What are we celebrating this season? What is it really about? For Christ’s children and those HE is calling to be His; WE celebrate His arrival. ADVENT / ARRIVAL: The coming of the Messiah.
It is the beginning of The Incarnation, the arrival on Earth of ‘The Prince of Peace’. We [Who God’s favors rests on] place our HOPE in the Prince of PEACE. We [Christ’s Body] have JOY because of the Prince of PEACE.
The actual PEACE… the SHALOM is what WE celebrate. The Hebrew word we translate as ‘Peace’ is Shalom. The fullness of what is means is not just a lack of conflict…It is a state of being where everything is as it should be, the way it started out. What Shalom encompasses is: How things are meant to be between us and God.
Perfect Shalom existed in the garden before Adam & Eve disobeyed God. Once sin came between mankind and God, that perfect shalom ceased to exist. God used the Law of Moses to demonstrate that humanity could not create shalom. We could not make things the way they should be, only God could… [HE did]
The birth of the Christ Child was & still is God’s declaration of PEACE to us. This morning it is our privilege & responsibility to glorify God for the gift of Shalom.
Setting the stage; Luke 2:1-7
At that time a proclamation was made by Caesar Augustus that all the inhabited world should be registered. This was the first census, undertaken while Qurenius was governor of Syria and everybody went to the town of his birth to be registered.
Joseph went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to David’s town, Bethlehem, in Judea, because he was a direct descendant of David, to be registered with his future wife, Mary, now in the later stages of her pregnancy.
So it happened that it was while they were there in Bethlehem that she came to the end of her time. She gave birth to her first child, a son. And as there was no place for them inside the inn, she wrapped him up and laid him in a manger.
8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.
- In the area of Bethlehem, outside the city [I have been there]
- Massive fear: they knew this was God & they knew things were not as they should be between them & God [need to sacrifice their best stuff]
- If you are not at peace with God, His Glory is frightening
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
- The message was: you don’t have to fear what God is doing
- The news would result in JOY, not just happiness
- The joy comes from getting a Savior / The Messiah / God Himself
- The connection of David is important based on the scripture
- The uniqueness of this event will be authenticated by the unique birth deal
13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
- First there is one angel, then ‘A Great Multitude’
- The angel’s communication has both worship and information
- 1st God is glorified in this ‘arrival’ of the Messiah
- 2nd they declare the ‘New Covenant’ where God make peace favored people
- The Messiah will bring shalom to those who God is pleased with [Grace]
- God’s messengers declared the end of ‘Fear Based’ relationship with God
15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”
- They must have been stunned for a minute!
- Very quickly the reality of what had happened moved them to action
- Revelation made them seek more revelation [seeking the truth]
16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. 17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.
- They didn’t wait to seek God
- It could not have been very hard to find the Christ Child
- They don’t just stay there looking at the Baby, they broadcast the Good News
- They told anyone who would listen what God had told them
18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.
- People may have not understood the deal but EVERYONE wondered…
- The Shepherd’s message had IMPACT [true revelation changes people]
- Mary treasured the information because she connected it with previous info
- The Angel & the visit to Elisabeth
- The shepherds returned to their normal life but having found the means of peace with their maker
- Theirs lives are now lives of worship based on the revelation of God’s peace
THE GOSPEL Is the offer of Perfect Shalom to you from God
Steps to Shalom:
Start by recognizing that all of us start in a state of conflict with God because of sin.
Embrace the reality that God alone initiates the end of enmity between us by coming to us Himself!
Know that Christ’s coming was the culmination of God’s plan to bring salvation to all peoples through His ‘chosen people’.
The ultimate glorification of God comes from His coming to us to make peace.
The response to the revelation of God’s salvation results in the intentionally sharing of that revelation.
The advent of Shalom changes the world and those who God enables to believe it will treasure that gift by the way they live.
Application:
Are you convinced of your original state of being at war with God because of YOUR sin?
Do you fully believe that it is God who initiates and completes Shalom through the advent of Christ?
Are you active in the seeking and the sharing of Shalom with God, giving Him glory?
Have you put the pieces of what God has revealed to you together so that you treasure the Gift of Shalom with God through Christ?
This text is totally focused on what those who are Disciples of Christ are to do. How they should think, feel & act. Twice in this passage Jesus The Christ asks believers, What do you want Me to do for you? 1st He asks that question to 2 of His 12 chosen Disciples, 2 of the Big 3. Then He asks that question to one of the least of believers, the last guy you would think understands who Jesus is, a blind beggar.
That Jesus asks those in top leadership & someone at the bottom of the food chain the same question means HE is asking it of all HE would choose to follow Him. All those who believe HE is The Son of David, The Christ, The Son of God, The Messiah.
He has asked the same sort of question throughout the Gospel of Mark as well as the other Gospels. It stands to reason that He will ask His Disciples this question all the time. What do you want Jesus to do for you? Entertain you? Give you self-esteem? Provide ethics & morality? Give you status? Heal you physically or emotionally? Enhance your career? Enhance a relationship?
OR…
Or are you looking for something that doesn’t involve your wants and desires? As bible based disciples of our Lord & Master Jesus Christ we have agreed to ‘Die to Ourselves’ to ‘Be the servant of all’ to ‘Give up our lives for Him’. For those who have done these things, in this passage Jesus is going to once again stress a couple of very significant aspects of being His Disciple. He has taught about these things before and will again: Servanthood & Teachability. That these two stories are together in the text means these two need to be combined in the life of Christ’s Disciples. We are all called to be taught by Christ how to be a servant and how to be a continuing student.
TODAY: Jesus of Nazareth is preparing His Twelve Disciples, soon to be Apostles. He knows His time short, in this narrative we are mere weeks from the Cross. He is going to take the time to intimately teach the twelve as well as give a public lesson.
10:32-52 [NASB 1995]
32 They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful.
- The Disciples were in awe that Jesus was going to Jerusalem
- At this point the twelve pretty much understanding who HE really is: GOD
- Those who followed is the ‘hangers-on’ surrounding Jesus [text separates]
- That word translated as ‘fearful’ contains dread, apprehension and alarm
- Mark uses this word only 3 times. They all describe ‘fear of the unknown’
- They don’t get who He is so they are afraid of His going to Jerusalem
- His Disciples, who are ‘walking’ with The Christ are not fearful but are in awe!
And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him, 33 saying, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will hand Him over to the Gentiles. 34 They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.”
- He is doing more and more intense teaching just for the Disciples
- He has spoken in generalities about His fate but here He gets more specific
- He has been preparing them to comprehend what He is doing
- These are the exact chain of events as they will unfold
So put yourself in the Disciples shoes, how do you react to this?
35 James and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You.” 36 And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 37 They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.”
- As a reaction to what Jesus tells them, some start thinking of their ‘Position’
- Last time Jesus told them He was going to be killed they reacted the same way
- Jesus asks: What do you want Me to do for you?
- The ‘Sons of Thunder’ want the ‘Position’ of most honor [next to the King]
- They are recognizing His coming glory but don’t understand how He gets there
For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later.” But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him. They came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest. ~ Mark 9:31-34
38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” 39 They said to Him, “We are able.”
- Jesus says; ‘Do you realize how I am going to get to Glory?’
- To ‘drink the cup’ is to receive consequences or be put in a situation
- To ‘Be Baptized’ is literally ‘to be immersed in’ / totally involved in something
- He had just described the situation and consequences He would be a part of
- Christ asks if they are able to take on what He is going to live through
- They tell Him; ‘Yep! We are all in! [Commitment to Christ’s Discipleship]
And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. 40 But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”
- They say they are all in…Jesus says they will share in what He will go through
- James is beheaded about 11years after Christ’s resurrection
- Tradition holds that they tried to kill John twice and eventually exiled him
- James & John did suffered for God and others, just like their Master
- But the top two spots, Jesus said, were not His to assign (who might they be?)
