-2). But who are his people? He refers to the story of Elijah where, despite the apostate condition of Israel as a whole, God had reserved for himself a remnant who had not bowed the knee to Baal. It’s the believing remnant that are the true Israel.
But what about the rest?
Paul says that those who have fallen are not beyond recovery (v11). He hopes that by his ministry he may save some of them (14). He compares Israel to an olive tree and some of the branches (the unbelieving Jews) have been broken off, so that the Gentiles, a wild olive, might be grafted in. But God is able to graft the Jews in again if they do not persist in unbelief (v23).
So, in the context, it is the Jews who believe who are God’s people. The true Israel was never, not even in the Old Testament, the entire state of Israel, but the remnant chosen by grace who have not bowed the knee to Baal (11:1-10).
So how does keep his promises to the Jewish nation?
By grafting them back into the olive tree (which now contains Gentile branches) if they come to faith in Christ. In doing so, they become part of the true and much larger Israel, the people of God from every tribe and tongue and nation, who have trusted Christ in whom alone is salvation.
So what does Paul mean when he says that All Israel shall be saved? (11:25-26)
25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
In the light of all that Paul has said again and again about the true Israel not being the physical descendants of Abraham but those who believe as Abraham believed, he cannot possibly mean that all Jews will be saved simply because they are Jewish.
In my view, to be consistent with the clear teaching in the rest of the New Testament, God will fulfil his promises to Israel through the salvation of the believing remnant of the Jews along with the believing Gentiles who together comprise the true Israel.
However, I acknowledge that many Christians believe that at some point in the (maybe not too distant) future, when the full number of the Gentiles has come in, many of the Jews will come to faith in Christ, through whom alone is salvation. But even if that is correct, it does not mean that at present Jewish people, or the nation of Israel are God’s people. The true Israel is the company of all who believe, whether Jew or Gentile.
So ultimately, All Israel will be saved finds its fulfilment in the fact that all those who believe in Jesus, and only those who believe in Jesus, whether Jews or Gentiles, will find salvation in him. These chapters do not teach that the citizens of the modern state of Israel are God’s chosen people, and it’s wrong to talk of them as though they were.
But does this amount to antisemitism? Certainly not. Holding this view is no excuse for hatred of the Jews or for the terrible events of the holocaust. As Christians we are called to love the Jews, not because of the mistaken view that they are still God’s chosen people, but because they, like us, are sinners for whom Christ died. But we should not love them any more than we love the Africans, the Americans, the Australians, or the Arabs for that matter. God loves the world… and so should we.
So I encourage you to think on these things in the light of Scripture and not on the basis of preconceived ideas taught so dogmatically on some of the God channels.
Lessons about Jesus
His humanity
The first thing we notice in our passage is that Jesus was hungry (v12). This speaks to us of his humanity. As a man Jesus was subject to all the problems that we as humans face. He was God. He had created the universe. But he was hungry! In becoming one of us Jesus put himself in the position that he, the Creator, became dependent on his creation! What humility! What condescension!
And we find another aspect of his humanity in verse 13 where he went to find out if the fig tree had any fruit. Now it was early spring, at the time of the Passover. Mark tells us that he didn’t find any because it was not yet the season for figs. However, it was in leaf and the figs would soon be appearing. In fact, as we’ve already seen from Hosea 9:10, sometimes there would be early fruit on a fig tree. And no doubt that’s what Jesus was looking for. But he did not know if there would be any or not. He went to find out. Again, this speaks of the humanity of Jesus.
Although he was God – and God knows everything – when he came to earth he laid aside the use of his divine attributes. By limiting himself to a human body he could not possibly be omnipresent. Neither was he omniscient. He became as one of us. And yet he was still God! And our passage indicates that too.
His deity
Yes, we see his deity as well as his humanity in this passage. This is revealed, not as you might expect, in the fact that he was able to wither the fig tree, but in his reason for doing so. Like Israel, it was failing to produce the fruit God was looking for. The miracle itself did not indicate his deity, because he tells his disciples in verse 23 that anyone who has faith can do the same. But Paul says in Colossians 1 that Christ is the ruler over all creation. All things were created by him and for him. The fig tree was created by Jesus and for Jesus, and if it wasn’t bearing fruit for its Creator, there was no point to its existence!
Lessons about us
A lesson on fruitbearing
Now, putting together what we’ve been saying so far, it follows that as the true Israel is the church, made up of all believing Jews and Gentiles, then God expects to find fruit in our lives too. This is a clear biblical principle. God expects the things he has created to fulfil the purpose for which he has created them.
This is what Jesus is teaching in the Parable of the Fig Tree, to which I referred earlier:
A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?' 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.' (Luke 13:6-9).
And the same truth is illustrated in John 15 in the Parable of the Vine. The branches that don’t bear fruit he cuts off (v2). And the fruit he is looking for is the fruit of the Spirit, especially love. If we’re not bearing fruit for Jesus, there really is no point to our existence!
A lesson on faith
It’s interesting that the disciples didn’t notice that the fig tree had withered until the day after Jesus had cursed it. And we don’t know exactly when it withered. Obviously it was some time during that 24 hour period. Surely if it had happened immediately they would have noticed it.
In a way, it doesn’t matter, because once Jesus had spoken the word, the tree was dead. The leaves, the symptoms of life, may have taken 24 hours to wither. This may be true of the problems we face too – the symptoms don’t always vanish immediately. The proof of the power of Jesus’ words may not have been evident at first, but Jesus himself doesn’t even look to see if has withered. He has faith to believe that what he has said will come to pass, because he was always hearing what his Father had to say (John 5:19).
And he even says that we can do the same:
Have faith in God, he says, I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Wow! What a promise! Is Jesus really saying that whatever you say will happen as long as you have faith and do not doubt? At first sight it certainly looks like it. But before we jump to that conclusion, we need to consider verse 25:
25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.
This seems to suggest that the promise about putting mountains in the sea is conditional on our right standing with God. If you’re not prepared to forgive people, you’re not in right standing with God. And if you’re not, you won’t have the faith that brings the answer to your prayers. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me (Psalm 66:18). Consider what Jesus says in the parable of the vine in John 15. The condition of answered prayer is our abiding in him.
And in 1 John 3:21-22 we’re told:
If our hearts do not condemn us we have confidence before God and receive anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.
But, returning to the promise in our passage, we need also to ask if it has ever been literally fulfilled in 2000 years of church history. And if not, why not? Has no one had enough faith? Or could it just be that God who put the mountains where they are doesn’t want them put into the sea?
But if the promise has never been literally fulfilled, there are many testimonies of metaphorical mountains that he been put into the sea. And every time someone puts their trust in Christ as their saviour, the mountain of sin that separated them from God has been removed and buried in the deepest sea. So, a promise that has possibly never been fulfilled literally has been fulfilled millions of times spiritually. But that brings us to our final lesson:
A Lesson on God’s Love
We need to remember that all this took place a few days before Jesus died. He was about to face an enormous mountain – the mountain of our sins, of the sins of the whole world. He didn’t have to face it. One word from him and Mount Calvary would be destroyed. And he was about to face another tree – the cross on which he died. He could have destroyed that too. He could have withered it like the fig tree. But instead of cursing it he chose to embrace it, and in the words of Galatians 3:13, to redeem us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us.
And why did he do it? Because he loved us. And that’s why he has the right to expect to find fruit in our lives. Are we really living for the purpose he created us? I know I want to be. Do you?
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Talk 34 Mark 11:11-33 The ‘cleansing’ of the Temple
Welcome to Talk 34 in our series on Mark’s Gospel. In this talk and the next we’ll be looking at Mark 11:11-33. This passage contains two stories – the cursing of the fig tree and what is often referred to as the ‘cleansing’ of the Temple (although I shall suggest that this is not the best description of what Jesus was doing). The fact that these stories are interwoven in the text and that they both happened within the same 24-hour period strongly suggests that they have a common theme.
As we shall see, it’s possible to see both these events as two enacted parables announcing the termination of the temple as a place of worship and God’s rejection of Israel because of his anger that they have rejected his Son, something which is backed up by the parable of the tenants which immediately follows in 12:1-12. Today we’ll concentrate on the temple. Next time we’ll consider why Jesus cursed the fig tree. But first, let’s outline the story.
Verses 11-14. Jesus curses a fig tree because of its lack of fruit.
Jesus and the apostles are staying in Bethany, possibly with Martha and Mary. On the way into Jerusalem Jesus is hungry and seeing a fig tree in leaf he goes to find out if there is any fruit on it. Finding nothing but leaves he says, May no one ever eat fruit from you again. And, jumping to verse 20, we see that the fig tree has withered from the roots. But first, we have verses 15-19.
Verses 15-19. Jesus cleanses the Temple.
When he reaches Jerusalem, Jesus goes into the temple and drives out the people who are buying and selling there. He overturns the tables of the money changers and won’t allow anyone to carry merchandise though the temple courts. He reminds them of what God has said in Isaiah 56:7 – My house will be a house of prayer for all nations – and, quoting Jeremiah 7:11, adds, But you have made it a den of robbers. This angers the Jewish religious leaders and they start to look for a way to kill him. In the evening Jesus returns to Bethany.
Verses 20-25. Jesus teaches a lesson on faith from the fig tree which has withered.
The next day, as they’re going back into Jerusalem Peter points out that the fig tree Jesus cursed is withered. Jesus replies:
Have faith in God, I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.
We’ll be looking at this in more detail next time, so now verses 27-33.
Verses 27-33. Jesus is challenged by the Jewish leaders.
They arrive back in Jerusalem and Jesus is confronted by the Jewish religious leaders who challenge him over what he has just done in the temple. By what authority had he done it? Jesus avoids answering their question but counters with another one. Was John’s baptism of divine or of human origin? Realising that whatever answer they gave could lead them into criticism, they say, We don’t know. So Jesus replies, Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
So, having now outlined the passage, let’s begin by considering the significance of Jesus’ actions in the temple.
The significance of Jesus’ actions in the temple
To understand this fully we need to look back into the Old Testament. If you know your Bible well, you will know that there were in fact three temples built in Jerusalem:
· Solomon’s Temple, which was Israel’s first temple
· Zerubbabel’s Temple, built to replace Solomon’s Temple after its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar
· Herod’s Temple, the temple at the time of Jesus.
However, the purpose for which the original temple was built remained the same, and we can learn much about this from Solomon’s prayer of dedication in 1 Kings 8:12-61.
A place for God to dwell for ever (v13)
Although Solomon’s purpose was for the temple to be a place for God to dwell in, he knew that God couldn’t be contained in a building, however magnificent it might be. Note what he says in verse 27:
The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!
And in verse 30 he recognises that heaven is God’s dwelling place:
Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive (cf. vv. 39,43, 45).
But what perhaps Solomon didn’t understand was that God’s ultimate plans were not for a physical temple made by men (Acts 7:48), but for a spiritual temple comprised of God’s people themselves (1 Corinthians 3:16, 2 Corinthians 6:16, Ephesians 2:21-22, 1 Peter 2:4-10). More on this later.
A place for the Name of the Lord (vv. 17,18, 19, 20, 29,43,48)
What does Solomon mean when he talks about building a temple for the Name of the Lord? In Bible times a name was not just a label, but something intended to represent the true nature of the person holding that name. The Name of the Lord has been defined as God himself, actively present, in the fulness of his revealed character.
And in the Psalms his name is linked with his righteousness, faithfulness, salvation, holiness, goodness, mercy, love, truth, and glory. If the temple was to be a place for God to dwell in, a place for the Name of the Lord, it must be a place that stood for and demonstrated all these divine qualities.
A place of prayer for all the peoples of the earth (vv. 28, 29, 30, 33, 38, 41-44, 48, 49)
From the number of references to prayer in 1 Kings 8 it’s clear that prayer was to be its primary purpose. Indeed, God himself was to say later through the prophet Isaiah:
My house will be a house of prayer for all nations (Isaiah 56:7).
Note that it was not only to be a house of prayer, but a house of prayer for all nations. This aspect of Solomon’s purpose in building the original temple is expressed in his prayer that God would even answer the prayers of foreigners and do whatever they ask of him so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel… (vv41-43) and may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other (v. 60).
So Solomon’s purposes in building the temple were that it should be:
A place for God to dwell in for ever
A place for the Name of the Lord
A place of prayer for all nations – a place where people might come to know the Lord.
But it’s clear from Jesus’ actions that these purposes were being frustrated by the Jewish people. Foreigners were treated with contempt and fleeced by the money changers. The qualities associated with the Name of the Lord were entirely absent. It was certainly not a fit dwelling place for God. And Jesus was right to be angry. Anger is not sin. It’s right to be angry about sin.
But were these the only reasons for his actions? Was he really cleansing the temple? Or was he perhaps declaring by his actions that the time for the temple was about to come to an end? In Mark 13:2 he certainly predicted its destruction, something which was literally fulfilled in AD 70. Could this have been the significance of his cursing the fig tree? We’ll come to that next time, but today let’s consider how God’s plans for the temple relate to Jesus himself, and then to his church.
Jesus as God’s temple
As we bear in mind God’s original purposes for his temple, we see that these are wonderfully fulfilled in Jesus himself. If the characteristics of the divine nature were not being displayed in the temple as they should, they most certainly were in Jesus, in whom dwelt all the fulness of deity in bodily form (Colossians 2:10). Jesus embodied all that the Name of Yahweh stood for. He was God manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16 KJV). Jesus himself was the true temple. If that sounds strange, bear in mind that in Matthew 12:6, referring to himself, Jesus said, In this place is one greater than the temple. He also referred to his own body as the temple (John 2:19-21).
All the purposes of the temple were fulfilled in the coming of Jesus. With his death, about to take place in less than a week, the temple was to become redundant, its veil torn in two from the top to the bottom. The middle wall, the barrier that separated the Gentiles from the Jews was destroyed (Ephesians 2:14). We need no longer look to the temple for the answer to our prayers. It’s not in the temple, but in Jesus that we have the answer. Because of his sacrificial death on the cross, all who believe, both Jew and Gentile, have access to God through Jesus.
The church as God’s temple
Despite Solomon’s prayer that the temple he had built would be God’s dwelling place for ever, God himself never intended the temple in the Old Testament to be permanent. It was a prophetic symbol of Christ himself and of his church. Listen to what Paul says to the Corinthians. Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16).
And he tells the Ephesians that all who believe in him, whether Jew or Gentile, are:
Members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit (Ephesians 2:19-22).
And 1 Peter 2:4-10 describes Jesus as the living stone, rejected by men, but precious to him, and tells us that we too, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood. We are his chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation… we are now the people of God.
And 2 Corinthians 6:16
What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."
What a privilege. We are the temple. But privilege always carries with it responsibility. We need to learn lessons from the mistakes God’s people made of old. But let me first remind you of what we have said so far. I have suggested that, rather than cleansing the temple (i.e. making it fit for purpose), Jesus was actually expressing his anger at the way the temple had been defiled by the people of his day and that by his action in driving them out he was declaring an end to the temple which was shortly to be destroyed. It was no longer fit for purpose. It was no longer the dwelling place of God, no longer a place that represented all that his Father stood for, no longer a house of prayer for all nations where all the people of the world might come to know the Lord.
