Lesson 2Gospel of MarkClass Notes for August 29, 2017 Mark 2:13 - 3:35
At this point in the ministry of Jesus, John the Baptist, the prophesied forerunner of the Messiah, had identified Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and the One who would baptize with the Holy Spirit. At Jesus' baptism a voice from heave had confirmed Jesus as the Father's beloved Son in whom He is well pleased, and the Holy Spirit had descended upon Jesus witnessed by all those present. Jesus returned to Galilee preaching that the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. It is time to repent and believe in this good news.
As time passed, John the Baptist was imprisoned after preaching about the sins of Herod. Jesus called His first four disciples (later to be apostles): Peter, Andrew, James and John. Jesus taught with authority, healed the sick, and cast out demons. News of His ministry spread and drew large crowds seeking healing which inhibited His primary mission to teach about the Kingdom of God. There was opposition from the scribes and Pharisees who were critical of Jesus, perhaps fearing His popularity with the people or His challenge to their own authority. They accused Him of blasphemy when He forgave sins as only God could, an offense which would carry a death penalty. And the conflict would continue.
Mark 2:13-22Eating and Fasting
Jesus was in Capernaum. Many people were coming to Him, and He would go out by the seashore to teach. On the way He encountered Levi (Matthew), a Jew who collected Roman taxes from his own people. Also known as publicans, these Jews bought tax franchises from the Roman government and earned their own pay by collecting more than they had to send to the Romans. Sometimes this was a large amount which made them quite prosperous and incited great resentment from the Jews. Tax collectors were seen as traitors and were despised since they added to the already burdensome taxes required by Rome. Levi's immediate response to Jesus' invitation to follow Him indicates that He had probably heard Jesus teach and was aware of the miracles which were bringing Him so much recognition.
Luke 5:29 records that Levi gave a big reception for Jesus in his house, inviting many of his fellow tax collectors and others identified as sinners. The Pharisees and their scribes were incensed that Jesus, a Rabbi and healer, and His disciples were dining with these religiously and socially unacceptable people. Jesus heard them inquire of His disciples why Jesus would dine with tax collectors and sinners. Using a medical analogy, only those who are sick need a physician, Jesus said that He came to call sinners, not the righteous, to repentance Luke 5:32. In this context, Jesus seems to contrast those who recognize their sinfulness and those who are self-righteous like His accusers. Even those who are truly saved, justified before God, work out their salvation in an attitude of repentance.
Mark continued to show the opposition faced by Jesus. John the Baptist was in prison, and his disciples were following Jewish regulations concerning fasting. This may indicate that many of John B's disciples had not turned to follow Jesus. While the Law given to Moses required fasting only once a year, on the Day of Atonement Lev. 16:29, 31, devout Jews would fast twice a week. Jesus' response to them previews the New Covenant which He is bringing. The Old Covenant treasured by the Jews was based on God's promises through Abraham, Moses and David. They claimed the inheritance given through Abraham, the Law given through Moses, and the Kingdom of Israel of David. While all the promises in these covenants (as well as the others recorded in the OT) are everlasting, Jesus reveals that this New Covenant in Him will not be just an addition or "patch" to the Old Covenant, but something truly new.
Jesus gave three examples to explain this deviation from Jewish tradition regarding fasting:
While a bridegroom is present, there is feasting and not fasting. When the bridegroom is not present,
his attendants will fast. Further revelation is that Jesus is the bridegroom preparing His bride,
the church. This is also a reference to Jesus being taken away, even suddenly.
New cloth sewn onto an old garment will simply cause damage. Jesus did not come to "fix" Judaism
but to reveal the fulfillment of former prophesies in Him.
New wine will destroy old wineskins. The salvation that Jesus is bringing cannot be contained in the
external traditions of self-righteousness and ritual.
Mark 2:23 - Mark 3:6Observing the Sabbath
Through Moses, God gave the people of Israel both weekly sabbaths and worship sabbaths. The Hebrew word for sabbath is #7676, shabbath. It's root meaning comes from #7651, sheba or shibah which means seven and #7673, shabath which means to rest. The fourth commandment, Ex. 20:8-11, sets aside the seventh day of the week for the entire nation of Israel to rest from their work and to remind them that God rested on the seventh day of creation. The sabbath is a sign between God and the sons of Israel throughout all their generations that they would know that Jehovah is their LORD who set them apart from all other nations. Ex. 31:12-13, 17; Ezek. 20:12 There were sacrifices and worship every day at the Tabernacle and Temple. Israel was also given special worship sabbaths: three times each year when all the men were to gather in Jerusalem for worship at the Temple.