41 Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James and John. 42 Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them.”
- The other Disciples are like: ‘Who do you two think you are?’
- So Jesus gets their attention and teaches them a lesson He has taught before
- He starts with how this world works: power & authority are oppressive
- Sin corrupts all power structures in our world…even the Church
43 “But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall 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.”
- ‘Among You’ Among Christ’s true Disciples; Spirit Indwelt Followers
- Within this group power will work differently based on Christ’s example
- The positions of power among Christ’s Disciples will be occupied by ‘Servants’
- Leaders in Christ’s Body don’t exercise authority, they give their lives away
- They are not driven by status and power but by humility and servitude
46 Then they came to Jericho. And as He was leaving Jericho with His disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the road. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
- Jericho is about 25 miles from Jerusalem
- Jesus is traveling with a large group
- This blind beggar calls Jesus ‘The Messiah’ [Son of David]
- He asks for mercy… [Good Request]
- He is told to be quiet…same sort of attitude Jesus’ followers had about kids!
- The implication was that He was too important to spend time with this guy
49 And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.” 50 Throwing aside his cloak, he jumped up and came to Jesus. 51 And answering him, Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
- Jesus is totally assessable, approachable and willing to connect with anyone
- Truth is He is too important for ANYBODY!
- We are all equally undeserving of Christ’s attention yet all have equal access!
- People who know exactly who Jesus, they know He is willing and able to help
- Constant theme of the Gospel of Mark: ‘Faith of Others’ / Communal Faith
- Bartimaeus jumps at his chance for an audience with Jesus & the question
And the blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” 52 And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.
- Son of David was an impersonal title, Rabboni means My Mentor / My Example
- He not only recognizes Jesus as the Christ, but also as his Personal Discipler
- Not only recognizing Jesus as God; but as his instructor on all things
- Bartimaeus is an example of faith being expressed in discipleship for us
- He believes Jesus as the Messiah, is to be his example, mentor and teacher
- With Christ: Faith that is lived out in humble teachability… brings healing
- He is healed, but this is just the beginning: Bartimaeus BEGAN to follow HIM
Takeaways 4 Disciples:
Don’t pursue status or position but rather embrace suffering and rejection.
- Jesus Foretells His sacrificial death a 3rd time, and again His Disciples start thinking of power positions, status and authority
- Jesus asks them: “What do you want ME to do for you?” and they answer from sinful self absorption
- They don’t have the Holy Spirit indwelling them yet so they can do nothing other than react in their ‘flesh’
Become a servant for the reasons Jesus did: God and others.
- Jesus’ Disciples share in the rejection and suffering that comes from living for God by HIS power
- It is not going top be a desirable life based on this world’s standards
- Christ’s standard for His followers regarding leadership, stature and power will be Servanthood not Oppression
- When faced with the reality of Christ’s sacrifice we are not to focus on fulfilling our selfish desires and lusts.
- Instead we are to put God and everyone else first: SERVANTHOOD
Place yourself under Christ’s ‘Lordship Mentoring’ and remain teachable.
- Bartimaeus places himself under Jesus’ ‘Lordship Mentoring’ = Biblical Discipleship
- He wants healing in his life so He can Follow Jesus, not fulfill his own desires
Be willing to be taught a repeat lesson by Jesus without getting complacent.
- These are similar teachings to what we have seen previously in the Gospel of Mark. Why the repetition?
- Repetition is important…Deuteronomy means: ‘The Second Telling of The Law’
- WE NEED REPETITION! Repeated teaching and repeated practice! Following Jesus is the most important stuff we will do in this life!
QUESTIONS 4 DISCIPLES:
Do you want Christ to teach you how to walk with Him and be like Him?
- For this to happen must embrace being taught the same things over and over again
- It is a long way to get from you to Jesus.
- In this scripture, Christ is showing us how we are to be taught by HIM.
- [Principle, Application, Repetition]
Do you want Christ to teach you how to be a servant and not a boss?
- What we need to learn most from Christ is humility
- Jesus teaches us humility by humbling us.
- The world will teach us how to be full of ourselves.
- Not just different than the world, opposite the world [last is first, first is last]
Do you want Christ to teach you how to give away your life for others?
- You and I need to change ALOT to do this. Sanctification takes time
- A life of Christ’s Discipleship is a life of being a servant and being teachable
- Recognize you need more lessons & more practice living for God and others.
- The bar is high: transformation into the image of Christ!
If we don’t get caught up in ourselves, or in status or in what popular culture thinks of us… we will grow in Christlikeness: Thinking, Feeling and Acting like Jesus The Christ / OUR LORD!
WHY SHOULD YOU DO THIS?
A Biblical Truth about God is consistently He calls us to sacrifice our lives and then in return He provides exponentially more than we give up. It is found throughout the Old and New Testament writings. That is the deal with Heaven: What you give up to get there is not even comparable to what you receive there. This revelation about God is is as old as when Abraham sacrifices Issac! [Only Son] Because Abraham was willing to give up whatever God asked Him to give up, Abraham experienced God’s provision, far exceeding what he was willing to give up.
It may seem impossible but Christ’s Disciples do it, have done it, will do it! When they understand the value of eternal life with God, Disciples trade their stuff for it! [treasure hidden in a field]
Over and over again Jesus says: “Give up your life for Me and the Truth about Me!” ‘Your Life’ being everything that matters to you, He calls all humanity to do this. Some will answer that call and some will not. For many it appears to be an impossible thing to do. But Jesus says to His ‘Dear Children’ that those who give up things for ‘My Sake’, will get in return multiplied amounts of what they gave up… Along with persecution … Our passage today finds Jesus and His followers on the road to Jerusalem. Christ’s Disciples walking with their Lord.
MARK 10:17-31[NASB 1995]
17 As Jesus was starting out on His way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to Him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call Me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good.”
- What he calls Jesus says a lot about who he thinks He is… He does kneel…
- He seeks a ‘teacher’ to get a philosophical idea about eternity [head learning]
- He inherited ‘this life’… now he wants to figure out how to inherit the next life
- Referred to as a young man twice in Matt. 19, called ‘A Ruler’ in Luke 18
- Jesus points out the sinful nature of EVERY person…[Except Him!]
19 “But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’” 20 “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”
- Jesus uses the term ‘The Commandments’
- He mentions some of the relational commandments that are codified in law
- I believe there was an understanding that what Jesus meant was ‘The Law’
- This guys says he has kept them all! What a lie! [a teacher wouldn’t know]
21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” He told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
- Jesus really loved him AND called him to surrender His ‘stuff / life’… for Him!
- This demonstrates God’s love for all AND His call to follow goes out to all
- Christ loved Him, but at the same time knew what his response was going to be
22 At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. 23 Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!”
- Obviously disappointed he resigned to live for his stuff rather than God
- Then Jesus makes a statement, He is not asking a question
- He says it is going to be hard to surrender earthly riches for heavenly riches
- The earthly riches are right here right now… heavenly riches require faith!
24 This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. 25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”
- They are amazed because the ultra religious were also the ultra rich in Israel
- Jesus then says to His ‘Dear Children’ that those with a lot of stuff will struggle
- Jesus uses an example that appears to says that it is impossible to enter
- Discipleship to Christ is hard in general, seemingly impossible for the rich
26 The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked. 27 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”
- The twelve are blown away! They thought they were in…
- A camel can’t get through the eye of a needle!