I have suggested that during his time here on earth the Lord Jesus himself was the true temple, the dwelling place of God, one who did represent and manifest all that the Father stood for, and that since his departure to heaven it is his purpose that the church, which is his body should fulfil the same role. The question is, are we? Or is it possible that we too are defiling God’s temple?
Are we defiling God’s temple, the church?
Let’s be clear. We’re not talking about a church building. We’re talking about the company of God’s people, the church. Each of us needs to examine our heart on this matter, but it might help to call to mind some of the areas where some of the early Christians sometimes failed:
· Thinking of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5), are there times when we are not always strictly honest with each other?
· Thinking of the Corinthians, are we defiling the temple by our divisions, especially over church leaders?
· Are we sometimes guilty of failing to put the needs of others before our own as the Corinthians were at the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11)?
· Is there sexual immorality among us as there was with them (1 Corinthians 6)?
· Are there idols in our lives (2 Corinthians 6:16)?
If we really want our gatherings to be times where
· we experience God’s holy presence
· where the Name of the Lord and all that he stands for is honoured and exemplified
· where we can expect our prayers to be answered
· and where people of all nations may come to know the Lord
let’s examine our hearts and put right anything that might hinder the church from being the temple God intends it to be. In both Old and New Testaments there were serious consequences for defiling the Lord’s temple. But, thank God, if we confess our sin, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we really want it, our church can be just what God wants it to be. May it be so, for the sake of his Name.
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Talk 33 Mark 11:1-10 The Triumphal Entry
Welcome to Talk 33 in our series on Mark’s Gospel. Today we’re looking at what is often referred to as Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This is found not only in Mark 11:1-10, but also in Matthew 21:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, and John 12:12-19. We will be concentrating on Mark’s account, but we’ll also refer to the other accounts where they enrich our understanding of this wonderful event in the life of Jesus. But first, let’s read Mark 11:1-10.
1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.'" 4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" 10 "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" "Hosanna in the highest!"
Today we’re going to look at six things this passage teaches us about Jesus, but first let’s set the scene in the overall context of Jesus’ life and ministry. Jesus had spent three and a half years teaching his disciples, meeting the needs of the people, forgiving sinners, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, driving out demons, giving sight to the blind, cleansing the lepers, and raising the dead. He is now on his way to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover with his disciples and where within less than a week he will be crucified.
The Passover was the annual festival celebrated by the Jews in memory of their ancestors’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt. It was called the Passover because the angel of death sent by God as the final judgment on the Egyptians passed over the Israelites when he saw the blood of a lamb sprinkled on the doorposts of their houses. What Jesus was to do later that week was to become the final Passover Lamb whose blood was to be shed on the cross to save not only the Israelites but those of all nations who would trust in him as the atoning sacrifice for their sins.
Few, if any, in the crowd who were praising Jesus as the coming king would have understood this. It’s more likely that they were expecting him to use his miracle working power to overthrow the Romans, but God’s plan and purpose was far bigger than that. Jesus had not come to save Israel from the power of Rome, but the entire world from the power and consequences of sin. So Jesus comes, not as a military conqueror riding on a horse or in a chariot, but as the humble king of peace, riding on a young donkey as prophesied in Zechariah 9:9:
Rejoice greatly O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
So, having set the scene, let’s now see what the passage teaches us about Jesus. As we saw right at the beginning of Mark’s Gospel, Mark’s intention is to proclaim Jesus as the Christ (the Messiah), the Son of God. This has been clear throughout all he has taught us about Jesus so far, but nowhere is it clearer than in today’s passage. First, we see that
Jesus was a man with authority
He tells his disciples what to do, and they do it. Note the words of instruction in verses 1-3.
Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you… you will find a colt tied there … Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.'"
Jesus expects unquestioning obedience from his disciples, and this includes the owner of the donkey – Tell him, The Lord needs it. In fact, with the exception of the Pharisees (Luke 19:39-40), everyone in the story accepts the authority of Jesus. Even the crowd of pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem for the Passover festival acknowledge that Jesus is the one who comes in the name of (with the authority of) the Lord (v9). They even proclaim him as the King of Israel (John 12:13).
And finally, it seems that even the young donkey seems to have accepted his authority. No one had ever ridden him (v2). He was an unbroken animal. But the lowly beast submits to the authority of his Maker and carries Jesus on his final journey into Jerusalem.
Jesus was a prophet
He was a man who received supernatural revelation and this gave him detailed foreknowledge of future events. Notice what he says in verse 2
:
Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.
Now Jesus was on his way up from Jericho where he had healed blind Bartimaeus and the village where the donkey was was ahead of him. He had certainly not been there recently. He had travelled over 100 miles from Capernaum at the northern end of the Sea of Galilee. There is no suggestion that he had made a private arrangement with the owners. Yet he knew exactly where the donkey was – just at the entrance of the village. He knew it was tied there. He knew that no one had ever ridden it. He knew it would be available.
Of course, if you have a mind to, you can possibly think of a natural explanation of how Jesus knew all these things, but please bear in mind that Jesus frequently knew things by supernatural revelation. He knew that Peter would catch a fish and find a coin in its mouth, enough to pay the temple tax (Matthew 17:24-27). He knew that the woman of Samaria had had five husbands and that the man she was living with was not her husband (John 4:17-18). And in Mark 14:12-16 he knew that when he sent two of his disciples to go and prepare for the Passover meal, when they went into the city they would find a man carrying a waterpot.
And in Luke 19:41-44 when he finally reaches Jerusalem he weeps over it and predicts in detail the tragic events which were to take place there some forty years later in AD 70.
So the Gospels are very clear that Jesus often knew things supernaturally. But was this because he was God, or was it because as a man he received supernatural revelation through the Holy Spirit? In answering this question it’s important to stress that Jesus is and always was God, and God is omniscient. He knows everything. And Jesus did not cease to be God while he was here on earth. However, although he was God, it seems that as man he did not know everything. Returning to our passage, we see in verse 3 that, although he knows about the donkey, he says, If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' rather than Someone will ask you. And, as we’ll see in our next talk, there’s another illustration of this in verse 13 where we’re told that:
Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he (Jesus) went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs (v13).
So in my view, the flashes of supernatural revelation Jesus received while he was here on earth are best understood to result not from his deity, but from the revelation of the Spirit. If they do not in themselves prove his deity, they certainly show how close was his relationship with his Father in Heaven. They were supernatural gifts from the Holy Spirit, and if we keep filled with the Spirit, similar gifts may be ours too as, of course, the Holy Spirit determines (1 Corinthians 12:11). Remember how Peter knew that Ananias and Sapphira were lying (Acts 5)? Peter was not God, but he received revelation from God, the Holy Spirit. Jesus, even though he was God, was also man, and he received revelation in the same way. But that brings us to the next lesson about Jesus.
Jesus was the Messiah
Now if, as we have just been saying, Jesus received prophetic revelation through the leading and power of the Holy Spirit, the same is true of the miracles he performed. The miracles were the reason for the people’s joy on Palm Sunday:
When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen (Luke 19:37).
They were longing for the coming of their long-awaited Messiah, which in Hebrew means anointed one. You will remember, of course, that when he was preaching in the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus had read these words from Isaiah 61:1-2:
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour (Luke 4:18-19),
and had gone on to say, Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing (v21).
In saying this he was claiming to be none other than the anointed one (the Messiah), and he had gone on to prove it by preaching good news to the poor, proclaiming freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight to the blind, and releasing the oppressed. So the people on Palm Sunday were praising God not only for all the miracles they had seen, but because those miracles might well indicate that at last the Messiah had come. So they acknowledge Jesus as the Son of David, (Matthew 21:9), the king who comes in the name of the Lord (Luke 19:38).
So Jesus was a man of authority. But he was more than that. He was a prophet. But he was more than that. He was the Messiah. So what does our passage teach about what should be our attitude towards him?
Jesus is worthy of our worship
Among the crowd around Jesus on that first Palm Sunday, there must have been surely a variety of opinions and attitudes. There were the twelve disciples who had already come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. There were undoubtedly other followers who had either already formed the same opinion or who were at least on the point of doing so. There may also have been those who, caught up in the excitement and emotion of the moment joined in the celebration without really understanding what was happening. And there were of course those like the Pharisees who understood what Jesus was claiming to be and who wanted to kill him because of it.
So can we really say that they were all worshipping Jesus? Three things suggest to me that many certainly were. First, their actions indicate it. Some threw their cloaks and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road in front of Jesus (v8). Secondly, their words, taken from all four Gospels, imply it:
Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in Heaven and glory in the highest!
Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!
Blessed is the King of Israel!
And thirdly, the Pharisees seem to have interpreted it as worship. They said to Jesus:
Teacher, rebuke your disciples!
But Jesus replied,
I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out (Luke 19:39-40).
So if this wasn’t worship, it certainly looked like it! And their worship was centred around three main things:
o What Jesus had done for them (working miracles)
o Who he was (the Son of David, the King who comes with the authority of the Lord)
o The coming Kingdom of God.
And these are just the reasons we should worship him too.
Jesus is worthy of our trust
But Jesus is not only worthy of our worship. He is worthy of our trust too. The two disciples he sent ahead to get the donkey had come to trust Jesus, even when what he asked them to do might have been questionable. But they had not always. Remember, for example, the feeding of the 5,000? Jesus says, You give them something to eat. But, they reason, that would take eight months of a man’s wages. Again and again, they had questioned his instructions, but by now they were learning to trust him. They obey his instructions and, of course, find things just as Jesus has said. They had learned to trust him, because they had discovered that Jesus knows best. And we can trust him too. He sees what we cannot see. He knows what we do not know. He has detailed knowledge of future events.
And, of course, we can trust him, not only because of his knowledge, but also because of his power. He is not only omniscient. He is omnipotent. He is no longer here on earth as man, exercising power as he was led by the Spirit. He is seated at God’s right hand. All authority has been given to him in Heaven and on earth. We can trust him because he has the power and authority to accomplish whatever he knows is best for us.
And we can trust him because he is good. An all-powerful God who was not good would not be someone to trust, but rather to fear. But our God is not a king who comes to terrorise his people. Like Jerusalem of old, we can rejoice greatly because our king comes to us gentle and riding on a donkey. The gentleness, the humility, the goodness and love of Jesus assure us that we can trust him. And finally…
Jesus is worthy of our obedience and sacrifice
We have already seen the trust and obedience of the two disciples Jesus sent to get the colt. But we also see the sacrifice of those who spread their cloaks on the road (v8). No thought of how dirty or how damaged they might get, not only from the hooves of the donkey but also from the feet of the crowd who were following Jesus. Their worship was expressed in an extravagant disregard for their worldly possessions. And they did not understand that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem to suffer and die for the forgiveness of their sins. But we do. How much more extravagant should be our commitment to the Lord Jesus?
But now, one final thought. We have seen in this passage that Jesus was a man of authority, a man who received supernatural revelation of future events. We have seen that he was the Messiah, the Son of David, the king of Israel. And yet the story reveals that he needed something. He needed a donkey! Note those words in verse 3 – The Lord… needs it. The Lord, the Creator of the universe needed a donkey! It was to play a part in the fulfilment of God’s purposes. And, believe it or not, he needs you too. Of course, he could fulfil his purposes without us, but he has chosen not to. He has chosen to use donkeys like Peter and Andrew and James and John, like you and like me. Do you know who he is? How extravagantly will you worship him? How much will you trust him? To what extent will you obey him? Jesus is worthy of your sacrificial obedience. He won’t enforce it. But doesn’t his love demand it. Isaac Watts certainly thought so:
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were an off’ring far too small.
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
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Talk 32 Mark 10:46-52 Blind Bartimaeus receives his sight
Welcome to Talk 32 in our series on Mark's Gospel. Today we are looking at Mark 10:46-52. It's the story of how a blind beggar called Bartimaeus receives his sight. It's a short passage so let's begin by reading it.
46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 49 Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called to the blind man, "Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you." 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. 51 "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." 52 "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
We'll begin by looking at what this passage has to tell us about Jesus. Then we'll consider what we can learn about Bartimaeus, and finally we'll see how this story may well have an application in our own lives. Firstly, then, what does the passage teach us about Jesus?
Jesus
The first thing we notice is that Jesus is accompanied not only by his disciples but by a large crowd. This clearly indicates his popularity. We know from what we have already seen in Mark's gospel, Jesus was opposed by the Pharisees and other religious leaders, but it's also clear that the common people heard him gladly. This was almost certainly because of the miracles of healing he was performing as well as the wonderful things he was teaching.
Secondly, we see indications that people were beginning to realise that Jesus was the Messiah. Notice that in verse 46 the passage makes a distinction between the disciples and the crowd. The disciples had left all to follow Jesus. Many in the crowd would have been following just because they hoped he might heal them, or that at least they might see some amazing miracle. The disciples on the other hand had begun to understand who Jesus was. For most of the crowd he was at best a prophet, known to them simply as Jesus of Nazareth. Some, however, like Bartimaeus we're beginning to wonder if he might be the promised Messiah. Notice that Bartimaeus refers to him by the messianic title, Son of David.
Thirdly, the recognition that Jesus was the Messiah sprang from the authority Jesus clearly possessed. We see this in verse 49 in the way Jesus gives clear instructions and is immediately obeyed – Call him. So they called him… They have just told Bartimaeus to be quiet, but at one word from Jesus they immediately change their tune. And, of course, Jesus’ authority is even more evident in his power to grant Bartimaeus his request – Go, your faith has healed you. And immediately Bartimaeus receives his sight.
And finally, our passage reveals the compassion of Jesus, not just in healing the blind man, but in the fact that he stopped (v49) to do so. Remember verses 33-35. He was on his way to Jerusalem to be crucified – probably in only a few days’ time. The very next thing Mark records is the triumphal entry into Jerusalem which happened less than a week before Jesus was crucified. But despite the knowledge of his imminent suffering and death, Jesus takes time to stop and to meet the need of a beggar. But what does the passage teach us about Bartimaeus?
Bartimaeus
The first thing we notice is his desperate need. He was blind and he was a beggar. In those days there was little else that the blind could do, other than beg. His needs were physical – he was blind. His needs were financial – he had to beg. But less obvious perhaps was his need for acceptance in the society in which he lived. It was commonly believed that blindness was caused by sin – either the sin of the blind man or of his parents. This is very clear in John 9:2 where, in connection with another blind man, the disciples asked Jesus:
Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?
Jesus was quick to correct this wrong assumption, but the fact that even his disciples made it is evidence of the view prevalent at the time. So, although it’s not mentioned here in Mark 10, it’s not unreasonable to assume that many of the people regarded Bartimaeus’ condition as the result of sin. However, as we shall see, it’s spiritual blindness that results from sin, not physical blindness.
