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The Authority of Jesus

Mark 3:1-12.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on May 19, 2019.

Today, we are back in the Gospel of Mark.  We will be talking about the authority of Jesus. 

After the Resurrection, Jesus told his disciples that all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to him.  Thus, he was sending them out to proclaim who he was and what he had done.  They were to disciple those who believed in Jesus.  When you bring the Gospel into someone’s life and teach them to follow Jesus, you are operating under the authority of One who is greater than the Washington State Legislature, or the United States Congress, or the United Nations Security Council.  You are operating under the authority of Jesus, who is the King over all kings and the Lord over all lords.

However, this does not mean that we should be arrogant, and neither does it mean that we should be fearful and timid.  May the Spirit of Christ rise up within us and enable us to rise up in the face of the spirit of this world.  May we be bold enough to lead people to Jesus.

Jesus appoints The Twelve Apostles

Though Jesus has already called the twelve disciples to follow him, here we have an actual appointment to a position that these men didn’t understand completely, at the time.  They are not just to be his disciples (a word that focuses on being students of Jesus), but also to be his apostles (we will talk more about this word in a bit).

Verse 14 in the King James Version and in the New King James Version do not have the added phrase “whom he also named apostles.”  This is due to the fact that many more manuscripts and many older manuscripts have been discovered since the creation of the KJV in the early 1600’s.  Modern translators have had to weigh the evidence of the many manuscripts that currently exist and make choices of what was in the original.  In case you think this is unacceptable, you may be interested to know that the translators of the King James Version testified that they had done this very thing themselves.  They did their best with the manuscripts they had at the time.  This is why most modern versions have added the phrase “whom he also named apostles.”  It is interesting that sometimes it goes the other way, a phrase is believed to have been added later and is thus removed by newer versions.  Either way, we want to have what was written originally, no more and no less.  Thankfully, none of these questionable phrases or words affect any doctrinal positions of the Bible.  Even if the word “apostle” should not be connected to this passage (even though the evidence seems to point in the other direction), Mark will undisputedly use the word apostles of these guys in chapter 6.  This is also backed up by multitudes of other passages throughout the New Testament.  The 12 Disciples were also called to become the 12 Apostles.

Before we look at the names that are listed, we should note that it says that these men are those that Jesus wanted.  We should not rush by that statement.  It is his choice; and when you analyze his choices, you find them to be revealing.  None of these men are professionally trained in the Scriptures.  They are also mostly lower class (although Matthew does represent the wealthy).  Even in Matthew’s case, his wealth is attained through taxation and therefore makes him an outcast to his people.  They all are from a rural area of Israel, and all from Galilee except for Judas Iscariot.  He is the only man from Judah picked and his name is also the Greek form of the Hebrew name Judah.  Still he is “Iscariot.”  This is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew Ish Kerioth, or man of Kerioth (a rural town in Judah).  When you connect all of this to the New Testament theme that Jesus calls those who are not always the greatest and wisest of this world, you begin to get the picture.  The greatest and wisest of this world are often so full of themselves that there is no room for God.  Also, God purposefully operates in a way that the simplest among us can understand and come to Him for salvation (not to say that The Twelve were simple-minded).  This is counter to the operations of the great in our world today.  Those who wish to create great organizations look for the brightest stars to work for them, but Jesus calls those who are not the brightest stars.

So, what is an Apostle anyways?  In the vernacular of the day, they would be official representatives of Jesus, at least when he is not available.  They would be his “sent ones.”  The main purpose of this appointment would be evident after the ascension of Jesus.  The text tells us that these apostles would be with Jesus (everywhere he went).  Thus, they would be eye-witnesses of all the miracles that he did and the teachings that he delivered.  They would also be eye-witnesses of the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.  They would represent a solid foundational witness that would stand the test of time.  In this sense there are no apostles today.  We operate on the foundation built by Jesus and his apostles, once and for all, in the first century.

1 Corinthians 15:1-11 is a better place where the Apostle Paul takes time to describe and explain the appointing of the apostles.  They were those who were eye-witnesses of the post-resurrection appearances and had been given the Gospel directly from Jesus.  In fact, Hebrews 3:1 tells us that Jesus is the Apostle and High Priest of our faith.  Just as the father sent Jesus to the world, so Jesus was sending his apostles to continue his work to the ends of the earth.