- If that is how hard it is NOBODY can be saved!
- Jesus says, no human can make it happen… but God can do anything!
- God can even fit a camel through the ‘Eye of The Needle’
- The unburdening of our possessions gets us where God wants us to go
28 Then Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said. 29 “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for My sake and for the Good News, 30 will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution.”
- Peter, the instant processor says: We have totally unburdened ourselves!
- Christ affirms that statement: “Yea, you guys have given up everything”!
- He says that if you give up everything for ME & THE GOSPEL
- Now [in this life] you will get a hundred times what ever you give up
- Relationships / Property / Estates
- What happens if you don’t give anything up to follow Christ? 0 X 100 = ZERO
- What else do you get? PERSECUTION!! [Discipleship Special Offer]
But wait…there’s more!
“And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. 31 But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.”
- After telling His Disciples they will have a ‘rich’ life on earth as His followers
- If you give up everything for ME & THE GOSPEL you get eternal life
- And then Jesus adds this Kicker: Status in eternity is not based on status here
- What makes people important in this world will carry no importance in heaven
- People who almost nobody has heard about will be the greatest in heaven
- The first will be last and the last will be first
TAKE AWAYS
This guy is the product of ‘Spiritual Posturing’ in establishment religion
Wealth & Status = Spiritual Maturity. His claim that he has kept all the commandments is a ‘Relativistic’ look at Obedience.
God’s response to fleshly attempts to appear good enough: LOVE & INVITATION.Christ exposes religious posturing & fronting as a hinderance to salvation.
We want to exempt what is most valuable to us from the list of what we will give up for God. God says: get rid of the stuff I tell you to give up & swap it for heaven! Follow ME!
This guy couldn’t part with his wealth / possessions / status / power. Jesus wants to teach us how money & status will distract people from eternal things.
As Christ Disciples we become ‘Unencumbered’ in whatever way Christ calls us to. We give up: Status, careers, relationships, possessions, where you live…
Christ’s Disciples will give up what they are called to give up, and will receive back multiplied amounts of what they give up. Jesus said it, do you believe it enough to act based on what He says?
Give up nothing: you receive what you can provide, not the multiplied riches of GOD. Giving up wealth & status will make Christ’s Disciples look unimportant in this world. Giving up wealth and status will make Christ’s Disciples great and rich in Eternity.
If you find yourself at the point of surrender…Ask God to give you eternal life, only He can make it happen! If He is making it happen He will ask you to give up something…That is what Christ’s followers do, they imitate their Lord and lay down their life. If you don’t think you can, believe what Christ says, ‘Everything is possible with God!’
Application Questions:
What are you willing to give up to follow Christ? What have you not been able to give up?
Do you compare your obedience to Christ with that of others? Do you think this is a Biblical practice?
What are some examples in your life where you gave up things for Christ’s sake and then received so much more than you gave up?
Lay It Down, See It Multiplied / Sacrifice and Provision
The text this morning is a complex one. Two main stories today; First, Jesus teaches about divorce. It can be an uncomfortable topic. Jesus teaches it, so we’re going to address it.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. ~ 2 Timothy 3:16-17
We believe that. The bible is given to us so that we can be equipped to live a life in service of Him.
Before we get in to what Jesus says, the text itself, lets dish a little about what the world says about divorce. The societal view on divorce, particularly in America, has shifted RADICALLY in the last 60 years. There was a time not long ago that even the law was quite averse to divorce. New Yorkers had to wait until 2010 before their state would grant a “no fault” divorce without a justification like adultery or battery. The idea that marriage is something we can just change our minds about is a very new concept in America.
As much as we try to avoid it, the world can really influence us and the way we feel about important topics. So take a minute, and ask yourself, what do you think about divorce? Do you believe marriage is a man-made device? And so if so we can treat it like other man-made things? Maybe that isn’t the case for you. Perhaps marriage is something you give respect to. It’s something we honor, take seriously.Either way, this morning we will level set whatever we believe about marriage with the only thing that matters, with the word of God.
The second story we’ll read is Jesus instructing what kind of person can receive his kingdom. He tells the disciples to “let the little children come to me”. Possibly a familiar story, but we’ll read another installment of the disciples failing to understand who Jesus is, and why he came.
Our title this morning is “God meets us where we’re at”. One of the greatest tenants of Christianity is that we don’t need to show up with anything. “nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling”. We don’t need to arrive before we are welcomed in.
These stories can orient our hearts, if we let them. It can define how we see our relationship with our spouse, and also define our relationship with him.
Mark 10:1-16 (ESV)
10 And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them. 2 And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?”
- So what is going on? Why are they asking him this question?
- If it feels like a loaded question, it probably is. Mark states it was to test him.
- Huge point here. Jesus uses the scripture to refute his attackers. We can try to live like Jesus and model our lives after him in many ways but perhaps none more important than this one. Scripture is the default; it is the first thing he checks.
- Jesus flips the question back on them, knowing they are ready with the answer. They say…
4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.”
- The response from the pharisees. Moses said we could do it!!
- You get the sense that they wanted a chance to justify their own actions. The pharisees probably thought they were following the law of Moses.
- I don’t know for sure if any of these religious leaders had been divorced, but let’s paint a picture of what marriage looked like in those days. Roman rule has been around for a while, and they were pretty lenient with divorce as a legal proceeding. In their society marriage was a contract set up between families, and sometimes those contracts didn’t work out. Simple.
- Divorce was part of Jewish culture even before the Romans entered the picture. In Jewish law, a man could send his wife away with some provisions, for specific reasons. But the pharisees are misusing Deuteronomy 24.
Jesus goes on teaching:
5 And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
- Jesus again quoting scripture here, he recaps the God breathed account of the first marriage. The pharisees should know this.
- “No longer two”. This is how God describes a couple who is married. What does that mean to you?
- Distinct personality? Different jobs? But what about different friends? Living in different places? Finances?
- You can tell there is a very different vibe here, not just a contractual agreement
- “let not man separate”. This can be uncomfortable, but this is what the bible teaches
- There are other accounts of his teaching, where Jesus gives some very limited exceptions, but here in this gospel Jesus sticks to Gods heart surrounding marriage.
- There are three points that Jesus makes very succinctly:
- He confirms the law Moses gave them / Moses allowed for divorce
- He then reminds them of God’s intentions surrounding marriage / That marriage is from God, that it is unique and permanent
- And lastly he explains the reason there is a difference / God permitted divorce as a merciful concession to people’s sinfulness. Because of their hardness of heart he allowed for it.
- What Jesus says here is so counter cultural that we’ll see his disciples need clarification
10 And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
- Sounds like the disciples want Jesus to level with them. Give them the real scoop, he didn’t really mean that right? You are saying we should not divorce our spouse?
- Not only should a man not divorce his wife, but if he marries another, he is then committing another sin against God!
- These are not rules for just men or just women. If God has joined something, what ways are there for us to separate?
- Through today’s lens we might think this is really unfair. Jesus is saying if you remarry you are committing adultery.
- Do you feel like being married is a right? In America there is an expectation, we can marry someone that we love? But the hard truth is that we cannot separate what God has joined.
- As serious as this is, remember it is a sin like all the others we commit every day. It is forgiven through Christ. It is something to repent from.
- If you are left or abandoned, know you are not forgotten and abandoned by our God. He is there for us.