So the first thing we learn about Bartimaeus is his desperation. Closely connected with this is his determination. Imagine the scene. He’s sitting at the roadside begging. He can see nothing, but he can hear. And he hears a commotion. There’s a crowd of people coming down the road. He wonders what the noise is all about. And then he hears that it is Jesus. Now he must have heard about Jesus and the miracles he had been performing. He had possibly heard about the blind man Jesus had healed in Mark 8, or the many blind people who had been healed in Luke 7:22. And now Jesus of Nazareth is passing his way. Faith is quickened in his heart and he’s determined to be healed. He cries out:
Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.
The people rebuke him and tell him to be quiet. But this only makes him shout louder. And when Jesus calls him, he responds immediately. He jumps to his feet. He wants nothing to hinder him coming to Jesus, so he throws his cloak, possibly his most valued possession, aside, and he comes to Jesus. Why? Because he wants to see (v.51).
But why did he so earnestly want to see? Was it only to meet his physical and financial needs, or could it also be that he wanted to find the acceptance in society that we were talking about earlier? I find it interesting that many people today who were born with a disability have no real desire to be healed. They want to be accepted for who they are, just as they are. And rightly so. But while I understand and respect their position, and certainly have no intention to criticise, I sometimes wonder if one reason we see so few outstanding miracles of healing in such cases is that there is no real desire to be healed – but of course the reason could easily be a lack of faith on the part of those who pray for them. Thank God that in the case of Bartimaeus there was no lack of faith on the part of Jesus or of desire on the part of Bartimaeus.
But that brings us to the third thing the passage reveals about Bartimaeus – his faith in Jesus.
We know that Bartimaeus had faith because Jesus said in verse 52 that it was his faith that healed him. Yet we know that it was Jesus who healed him because he asked Bartimaeus, What do you want me to do for you? There is no contradiction here. Jesus healed Bartimaeus because Bartimaeus had faith in him. Faith alone is not enough. What matters is who you have faith in. The evidence of Bartimaeus’ faith in Jesus is that he called out to him, he came to him immediately Jesus called him, he took Jesus at his word when he said, What do you want me to do for you?, and he believed that Jesus could heal him – Rabbi, I want to see.
But where did that faith come from? The key is undoubtedly in that little word heard in verse 47. Romans 10:17 tells us that
Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
Of course, we’re not told how Bartimaeus came to hear about Christ, but as we’ve already suggested, he must surely have already heard what Jesus had been doing for others. And had he heard what Jesus had said in the synagogue at Nazareth when he read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah quoting the words he has anointed me to… proclaim recovery of sight to the blind? (Luke 4:18). We don’t know, but somehow Bartimaeus had come to understand that Jesus was indeed the Son of David, the Messiah. His faith sprang from a recognition of who Jesus is and an acknowledgment that what Jesus had done for others, he could also do for him.
And as a result he immediately received his sight and became a follower of Jesus. The NIV translation of verse 52 doesn’t quite do justice to the text. Translated literally it says he followed Jesus in the way. Admittedly this could mean just what the NIV says, along the road. But by the time Mark wrote his Gospel, Christians were becoming known as followers of the Way (cf. Acts 9:2; 18:25; 19:9) and he may well have intended us to understand that Bartimaeus became a Christian. At all events, he became a follower of Jesus. His faith had not only healed him. It had also saved him. But that brings me to the significance of what Jesus says in verse 52 – Your faith has healed you.
The Greek word used for healed here can also be translated saved. Sozo is used in a variety of ways in the New Testament. It can refer to the salvation of the soul, or to the healing of the body, or to deliverance from danger, for example. Exactly the same Greek wording is used when:
· Jesus heals a woman with bleeding (Matt. 9:22, Mark 5:34, Luke 8:48)
· He cleanses the grateful leper (Luke 17:19)
· He saves a sinful woman (Luke 7:50).
Of course, only the context can tell you whether sozo should be translated heal or save etc. But sometimes it can mean both, and here in our passage the context suggests that Bartimaeus’ faith had not only healed him, but saved him too. He followed Jesus in the way. He didn’t just go away and do his own thing, as so many seem to after receiving a touch of healing from the Lord. The only right response when God has wonderfully met our needs is to do what Bartimaeus did, to follow him in the pathway of his will for our lives.
How does all this apply to us?
The lessons we learn from the story of Bartimaeus apply to all of us, whatever our needs may be. So let’s summarise what those lessons are:
1. Bartimaeus had a desperate need for which there was no human solution.
2. He recognised his need and wanted to find a solution.
3. When he heard about Jesus he did not delay in asking him to have mercy on him.
4. He would not let anything or anyone deter him from coming to Jesus.
5. He took Jesus at his word believing that he could do whatever he asked him.
6. So he was specific in his request.
7. When it was granted, he became a follower of Jesus.
If you’re already a follower of Jesus, you have already recognised who Jesus is. If you have a desperate need you need to recognise that. Don’t pretend you haven’t got it. It may be that you need to honestly ask yourself if you really want to be free from it. You need to let nothing hinder you from coming to Jesus and asking him to meet it. Don’t let other people put you off. Be determined. Let no one and nothing deter you. Don’t put off the decision. Come to Jesus immediately and be specific in your request. Tell him what you want him to do for you.
Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. If he could meet Bartimaeus’s need, he can meet yours too. You have already trusted him for your salvation. Trust him for this too. He may well surprise you with an immediate answer. And if the answer is not immediate, remember that Jesus loves you and he will do what is best for you. If he says to you, as he said to Paul, My grace is sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 12:7-10), you need to trust him that he knows what is ultimately best for you. Sometimes our prayers are answered immediately. Sometimes they’re answered gradually. And sometimes they’re answered later. The important thing is to keep on believing and to keep on following Jesus in the way.
However, there is one prayer that God will always answer immediately. Bartimaeus prayed, Jesus… have mercy on me. Mercy is more than pity. Pity is feeling sorry for someone. Mercy means much more than that. When we ask God to have mercy on us we are asking him to grant us something that we don’t deserve. This applies first and foremost to the forgiveness of our sins. You may not be physically blind, like Bartimaeus, but if you have not yet come to Jesus and asked him to forgive your sins, you have a more desperate need than physical blindness. But Jesus can open your eyes to the truth. Do you want to see? The lessons we learnt from Bartimaeus apply to you too. If you recognise your need and realise that only Jesus can meet it, all you need to do is ask him to save you. Resist the temptation to delay. Reject the attempts of others to dissuade you. Rely completely on Jesus – take him at his word, and you will receive your sight. And when you do, become a real follower of Jesus.
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Talk 31 Mark 10:32-45 Jesus teaches the way of sacrificial service
Welcome to Talk 31 in our series on Mark’s Gospel. Today our passage is Mark 10:32-45 where Jesus again predicts his death and resurrection, deals with a request from James and John that they might sit next to him in the coming kingdom, and teaches us that the way to true greatness is sacrificial service. The passage is also a healthy reminder about how we should pray, and has much to say that’s relevant to church leadership today. We’ll begin by reading verses 32-34:
32 They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. 33 "We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise."
The NIV translation of verse 32 seems to suggest a distinction between the disciples and those who followed. However, although there may well have been people following who were not among the disciples, the word disciples is not in the Greek text and Mark almost certainly intends us to understand that all those who were following Jesus were both astonished and afraid. They may well have been astonished by what Jesus had said in verse 31 – Many who are first will be last, and the last, first. And his mention of persecutions in verse 30 could easily account for them being afraid.
And what Jesus says next could hardly have made them feel any better! He tells them what is going to happen to him, and this time in more detail. In Mark 8:31 we read that
he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again (Compare Mark 9:31).
But now he tells them he will be betrayed… condemned him to death… handed over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. This information was both astonishing and terrifying, and it seems unlikely that they had any clear idea about what he meant by saying that three days later he would rise. Of course, it’s easy for us, with the benefit of hindsight, to know what he meant, and of course so did the disciples after he had showed himself to be alive by many convincing proofs over a period of six weeks (Acts 1:3). But they clearly did not understand it in advance. Even as late as resurrection morning, John 20:9 tells us that they still did not understand that Jesus had to rise from the dead.
But Jesus himself knew what he was saying. He knew that he would be betrayed. He knew they would condemn him to death. He knew they would mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. But he went up to Jerusalem anyway because he knew that he must give his life as a ransom for us (v45). For you, for me, and for people like James and John whose self-seeking attitude we read about next:
35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." 36 "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. 37 They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." 38 "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said. "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?" 39 "We can," they answered. Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared."
The main purpose of these verses, and those that follow, seems to be to teach us the importance of having a servant heart and not to seek great things for ourselves, but they also teach us some important principles about our attitude when we come to God in prayer. James and John want Jesus to do for them whatever they ask him. This certainly revealed some faith. They believed that Jesus could do whatever they asked. And according to Matthew 20:20-28, along with their mother, they also believed in his coming kingdom. And didn’t Jesus say elsewhere that If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer (Matthew 21:22, Mark 11:24)? So what was wrong with James’ and John’s request to sit beside Jesus in his coming kingdom?
Three things. Firstly, their motive was wrong. It was selfish. They were seeking personal greatness. In the letter that James the Lord’s brother wrote to first century Jewish Christians he stresses the importance of having faith when we pray (James 1:6-7), but he also warns of the possibility of not receiving what we ask for if we ask with wrong motives (James 4:3).
Secondly, they didn’t get what they asked for because they didn’t know what they were asking (v38). Promises like the one we have already referred to in Matthew 21:22 must be balanced with what John was later to write in 1 John 5:14, when he says:
This is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
I wonder if, when he wrote this, John had in mind Jesus’ refusal to grant his request in today’s passage. The truth is that, unless we have received a clear revelation from God in a certain matter, we too do not know what we are asking. We never fully understand the implications of what we ask for in prayer. Our requests should always be made in faith, but also in an attitude of submission to God’s will.
And thirdly, closely connected to the last point, they did not understand that even Jesus could not grant their request without reference to his Father. In verse 40 he says your request is not for me to grant. In John 5:19 he said:
The Son can do nothing by himself. He can do only what he sees the Father doing…
Everything Jesus said and did was in dependence on what he saw the Father doing. Each of the members of the Trinity works in complete harmony with the others and does not work independently. And while he was here on earth Jesus as a man did not know everything. He did not know the day or the hour of his second coming. Only the Father knew that (Mark 13:32).
So these verses teach us much about how we should bring our requests to God. Our motives should be right. Our requests should be brought in submission to God’s will, recognising that we do not always know the significance of what we are asking, and if there were some requests that even Jesus did not have the authority to grant, they are certainly not for us to claim! God’s perfect will for us may be, as it was for James and John, a pathway of suffering (vv38-39).
But before we leave the subject of prayer, just one more thing. In verse 36 Jesus says, What do you want me to do for you? He actually asks the same question of blind Bartimaeus in verse 51. More of that next time, but just for now please notice that the question does not guarantee the answer we may be looking for. For Bartimaeus his request was granted. For James and John, theirs was not. Beware of preachers who tell you that Jesus is asking you, What do you want me to do for you? implying that whatever you ask you will get. Of course it's fine to tell Jesus what we’d like him to do, but we need to understand that, because he knows best, his answer could be No.
41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Quite understandably, when the other ten apostles heard about James’ and John’s request, they became indignant. Who do they think they are? I hear them saying. So Jesus calls all twelve of them together. It’s important to notice here that, although Jesus’ teaching in these verses would be of value in society as a whole, in the context what he says it’s addressed to the future leaders of the church. And he stresses that church leadership must be very different from the style of leadership we see in the world. So let’s look at what Jesus says here and then see how his teaching was reinforced by his own example and by the teaching of apostles like Peter and Paul in the New Testament.
Firstly, then, Jesus himself. In these verses he teaches that true greatness is expressed in a willingness to serve, to become a slave for the sake of others (vv. 43-44). Even the Son of Man, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many (v.45). This reminds us immediately of two passages of Scripture, John 13 and Philippians 2. In John 13 Jesus literally fulfils the role of a servant and washes his disciples’ feet, and after he has done so he says:
12 …Do you understand what I have done for you? 13 You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger (Greek, an apostle) greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them (John 13:12-17).
We hear a lot about apostles in the church today, and I truly believe that this ministry is essential for the church in every generation – see Body Builders, Chapter 2 – but the signs of a true apostle must surely include a willingness to take the role of a lowly servant. That’s what Jesus did, for, as we read in Philippians 2:
…being in very nature God, (he) did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:6-11).
And, as we have seen, Jesus told the apostles that they should follow his example. But it doesn’t just apply to apostles. Listen to what Peter says:
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away (1 Peter 1:1-4).
Here in verse 3 Peter is reflecting the words of Jesus in today’s passage when he talks about the rulers of the Gentiles lording it over those who are under their authority, and says Not so among you. Peter is referring to every aspect of leadership in the church. He refers to the elders as shepherds (or pastors), and as overseers (or supervisors or bishops). Now is not the time to discuss the significance of each of these terms – for more, please see Body Builders, Chapter 5, where I deal with the matter in more detail – but what is abundantly clear is that, whatever the role of leadership, what’s required is a servant heart.
This does not mean that church leaders should not be honoured and respected. They certainly should. But it’s not for them to seek that honour or respect. Respect must be earned, not demanded. While I welcome the renewed emphasis on the importance of apostles in recent decades, it’s a sad fact that in some quarters, abuses have occurred to the detriment of all concerned.
There is a desperate need for a biblically balanced understanding of the subject. So let’s finish with a brief look at two words that are frequently used in the New Testament to describe what church leaders should be – diakonos and doulos.
Diakonos is the word used in today’s passage where Jesus says in verse 43, Whoever wants to become great among you must be you servant. See also Matthew 20:26 and Mark 9:35 where it’s used in the same way. Its basic meaning is a waiter or someone who runs errands. It’s used in this way in John 2 to describe the servants at the wedding feast in Cana and in Acts 6 we have the related word diakonia to describe the ministry of those who were to wait on tables and supervise the distribution of food to the poor. It may be that this was the role of those who are described as deacons in Philippians 1:1 and 1 Timothy 3:8-12.
But it’s also used more widely to refer to anyone who serves the church in whatever capacity. There are too many examples in the New Testament to mention them all, but it’s noteworthy that in 1 Corinthians 3:5 Paul refers to himself and Apollos as Only servants through whom you came to believe – as the Lord assigned to each his task.
But in fact he often uses a far stronger word than diakonos to describe his ministry. He uses doulos which means slave – a word also used by Jesus in Mark 10:44. It’s the very first word Paul uses to describe himself in his letter to the Romans – Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle. Yes, he’s an apostle, but first he is a slave. Compare also Galatians 1:10, Philippians 1:1 and Titus 1:1. In these verses he’s a slave of Christ, but in 2 Corinthians 4:5 he goes even further and says:
For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves your slaves for Jesus’ sake.