Now, I know that there is a lot of controversy in the Church today over whether or not there are still apostles today, and in what sense.  There is a good article online at the Assemblies of God website:  This should walk you through all of the pertinent issues and is well-balanced.

Mark emphasizes their closeness to Jesus (as opposed to the many other disciples who did not travel everywhere with Jesus).  These guys would have the most time with Jesus compared to anyone else.  He would explain things to them that he may not have explained to the crowds.  This would enable them to accurately preach, or proclaim, what Jesus wanted them to teach.  The Kingdom of Heaven was here, and whosoever will could join and become a part of it.  Always remember that proclaiming the truth for Jesus begins with first spending time with him, through his Word and spiritually in prayer.

They were also going to be given power to heal and cast out demons.  This demonstrates the power of Christ in regards to physical matters and spiritual matters.  They would truly operate under and in his authority.  This would be especially important as the Gospel was taken to the nations.  These nations represented the territory of the spiritual enemies of Christ and his people.  The apostles were the tip of the spear of Christ’s invasion of the spiritual kingdom that Satan had amassed over the years. 

So just who were these guys?  The apostle Peter is actually named Simon and Jesus has given him the nickname Peter, which means rock.  Yes, Peter may have been the original Rocky!  Jesus also gave nicknames to the two sons of Zebedee, James and John.  They are called the Sons of Thunder.  Boanerges is a Greek spelling of an Aramaic compound word.  We can also notice that there is another James in the list, the son of Alphaeus.  He is sometimes called James the Lesser.  There is another Simon who is a Cananite.  This is not a reference to Canaan (notice the two a’s in a row).  It was a word that was used of a group of Zealots who resisted and plotted against Rome.  Lastly, we have the infamous Judas Iscariot.  He would be the one who would betray Jesus and then go on to commit suicide.  He is replaced in Acts 1 by Matthias.  Yes, Jesus knew very well that he had chosen a guy who would one day betray him, but that was part of the plan.

Challenges to his authority occurred

Jesus had far more authority than people could really accept.  He literally is the One who had given the Law and had brought Israel into the Land of Canaan, but that is another story.  So in these verses, we see several challenges to what Jesus was doing.

First, there is a challenge mentioned from his own family (this is what is meant by “his own people.”)  It could mean those who are from his clan, but most likely meant his immediate family.  The question here is that they think Jesus is out of his mind.  Perhaps it was the continual traveling around causing disruption with great crowds of people.  Perhaps it was the way in which he didn’t fit in with the religious establishment.  We don’t know exactly what bothered them, except the fact that they don’t understand and spiritually are not in the right place. 

Let that be a lesson to us.  Sometimes those closest to us can resist the work of God in our life the most.  This is not always true, but it often can be.  Don’t be that type of person that holds people back from what God is doing, out of your own fears.  Make sure that you are following God and then you will be in a good position to help others to do so.  Yet, even then, remember that you are not God.  Leave room for the Holy Spirit to operate in the lives of your loved ones. 

Now, recognize that this passage is not supporting crazy actions.  Jesus was not climbing up on top of the temple and casting himself to the ground.  Rather, it is showing that what Jesus was doing was far outside the normal, and thus, it was hard to accept for many, including his own family.

The second attack on his authority in this passage is from the scribes who are experts in The Law.  They come down from the big city and proclaim that these country bumpkins are being taken in by a charlatan.  They claim that Jesus is able to cast out demons because he is in league with Beellzebub, which was an Aramaic term for the “Lord of the flies,” (aka, the lord of the demons).

However, Jesus sets the record straight.  He first points out that Satan is not going to cast himself out (that is cast out demons who are there doing his bidding and extending his kingdom).  Clearly, Jesus sees Satan as the head honcho of an evil, spiritual kingdom that had been set up on this earth.  No general or king gives up their territory of authority without it being taken from them in some way, which leads to the next point.

Jesus makes it clear that he is casting out demons because he has first “bound the strong man.”  He has somehow put Satan in bonds and thus can go out and mop up his territory at will.  So, what does Jesus mean by binding Satan?