- As humans we have a tendency to look for the exceptions, what about this? Practical application is important. Especially when its directly applicable right now. If you have questions about this, I encourage you to dive in, to the text, in prayer, ask your discipler
- But it shouldn’t be about what we can get away with. Jesus is telling us we need a high view of marriage; we should not look to justify our actions like the pharisees. We cannot attempt to water down Gods command and intention/design of marriage like they did.
13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.”
- The disciples saw it as a waste of time.
- Interesting to note that His harshest words are reserved for the disciples, not the pharisees. He was indignant, showing anger and annoyance.
- The disciples thought that the children were not worth Jesus’ time. They needed to grow up first, be ready to understand what he was teaching.
- Jesus says no, in fact they are the ones ready to hear what he has to say.
15 “Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.
- When I first read this, I asked myself “how do children receive things”?
- the key verb here is receive. Its passive. Not achieve or bring about the kingdom. It is a gift to us
- Jesus puts his hands on them
- But to answer the question, what is it about children that Jesus is drawing our attention to?
- Characteristics of a child, the most obvious is dependence
- A child does not make any meaningful contributions to the household
- Yet Christ says we need to be like them.
- That is how we are to participate in the kingdom. We rely on him. We ask to draw near him. We ask him to accept us in our sin and helplessness. We go to him for everything. Study his every word, like a kid watching his parents.
There is still grace for us. He still wants us where we are. He certainly doesn’t want to leave us there, but he is ready to accept us, faults and all. Spurgeon makes the point that the little child finds no difficulty, in fact needs to do nothing to grow in to a man. Yet the difficulty lies in us growing down to become like a child.
[https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/receiving-the-kingdom-of-god-as-little-child/#flipbook/]
What’s the point?
Application
• What areas in life do I not want to listen to Jesus?
o Things that make us uncomfortable. Do you think the bible is wrong, or not worth listening?
• Am I studying Gods word enough to grasp the nuance?
o Godly living isn’t merely difficult, but can be complicated. We have his words, but are you studying it enough?
o Christians need to study this book, understand what God is saying. Give him the time to talk to us
• Am I acting with one flesh in my marriage?
o Opportunity to examine marriage. Are we doing things as one flesh? Are there areas of your marriage that you’ve resisted fully joining together in?
o What does being one flesh mean to you?
• Do I depend on God like a child, or do I attempt to bring something to the table?
o It seems pretty important to “receive the kingdom…like a child”. How?
Jesus isn’t here to beat people over the head. God’s grace is directly related to what God knows you can handle. He knew that the Israelites were operating in a messy world. Sin, betrayal, broken promises, all played a part in corrupting God’s design for marriage.
Jesus taught so that the pharisees would understand that a man who divorces his wife in order to marry another woman is doing the same thing an adulterer does, but under the cover of the law of Moses.
He wants us to value the relationships he has made for us. That’s what this passage is about, both are God centered relationships that he has for us. The way we can approach him as a child, and the way we are to treat and interact with our spouse.
Statistics obfuscate the truth, they tell you divorce is inevitable. But that already is a lie. It is Satan at work, deceiving us. The truth is that we have the spirit in us. We have a God who saves, who gives grace.
As Christians, we are to commit to marriage in the context of a community of believers. We move forward, knowing we are not going to be perfect in anything let alone marriage, and we strive for God’s vision of marriage instead of living in fear of what the world says is normal or unavoidable.
I don’t have a secret trick to a happy marriage that avoids divorce, but I want to leave us with an encouragement, to adopt God’s outlook on marriage. And an encouragement especially to heed his command to receive the kingdom like a child. Depend on him like a little kid.
Super interesting passage! Straightforward teaching from Jesus to His Disciples! He lays down standards for His Chosen. What is a Standard? [Biblical Culture] Lot’s of specific examples of how Jesus says His Disciples are to live. We LIVE culture into existence AND affirm existing culture by how we LIVE. The bulk of this passage is a private session with The TWELVE / The Disciples. This discourse [lot’s of red letters = Jesus speaking]. The sermon on the mount was aimed at heart condition, now it is translated into actions.
Be the servant / Receive Them / Don’t stop them / Don’t cause them / Cut it off!
The Sermon on the Mount had BE-Attitudes, here we have BE-Actions. These commands are for His Disciples… [Context…anyone could BE these things…only His Disciples Will.
We start with Jesus making another statement predicting what will happen to Him here on earth. The Disciples are confused, fearful and lose focus. They are thrown by this hard teaching and become self-focused. Jesus recognizes their fleshly thinking, and uses this to begin some key standards.
Standards that He then places into the context of things that matter eternally.
Mark 9:30-50 [ESV]
30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And He did not want anyone to know, 31 for He was teaching His disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And when He is killed, after three days He will rise.” 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask Him.
- The ‘there’ He left was Bethesda [Northeast shore of the Sea Of Galilee, headed southeast]
- He was keeping a low profile because HE wanted to focus on teaching the 12
- Hard stuff to understand for the disciples [they don’t know what we do]
- The Scripture states they let fear keep them from asking! Not a positive
- Discipleship growth requires questioning, like a child questions, without fear
33 And they came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And He sat down and called the twelve. And He said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”
- At home base, in private, Jesus gives them the chance to be honest with Him
- We saw this last week too: Jesus doesn’t want to correct His Disciples in public
- Christ flips the world’s expectations of greatness upside-down!
- Amongst HIS followers greatness is not measured by this worlds standards
- Jesus Christ has different standards for His Disciples
36 And He took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking Him in His arms, He said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”
- Next: an upside-down standard of relational success: treatment of regular joes
- Relationships that are not based on what the other person brings to the table
- Disciples of Christ do as their Lord does: give grace to everyone
- That same attitude is how you come to redemption in Christ
- A relationship with Christ is to be without calculation of what you get out of it
- It is a surrender, and what you get is: ‘The Father’… The one who sent Jesus
38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your Name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in My Name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.” 40 For the one who is not against us is for us. 41 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.”
- This guy would call himself, ‘The Disciple Jesus Loved’… not being so lovable!
- He was basically saying: ‘We didn’t give him permission to use your name’
- Jesus said, if Demons were cast out [mighty work] that guy is on our side
- Only two sides: Kingdom of Light / Kingdom of Darkness [No 3rd KINGDOM]
- Christ command us to do what we are called to do in His Name
42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”
- Using the Child again as a metaphor for the innocent, immature and dependent
- Christ’s Disciples defend and care for such people, not in ‘theory’ but in ‘ACTS’
- This is about Biblical standards for living amongst Christ’s Disciples
- Biblical Standards of sin that have always existed amongst God’s people
- If you do not take the proper responsibility for youth entrusted to you…OUCH!
- This is a command for Christ’s Disciples
43 “And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm [gnawing anguish] does not die and the fire is not quenched.’”
- In this translation, notation of verses 44 & 46 is missing.
- Have they been deleted???
While it is true that both of those verses are not present in many modern translations (at least in the main body of the text), that kind of language assumes upfront that these verses must be a genuine part of Mark’s original work. Most scholars today, however, point out that these verses are not present in the earliest manuscripts we possess. Far from deleting the verses, these scholars claim the verses were added by later scribes. They were not a part of what Mark originally wrote. ~ Luke Wayne CARM [Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry]
- Now we have the most intense command in this discourse
- Three times Jesus basically says the same thing!
- How do we get the right level of how important this is to God?
- Hand, foot and eye… pretty important parts!
- Some longstanding, very connected things in our life can be avenues to sin
- Verse 48 echoes Isaiah 66:24
- God describing Hell
These are high standards His Disciples are to observe, complete with consequences for disobedience. They are completely counter to our nature and the cultures we have been raised in. How will we live up to these standards? Like I said only His Disciples will.