He is not only a slave of Jesus Christ, he’s the Corinthians’ slave too! His apostolic authority came from none other than the Lord Jesus, but his right to exercise that authority was his willingness to serve not only Jesus, but those to whom he was called to preach.
And finally, it’s worth mentioning that it was not only Paul who saw his ministry in this light. That’s how James saw himself too (James 1:1), and Peter (2 Peter 1:1), and Jude (Jude 1:1), and John (Revelation 1:1). It seems that they had all learnt the lesson taught and exemplified by Jesus:
Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all (Mark 10:43-44).
My prayer is that we may learn it too.
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Talk 30 Mark 10:13-31 The Kingdom of God
Welcome to Talk 30 in our series on Mark's gospel. Today we're looking at chapter 10 verses 13-31 where we read of how Jesus blessed the little children, and about a rich young ruler – Mark calls him a man. Matthew tells us that he was young. Luke tells us that he was a ruler – who asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. We’ll work through the passage reading each section as we come to it, so we’ll begin with verses 13-16.
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 16 And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
v.13 People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.
Mark has already shown us how powerful the touch of Jesus could be. It could bring healing to the deaf and mute, cleansing to the leper, and sight to the blind. We’re not told why the people wanted Jesus to touch these children. It could be that they too were suffering from some such affliction, or it could simply be that they wanted Jesus’ blessing on their lives. Matthew also tells us that they wanted Jesus to pray for them, but we’re not told what for.
Neither are we told why the disciples rebuked them. Perhaps, like many people in those days, they considered children unimportant. If so, that would account for Jesus’ indignant response in the following verses.
14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 16 And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
These verses teach us first and foremost about the importance of little children or babies (Luke 18:18). We are to do nothing that would hinder them in coming to Jesus, or to put it more positively, we are to do everything we can to help them come to him. Perhaps we should be asking ourselves if there is anything more we could do to reach children for Jesus.
But we also see in these verses important truths about the kingdom of God. There are no less than five references to the kingdom of God in today’s passage, two in the verses we have just read and three in verses 23-25 where Jesus stresses how hard it is for the rich to enter it. We’ll turn to the story of the rich young ruler in just a moment, but first let’s compare what Jesus says in verse 15 with what he says in verse 25. In verse 15 he says:
I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.
and in verse 25 he says:
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
There’s nothing wrong with being rich, but the problem can be that people who are rich can easily become self-reliant. Instead of depending on God, they can come to depend upon their wealth. How different is that from little children, who are totally dependent on their parents. So Jesus is saying that the only way to enter the kingdom of God is with childlike trust and total dependence on God our heavenly Father. But what does he mean by entering the kingdom of God? That will become apparent as we now turn to verses 17-22:
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good – except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honour your father and mother.'" 20 "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 22 At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
There are quite a few things we can admire about this young man’s attitude. He’s enthusiastic. He’s respectful to Jesus. He asks a very important question. But what he says reveals a deep misunderstanding. This becomes clear as we read Jesus’ answer.
18 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good – except God alone.
Jesus is implying two things here. First, since only God is good, to call Jesus good is to acknowledge his deity, something which Jesus does not deny. And secondly, he is saying that no-one is good enough to inherit eternal life. There’s nothing you can do to achieve it. You can only enter the kingdom of God by total dependence on him and childlike trust in his love. But since the young man thinks he can achieve eternal life by doing good, Jesus says:
19 You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honour your father and mother.'"
To which the young man replies:
Teacher, all these I have kept since I was a boy (20).
We wonder if the young man was hoping that this would be enough, but Jesus makes clear that it is not. He loves this young man, but love does not hide the truth. He says:
21 One thing you lack. Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.
Preaching the gospel involves pointing out that people have a need and then showing them how that need can be met. What was the one thing this young man lacked? Not the selling of everything he had, but the childlike dependence on God that would enable him to do so.
And so we read that
22 He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
The wealth of this world deprived him of the treasure in heaven that Jesus so wanted him to have.
And finally, before we move on to verses 23-27, please notice that throughout this passage entering the kingdom of God refers to having eternal life in heaven. The rich young ruler asks what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus shows him the way to have treasure in heaven and comments to his disciples that it hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. But that brings us to verses 23-27:
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!" 24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?" 27 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"
As we’ve already explained, there’s nothing wrong with being in rich – most listeners to this podcast will be richer than 98% of the rest of the world’s population – the problem arises when we put our trust in riches. God does not expect every Christian to sell all they have and give to the poor – though the early Christians in Acts certainly did so (Acts 2:45, 4:32) – but he does expect us to be willing to do so. Following Jesus means total commitment. We cannot serve God and money (Matthew 6:24).
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
The disciples are amazed, but Jesus reemphasises what he is saying by using an extreme illustration. Various suggestions have been made about what he meant by a camel going through the eye of a needle. For example, in koine Greek the word for camel (kamelos) is almost identical to the word for rope (kamilos), so it’s suggested that Jesus was actually referring to a piece of rope, which it is argued makes more sense. But Jesus’ purpose is not to make sense. He is using hyperbole, extreme exaggeration to make his point. Remember how, when talking about not judging others, he uses the word plank to contrast with speck in Matthew 7:3-5. And the same goes for the idea that the ‘eye of a needle’ was a reference to a small gate in the wall of Jerusalem through which camels found it difficult to pass. Both these suggestions water down the extreme emphasis Jesus is placing on what he is saying.
26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, "Who then can be saved?" 27 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
The disciples’ question is quite understandable. If entering the kingdom of God is as hard as Jesus is saying, how can anyone be saved? And now Jesus goes even further. Salvation, entry into the kingdom of God, is not just hard, it’s impossible! At least, it’s impossible with man, but it’s not impossible with God. We saw earlier how, in calling Jesus good, the rich young ruler, without realising it, was actually implying that Jesus was God. Salvation would have been impossible for us, if it were not made possible by Jesus, who, because he was good enough to pay the price of sin, was able to unlock the gate of Heaven and let us in.
So far, we have seen that entering the Kingdom of God means being saved, receiving eternal life, and having treasure in Heaven. Jesus talks about the Kingdom of God belonging to little children (v14), and about it being received (v15). But the thing he mentions most is entering it. Putting all these things together we see that to enter the kingdom of God means to be saved, to receive eternal life, to know that you are going to Heaven, because the kingdom of God belongs to you because you have received it as a little child. And this is something that is only possible because of Jesus. But in the final few verses of our passage we see the rewards that Jesus gives to those who follow him.
28 Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!" 29 "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields – and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
28 Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!"
Peter and his fellow fishermen had not given up as much as the rich young ruler was asked to give up. But they had left their means of livelihood and followed Jesus the moment he called them (Mark 1:16-19). It was not the forsaking of these things that earned them their salvation, for, as we have seen, salvation cannot be earned. What saved them was the childlike trust in Jesus that enabled them to do so. Nevertheless, there are abundant rewards for doing so, and this applies to all.
29-30 "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields – and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.
The ultimate reward is eternal life in the age to come, but salvation brings its blessings down here. The blessings of the future kingdom are in some measure available now. Throughout the New Testament there is an eschatological tension between the present and future aspects of the kingdom of God. It’s already, but not yet! But that’s a subject for another time.
There are abundant blessings in this present age, even if at times they come for some with persecution. I am reminded of what the writer to the Hebrews says talking of the heroes of faith:
Others were tortured, and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection (Hebrews 11:37).
In Heaven there are rewards for suffering for Christ and there are rewards for service, but our passage ends with the serious reminder that we may be surprised when we get to Heaven. Jesus says:
31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
The standards of God’s kingdom are not the standards of the world. It’s the meek who will inherit the earth. It’s those who humble themselves as a little child who will be the greatest in the kingdom of God (Matthew 18:4).
I'm so glad Jesus has made it possible for me to go to heaven. And I'm glad for the opportunities to serve him I've had down here. What little I have given up for him is nothing compared with the abundant blessings he continues to shower upon me. It's by his grace that we are saved. It's by his grace that we are privileged to serve him, and whatever blessings may be stored up for us in the age to come will only be ours because of that amazing grace. Lord, please help us to continue to trust you like a little child and to learn to live in total dependence upon you. Amen.
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Talk 29 Mark 10:1-12 Jesus answers questions on divorce
Welcome to Talk 29 in our series on Mark’s gospel. Today we’re looking at Mark 10:1-12 where Jesus answers questions on divorce, and in so doing teaches us key principles about the nature and sanctity of marriage. Of course, in a talk of this length, it won’t be possible to go into the subject in great detail or to refer to the wide variety of opinions that are held on the matter. But in my view, there are some things that stand out very clearly from what Jesus has to say, and it’s those things that we’ll be concentrating on today. So let’s begin by reading Mark 10:1-12.
Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them. 2 Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" 3 "What did Moses command you?" he replied. 4 They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away." 5 "It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. 6 "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' 7 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8 and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." 10 When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. 11 He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. 12 And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery."
So far Jesus’ ministry has centred largely on the region of Galilee, but now, and for the rest of Mark’s Gospel, it has transferred to the region of Judea where the people were very different from those in Galilee. But whatever the region, some things never change. Jesus continues to teach. Crowds come to listen. And the Pharisees are determined to catch Jesus out by asking him trick questions. And it’s in that context that we need to understand his teaching on divorce in this passage.
We need to bear in mind that the Pharisees had seen on several occasions how Jesus was radically reinterpreting the Law of Moses. They were so annoyed about this that they were already trying the find ways to have Jesus killed. (Mark 3:6 tells us that they had begun to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus, because he had healed a man on the Sabbath day). John the Baptist had already been executed by Herod for speaking out against divorce and adultery (Mark 6:17-28). So it seems likely that the Pharisees’ purpose in testing Jesus in this way was to have him killed.
That’s why we mustn’t see Jesus’ reply to their question as a full-blown theology of marriage and divorce, but rather as a wise answer that avoided the trap the Pharisees had set for him. However, what Jesus does say reveals vitally important truths on the subject, as we shall see as we work through the passage. But before we start, just one more thing. Matthew’s account of the same incident (Matthew 19:1-12) includes a little more of Jesus’ reply than we find in Mark. For example, in verse 2 where the Pharisees ask Jesus, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife? Matthew’s account includes the words for any and every reason.
And in verse 11 Matthew includes the words except for marital unfaithfulness. This, of course, does not mean that Matthew is contradicting Mark. He is simply including more of what Jesus actually said, and we’ll be taking this into account as we seek to understand what Jesus was saying. And in case you’re wondering why Matthew, Mark and Luke sometimes have slightly different accounts of the same incident, it’s probably worth mentioning that each writer had a different audience in mind. For example, Matthew was writing for a largely Jewish audience while Mark, who was probably based in Rome, would have had a readership that was largely Gentile.
But now, putting Matthew’s and Mark’s accounts together, let’s look at the implications of what Jesus says about marriage and divorce. The Pharisees begin by asking Jesus, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?" The question was relevant because at the time of Jesus there were two schools of thought among the Jewish rabbis. The followers of Shammai maintained that only unchastity or adultery were grounds for a man divorcing his wife. On the other hand, the disciples of Hillel allowed divorce for the slightest reason – even something as trivial as bad cooking!
Jesus answers their question in Matthew 19:11 where he says that divorce should be limited to cases of porneia – adultery or marital unfaithfulness. But his first response to their question is to ask them, What did Moses command you? To which they say, Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away. But in saying this the Pharisees are not being honest with the text of the very passage they are referring to. All that Moses says in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 is that if a divorced woman marries another man, and if he also divorces her, she may not be remarried to her first husband.
Jesus, however, refuses to get embroiled in an argument about the interpretation of the Law of Moses, but tells them the reason why it was given: It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law. (Notice incidentally that Jesus interprets the scripture by looking at the reason for which it was given in the first place. When we’re interpreting scripture it’s always important to ask why it was written). Even the Pharisees had acknowledged that Moses had permitted divorce. He had not commanded it. Now Jesus explains why Moses had permitted it – because your hearts were hard (v5).
But what does Jesus mean by saying because your hearts were hard? Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that the heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately sick (ESV). This is true in all generations because of our fallen nature, and at the time of Moses that was particularly evident in the context of marriage, because men saw themselves as free to put away their wives for any reason, no matter how trivial.
And it’s important to note that there was no provision in the law of Moses for a wife to divorce her husband! Men tended to view their wives as their property – something which may be reflected in the tenth commandment where women are listed as things that should not be coveted, alongside houses, servants, oxen and donkeys, nor anything that belongs to your neighbour (Exodus 20:17).
So man’s heart was hard because of his fallen nature, and this was reflected in the way they viewed the role of women in general and their wives in particular. But Jesus takes the Pharisees back to long before the law was given and reminds them that divorce was not God’s intention from the beginning. In verses 6-9 he says:
6 "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' 7 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8 and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."
He is referring, of course, to Genesis 2:22-24, which says:
22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." 24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
So in going back to Genesis Jesus sidesteps the trick question set by the Pharisees and takes the opportunity to reveal the true nature of marriage and God’s purpose in it. From his answer we see very clearly five things.
1. Marriage is between male and female
In verse 6 Jesus says that at the beginning of creation God made them male and female.
Now notice what he says in verse 7:
For this reason (i.e. because God made them male and female) a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife.
Here Jesus is quoting directly from Genesis 2:24. Now in both the Hebrew of Genesis and the Greek of Mark’s Gospel, the word translated as wife in our English Bible is exactly the same as the word used elsewhere for woman. So both the Hebrew and the Greek literally say,
A man will leave his father and mother and be united to his woman.
This shows very clearly that from a Biblical perspective there can be no such thing as a same sex marriage. It’s a contradiction in terms.
2. Marriage is a uniting of male and female
Now let’s add verse 8 to verse 7:
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his woman, and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one.
This is an obvious reference to sexual intercourse, where a man and a woman are physically united. They become one flesh. But more than that, they are no longer two but one. The implications are surely more than physical. God’s intention for marriage is that the love husband and wife have for each other should result in unity, not merely of the body, but of purpose, intention, faith, heart, mind and soul. How different from the attitude of the Pharisees is the New Testament teaching that husbands should love their wives as their own bodies, as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her (Ephesians 5:25-33).
3. Marriage is intended to be permanent
It’s interesting that Matthew makes something clear that is not obvious in Mark’s account. In 19:5 he records Jesus as saying that God said the words recorded in Genesis 2:24. It was the Creator himself who at the beginning said, They will become one flesh. And on the strength of this, Jesus says in verse 9, What God has joined together, let not man separate. Jesus is not referring here to what happens in the ceremony we call a wedding. He is referring to what God said at creation. God intends marriage to be permanent, and so should we.
Two or three years after Eileen and I were married, a fifteen-year-old girl in an RE lesson I was teaching asked me a question: Sir, how do you know you will still love your wife in 10 years’ time? To which I replied, Oh, that’s easy. Because I’ve promised to. Love is more than a romantic feeling. It involves an act of the will. And for a Christian, knowing that in God’s sight marriage is for life should be the determining factor in the decision to keep on loving and to stay married till death us do part. But where does that leave the matter of divorce?