Revelation 20 speaks of a time when Satan will be captured and bound in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years.  He is then going to be released for a short time before he is recaptured and thrown into the Lake of Fire, never to return again.  Of course, Jesus cannot be talking about this actual removal of Satan from earth because the apostles later warn believers to be aware of Satan and his tactics, i.e. he is not bound up yet.  1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”  So, we can call this the ultimate binding of Satan and it is not what Jesus means.

The binding is in his own life.  The gospels all point out that the first thing Jesus does in his ministry is to go into the wilderness, where he is tempted by the devil.  Jesus thwarts Satan’s every attempt to bring him under his control.  That is why Jesus later says in John 14:30 that the ruler of this world is coming, but “he has nothing in me.”  So, Jesus has bound Satan in his own life by countering each temptation and spiritual attack.  Notice that most people are possessed by a demon.  However, if we are to set other people free from the bonds of sin that Satan has used to bind them, t hen we must first bind Satan’s work in our own life.  It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit and looking to Jesus Christ that we can overcome the enemy and then plunder his kingdom.

So, as we close this morning, just remember that Christ calls all of his believers to be learners or students of his word.  He also calls us to pick up the work that the apostles began and go to the world with the good news of the person and work of Jesus Christ.  He is God’s answer for the problem of sin in this world.  Put your faith in him today.

Authority of Jesus audio


The Expensive Gift

Matthew 26:6-13.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Mother’s Day, May 12, 2019.

Today is Mother’s Day and we want to honor each and every mom that works hard every day to take care of her family.  Today’s story is not necessarily about a mother, but it is about a woman who gives an expensive gift of love to Jesus.  I would say that a woman who gives expensive gifts of love to those around them is a very fine definition of what it means to be a mom. 

As we look at this story, I pray that all moms will find encouragement for their life of sacrifice, and I pray that the rest of us can also hear the call of the Holy Spirit showing us how to love in every situation.

She gives what she feels led to give

In this passage, the woman is unnamed, but we are told that it occurs at Bethany in the house of Simon the Leper during the week before Christ’s crucifixion.  This would make it highly likely that this passage is a parallel account of John 12 where a similar account takes place.  There we are told that this is Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus (the one who Jesus raised from the dead).  Simon the Leper is most likely someone who was healed by Jesus, otherwise he wouldn’t be receiving dinner guests.  Regardless, it isn’t important if we know the woman’s name for today’s purpose.  However, I will refer to the John 12 account from time to time.

Jesus seems to be at a meal that is interrupted by this woman who pours a small flask of expensive oil upon his head.  This is something that would not be very welcome in our society, but it would have been considered an honoring thing in this society.  The oil would smell nice, which would honor the person with both its costly value and its odor.  Also, anointing had the added social connection to the beginning of a priest’s service or the beginning of a king’s reign.  Israel would anoint their priests and kings as they launched their term of service.

However, we must recognize that the motivation behind the woman’s action is not made clear in the story.  One thing is certain; it is the Holy Spirit that is leading her to do this.  She loves the Lord and sought a way to show it.  Often our love for another person causes us to give things that cost us dearly.  In fact, the most costly thing that mother’s give is themselves.  What is it that stirs a woman to give herself to children, a spouse, and family?  I believe that it is the Spirit of God that stirs these things up in our hearts.

Others don’t understand her gift of love

We are told that the disciples are shocked that this expensive gift is being “wasted” in this way.  John 12 tells us that Judas the Betrayer was the one who led this rebuke, but clearly at least some of the other disciples joined in with him and voiced their disapproval.  The oil could have been sold and the money used for the poor.  Now, several things stick out with this objection.  It sounds very pious and also like good financial advice.  However, it doesn’t have the heart of the woman whose love is being spurred by the Holy Spirit.  In John 12 we are told that Judas was skimming money out of the treasury bag, which he carried.  Clearly his motivations are evil, but he masks the true intentions by mentioning the poor.  As for the other disciples, their motivations are not evil like those of Judas.  However, they are caught up in a wrong spirit that criticizes the woman’s gift.