1st month, NissanMarch-AprilPassover
including Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits
3rd month, Sivan50 days after PassoverFeast of Weeks or Pentecost
7th month, TishriSeptember-OctoberTabernacles or Booths
including Trumpets, Day of Atonement
As if this were not enough, the Jews had added 39 laws about what was not to be done on a sabbath, particularly the weekly sabbath. Even in Israel today, many of these regulations (and, can you believe, even MORE) are strictly followed by orthodox Jews.
Although Christians in the New Testament did not observe any of the sabbaths, sacrifices or dietary restrictions given to Israel. The church worshiped on Sunday, the Lord's Day, the first day of the week commemorating Jesus' resurrection. Our rest is in Jesus. Heb. 4:1-11 Needless to say, many traditions and regulations have sprung up in churches regarding what is permissible on Sunday. Sunday is the day set aside for congregational worship, but Christians individually worship God every day of the week. Both individual and congregational worship are essential for all Christians. Sometimes the Lord's Day is referred to as the Christian sabbath.
Now, back to Mark 2:23-28 Jesus fulfilled all requirements of the Law, and therefore any deviation would have been prophetic concerning the New Covenant. He was under extraordinary scrutiny from the scribes and Pharisees, so when Jesus' disciples were picking heads of grain on the sabbath, it was quickly pointed out that this was considered work and not lawful. Jesus refuted their criticism with three points: First, (reminding them that they should already be aware of this principle) Jesus reminded them that David had fed his men from loaves of bread representing the 12 tribes of Israel which were to be consumed by the priests and replaced with fresh loaves weekly. Because the men were hungry, the priest allowed it to be given to them. Nowhere in Scripture is this deviation from the law condemned. Second, the sabbath was given to benefit the people and to be a blessing. The Pharisees had made it a burden by their myriad of man-made regulations. And third, and perhaps most important, Jesus is Lord over all, even the sabbath.
Opposition intensifies. Mark 3:1- 6 gives us another incident regarding observance of the sabbath. Jesus was in the synagogue on the sabbath and encountered a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees were still watching with a critical eye wanting to accuse Jesus of violating their understanding of the requirements of the sabbath. Jesus called the man to come forward and then turned to the Pharisees with a question: Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save a life or to kill? They did not answer. Jesus' reaction was anger and grief at their hardness of heart, an inability to understand because of an attitude of rebellion. At Jesus' instructions, the man stretched out his hand and was restored. The Pharisees were incensed. They sought allies among the Herodians and conspired as to how they might destroy Jesus. They felt justified in their actions since the Law required death for breaking the sabbath. Num. 15:32-36 The Herodians were a secular political party which took its name from Herod Antipas and was strong in support for Rome. They opposed the Pharisees on nearly every issue, but were willing to conspire with them since Herod himself wanted Jesus dead. Luke 13:31
Mark 3:7 -19Crowds, demons and apostles
Verses 7 - 12 describe the overwhelming crowds that followed Jesus wherever He went. Word of healing and authority over demons spread throughout the region and people were following Him from significant distances. Jesus had a boat standing ready so that He could stand separate from people who were pressing in to touch Him. The demons would fall down before Jesus shouting that He is the Son of God. Jesus did not want this attention or any indication that he was worshiped by demons since they are the enemy of all who are righteous. Jesus rejected their actions and wanted His own message to prevail.