4. Divorce was a concession but not God’s perfect plan
As we’ve already seen, even the Pharisees acknowledged that Moses permitted a man to divorce his wife (v4). In the next verse Jesus does not deny this but says that it was only because of their hardness of heart, which we’ve already talked about. God’s perfect plan was that people should stay together. But because of the weakness of our human nature, he allowed divorce in certain circumstances, but NOT for any and every reason as the followers of the school of Hillel were teaching. But that brings us to our final point.
5. Divorce for any and every reason followed by remarriage leads to adultery, except where there has been marital unfaithfulness.
We’ve already mentioned that Matthew includes some words of Jesus that are not recorded in Mark. In Matthew, Jesus says:
I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."
In the Greek, the word for marital unfaithfulness is porneia. This word has a fairly wide range of meaning (adultery, unchastity, prostitution etc.) but is invariably connected with some form of sexual activity. That’s presumably why NIV translates it as marital unfaithfulness. This appears to be the only basis on which Jesus allows a man to divorce his wife – or presumably a wife to divorce her husband. I say this because Mark 10:11-12 indicates that what applies to the husband applies to the wife too. But how does all this apply to us today?
First, let me say that I’m well aware that sincere Christians have very different views on this and that we all need to tread carefully as what we teach may have a serious effect on the lives of people who are divorced or who are facing very real problems in their marriage. But, having said that, as Christians we must take the teaching of Jesus seriously and should never attempt to water down what he has said. We also need to bear in mind that there are other NT passages which deal with the subject of marriage and divorce and in this short talk I have not attempted to deal with them.
What we have said with regard to this passage is that in the answers Jesus gave the Pharisees he was not attempting to give a full-blown theology of marriage and divorce. He was answering a trick question based on how Deuteronomy 24:1 should be applied in the context of first century Judaism. Nevertheless, what he says relates beyond the context of the day because he takes us back to God’s intention for marriage from the very start. Marriage is between a man and a woman. It is the uniting of that man and woman in a lifelong relationship. Man must not separate what God has joined together.
Nevertheless, there are, Jesus tells us, certain circumstances in which divorce may be permitted. Those circumstances are cases of marital unfaithfulness, a term which, as we have seen, can cover a variety of forms of sexual activity. But is this really the only legitimate basis for divorce? Could the term be extended to mean unfaithfulness of a nonsexual nature like persistent physical violence, for example? If a man commits adultery, he is breaking the covenant that he made with his wife. Would he not also be breaking that covenant if he beat her black and blue? Would she not have the right to divorce him?
If we insist on the letter of what Jesus said, we would have to say no. But Jesus’ example teaches us (as we have seen in this passage) to look beyond the letter of the law to the reason behind it. To say this is not to legitimate divorce for any and every reason. But such an approach does allow us to consider the spirit rather than the letter of the law and to apply it with sensitivity and compassion to those who find themselves, through no fault of their own, in an impossible marital situation.
I offer this suggestion in a spirit of humility, knowing that there will be those who radically disagree. All I can say is that after more than 60 years in church leadership I know that there is no easy answer. Every case is different and church leaders need to pray for wisdom and the help of the Holy Spirit in seeking to understand the scriptures and to apply the principles that the Lord Jesus has taught us.
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Talk 28 Mark 9:30-50 Self-denial and total commitment
Welcome to Talk 28 in our series on Mark's Gospel. Today we're looking at Mark 9:30-50 where Jesus teaches his disciples lessons that are essential for all those who would follow him. The passage begins with the statement that Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples (vv30-31). And, as we look at the passage, we discover that what Jesus is teaching is self-denial and total commitment. But first, let’s read the rest of the passage, beginning in verse 31.
He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." 32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.
33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. 35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." 36 He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."
38 "Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." 39 "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 41 I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.
42 "And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. 43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where "'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.' Everyone will be salted with fire. 50 "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other."
Jesus begins by reminding his disciples what he has already told them more than once. He is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise (31). The disciples don’t understand this yet, but it will be essential that they do. The reason Jesus came to earth was to die on the cross to save us from our sins. It would involve self-denial and total commitment – saying No to self and Yes to God. And this would be the example he set for his followers (1 Peter 2:21). And now he is teaching his disciples in advance that following him will mean following his example of self-denial and total commitment.
And in today’s passage we see various ways how Jesus challenges us to do the same.
The challenge of self-denial
There is to be no self-seeking among the followers of Jesus (33-37)
In our last talk we saw how the disciples were arguing with the teachers of the Law. Now we discover them arguing among themselves (v33). And they’re arguing about who was the greatest. We’re not told the details, but it may well have been over who they thought would get the best positions in the Messianic kingdom Jesus was about to bring in. Perhaps Peter, James and John felt they had a claim to greatness because of the privilege they had had to be present at the transfiguration. We know that James and John had aspirations like that because of what we’re told in the next chapter where they ask Jesus:
Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory (10:37).
But to such ambition Jesus replies:
If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all (9:35),
and taking a little child in his arms he says:
Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:4) and adds:
Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me (Mark 9:37).
Selfish ambition may bring glory to oneself, but it doesn’t bring glory to Jesus. It only causes division and dissention among the followers. So there is to be no self-seeking among the followers of Jesus, but, closely connected to this, our passage also shows that there is to be no competition among them either.
There is to be no competition among the followers of Jesus (38-41)
In verse 38 John tells Jesus that they have seen a man driving out demons in Jesus’ name but that they stopped him because he was not one of us. But Jesus replies
Do not stop him. No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.
It’s certainly possible that the disciples’ reason for stopping the man was well intentioned. They knew that as his disciples they had been specially chosen by Jesus and that he had designated them apostles (Mark 3:14). They had been in his close company since he first called them to be fishers of men. What right had other people to think they could speak in Jesus’ name (i.e. with his authority)?
Their motivation could well have been like that of Joshua in Numbers 11:28, when out of loyalty to Moses he asks him to stop Eldad and Medad from prophesying because they had not been in the Tent of Meeting when the Spirit had come upon them as the rest of the elders had been. To which Moses replied, I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them.
Moses was secure in his God-given position of leadership and had nothing to fear from what may have appeared to be a challenge to his authority, and how much more secure was Jesus in the knowledge that he was God’s well-beloved Son. He had nothing to fear from a man who was not one of his immediate disciples driving out demons in his name. And a person using his name to do so could not possibly say anything bad about him (v38).
But what does he mean when he says, Whoever is not against us is for us? Did he not say on another occasion, He who is not with me is against me (Matthew 12:30)? Of course there is no contradiction in these two statements. In God’s sight there are only two kinds of people in the world – not Jew or Gentile, not male or female, not black or white, not rich or poor etc. – but those who are for Jesus and those who are against him. Neutrality is not an option. And on that hangs our eternal destiny.
But Jesus’ statement also implies that there are those who are actually for him whom we believe to be against him. The Lord knows those who are his. We’re reminded of Elijah in 1 Kings 19:10 who protested to God that he was the only one left who was following him and to whom God replied that there were 7000 in Israel who had not bowed the knee to Baal (v18). I’m sure that when we get to Heaven we’ll be surprised at some of the people we meet there!
So we need to be careful that we don’t assume that Christians who worship differently than we do, or who do things differently from us, are not really Christians at all. Of course we need to contend earnestly for the precious truths of God’s word, but our motivation in doing so should never be for the reputation or position of our own group or denomination. For example, I don’t believe that infant baptism is scriptural, but that does not mean that some of those who practise it are not being powerfully used in healing and evangelism. Jesus said that anyone who gives you a cup of water (i.e. seeks to help you in the simplest way) …because you belong to Christ, will certainly not lose his reward (v41). There must be cooperation, not competition, among the followers of Jesus.
But that brings us to the second major challenge that Jesus presents to his disciples in this passage – the challenge of total commitment.
The challenge of total commitment (vv42-50)
In these verses Jesus warns his disciples about the seriousness of sin. Our sin can, not only keep us out of Heaven, but also keep others out too. He challenges us to a life of total commitment, a life that pleases God.
Verse 42 contains a strong warning about causing anyone else to sin, especially those who are children, but it could also be taken to refer to those who are young in their faith. A spirit of competition among Christians or a personal ambition for greatness can easily do just that. Such attitudes are a poor example to set to new believers. There’s the twofold danger that they either follow the example we are setting, or that they will be completely put off the faith because of it.
Sin is so serious that in verses 43-47 Jesus uses what may seem like an extreme illustration to make his point. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off… if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off… if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. In other words, Get rid of anything that causes you to sin. If your sin is not dealt with, Jesus says, only hell awaits.
If this seems harsh, we need to remember that Jesus has already provided a way for us to get rid of our sin. That’s why he died, taking the punishment our sins deserved. We get rid our sin and its consequences when we receive Jesus as our Saviour. Heaven, not hell, is our destiny. But that does not mean that the moment we become Christians we start to live sinless lives. In fact, if we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves (1 John1:8), but, thank God, If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
But God’s promise of forgiveness does not mean that we should go on sinning. Our sins are forgiven, but sin is still serious. That’s why Jesus tells us to cut off anything that causes it. And cutting something off can be painful. Giving up something we enjoy or someone we love may well be costly, but if we know that it or they may lead us, or others, into temptation, we also know that it will be worth it in order to maintain our right standing with God.
As we’ve already pointed out, our sin can affect the eternal destiny of others if it leads them to follow our example or abandon the faith. That’s why Jesus says in verse 50:
Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.
As Christians we can make a real difference in the world we live in, rather like salt changes the flavour of food (Matthew 5:13), and just as salt preserves food from decay, we can counteract the moral decay we see in the world around us. If, like the disciples in today’s passage, we’re arguing and quarrelling among ourselves, how can we expect to influence the society in which we live? If we cannot live at peace with each other, we will lose our saltiness and we’ll be of little use in the Lord’s service. That’s why, as we’ve already seen, there must be no self-seeking or competition among the followers of Jesus. He challenges us to self-denial and total commitment.
And if that seems hard, just remember that that is exactly what Jesus did.
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Talk 27 Mark 9:9-29 Jesus heals a demon-possessed boy
Welcome to Talk 27 in our series on Mark’s Gospel. In our last talk we were considering what we can learn about Heaven from the story of Jesus’ transfiguration at the top of a high mountain. Today we’re looking at Mark 9:9-29 where Jesus heals a demon-possessed boy. In verses 9-13 we read how, coming back down the mountain, Peter, James and John ask Jesus about a verse in Malachi which said that before the Messiah came, Elijah must come first. In Matthew’s account Jesus identifies this ‘Elijah’ as John the Baptist who had already been rejected and put to death for what he had preached. And Jesus then reminds his disciples that it would also be necessary for him to suffer too.
But verses 14-15 tell us that at this point they saw the other disciples and …a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. And that …as soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
When Jesus asks them what they’re arguing about (v16), a man in the crowd answers.
Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not (vv17-18).
I expect that most of my listeners will be familiar with this story, but let’s just remind ourselves of the details by reading verses 19-29:
19 "O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."
20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21 Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered.
22 "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."
23 "'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." 24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."
26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead."
27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
29 He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."
This passage teaches us four main things:
· The desperate condition of the boy
· The cause of the problem
· The inability of the teachers and the disciples
· The secret of Jesus’ authority.
The desperate condition of the boy
He was unable to hear or speak
He was possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech (17)
Jesus says, You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of him (25).
He suffered violent convulsions
Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid (18)
When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth (20)
The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out (26).
His life was often in danger
It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him (22)
His condition was longstanding
Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered (21).
His condition was incurable
They saw the other disciples and a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them (14)
I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not (18)
The cause of the problem
The passage makes clear that the boy’s condition was caused by a deaf and mute spirit that needed to be cast out of him. However, the symptoms of his condition were very similar to certain forms of what we refer to today as epilepsy. As a result, some have assumed that all those with epileptic symptoms have a demon that needs to be exorcised. However, since epilepsy is usually treatable with the right medication, and since it seems unlikely that demonic forces could be controlled by medical means, this view is clearly mistaken, especially bearing in mind the pastoral difficulties that would almost certainly arise if this theory were put into practice.
Equally mistaken is the view that demons do not exist and that in those days, without the knowledge that we have today, people mistakenly assumed that all sickness was caused by evil spirits. But if that view were correct we would have to conclude that Jesus himself was mistaken when he said:
You deaf and mute spirit …I command you, come out of him and never enter him again (v25).
So what’s the solution? Quite simply, in some cases epileptic symptoms may result from the activity of evil spirits, but that does not mean that they always are. It’s interesting that in Matthew 4:24 those having seizures are distinguished from the demon-possessed making it clear that they’re not the same. But Jesus healed them all. Prayer for healing is always appropriate, but we need always to be led by the Holy Spirit in how we pray. Attempting to cast out something that isn’t there will cause more harm than good.
But this passage reminds us how evil Satan is. We see how he torments and tries to destroy. As Jesus said in John 10:10, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. And as we look around us at the world today we see abundant evidence of his work. Not only the thousands of lives being destroyed in war zones like Ukraine and Gaza, but the young people being led astray by his lies in so many different ways leading them to do things that are contrary to God’s natural created order of things. The Holy Spirit has clearly stated that
…in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons (1 Timothy 4:1)
and this is undoubtedly being fulfilled before our very eyes. Satan not only works through demon possession, but by putting perverse ideas into people’s heads that are even now being taught to the children in our schools, and have led to an unprecedented crisis in mental and emotional health.
The inability of the teachers and the disciples
When Jesus came back down the mountain, he found the disciples and the teachers of the Law arguing. When he asked them what they were arguing about, the boy’s father answered telling Jesus about the desperate condition his son was in and his disciples’ inability to help. So it seems that the argument was about the boy.
We don’t know the details of the argument, but perhaps the teachers of the law were challenging the disciples’ authority to drive out the demon. But if so, why didn’t they drive it out? In Matthew 12:27 Jesus acknowledged that some of the Jews were exorcists. We don’t know the answer to these questions, but what is clear is that while they were arguing, the boy was still being tormented. Could it be that even today people are suffering because we Christians are too busy arguing with the opposition rather than using the authority Jesus has given us to set them free?
But that brings us to why the disciples couldn’t drive it out. Mark 6:31 tells us that they had already cast out demons. However, on this occasion they were unable to do so. The Greek verbs used in verses 18 and 28 imply that they were not strong enough and did not have the power to deal with this demon. The passage gives us two reasons why:
· Lack of faith (v19) Cf Matthew 17:20 Because you have so little faith.
· Lack of prayer (v29).
So which was it? The answer must surely be both. There is no contradiction here. Faith comes by hearing from God, and prayer, communing with God, is how we hear from him. It’s through prayer that we know what God wants us to do and receive the faith to do it. But that brings us to:
The secret of Jesus’ authority
Notice:
The authority with which Jesus speaks
in verse 19: Bring the boy to me.
In verse 25: I command you, come out of him
The immediate reaction from the demon
in verse 20: When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion.