What enables Christ’s Disciples to live in such selfless / counter culture ways???
49 “For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
- Lev 2:13 Adding salt to your offerings:
- The offering that is your life will be accompanied by a preserving or purification
- Salt is the purifying agent ‘Everyone WILL BE salted…’ with fire?
- This is describing the regeneration of Christ’s Disciples by the indwelling Spirit
- God’s Spirit is the purifying agent in Christ’s Disciples [Fire / Pentecost]
- Christ is looking ahead to the Indwelling of His Disciples with The Holy Spirit
- Teaching just His Disciples, so He uses everyone referring to other Disciples
- Purity is Good!
- If it loses it’s distinctiveness [flavor] How do you get the flavor back? Can’t
- Only God can make us and can keep us salty!
- We can only be purified by Christ’s death, resurrection and call to discipleship
- Jesus’ disciples seek to have and preserve purity from God
- Be united with the Disciples Christ has placed you into A Body with!
- Have salt in yourselves…
How is one ‘Purified By God’? This is known as Biblical Salvation!
THIS happens when someone is called by God and they surrender their life to Jesus Christ and the Biblical Gospel.
When Jesus speaks, His Disciples apply His Words to their lives
Jesus says hard things, His Disciples need to overcome fear and ask for help with unbelief so they can avoid becoming self-absorbed.
Jesus says His Disciples are to be last of all and the servant of all, He means it. Christ’s Disciples make humble servanthood a life priority.
When approached by those this world deems ‘worthless’, Jesus says His Disciples are to be as gracious with them as HE is.
When unknown people do Godly things in His Name, Jesus says His Disciples trust they are ‘In Christ’ and consider them ‘Teammates’.
Jesus says being responsible for how innocents learn to live is a massive responsibility and His disciples act accordingly.
Jesus says His Disciples will cut off the attachments that lead to sin, no matter what! [career, family, relational, financial, cultural or ethnic ties]
Jesus’ Disciples offer up their lives as a living sacrifice to Jesus Messiah, in this they are purified by the indwelling Spirit of Christ. This purity is to be cultivated, valued and shared.
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. ~ Romans 12:1&2
The demon possessed boy needed someone else to petition God for his release. Besides praying God’s armor for yourself, pray it for others. And PRAY for God to help you and others in their lack of belief Pray for wholehearted belief…because with that anything is possible!
How do we believe better? How do we believe more? How do we believe in Christ Jesus ‘Wholeheartedly’? Wholehearted belief results from relational investment, trust & commitment. When you believe in something wholeheartedly you have OWNERSHIP. How does that happen? God ultimately makes it happen!
We have a role to play: The practices & attitude of Discipleship to Jesus Christ! Where do we start? How do we respond to God working in our lives? It is simple: We are to ask God to help us in our unbelief. The way HE does this is to 1st make us all FAT: Faithful / Available / Teachable. This is how we become wholehearted in our belief in Jesus. It is an intentional seeking of God to grow our faith by BEING A FAT Disciple. Who needs to grow like this? Who is less than wholehearted in their belief? Based on Scripture, it is Jesus Christ’s chosen Disciples [that means all members of His Body].
The Disciples couldn’t cast out the demon in the boy. They had done it before… The disciples lack of belief was their problem, they didn’t fully believe in Jesus. The disciples did not have the preparation in prayer that was necessary [Jesus did].
Today’s passage is a lesson for all those who call themselves Christ’s Disciples AND those who are to become Disciples of Christ. Let’s see what God’s Word Says!
Mark 9:14-29 [NLT]
14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet Him.
- The four of them return from the mountain [not sharing what happened]
- A crowd had gathered to watch some Scribes argue with Jesus’ Disciples
- When Jesus shows up people are drawn to Him like no one else
16 “What are you arguing with them about?” He asked. 17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 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.”
- Jesus gets right into it: ‘What is the dispute’?
- The father of the boy speaks up. This is not a hypothetical argument
- The boy’s condition was diagnosed by his father: it was an evil spirit
- And what the Disciples had done before didn’t work on this boy
19 “You 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.
- Who is Jesus calling an ‘Unbelieving Generation’ [You People]
- Jesus is disappointed in the halfhearted faith of His disciples
- The demon reacted to Christ’s presence [The demon knew fully who he was]
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.”
- Why does Jesus ask about the duration of the issue?
- He discerns that this is ‘Demonic Possession’ vs ‘Demon Activity’
- Anyone can be the target of demon activity, only unbelievers can be possessed
- His father believed the demon wanted to kill the boy, so he was desperate
- He saw Jesus as a source of help but not as ‘God All Sovereign’
- He, like the Disciples, did not fully believe in who Jesus was
23 “’If You can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” 24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
- This is what you call ‘Half-Hearted Belief’ [‘If you can’]
- Jesus is like; ‘Obviously you don’t know who I AM’
- The problem is not with Jesus it is with US!
- Jesus says: the only thing limiting the blessing of God in your life is your belief!
- Jesus confronts him with truth: ‘You don’t fully believe who I am’
- The response of this man is an example for us, all of us, Disciple or not:
- He says: ‘I believe You [God] please help me believe whole heartedly!’
- This is what Jesus wants from those who put their faith in Him: Ask for more!
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” ~ Matthew 7:7-8
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, He rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” He said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
- It seems like He wants to minimize the commotion
- He calls the demon by name and commands it specifically [All Sovereign]
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.
- During it’s forced exit, the spirit takes one last shot…
- Jesus drove the demon out and then perhaps brought the boy back to life
- It is the new life that occurs when someone is freed from demonic control
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.”
- Why did they seek privacy before being debriefed?
- They had driven out evil spirits before, why not this time
- The entrenched nature of a demon possession call for high level warfare
- This was the next level in their training and they needed a new kind of training
- They needed more prayer training [As do we]
- Prayer to prepare and prayer to fight
What do you believe Jesus can do? What can HE do on your behalf? What is possible for YOU as a wholehearted believer in Christ? Do you think Jesus wants His Disciples to believe in HIM wholeheartedly? We all have need to grow like this!
If you believe half-heartedly in Jesus Christ you will: Serve halfheartedly / Give halfheartedly / Worship halfheartedly / Study Scripture halfheartedly / Pray halfheartedly / Love halfheartedly
Do you want to believe wholeheartedly? If so God’s Word today is telling YOU how! Do what this man did: ask Jesus to help your unbelief. But you have to start with some faith. ‘I believe, help my unbelief’!
Have you ever asked God to cause you to believe more fully in Christ? Do you believe in Jesus enough to confront demonic forces? How is your prayer life preparing you to overcome evil?
APPLICATION: What to Believe & How to Prepare
OUR NEED: Wholehearted Belief In Christ
Midtown Church Statement of Faith [Compilation of ‘Creedal Statements’]
We believe in one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.We believe in God the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father and the Spirit, by whom all things were made; who was conceived and incarnate by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified for us, died, and was buried; He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again according to the scriptures and ascended into heaven, He is seated at the right hand of the Father, our High Priest interceding on our behalf, and He will come again to judge the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life; who proceeds from the Father and the Son who with the Father and Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets; His ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and, during this age, to convict men, regenerate the believing sinner, and indwell, guide, instruct and empower the believer for godly living and service.
We believe in one holy universal and apostolic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, one baptism for the remission of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. We believe that water baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances to be observed by the Church during the present age. They are, however, not to be regarded as means of salvation. We believe that the true Church is composed of all such persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and are united together in the Body of Christ of which He is the Head.