There were many disciples who followed Jesus, but Jesus chose only 12 to be His inner circle, those who would later be sent with His authority to establish the church. Those whom He chose were
Simon, named Peter by Jesus, also called Cephas
James, brother of John, one of the inner circle (Peter, James and John)
John, later bishop of the church at Ephesus, the only apostle not martyred
Andrew, Peter's brother, a former disciple of John B
Philip, from Bethsaida, not to be confused with deacon/evangelist Philip Acts 7:5
Bartholomew, aka Nathanael, born and raised in Cana
Matthew, son of Alphaeus, aka Levi, from Capernaum, a tax collector
Thomas, aka Didymus (twin), Judas Thomas, and Doubting Thomas, touched Jesus' wound
James, son of Alphaeus, aka James the Younger and James the Less, maybe brother of Matthew
Thaddaeus, aka Jude, Judas son of James, Labbaeus; asked Jesus to reveal Himself John 14:22
Simon the Zealot, aka Simon the Cananaean; Zealots were a political party for nationalist Israel
Judas Iscariot, aka Judas the son of Simon; treasurer of the group, betrayed Jesus
the only apostle not from Galilee, possibly Kerioth in Judah
Mark 3:20-30Continuing Opposition
Jesus returned to Capernaum, and the crowds continued to surround Him to the point that Jesus and His disciples were not even able to eat a meal. His own people (immediate family) arrived later, v. 32, and consisted of His mother and brothers, who had come to take Him away, or perhaps even have Him arrested, considering His unconventional lifestyle and actions to be unreasonable. It would be understandable, too, they could have been concerned about Jesus' safety if they were aware of the conspiracies against Him. We will learn more of their interaction later in this lesson.
And there were fierce accusations against Jesus. The scribes from Jerusalem made the trip to Capernaum to further confront Jesus. In order to explain away Jesus' power over demons, they concluded that He must be possessed Himself by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons and prince of evil spirits. It has been suggested that this name comes from ba'al zebel, which would translate "dung god", an expression intended to designate with loathing the prince of all moral impurities. Beelzebub, the Philistine god of the flies, was a reference to the devil himself.
Jesus answered them with an illustration which would have been familiar to everyone present. The point is that Satan would not work against himself and his own demons, or he would destroy himself. Only someone stronger than Satan could overcome his strength and damage his domain. More importantly, their accusations denied the witness of the Holy Spirit which qualifies as blasphemy.
They were warned that this is unforgiveable, an intentional rebellious sin against truth revealed by the Holy Spirit. Jesus outlined the work of the Holy Spirit in the world (among unbelievers) John 16:8-11: to convict the world of sin - with a command to repent,
of righteousness - to acknowledge Jesus as the only Savior in a sinful world, and
of judgment - Jesus' resurrection confirms all His claims, and there is a future judgment
the ruler of this world (the Beelzebul they claim to know) has been judged.
Mark 3:31-35Family and the Will of God
From Mark 6:3 and Matt 13:55-56 we know that Jesus had four brothers: James, Joses, Judas and Simon, as well as unnamed and unnumbered sisters. Jesus' father, Joseph, is not mentioned in Scripture after Jesus' trip to Jerusalem for Passover with His family when Jesus was 12 years old. Luke 2:41-52
At some point the family had moved from Nazareth to Capernaum. Mark records that Jesus' family had come to "take custody of Him", and Jesus took this opportunity to teach a foundational truth concerning the Family of God. Pointing to the people around Him, Jesus identified His family as those who do the will of God. God established earthly families to be a picture of His own family, those who belong to the Kingdom of God.
We know that there are only two spiritual families in the world: children of God and children of the devil. Those who are children of God practice righteousness. 1 John 3:9-10 Those who are led by the Holy Spirit are saved in Christ and are adopted children of God. Rom. 8:14-17 This is a sovereign act of God's grace and is not due to blood (a descendant of Abraham or of Christian parents), the will of the flesh (anything that someone may do or attain), or the will of man (someone's own decision or choice independent of faith and God's grace). John 1:12-13 Jesus' family is identified as those who do what pleases God, His will. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Heb. 11:6
God's will is not a mystery. God is very specific about what pleases Him. God's will is that which is good, acceptable and perfect. Rom. 12:2 Jesus always did the Father's will and not His own (although we know they would never be inconsistent). John 5:30 It pleases God that everyone who believes in Jesus has eternal life. John 6:40 Doing God's will gives knowledge whether teachings are of God.
John 7:17 Spiritual gifts are given at the pleasure of the Holy Spirit. Heb. 2:4 The sanctification of believers pleases God. 1 Thes. 4:3 . . . . and many more verses.
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