In verses 26: The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out.
Matthew 17:18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.
Why did Jesus have such authority over the demon?
It’s clear from these verses that Jesus had total authority over the demon. But why? Not just because he was God, because it’s clear from verse 19 that he expected his disciples to have been able to do it. The secret of his authority lies in the answers he gave the disciples when they asked why they had been unable to do it. Because of the communion he had with his Father through his prayer life, Jesus had faith. Look at verses 22 and 23 again. The boy’s father says, If you can do anything, take pity on us… to which Jesus replies:
‘If you can'? …Everything is possible for him who believes.
The emphasis here is on the word if, not on the word you. Jesus is not saying that if the father can believe, the boy’s healing will be possible – though that is not to deny the importance of having faith when we come to God with our requests – what Jesus is really saying may be paraphrased as follows:
You are doubting if I can, but I assure you that I can because I believe, and everything is possible to those who believe.
Jesus works the miracle, not because of the father’s imperfect faith, but because he himself had faith. He had faith in his own authority because he lived his life under the authority of God. That’s how he had conquered Satan in the wilderness. He knew what the Father wanted him to do, and he did it. He only did the things he saw the Father do (John 5:19). He was a man of authority because he was a man under authority (Matthew 8:8-10). The secret of his success lay not in his deity but in his submission as a man to the absolute authority of God. With that kind of authority, there is no need to argue as the disciples had. When we know we have heard from God, and only when we know it, we have authority to speak the word of command knowing that in Jesus’ name, with his authority, we too can drive out demons and heal the sick (Mark 16:15ff). But there are no shortcuts, no magic formulae. This kind can come out only by prayer and the faith that results from hearing from God.
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Talk 26 Mark 9:1-8 The Transfiguration – a Glimpse of Heaven
Welcome to Talk 26 in our series on Mark’s Gospel. Today we’re looking at Mark 9:1-8 where we read of a truly awesome event in the life of Jesus and three of his disciples. It’s what is known as the transfiguration. The chapter begins with Jesus saying:
I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.
There has been much discussion about what Jesus meant by this, but in my view the explanation is almost certainly found in the following verses where we read how Jesus took Peter, James and John up a high mountain and he was transfigured before them (v2). So let’s begin by reading verses 2-8:
2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5 Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) 7 Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" 8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.
Transfiguration is not a word that’s in common use today, but its basic meaning is transformation. The Greek word that’s used in verse 2 is metamorpho’o from which we get our English word metamorphosis which we use to mean a change in the form of a person or thing into a completely different one, as, for example, when a caterpillar turns into a chrysalis and then into a butterfly. In the case of Jesus, Mark tells us that
his clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them,
but in 2 Peter 1:16-18 Peter himself describes what he saw:
16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
He refers to the transfiguration as the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Compare this with what Jesus said in verse 1 about the kingdom of God coming with power). He uses words like, majesty, honour, glory, and God’s voice coming from the Majestic Glory. It seems clear to me that what Peter is describing is nothing less than a glimpse or foretaste of Heaven itself.
Of course, the day is coming when Jesus will finally come in power and great glory, a day Jesus refers to in 8:38 when he talks about the Son of Man coming in his Father’s glory with the holy angels. But that was not to happen yet. Jesus must first suffer and die and rise again (v12). The transfiguration was not the second coming, but it was certainly a prophetic foretaste of it, a revelation of Jesus in power and glory, that Peter wanted to assure his readers was not a cleverly invented story. He had seen it for himself. He knew it was true. And, as he was approaching the end of his earthly life, his hope and his faith for eternity were securely founded on the revelation of Heaven he had received on that mountain.
So, with this in mind, let’s look at the passage and see what we can learn about Heaven.
What is Heaven like?
If you know Jesus as your Saviour, you’re already on your way to Heaven, but do you have any real idea what it’s going to be like? My wife, Eileen, went to Heaven recently and I’ve been trying to imagine her there. Actually, I’ve found it quite hard, and I’ve realised how little we know about Heaven. Of course the Book of Revelation paints a certain picture for us, but it contains so much symbolism that it’s hard to know whether some passages are to be taken literally or metaphorically.
Even the great apostle Paul had to admit that now we know only in part (1 Corinthians 13:12) and that we cannot yet imagine the things that God has prepared for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9). So it looks as though we’ll have to wait and see. But that does not mean that we know nothing about what Heaven is like, and today’s passage gives us some clear pointers.
Heaven is a place of dazzling purity and awesome majesty
In verse 3 Mark tells us that Jesus’ clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. In Matthew 17:1 we’re told his face shone like the sun. Paul on the road to Damascus had a glimpse of that brightness. Testifying before King Agrippa he says:
At midday, I saw in the way, O king, out of heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round me a light – and having fallen to the earth…I heard a voice… (Acts26:13-14).
John on the Isle of Patmos saw it too:
His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades (Revelation 1:14-18).
Heaven is a place of dazzling purity and awesome majesty. But it’s a place where it’s good to be – a place where you’ll want to stay! Notice what Peter says in verse 5:
Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters – one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.
Of course he didn’t realise what he was saying. Jesus, Moses and Elijah would not have needed shelters! All Peter knew was that he wanted the experience to last.
Heaven is a place where the righteous dead are still living
v4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.
The Sadducees, who did not believe in life after death, once asked Jesus about a woman who had had seven different husbands because they all died one after the other. In the next life, whose wife would she be? Jesus replied that they were making a big mistake because they neither knew the power of God nor understood the Scriptures.
Quoting the well-known passage in Exodus 3, he pointed out that God had revealed himself to Moses, saying, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. The point here is that God did not say, I was. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had all died centuries before God said this. Yet God still said I am. He was still their God centuries after they had died, so they must be still alive!
Now, in today’s passage, we have another evidence of this. Moses and Elijah appeared and were talking with Jesus. They had both died centuries earlier and Moses had died well before Elijah was born. So they were still alive long after they had died. What’s more, they were recognisable. We don’t know how the disciples knew who they were. Perhaps they overheard them referring to each other by name – it doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that in Heaven we will be able to recognise and communicate with each other, even with Christians of earlier generations whom we have never met.
Furthermore, they were not only recognisable, they seem to have been still serving God. It must surely have been God who sent them to have this conversation with Jesus. The exact details and the purpose of the conversation we do not know, but Luke tells us that they were speaking about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfilment at Jerusalem (Luke 9:31). More of this later, but I’m glad that in the life to come it seems that God will have something for us to do!
Heaven is a place where Jesus is recognised for who he is
At the transfiguration God declares Jesus to be his Son (v7). The disciples are to listen to HIM. He is exalted above both Moses (representing the Law) and Elijah (representing the prophets). He fulfilled them both and supersedes them both. All authority is given to him.
No wonder Peter could say that Jesus received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
Heaven is a place where Jesus is recognised for who he really is, and only those who recognise it will be welcome in Heaven. In the end the disciples are left seeing no-one except Jesus (v8). In the final analysis, Jesus is all that matters. Not the Law. Not the prophets. Just Jesus. It’s our response to him that will determine our final destiny.
Experiencing a foretaste of Heaven
I have already suggested that the disciples’ experience of the transfiguration was a glimpse or foretaste of Heaven itself. But that raises the question whether it’s possible for us today to have such a foretaste – obviously not an identical one, because that was unique, but is there any sense in which Christians can experience a taste of heaven today? And the answer is certainly yes. They are rarely, if ever, as dramatic as that of the disciples at the transfiguration, but Hebrews 6 tells us that as Christians we have tasted the heavenly gift and… shared in the Holy Spirit… and tasted the good word of God and the powers of the coming age (vv4-5).
In my book, Just a Taste of Heaven, I have sought to show that the supernatural healings we receive now through the power of the Spirit are best understood as a foretaste of the age to come, when we will enjoy permanent good health in the new imperishable bodies we will receive when Jesus comes again (1 Corinthians 15:52-54). But of course, healing is not the only foretaste. All the supernatural gifts of the Spirit are available, as he determines, to bring us into a new dimension beyond the natural level of our everyday lives.
This is confirmed by Paul’s use of Greek words like arrabon and aparche to refer to the Holy Spirit. Both these words indicate that through the Spirit now we may receive a foretaste of what Heaven will be like. But these experiences are of course just a taste! There’s much much more when Jesus comes again! But for a detailed explanation you might like to take a look at the final chapter of my book, The Holy Spirit – and Introduction, or listen to podcasts 022-024.
Meanwhile, as we wait for Heaven, there’s a sense in which we ourselves are being transformed. The same verb as is used for Jesus being transfigured, or transformed, is used elsewhere about Christians. In Romans 12:2 Paul encourages us not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. And in 2 Corinthians 3:18 he tells us that
…we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
For us the transformation is gradual. The extent to which we reflect the Lord’s glory will depend on how much time we spend in his presence renewing our minds. Remember, the disciples experienced the transfiguration while they were alone with Jesus (v2).
What makes Heaven possible for us
We said earlier that the transfiguration was a metamorphosis – a change in the form of a person into a completely different one – not a different person, but a different form. But actually this was not the first transfiguration. Jesus had changed his form before.
Look for a moment at Philippians 2:5-8, which translated literally reads like this:
Jesus, being in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself empty, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!
The word I have translated as form is morphe from which is derived metamorpho’o, the word used to refer to the transfiguration in Mark 9. So the first ‘transfiguration’ was the incarnation. At the incarnation he remained God but took upon himself the form of a man. At the transfiguration, he remained a man, but took again for a brief moment the form of God which he later resumed after his resurrection and ascension. Our salvation was only possible because Jesus was willing to take the form of a servant, to be made in human likeness, to appear as a man, and to humble himself to death on a cross.
As we have seen, he came to fulfil the Law and the Prophets, to live a sinless life in obedience to his Father, to suffer and die in our place. We mentioned earlier that Luke tells us that Elijah and Moses were speaking with Jesus about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfilment (or accomplish) at Jerusalem (Luke 9:31). The word used for departure in this verse is exodos which means a way out. Jesus’ death on the cross was to be his way out.
But it was also to be ours. As God provided a way out of slavery in Egypt for the Israelites in the Book of Exodus, so Jesus has provided a way out for us from the slavery of sin and the death penalty it brings. One day we shall all be transformed into his likeness, for we shall be like him because we shall see him as he is (1 John 3:2). Meanwhile let us seek to be daily transformed by the renewing of our minds and to allow the Holy Spirit to be constantly changing us from one degree of glory to another as we spend time in the glorious presence of Jesus.
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Talk 25 Mark 8:27-38 The Challenge of the Cross
Welcome to Talk 25 in our series on Mark’s Gospel. If you listened to my Easter Sunday message recently (which was not part of this series), you will remember that we concentrated our attention on the repeated emphasis on the use of the word must in connection with Jesus’ death and resurrection. One of the verses we referred to is found in today’s passage:
31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.
We saw that it was necessary for Jesus to suffer and to die and to rise again because that was the only way we could be saved. But in today’s passage we see that this was clearly something the disciples, especially Peter, didn’t want to hear. Nevertheless, Jesus went on to insist that not only was it necessary for him to suffer and die, but that if anyone wanted to follow him, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow him (v34).
This presented an enormous challenge to his disciples then, and, if we take Jesus’ words seriously, it is equally challenging for us today. In this passage we see three challenges:
· The challenge of confessing who Jesus really is (27-30)
· The challenge of acknowledging that his death was necessary (31-33)
· The challenge of taking up our cross and following him (34-38).
The challenge of confessing who Jesus really is (27-30)
27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" 28 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." 29 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ." 30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
The important thing here is not what other people – your parents, your brothers and sisters, your friends – say about Jesus. What matters is what you say. And notice that the word is say, not think. Of course, what we say will be affected by what we think, but if we believe that Jesus is who he claimed to be, it’s important that we say so. Paul tells us that
if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9).
Of course, Peter had not yet come to understand these things, but by divine revelation (see Matthew 16:17) he had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah and was not afraid to say so. Others might see Jesus as an outspoken preacher like John the Baptist, or as a powerful miracle worker like Elijah, or as just another prophet or religious leader, but salvation depends on the acknowledgement and confession that JESUS IS LORD. But, as the next few verses make clear, Jesus was not the kind of Messiah that Peter and the other disciples were expecting. They were certainly not expecting a Messiah who would suffer and die.
The challenge of acknowledging that his death was necessary (31-33)
31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
The disciples would have understood that the Son of Man was a title used for the Messiah in Daniel 7:13-14.
And behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is and everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
This was almost certainly the kind of Messiah they would have been expecting, and Jesus’ claims that as the Son of Man he had authority on earth to forgive sins (Mark 2:10) and to be Lord of the Sabbath (2:28) would undoubtedly have backed up their conviction. And later in today’s passage Jesus uses the title in connection with his coming in his Father's glory with the holy angels (v38), a theme which he repeats in 13:26 and 14:62. So their expectation was not entirely wrong. But it was only half the story.
Jesus now had to teach them that certain things had to happen first. The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed. We should not be surprised at Peter’s reaction. Surely suffering and rejection and death could not possibly be the role of the Messiah? But in fact they were not only possible. They were essential. The Son of Man must suffer… And Jesus not only rebukes Peter strongly for remonstrating with him, but he repeats the message again and again in chapters 9 and 10 (Mark 9:12, 31; 10:33, 45).
But why was his suffering necessary? Why must he die? Because this was the only way that we could be saved. He died for our sins. He died in our place. He took the punishment our sins deserved. He died, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God.
There was no other good enough to pay the price of sin. He only could unlock the gate of Heaven and let us in.
To be saved we must acknowledge that his death was necessary. Our pride holds us back. Human wisdom rejects the message of the cross (1 Corinthians 1:18-19). We hesitate to admit that it was our shortcomings that made it so. But there was, there is, no other way. The Son of Man came to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45), for me, for you, and if it were not so, would the Messiah have allowed himself to be crucified? The challenge faces every man and woman, every boy and girl. The challenge must be faced, and it must be embraced. To be saved I must accept the fact that Jesus died for me.
The challenge of taking up our cross and following him (34-38).
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."
Having begun to teach his disciples that it was necessary for him to suffer and die and rise again, Jesus now includes the crowd. What he is about to say applies to everyone. Notice the use of the words anyone and everyone. There can be no exceptions. Acknowledge Christ and be saved or deny Christ and perish. The way of the cross is inevitable, not only for Christ, but for all who will follow him. If he must suffer, then we must expect to suffer too. We must take up our cross and follow him.
Peter, from whom Mark probably obtained most of the material for writing his Gospel, writing to Christian slaves who were being unjustly punished, reminded them of the suffering of Christ and told them:
To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps (1 Peter 2:21).
If the opponents of Christ treated him unfairly, we must not be surprised if they treat us unfairly too. But Jesus said that whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. Throughout the world today there are thousands who are losing their lives because of their faith in Christ.