We believe in the God inspired original manuscripts that encompass the cannon of scripture as affirmed at the council at Carthage in 397 A.D. (except for the Old Testament Apocryphal Books). The Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of God’s will for the salvation of men and the Divine and final authority for Christian faith and life.
We believe that man was created in the image of God but fell into sin and is, therefore, lost, and only through regeneration by the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained.
We believe that the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His Resurrection provide the only ground for justification and salvation for all who believe, and only those who have come to all encompassing faith in Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit and, thus become children of God.
We unite in inviting all men to confess the one and only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Perfect both in deity and in humanness; this selfsame one is also actually God and actually man, with a rational soul and a body. He is of the same reality as God as far as his deity is concerned and of the same reality as we ourselves as far as His humanness is concerned; thus like us in all respects, sin only excepted.
OUR NEED: Prayer Preparation
Pray The Armor of God
Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ~ Ephesian 6:13-16
Reading this Gospel like an ardent disciple involves read this trying to learn each thing Jesus taught. This is why we go over and over the Scriptures here @ Midtown: We are a church of Jesus disciples constantly seeking to be taught by Christ. As we have studied throughThe Gospel of Mark what we have see is a minimalist account of a active, intentional Messiah. While declaring the coming of ‘The Kingdom’ He demonstrates the reality of God’s desire to be part of our lives.
After a period where He is Baptized and tested, He calls His disciples and begins His ministry in Galilee and various surrounding areas. [Preaching / Healing / Miracles] He has been revealing Himself through these interactions to His disciples.
Last week Laban did a great job pointing out the gravity of the moment the Disciples correctly identify Jesus of Nazareth [Peter as spokesperson] He says: You are the Christ! In Matthew 16 we get a bit more of the dialogue that day: “But what about you?” He asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.” ~ Matthew 16:15-17
And because of that confession by His Disciples He said this:
“If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? If anyone is ashamed of Me and My message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when He returns in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” ~ Mark 8:35-38 [NLT]
In connection with this Jesus is ready to show a select group of His Disciples what this glory looks like. [He had taken these 3 W/ Him to the Synagogue Leaders home] So right on the heals of some intense things Jesus is telling them comes:
‘The Transfiguration’
Jesus’ Transfiguration is considered one of the FIVE Milestones of Jesus’ life according to the Gospels: Baptism / Transfiguration / Crucifixion / Resurrection / Ascension
This is an intense, transitional period in Jesus’ training of His disciples. From here everything leads to Jerusalem, the Cross and The Resurrection. Jesus had something special He wanted to show the three, and later all of us.
To start, He gives them a hint of what is going to happen:
Mark 9:1-13 [MOUNCE]
1 And He said to them, “I tell you the truth, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God having come with power.”
- Cryptic to say the least…
- What is says: Persons there would SEE the Kingdom come in power before they die… This is an exception; for everyone else who believes in Jesus as Lord sees / enters into the Kingdom when they die on this earth.
- What it doesn’t say: The kingdom will come in power before some of them die
2 And after six days Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them, 3 and His clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no launderer on earth could bleach them.
- By themselves: just the 3 disciples… What about Andrew? Why is he not there?
- He was the 1st of the 12 disciples Christ called & the 1st to call Jesus ‘Messiah’
- Was He overlooked because He was John’s disciple 1st? [but so was John]
- Left out of raising Jairus’ daughter [5:37], here & later in the garden [14:33]
- Jesus was setting up the original Christian ‘Mountain Top’ experience
- These 3 would witness: Eli, Mo and Jesus the Messiah In His heavenly Glory
- This was Glory that was ‘Otherworldly’ not possible by natural means
- Jesus was showing these disciples the ultimate proof of His Messiahship.
- This was Christ demonstrating He IS GOD AlMIGHTY
4 And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, 5 And answering, Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three shelters: one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah”— 6 for he did not know what he should reply, because they were so frightened.
- Elijah & Moses… neither have a book of the Bible named after them
- Moses: Giver of the Law
- Elijah: Highest Profile Prophet
- Together they represent Scripture / The Word of God ‘The Law & The Prophets’
- Both departed from the earth in a manner that prefigures Christ’s Ascension
- These two could be considered the most important of Old Testament Players
- Luke 9:30 records these 3 were talking about Christ’s ‘exodus from this world’
- Everything Christ did / does they talk about the crucifixion & the resurrection
- Peter spoke ‘answering them’, they must have overheard the conversation
- Peter wants to continue this ‘Salvation Symposium’
- Totally frightened, yet they wanted more [The Life of True Christ Discipleship]
But before Peter can build anything… Verse 7
7 Then a cloud appeared, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my Son, the beloved, listen to Him!” 8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone, but only Jesus with them.
- What kind of cloud? The ‘Shekinah Glory’
Shekinah Glory is a visible manifestation of God on earth, whose presence is portrayed through a natural occurrence. The word Shekinah is a Hebrew name meaning “dwelling” or “one who dwells.” Shekinah Glory means “He caused to dwell,” referring to the divine presence of God.
- ‘Overshadowing Them’ This is the same phrase used by Gabriel to Mary
- This was the same glory cloud that was in the tent of meeting: I, the Lord, appear in a cloud over the place of mercy on the sacred chest… ~ Leviticus 16:2 [CEV]
9 And as they were coming down from the mountain, He ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen, until the Son of Man should rise from the dead. 10 So they kept this saying to themselves, questioning what ‘rising from the dead’ could mean.
- Ordered… in Luke’s gospel it says they didn’t tell anyone in ‘those days’
- They wanted to know when they could tell, when was this ‘rising’ happening?
- All indications were no one but the three knew of this until Post Resurrection
- They obviously figured out what Jesus meant by raise from the dead!
11 And they asked Him, saying, “Why do the scribes say, ‘Elijah must come first’?” 12 And He said to them, “Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Yet how is it written about the Son of Man? That he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, just as it is written about him.”
- Jesus says the Scribes get it partially right…
- He compares how the scribes misunderstand the Messiah
- And in the same kind of ways the Scribes misunderstand ‘Elijah coming first
- John the Baptist was the ‘Elijah’ that came first [mistreated like Christ]
- Christ is saying how the Scribes misread the scriptures regarding the Christ {Jesus of Nazareth] & the Elijah [John The Baptist]
Questions, Answers & Application
Why doesn’t Jesus take all the Disciples up to the Mount of Transfiguration?
God teaches His disciples in different ways, preparing His followers for different things! God shows things to those He chooses to show things to. He has His reasons.
Take stock of the lessons you have been blessed to have been taught and ask Christ to make you more teachable.
Questions, Answers & Application
Why did Jesus reveal His future glorified state, including Moses & Elijah, to His Disciples?
It connects His Messiahship / Godhood with Old Testament Revelation while prefiguring the future of all Biblical Believers in Christ: Perfect fellowship with God in eternal glory.
Become a student of how the Old & New Testament Scriptures correspond, explain and validate each other as to the full nature of the Triune Godhead.
Questions, Answers & Application
Why were Moses and Elijah talking with Christ about the Crucifixion & Resurrection?
All of the glory the Disciples were seeing prefigured on that mountain would result from the Crucifixion & Resurrection of Jesus the Christ. God’s Glory emanates from who He is and what He does.
Meditate on the impact that Christ’s Crucifixion & Resurrection have on your daily life.
Questions, Answers & Application
Why would a Disciple of Jesus want to build earthly shelters for Heavenly Beings?