But suffering for the cause of Christ must not be confused with the things we suffer along with the rest of humanity. By no means all that Christians suffer is caused by persecution. Most of our suffering is caused by the fact that we’re living in a fallen universe. In Romans 8 Paul tells us that, ever since the Fall, creation has been in bondage to decay and has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time (vv21-22). But our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us (v18). Meanwhile we are still eagerly waiting for the redemption of our bodies (v23). So suffering is inevitable. We are not exempt from it. Until Jesus returns we suffer along with the rest of humanity. The difference is that we Christians have hope. If we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him.
So suffering along with the rest of humanity because we’re all living in a fallen universe is not the same as suffering for the sake of Christ. It is not taking up our cross to follow Jesus. Yet this is required of every Christian. Jesus says, If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. This will mean different things for different people, but if I am not denying myself and actively choosing to make sacrifices for the cause of Christ, can I really call myself a Christian?
This choosing to deny ourselves and to live a sacrificial life for Christ is a practical demonstration of what is known as our identification with Christ. When we first came to Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, believing that he died in our place, God counted Jesus’ death as our death, and we too were accepting his death as our death. That’s why Paul could say that we died with Christ, we were crucified with Christ, buried with Christ, made alive with Christ and raised with Christ. In short, we are identified with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection.
With this in mind, let’s compare verse 31 with verses 34-35. First Jesus teaches them that he, the Son of Man, must suffer many things and be rejected … and that he must be killed and … rise again. Then he says that as his followers his disciples must expect the same:
If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.
The pattern is the same. Rejection and suffering, followed by resurrection and reward. But of course, we don’t want to suffer. We don’t want to be rejected. But neither did Jesus. Hear him praying in the Garden of Gethsemane,
My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death… My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will (Matthew 26:38-39).
Taking up one’s cross means saying this daily. Not what I want, but what you want. Jesus didn’t want to suffer and die, but he chose the way of the cross, and so must we. But of course, the cross was not the end of the story. He rose again, and so, says Jesus, will we. What a wonderful promise to all who will accept him, but how serious a warning to those who reject him:
If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels (v38)
And then he will reward each person according to what he has done (Matthew 16:27).
And in Matthew 10 he says:
32 Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. …38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
The choice is ours. And the consequences of that choice are eternal. What choice will you make? Will you accept the challenge of confessing who Jesus really is? Will you acknowledge that his death was necessary for you? Will you take up your cross and follow Jesus?
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It had to happen – or did it?
This week, as I was reading through the Gospel accounts of the resurrection of Jesus, I was struck by a statement in John 20:9 which tells us that the disciples did not yet understand the Scripture that Jesus must rise from the dead.
I found myself asking:
· Why didn’t they understand?
· What was the scripture that John was referring to?
· Why did Jesus have to rise from the dead?
We’ll deal with the first two questions fairly quickly, before answering in more detail why Jesus had to rise from the dead.
Why didn’t they understand?
Four possibilities:
Some things we don’t understand until after they have happened
Their minds were clouded by unbelief – too good to be true?
Jesus had not yet opened their minds to understand the Scriptures (Luke 24:45)
They had not yet received the Holy Spirit who would guide them into the truth (John 16:13).
What was the scripture that John was referring to?
It’s clear from Acts 2:24-32 that Peter, having been filled with the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, now understood Psalm 16:8-11 to be a clear prophecy that Jesus would rise from the dead. He says in verse 24 that God raised (Jesus) from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
Quoting where the psalm says
my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay,
Peter applies it directly to the resurrection of Jesus, saying in verse 31 that David saw what was ahead and
spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay.
There are, of course, many other OT passages which prophesy the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ (notably Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53). But we can’t be sure exactly what scripture John had in mind because he doesn’t tell us. What we do know is that Jesus himself had explained to his disciples that
he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life (Matthew 16:21, Mark 8:31, Luke 9:22).
But notice that these verses not only say that he must be raised to life, but that he also must suffer and be killed. So that now widens our question. We need to ask not only why Jesus must be raised to life, but why he must suffer and die in the first place.
Why did Jesus have to suffer, to die and to be raised to life?
Because:
· The Scripture must be fulfilled
· It was the only way that we could be saved
The Scripture must be fulfilled
Matthew 26:53-54
Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?"
Luke 24:25-27
He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
Luke 24:44-47
He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Why are these references to the fulfilment of Scripture so important? Because what God says in the Bible MUST come to pass. He said, Let there be light, and there was light. What he says, happens. Jesus had to rise from the dead because in the Bible God had said he would. We’ve also seen that it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. Why? Because he was God’s holy one.
But why did Jesus have to suffer and die. The NT gives us clear reasons for this, but, before we come to that, we need to think about what the words had to mean in this context. Did he really have to die? Didn’t he have a choice about it? Yes he did. Notice what he said in John 10:17-18:
The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life - only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.
So Jesus didn’t have to suffer and die. But before man ever sinned he voluntarily chose to do so, because he loved us. He knew that if he chose not to, there would be no hope for us. The only way to save us from the just punishment our sins deserve was to take that punishment for us by dying on the cross. So in Gethsemane he ratified the decision he had made before the world began. He knew he must suffer. He knew he must die. It was the only way that we could be saved.
It was the only way that we could be saved
Let me explain it like this. Because God loves us, he wants what's best for us.
Because he knows what's best for us he sets boundaries for our actions.
If we go beyond those boundaries, there can be serious consequences.
For example, we heard about the tragedy in Baltimore recently where a bridge collapsed.
I imagine that as soon as it happened, they erected a NO ENTRY sign to prevent traffic from crossing the bridge. If anyone ignored it the consequences could have been fatal.
It’s like that with God. NO ENTRY signs like You shall not kill…You shall not steal… You shall not commit adultery… You shall not lie are there for a good reason.
And the Bible has a word for ignoring God’s NO ENTRY signs. It calls it sin.
And if we disobey those signs, there’s a price to pay.
And the Bible is clear that this applies to all of us:
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
There is no one who does not sin (1 Kings 8:46).
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves (1 John 1:8).
And the Bible warns us of the seriousness of sin. Sin separates us from God.
Our sins have hidden his face from us (Isaiah 59:2)
And unless our sins are dealt with, our separation from God will be eternal.
Jesus himself talked eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46).
Paul tells us that the price we pay for our sin is death (Romans 6:23)
So sin is serious. It separates from God. And there is nothing we can do about it.
We cannot hide it, for our sin will find us out (Numbers 32:23).
We cannot cleanse ourselves from it.
Turning over a new leaf today won’t eradicate yesterday’s sin.
No one can be righteous in God’s sight by keeping the law (Romans 3:20, Galatians 2:16).
We have all sinned. We are all separated from God. There is nothing we can do. We all need a Saviour.
And this is why Christ died.
He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).
He died on the cross to reconcile us sinners to God (Colossians 1:20).
He did this by offering himself as a sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:2).
He died in our place. Because of our sin, we should die. Instead, Christ has died for us.
He took the punishment for us. He was wounded for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:5).
He suffered for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18).
We deserved to die because of our sin, but because he loved us, he came and died in our place, so that we could live.
So why did Jesus have to suffer and die? So that we could be saved.
But what must we do?
You must be born again
Listen to what Jesus once said to a very religious man called Nicodemus:
I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again… You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'
Of course, Jesus was not talking about physical birth. He was talking about a spiritual birth where God so completely changes us that we become a new person. This happens when we repent of our sin and trust Jesus for forgiveness, relying on the fact that he has already taken the punishment for us when he died on the cross. The Bible also calls this being saved and it’s important because it’s the only way to get to Heaven. Jesus said,
I am the way… no one comes to the Father except by me (John 14:6).
And Peter said
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
And that’s why the gospel must be preached.
The gospel must be preached
Mark 4:43
But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God …because that is why I was sent."
John 9:4
As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.
Mark 13:10
And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.
And finally, in 1 Corinthians 15 we find two more MUSTs.
1 Corinthians 15:22-25
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
1 Corinthians 15: 50-53
I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
Your immortality is as certain as his reign!
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About Eileen – a tribute to my wife by David Petts
Eileen was born on 6th January 1939 in Stockport, Cheshire. Her parents, Cecil and Sarah Littlewood, were from a Methodist background but were not regular church goers. However, they did send Eileen to Sunday School, and when they moved to Dagenham their nearest church was Bethel Full Gospel Church (Assemblies of God or AoG) and it was there that, at the age of seven, Eileen accepted Jesus as her Saviour. From that moment on she never doubted and unswervingly followed the Saviour she had come to love so much.
When the family moved from Dagenham, she attended Hornchurch Baptist Church where she was baptised in water at the age of fifteen. I was attending Elm Park Baptist Church and when we were both 18 we met at a joint youth rally held in the local park. That meeting turned out to be the beginning of a wonderful sixty-seven year long relationship. At that time I was expecting to become a Baptist minister, but in September 1959, having heard about the baptism in the Spirit from some Pentecostal friends, we both started to attend prayer meetings at Dagenham AoG and were both baptised in the Spirit in the very church where Eileen had received Jesus as her Saviour.
We were married three years later as soon as I had graduated from Oxford, and moved to Colchester where I became the pastor of the AoG church in Straight Road, Lexden. Eileen held down a very responsible administrative job in the Colchester Education Office until Deborah and Sarah were born (1964, 1965). Although a busy mum, Eileen always made room in our home for the thirty teenagers who crowded into our small lounge every Sunday afternoon for Bible Class and who had come to Christ in the youth meetings we held in our church.
In 1968 we moved to Basingstoke where I had accepted the pastorate of the AoG church. During the ten years we were there Eileen was responsible for setting up and running the pre-school playgroup for 40 children held five mornings a week and teaching the teenage Bible class on Sundays. She also played an active part in organising and preparing the meals for up to 150 teenagers at the New Forest Pentecostal Youth Camp we held annually during the 1970s.
During this period my ministry was becoming increasingly in demand both nationally and internationally, and, although she now had three young children, Jonathan having been born in 1970, Eileen never complained, but totally supported me in all the Lord was calling me to do. And that support became all the more important when I was appointed to be the principal at Mattersey Hall Bible College.
Eileen served as Matron of the college from 1978 to 1999. Her responsibilities included supervision of all kitchen and domestic staff, organising the rotas for the regular domestic duties undertaken by the students, and attending weekly Faculty meetings. Although she was well equipped for these responsibilities by her administrative skills and experience, she often felt rather inadequate for the task and constantly depended on the Lord to help her. But by far her most important role was as my support, encourager, and advisor throughout the 27 years I led the college.
Eileen was very conscious of the privilege the Lord had given her in fulfilling this role, especially as, when the children were grown up she was able to travel with me in connection with my responsibilities representing Assemblies of God attending meetings of the Pentecostal European Fellowship and the World Pentecostal Fellowship. She greatly appreciated the fellowship with other like-minded Christians around the world, especially at the annual EPTA conferences where we met with other Pentecostal Bible College workers from across Europe.
When I retired from Mattersey in 2004, we moved to Devon and became members of Brixham Community Church (AoG) where Eileen used her gift of hospitality in organizing garden party cream teas for the over sixties, barbecues for the neighbours, and serving coffee after church on Sunday mornings. She also continued to travel widely with me both in ministry and on holiday.
Sadly, this all came to an abrupt end when Eileen was left severely disabled by a massive stroke in June 2016. Despite all the frustration that this caused to a woman who had previously been so active, Eileen never lost her sense of humour and was convinced that God had a purpose in what he had allowed to happen, knowing that one day she would walk again. That day has now come, and, no longer in a wheelchair, she stands in the presence of the Lord she loved and served for so many years.
Although I am missing her already, I am full of joy, knowing that she is now where she wanted to be. Until we meet again in Heaven, I will remember her for her love, her faithfulness, her devotion, her patience, her sense of humour, her impact on our children’s lives, her smile, her perseverance in suffering, her courage in face of adversity, and above all, her childlike trust in Jesus and her total commitment to him. I thank God for the precious gift of Eileen and the privilege of being her husband for sixty-two years.
The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
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Talk 24 Mark 8:22-26 The Healing of a Blind Man at Bethsaida
Welcome to Talk 24 in our series on Mark’s Gospel. Today we’re looking at Mark 8:22-26 where Jesus heals a blind man at Bethsaida. Jesus healed many blind people during the course of his ministry. Luke 7:21 tells us that he gave sight to many that were blind and the healings of Bartimaeus in Mark 10 and of the man born blind in John 9 are well known examples. But this incident, which is found only in Mark’s Gospel, is particularly interesting because it’s the only occasion where Jesus needed to lay his hands on someone twice before they were completely healed. So let’s begin by reading the passage together.
22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spat on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" 24 He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around." 25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village."
The first thing I’d like you to notice in this story is that some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. Of course, it’s understandable that a blind man would need others to bring him to Jesus, but what’s most significant here is that it is the people, not the blind man, who beg Jesus to touch him. This is quite different from the healing of Bartimaeus who is discouraged by the people as he seeks healing from Jesus and who calls out, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me, and to whom Jesus says, Your faith has healed you (Mark 10:46-52).
In fact Jesus uses this expression on several different occasions in the Gospels:
· After giving sight to Bartimaeus (Mark 10:52)
· When speaking to the woman who touched the hem of his garment (Matthew 9:22, Mark 5:34, Luke 18:42)
· to the grateful leper he had cleansed (Luke 17:19).
· and to the woman who poured perfume on his feet and received forgiveness for her sins (Luke 7:50)
It’s exactly the same Greek expression on all these occasions, and it shows the important role personal faith plays in receiving forgiveness and cleansing and healing. But there are other occasions in the New Testament where it’s the faith of other people that brings about the healing:
· The faith of the four friends who brought the paralytic to Jesus (Mark 2:5)
· of the Centurion for his servant’s healing (Matthew 8:10)
· of the SyroPhoenician woman for the healing of her daughter (Matthew 15:28)
· and the faith of the elders when anointing the sick with oil (James 5:15).
And here in today’s passage it’s the people who bring the blind man to Jesus who are begging him to heal him. It’s by no means clear how much faith the blind man had, but it seems safe to assume that he was in full agreement with his friends’ request.
The second thing we notice in this story is that Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village (v23). We’re not told why Jesus did this, but it reminds us of the deaf and mute man that Jesus healed in the last chapter. Jesus took him aside away from the crowd (Mark 7:33). We suggested there that he may have done so because he wanted to get the man’s full attention, to show him that he was not just one of the crowd, but an individual he cared about personally, or that perhaps Jesus himself felt the need to get away from the crowd, to get a moment of quiet when he could hear what God was saying about how to deal with this man’s need.
And on this occasion Jesus may have done so for similar reasons. However, in this case it seems that Jesus might have had a further reason for taking the man out of the village. Notice that, after he has healed him, Jesus says, Don't go into the village. We have seen on several other occasions in Mark’s Gospel how Jesus tells those he has healed to tell no one about it, and it’s possible that this is just another such occasion. Jesus was concerned that his miracles
should not be the focus of people’s attention. They were signs to confirm the truth of his message. He wanted people to hear what he said, not just to see what he did.