We all share the desire to stay at a great place in our growth as Disciples. God wants us to take the revelation of ‘Mountaintop Experiences’ and apply them to change our lives.
Take the latest thing God has taught you about Himself and change something in your life in response to that revelation.
Questions, Answers & Application
Why does the Voice of God from His Shekinah Glory say: ‘Listen To My Son’!
All the revelation in the world is worthless without obedience to Christ; His call to surrender your life, His teachings regarding living in ways that honor God and His call to make disciples.
Do one of these three: Surrender to His Lordship; Obey His Teachings More; Make a Disciple.
I will leave you with one last question: How did the ‘Scribes & Religious Leaders misinterpret Scripture so badly regarding both Jesus & John the Baptist?
Mark 8:27-38 (ESV)
Who do you say that I am?
I have a question that I want to start with. Why are you here today? What brought you here? what dragged you out of bed and all the way to this old building? Did a friend invite you? Is coming to church a habit? So why are you here today? We are going to see in today’s text that Jesus asks his disciples a similar question.
Much like the question of why are you here today, why are we reading these stories? What is it all about?
Why do we care about these stories, about the way a specific man named Jesus interacted with a people group in the middle east in a world long ago? There are a few good reasons, one of which is that it is still relevant. We believe the text that we’ve been going through, the gospel of Mark, is a lot more critical and of more importance than any other story out there. These events had such an impact that thousands of years later we are still talking about them.
But most importantly, we show up at church and continue to read these stories to hear about it because of who we believe Jesus is.
I said Jesus challenges his disciples with a similar question in today’s text; He asks his disciples “who do you say that I am?” I think the sentiment he is getting at is “why are you following me?” what has this all been about? All of these people following him have given up what earthly goals and ambitions they had, and Jesus wants to know why. That is the first section we will look at.
In the second part of our text today, the disciples arrive at the truth of who he is, and Jesus doesn’t let them off the hook. There are some real consequences to the truth. His disciples had to face them, and so do we. Jesus tells his disciples there are two options. Either set your mind on me, or things of this world.
The last part of our text will explore what the consequences are for us. Jesus explains in no complicated terms what he expects us to do with this realization, how it is supposed to change our lives! If it hasn’t… Maybe God will use this morning to spark that very change.
As we dive in, we will let the text ask us a few questions. First, who is Jesus? Second, what is your mind set on? And lastly, how are you acting like Jesus is Lord?
27 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”
• Continuing his ministry, Jesus is now journeying to the next town. Here we take a break from the action of miracles and healings to listen in on a conversation between Jesus and his disciples on the road.
• Jesus asks his friends for the inside scoop.
• They have heard his preaching, seen his character and the way he interacts with the crowds, and the text tells us they repent and believe.
• Their answer tells us what the masses generally believed was that Jesus was a new prophet, or a patriarch back from the dead. They believe that he was from God, but they certainly did not comprehend that he WAS God.
• They think that Jesus is a good moral teacher, someone who is in a long string of messengers from God.
29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30 And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.
• Jesus says I don’t want to hear the noise. He asks his disciples, what are your convictions?
• Peter looked around, and speaks on behalf of the disciples. Certainly, they have talked about this before, this is no pop quiz. When Jesus calmed the storm, they asked themselves, who is this man?
• And Peter answers “The Christ”. What does that word mean? It is a Greek translation of the Hebrew “messiah”, or savior. The promised and expected deliverer of the Jewish nation. Several times through the Old Testament the word messiah is used to describe someone who will come and save the nation of Israel.
• Peter is declaring on behalf of all the disciples that Jesus is in fact this promised rescuer, that he is who they have all been waiting for.
• This is a neat moment for the disciples, who have had trouble seeing the big picture throughout his ministry, this is quite a proclamation.
• He says to tell no one
31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he said this plainly.
• Jesus explains that the Messiah will be very different than the Jews have drawn it up. The Jewish leaders and traditions have taken some liberties and filled in the gaps with how the messiah is supposed to rescue them, and he sets it straight here.
• Once it is established that Jesus is the Christ, he tells them exactly what it means.
• He must be rejected by the elders and religious leaders, be killed and rise again.
• He said it plainly.
32b And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
• Peter, who JUST confessed Jesus to be the long-awaited rescuer, decides he wants to tell Jesus he is wrong. Peter wants a mighty ruler, and earthy king who will conquer their enemies.
• The Israelites had been physically and societally oppressed for so long that their understanding of a Rescuer had been boiled down to someone who would liberate the nation. That’s where their focus is.
• Peter does not like that the Christ plans on dying, that is incongruent with their needs.
• They need someone who will take up swords! Who will rally armies, command troops and galvanize resistance with lofty speeches and overthrow the Romans! But if he’s dead…
• They have seen Jesus raise people from the dead, but even so, they need him to be alive. Life can’t come from nothing, life creates life. A dead lifeguard can’t save anyone else from drowning.
33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
• Todd mentioned last week, we really like to tell God what to do. Here is how I drew it up
• Peter wants to give Jesus the crown without the cross. And Jesus knew the cross had to come first.
• The miracles are parables.
o Leading up to this conversation Jesus had just healed a blind man. The unique part of this healing only recorded in Mark is the two phased healing.
o Mark 8:23b-25 “When he had spit 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.”
o The man first sees a little bit, and then his eyes are opened fully.
o If you think it’s cause Jesus couldn’t do it…
o The disciples start to see, but it is distorted. They don’t see the full picture yet.
• Jesus calls his followers to set their minds on the things of God
• The easy answer for Christians today when asked, what are the things of God, might be reading your bible. Praying. Going to church. Maybe tithing.
• Those aren’t bad things, but it will be difficult to do those things over the marathon that is your life if you mind is not set on Him.
• If the symptom is not wanting to read your bible, I would offer that the disease is not knowing him, understanding who Jesus really is.
• Leads to our last question, what does a life look like that is set on Him?
34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul?
• Jesus tells us his followers need to deny themselves.
• To deny yourself, ask what are the things you can’t go without? That your gut says you can’t deny, things you need? Is it your job? Career? Reputation? Financial stability, family ties? Jesus isn’t saying to avoid those things, but instead to put him first, as the priority in my life.
• He tells the crowd to take up their cross. Crucifixion was the most common form of execution back then. They did not have the visual that we do of Jesus actually carrying the cross up the hill.
• Does the phrase “lose your life” scare you? Do you think it means not getting to do anything fun or enjoyable?
• Sometimes being in the world convinces you it has value.
• There are things we build up in our lives, that we put value in, that when we step away from it, we realize are not of any value at all.
• and I think that is what Jesus is telling his followers. You cannot build value in this world. We trick ourselves to think that we can.
• Getting older we accumulate wealth, save money, home values appreciate, retirement accounts grow, we feel more confident, comfortable and safe.
• But it is all worth nothing, and we know that because we ask, what does it get you?
• You can judge value two ways. what does it get you or How much does something cost?
• If the cost is our lives, our souls, have we gotten good value? What does it profit a man to gain the world, at the cost of the only thing we have that matters.
• Jesus says the way to save our lives is to lay it down for him.
38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
• Jesus does not want followers who are ashamed of him, in fact there is no such thing as a closeted follower.
• We may laugh that the disciples didn’t understand what it meant to be the Christ
• We are still figuring it out ourselves! There is so much we don’t know, some because we can’t and others because we don’t make the time
People ever since have been trying to figure out what to do with Jesus.
Liar, Lunatic or Lord trilemma.
“however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God.”
We cannot stand with the people of Israel following him thinking he was a good moral teacher. The stakes are higher now, Jesus has not left us with that option.
I said at the start that we have an incredible God. He hatched this plan so long ago, so that he could bring us to himself. We as Christians today have the luxury of seeing the greater picture, but even so the messiah is greater than what our human minds could conceive.
The Jews were thinking too small when it came to the Christ. They had a legitimate physical need for a savior, so that is what they drew the Messiah to be. Can you blame them? Put yourself in the shoes of a Jew today.
I am sure they would love for someone from the line of David to bring home hostages, defeat their enemies. Bring Israel to peace and prosperity.
Yet God has more, his messiah did not come to do that. He came to unify mankind with himself, to bring eternal peace, to give us spiritual safety. Our need for rescue goes beyond physical safety. And that is why the Christ had to be God himself. Who came to suffer in our place, to die for us, and to bear our sin in a way that only God could do.
Q’s
• Who do I think Jesus is?
• What is my mind set on? What does my life revolve around?
If something comes up, what do you have to clear? Getting to the gym? How is it going to make people feel? Do I have the money? Will I be able to get to bed on time?
• For me it can be trying to make the most of my time. Working and family responsibilities take up a lot of time, so I prioritize by asking am I getting good value out of this time spent? But I am a fool to think I know how to get better value out of my time than God does
At the start of the sermon, I asked why you decided to come to church today. There is only one reason that matters, and I pray it is true for you. It is that you know who Jesus is, that he is the Christ, Lord of your life, and it has caused a cosmic shift in how you live and prioritize your life.
9 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”
What really matters for those of us who have chosen to be Biblical Followers of Christ? If you have yet to become a Biblical Follower of Christ, what really matters to you? They say you can determine what really matters to someone by three key things: What they do with their time, what they do with their financial resources and what they do with others. [Shared Life]
At this point in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus has been training the Disciples for 2 yrs! Giving them principals & application of those principals. Some lessons are repeated. Repetition in Scripture…Important things are purposely repeated for OUR benefit. Why does the same sort of thing happen over and over again in Scripture? The disciples have been with Jesus for a while now but He has to repeat lessons for them…good thing that never happens with us!
All of these lesson are about what really matters: Right Relationship with God! Today in our text we see 3 key Principals of a Right / Biblical Relationship with God: We are to focus on Eternal things not Earthly things. We are to live by Faith that God is who He says He is and will do what He promises. We are to avoid any sort of entitlement and not demand anything from God.
Mark 8:1-21 [ESV]
In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, He called His disciples to Him and said to them, 2 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with Me now three days and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.”
- Christ is on the southeast side of the sea of Galilee [Gentile Area]
- People have traveled from the surrounding towns [Decapolis = 10 towns]
- These people have discovered what really matters: The Messiah, God Himself
- They have ‘been with Him’…once you have been with Him, you belong to Him
- And He cares for them…they’ve come a long way spiritually [No OT Revelation]
4 And His disciples answered Him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” 5 And He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.”
- The reply of the disciples is: “There is no way to not send them home hungry!”
- So Jesus asks: “how much do you guys have for a personal supply?”
- The question may seem familiar…
6 And He directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, He broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. 7 And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, He said that these also should be set before them.
- No green grass this time, just find some ground..
- 1st things 1st: GIVE THANKS!
- Christ didn’t give directly to the crowd, He gave to the disciples for them to give
- Teaching them & empowering them to give their lives [bread] away
8 And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 9 And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. 10 And immediately He got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. [Magdala]
- They were satisfied physically and spiritually
- 7 loaves to start…7 ‘full baskets’ when all had been fed
- The disciples now have more to eat than what they started with [IN their power]
- 4000 people / men, they way they counted…all non jews!
- I would say this was a more profound gathering than the 5000 Jews He fed
- Once fed He sends them home: The miracle was to cement / validate teaching
- Immediately Jesus ships out! Back to the land of The Jews…
11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven to test Him. 12 And He sighed deeply in His spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 And He left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.
- This an example of the ‘religious entitlement’ of the Religious leaders
- ‘We deserve a sign’!
- 6000 gentiles who sat under Jesus’ teaching for 3 days didn’t demand a sign
- Like in the previous passage Jesus sighed deeply, this time in His spirit
- Obviously God is totally grieved by this kind of attitude
- Why do ‘you guys’ want a sign? No sign for you! Your sort [faithless] get zip!
Generation can mean; one’s own kind, race, descendants, an age or time period. Mark’s gospel uses the word 3 times: 8:12: ‘This generation’, 8:38: ‘This adulterous and sinful generation’, 9:19: ‘This unbelieving generation’.
- Jesus drops the mic, walks out of the ambush and ships out again!
- Back to the gentile, non-Jewish population
14 Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 And He cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” [The Herodians]
- So they leave ‘immediately’ and they only have one loaf of bread
- As they discover their mistake [perhaps in haste] Jesus starts teaching
- He sees their preoccupation with the earthly vs the eternal
- It is a mini-parable:
- Bread is the thing that gives life, it represents a relationship with God
- The leaven is the thing that once introduced into the bread it infects it all
- The leaven of the religious rulers is self-sufficient, entitlement
- Self-sufficient, Entitled Religion = Zero seeking of God
- It is a religion where I take care of all my needs and God is like a ‘Mascot’
- I know how God works SO WELL… I know the way God works…
16 And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?”
- Watch out! Beware! Says Jesus…
- To this warning the disciples are like; ‘Ok, great Jesus. Now, what shall we eat?
- Here is the hardening of the heart again [Repetition! Mk. 6:52]
- It is what He is warning them about, religious entitlement / self-sufficiency
- THAT is the leaven of the current religious establishment [how about now?]
- Jesus says: ‘I have given you the ability to see, hear and remember and yet…’
- What have you seen Jesus do?
- What have you heard Him say to you?
- What can you remember about who Jesus is?
19 “When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.” 20 “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to Him, “Seven.” 21 And He said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
- Ok guys I love you so let’s go over this again:
- We start with 5 loaves; after thousands eat their fill we have more than 5 loaves
- We start with 7 loaves; after thousands eat their fill we have more than 7 loaves
- What they don’t understand and we don’t understand is ‘Christian Provision’
- Provision Now and Provision Forever
- Abundance! He came to bring abundance, not ‘Scarcity’
Pastoral Plea: Take Jesus’ warning seriously!
BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE: If Christ has chosen you to be His disciple, He will provide for your basic needs. If you focus on such things they will distract you from what really matters: your relationship with God.
GOD’S WORD: “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” ~ Matthew 6:31-33 [NLT]
APPLICATION: What are the ‘Creature Comforts’ that dominate your thoughts? Fast from one or some of those things for a week and ask God to be your ‘Creator Comfort’.
BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE: It dishonors God when you demand He proves who He is in some way you desire. God has provided all the information [Scripture / Provision / Miracles] you need to surrender your life to Him for eternity and today.
GOD’S WORD: Without faith no one can please God. Anyone who comes to God must believe that he is real and that He rewards those who truly want to find Him. ~ Hebrews 11:4 [NCV]
APPLICATION: Take an hour and recount the times and things Jesus has done to prove He is the Christ. Use those things as reasons to seek God and surrender your life fully to Christ.
BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE: Christ directly warns His disciples to beware of expecting God to answer to you. This kind of ‘Spiritual Entitlement’ is an infection that works it’s way into every part of your life, it will come between you and a Biblical relationship with Christ.
GOD’S WORD: “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.” ~ Matthew 16:4
APPLICATION: Ask God to show you if there are ways you live like God owes you something. Once you find something, change that habit or practice [with Christ’s help].