But the fact is, we simply don’t know why he led the blind man out of the village. What we do know is that Jesus only did what he saw his Father doing (John 5:19) and the reasons for Jesus’ specific actions were related to what God was telling him to do, and to the individual needs of the person he was ministering to – a principle we should all be aware of when we are praying for the sick, and which is particularly relevant to the next thing Mark tells us:
When he had spat on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?"
We’re not surprised that Jesus put his hands on him, but spitting on the man’s eyes is not what we might have expected. Of course, we remember how, when he healed the man who was deaf and mute, Mark tells as that Jesus spat and put his fingers in the man’s ears. We may also remember how, when he healed the blind man in John 9, Jesus spat on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes (v6).
There were no doubt specific reasons why Jesus used saliva in each of these three cases – one suggestion, for example, is that the man in John 9 was born without eyes and that Jesus was creating eyes for him from the dust of the ground, as God did when he created Adam. But, in the absence of any clear explanation in the Scripture, it would be unwise to jump to conclusions. It’s all right to suggest what the reasons might have been but beware of people who are over dogmatic on such matters.
As far as following the example of Jesus is concerned, we can learn from this that the Holy Spirit might lead us on rare occasions to do something out of the ordinary when ministering to the sick, but we need to be very sure that we are hearing God correctly, and we should remember that the New Testament authorises two main ways of ministering healing, the laying on of hands (Mark 16) and anointing with oil (James 5). But even with these, the important thing is to hear what God is saying. The New Testament offers no formula for healing.
Notice next, still in verse 23, that Jesus asks the man, Do you see anything? There is, of course, a simple explanation for this. It’s not immediately obvious to anyone except the blind person who has been prayed for (or treated medically for an eye condition) whether or not they can see. We have to ask them. But surely Jesus would have known. He was God, wasn’t he? Yes, but he was also man.
This simple question to a blind man reveals one of the great mysteries of the incarnation (cf. 1 Timothy 3:16). Jesus was both God and man. Not half God and half man, but 100% God and 100% man. Our finite minds simply can’t grasp it. But a God who can be fully understood by my tiny mind couldn’t possibly be God at all, could he? But the Bible is clear that while Jesus was here on earth, as man he did not know everything. He grew in wisdom and stature (Luke 2:52). Even though he never ceased to be God, when he was hungry and saw a fig tree he had to go and find out if it had any fruit (Mark 11:13).
So, here, to find out if the blind man can see anything, he asks him. There’s no need to look any further for an explanation. Neither do we need an explanation for how a blind man knew what people and trees looked like. After all, we’re not told that he was blind from birth. But what does require an explanation is why the man is not completely healed immediately. Why did Jesus need to lay hands on him twice?
Answers to this seem to fall into three main categories:
· Jesus was aware that the man was lacking in faith
· Jesus was teaching his disciples that some healings would not be instantaneous
· Jesus was illustrating his attempts to get his disciples to ‘see’ the truth about him.
Let’s consider each of these ideas in turn.
Jesus was aware that the man was lacking in faith
As we saw earlier, Jesus was constantly looking for faith in those who came to him. Sometimes it was the faith of the person who was in need. At others it was the faith of the friends or relatives who asked Jesus to help them. Whichever it was, it seems that it was the person who was bringing the request who was expected to have faith that it would be granted.
Now if this man was lacking in faith, we are certainly not told that he was. What’s more, it was the people who brought him to Jesus who made the request. And there is no mention of a sudden increase in faith before Jesus laid his hands on the man the second time, although we can imagine that his faith was encouraged by the improvement he experienced after Jesus laid hands on him the first time. However, we cannot say with any certainty that the reason why the man’s healing was not immediate was lack of faith.
Jesus was teaching his disciples that some healings would not be instantaneous
I suspect that this idea comes from the fact that healings today are often either partial or gradual. Of course we do see immediate answers to prayer for healing, especially in an evangelistic context when a miracle of healing is granted to help people come to faith in Christ (cf. Mark 16:15ff., John 20:30-31 etc.). But there are many cases where people ‘receive a touch’ of healing but are not completely healed. At other times, even when there is a full recovery, this may take some time before it is complete. And in attempting to explain the reason for these incomplete healings, it’s easy to refer to this passage as biblical evidence.
However, it’s surely clear that, in the case we are looking at, if the blind man’s healing was delayed, it was not delayed for very long! And it could hardly be described as gradual. Jesus lays hands on him, and there’s an immediate improvement. He lays hands on him again, and the healing is complete. If Jesus really wanted to show his disciples that some healings are not instantaneous, this was hardly the best example give them. Furthermore, there is no evidence of gradual or partial healings in the ministry of his disciples. That is not to say that healing does not sometimes happen gradually or in stages – there’s plenty of evidence that it does. But I think it unlikely that this was the reason that Jesus laid hands on this man twice.
Jesus was illustrating his attempts to get his disciples to ‘see’ the truth about him
The merit in this suggestion is that it takes into account the context in which the story is set in Mark’s Gospel. As we saw in our last talk, Jesus was often disappointed with his disciples for their lack of faith and slowness to understand, and only a few verses before today’s passage we hear him saying:
Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember?
The disciples had physical eyes to see, but they were spiritually blind. But Jesus did not give up on them. He persevered with them. And it’s possible that Mark included this story at this point in his narrative as an illustration of Jesus’ determination to persevere with his disciples until their spiritual eyes were opened to see who he truly was.
And this makes all the more sense when we consider what follows. Jesus takes his disciples to Caesarea Philippi and asks his disciples who they think he is. And Peter replies, You are the Christ. His eyes have been opened, but not to the whole truth, for when Jesus tells them about his coming death and resurrection, Peter refuses to accept it. His eyes has been opened to part of the truth, but he had yet to see clearly the whole truth.
I confess I find this explanation very appealing because of the context in which the passage is set. However, if Mark does include the story here as a kind of living parable illustrating how Jesus will persevere with people until they come to see the truth about him, that need not necessarily mean that this was why Jesus did it in the first place. The simple fact is, we simply do not know why Jesus healed this man in this way. The evidence for all these suggestions is inconclusive. And whatever explanation we prefer, we must be careful not to be dogmatic. What we can say with certainty is that Jesus did not leave this man unhealed.
So what other lessons can we learn from this passage?
We see that:
Nothing is impossible with God
He responds to our prayers
We may not understand why he answers in the way he does
What he does he does perfectly
He keeps on working in us until we see everything (including Jesus) clearly.
Once he could see clearly, the first thing this man saw was Jesus.
One day we will see clearly. Now we see through a glass darkly, but then (when we get to Heaven) we will see face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12).
Only a day before making this recording my darling wife Eileen went to be with Jesus.
Now she sees him perfectly. Oh hallelujah. Thank you Jesus. And one day we shall too.
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Talk 23 Mark 8:1-21 Feeding the Four Thousand
Welcome to Talk 23 in our series on Mark's Gospel. Today we are looking at Mark 8:1-21. This passage includes the story of Jesus feeding the 4,000, which is similar in many ways to the account of the feeding of the 5,000 recorded in Chapter 6. As a result, liberal scholars have suggested that this is just a variant account of the same miracle rather than a totally separate one.
So today we’ll begin by looking at the biblical evidence that this was indeed a distinct event which took place at a different time, in a different place, and with a different group of people. We’ll then consider what lessons we can learn from the passage with regard to Jesus, his opponents and his disciples. So let’s begin by reading Mark 8:1-21.
During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 2 "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance." 4 His disciples answered, "But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?" 5 "How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied. 6 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so. 7 They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. 8 The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 9 About four thousand men were present. And having sent them away, 10 he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.
11 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed deeply and said, "Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it." 13 Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.
14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15 "Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod." 16 They discussed this with one another and said, "It is because we have no bread." 17 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: "Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" "Twelve," they replied. 20 "And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" They answered, "Seven." 21 He said to them, "Do you still not understand?"
So, to begin with, what’s the evidence that this is not a variant account of the same miracle as the feeding of the 5,000 recorded in Chapter 6?
Why this is not a variant account of the feeding of the 5,000
We need not spend much time on this. If you take seriously the authority of the Scriptures, you will quickly see that this is a completely different miracle from the feeding of the 5000. Firstly, both Matthew and Mark record them closely together as two separate accounts of two separate miracles. Secondly, despite the similarities, there are also many differences in the details of the two accounts. Thirdly, the two miracles took place in different places and with different people. The feeding of the 5000 took place in the largely Jewish region of Galilee. The feeding of the four thousand was in the Gentile region of the Decapolis. And finally, and most important of all, Jesus himself refers to them as separate events. In verses 19-20 he says:
When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" "Twelve," they replied. 20 "And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?"
There is no way that Jesus could have said this if the two stories were variant accounts of the same miracle. And if Jesus was able to perform such a miracle once, he was certainly able to do it twice! But that brings us to what we can learn about Jesus in this story,
Lessons about Jesus
When we looked at the feeding of the 5,000 in Talk 18 we noticed three main characteristics about Jesus:
· His compassion for the people
· His concern for his disciples as he seeks to train them to trust him
· His confidence in his heavenly Father.
And we noticed that these qualities are seen over and over again throughout his ministry. So it’s not surprising that we see them here as he feeds the 4,000. Again he has compassion on the people because they have nothing to eat (vv.2-3). Again we see his concern for the weakness of his disciples’ faith and their lack of understanding (vv.4, 17-18, 21). And again we see his confidence in God as he gives thanks for the few loaves and fishes he has (vv.6-7) and feeds a multitude with them. But perhaps there’s just one more thing we can learn about Jesus from this passage. The repetition of such a miracle shows us that if Jesus has done something once, he can do it again. And if he could do it again then, he can do the same kind of thing again today.
Lessons about his opponents
The Pharisees are mentioned in verses 11 and 13. In verse 11 they come to test Jesus and ask for a sign from heaven, to which Jesus replies
Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it (v.12).
And in verse 15 Jesus warns his disciples
Be careful…Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.
Two questions arise from these verses:
1. Why does Jesus refuse to give his opponents the sign they are asking for?
2. Why does he warn his disciples to watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees?
Why does Jesus refuse to give his opponents the sign they are asking for?
First, it’s worth noting the significance of the particular wording Jesus uses here. Although it’s not clear in our English translations, his hearers would have understood him as taking an oath. So his refusal to give them a sign was extremely strong. He was determined not to take a course of action that he had already firmly rejected when Satan had tempted him to throw himself down from the highest point of the temple (Matthew 4:5-6).
Secondly, please note that his refusal is recorded in all four Gospels. In Matthew 12:39, for example, Jesus also says that a wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign and goes on to say that the only sign that would be given it would be the sign of his resurrection from the dead (cf. Luke 11:29-32). And he knew that even then, despite the clear evidence for his resurrection, they, like many today, would still refuse to believe. Notice what he says in Luke 16:31 when talking about rich man and Lazarus:
If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.
By mentioning Moses and the Prophets Jesus was referring to the Old Testament, the only Bible they had at the time. If people are determined to reject the testimony of Scripture, they will also reject the evidence for the resurrection. God does not work miracles in an attempt to convince those who, in their hearts, really do not want to believe, those who, like the Pharisees, only wanted to test him.
He does, however, work miracles to help those whose hearts are open to his word. John’s Gospel records seven signs to enable people to believe and in chapter 20 it says that
Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (vv30-31).
It’s by believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, that we have eternal life. And miraculous signs are given to help us to believe. So when Jesus sent his disciples into all the world to preach the gospel, he promised them that signs would accompany their preaching (Mark 16:15-20). But, as may become clearer as we answer our second question, he does not work miracles for those who, like the Pharisees, have no intention of believing him.
Why does Jesus warn his disciples to watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees?
v. 15 Be careful…Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.
Yeast, or leaven, is what is needed to make bread rise. You only need a small amount and it will soon spread throughout the dough. In the New Testament, with only one exception (Matthew 13:33), yeast is used to symbolize evil. It’s an unseen influence that can spread quickly in any society or church. In 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 Paul says:
Don't you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch – as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Here Paul was referring to the Jewish custom of clearing the house of yeast before Passover. He sees the church as an unleavened batch of dough because Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed for us. We are unleavened. Sin has been cleared out because of what Jesus did for us. So we are told to be what Christ has already made us. In effect he is saying, Christ has made you holy, so BE holy. Live holy unleavened lives. And he uses malice and wickedness as examples of leaven or yeast, and sincerity and truth as examples of unleavened bread.
So if yeast represents something bad, what exactly does Jesus mean when he talks about the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod? The answer surely lies in what we have already seen about their attitude to Jesus. We saw in Talk 17 (Mark 6) how Herod:
· Hardened his heart to God’s word through the preaching of John the Baptist
· Refused to repent (of his adulterous relationship with Herodias)
· Insisted on preserving his reputation at all costs
· Was eventually complicit with Pontius Pilate in the crucifixion of Jesus (Cf. Acts 4:27).
And we have repeatedly seen how the Pharisees too persistently hardened their hearts against Jesus, even accusing him of being demon-possessed. Their reputation and social position were more important to them than the truth, and they were already seeking a way to kill him. Their words and their actions against him were expressions of what was already in their hearts. The ‘yeast’ of the Pharisees was essentially an attitude of heart that is persistently opposed to Christ.
And there are two possible reasons why Jesus warns his disciples to guard against this yeast. He knew that the attitude of the Pharisees and Herod (or Herodians) would eventually spread like yeast to make the entire population rise up against Jesus and he wanted his disciples to be aware of this. But it’s more likely in my view that he was warning them of the danger of allowing such an attitude to develop in their own hearts. Paul was later to warn the Corinthians that a little yeast leavens the whole lump. A wrong attitude of heart among Christians can spread very quickly in a local church and we must be careful not to allow our thinking to become like that of the world (Romans 12:2).
Lessons about his disciples
But that brings us finally to what we can learn about the disciples from this passage. In verse 4 they’re still asking the same kind of question as they did before the feeding of the five thousand: But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them? They were still thinking at a purely human level, and even after Jesus has worked a similar miracle again, he has to say to them:
17 Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" "Twelve," they replied. 20 "And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" They answered, "Seven." 21 He said to them, "Do you still not understand?"
They had failed to understand. They had failed to see and hear. They had failed to remember. But before we get too critical of these men, we need to examine our own hearts and ask if we are still prone to the same hardness of heart. The disciples had failed understand:
· Who Jesus really is
· Why his resources were not limited to the natural
· Why they themselves need not be limited to their own natural resources.
They had eyes to see and ears to hear, but they were blind to what God wanted to show them and deaf to what he wanted to tell them. Are we so very different? I think not.
So what’s the cure? The key is in that word remember. We need to remember what God has said to us in his word. We need to remember what we have seen him do already in our own lives. And, most important of all, we need to remember who Jesus is. As we take our eyes off the problems that face us and our limited resources to solve them, and remind ourselves of who Jesus is, and the infinite resources at his disposal, we will learn, as the disciples eventually came to learn, that nothing is impossible to those who believe.
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