People can often object to how we spend our time, our energy, and our money.  Those things that we do that are motivated by our flesh and selfishness are often deserving of such rebukes.  However, love often gives “wastefully.”  How much was Jesus worth?  In John 12 we are told that the oil was valued at 300 denarii.  This term is usually defined as 1 day’s wage for a common laborer.  That is ten months of wages!  In our terms today we would be talking about $20,000 or more.  That is a lot of money that might even make the most giving of us think twice.  Christ is not physically here for us to show our love like Mary was able to do.  How do we love Christ?  We do so by loving his followers as he loved us, selflessly and sacrificially.  We do so by obeying his command to share the Gospel with the world around us.  Now, there is no law of God that limits the actions of our love.  Yet, people will often criticize you when you love extravagantly.  They will tell you that you are forgiving too many times etc. and criticize your response.  However, don’t pay the critics any mind.  Just ask yourself this.  How is God leading me to love this person in this situation?  Then stick to what you believe He is saying.

Christ receives and defends her gift

It doesn’t really matter what others say about how you have loved those who are in your life.  It only matters what Jesus thinks about our love.  Christ not only receives her gift as a gift of love, but he also defends her before the other disciples.  Countering their “It should have been given to the poor” argument, Jesus states that the poor will always be there to help, but the opportunity to do this was quickly slipping away.  Jesus would be crucified within the week.

It is amazing that people will end up sacrificing the specific person or people that God has put in their life for the sake of the unnamed masses of humanity.  There is nothing wrong with loving humanity and giving to causes that touch them with compassion.  However, if I don’t actively love the specific people in my life then I am a hypocrite.  Another way to think of it is that, we can neglect our love of the human in front of us for the sake of our love of humanity.  It is almost impossible to love humanity in a concrete way, but it is possible to love the individuals in your life today.

God is not worried about waste in the same way that we are.  Sure, we should not waste our money and live on frivolous and selfish things, however, neither should we let others who have a vested interest in our time, devotion, and money, tell us how to use it.  Rather, let us ask the Lord each day how to give love to the people in our life, as well as what organizations to support that are reaching people who are not in my life.  Just know that God has your back.  He simply wants you to grow in your ability to love, to become more like Him.

Her gift of love is greater than she knew

Probably no mother has completely understood the full impact of their sacrificial love.  We should do our best to help them through countless thankful actions, but even we do not completely understand.  Yet, God does.  Jesus explains in our passage that she is anointing him for his coming burial.  We know from the Gospels that none of the disciples really accepted the idea or understood that Christ really would be rejected and executed.   There is no reason to believe that Mary understood any more than they.  Her significant sacrifice was doing something beyond what she intended.

It is important for us to quit analyzing our actions of love after the fact in such a way that we are left feeling worthless.  We may even judge them as worthless or wasted ourselves.  For every child who has squandered the love of a great mom, is a mother’s heart that wrestles with self condemnation and sometimes the condemnation of people around them.  Yet, we are in the worst position to judge the value of our love.  Only God knows the true value of the blood, sweat, and tears that you have poured out in love for your family.  And if it is done in devotion to Christ, it is infinitely more valuable.  Incalculable.  Priceless!   Don’t let the spirit of this world cloud up or infect your heart with fear and doubt.  Rather, keep asking the Holy Spirit for guidance and trust that He will lead you until you hear Jesus say the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

By the way, the actions of Mary’s love left the room smelling of a pleasant odor.  The attitude of the disciples, however, was stinking it up.  Is it a pleasing odor before the Lord?

The Lord honors her gift of love

Let me close by recognizing that Jesus said this woman would have the honor of being so connected to the Gospel that 2,000 years later her story would not only endure, but also be proclaimed alongside of the Gospel.  What an honor!  However, it is still only a temporal honor that is in this life.  If the world were to stand another 2,000 years, few of us would have the honor of having our story remarked about all around the world.  The greater honor is not the honors that we are given in this world.  The true honor is that which will be given to us in the New Heavens and the New Earth after our resurrection.  Let’s love one another, but especially today; let’s reciprocate some of the love that mothers have selflessly poured into our life!

Expensive Gift Audio


Israel Trip Report

Youth Pastor Nick Hauenstein gives a report about places that he has visited in Israel that are also in the Bible.

Israel Trip Report Audio


Testing the Lord of the Sabbath

Mark 3:1-12.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on April 28, 2019.

Today we resume our teaching through the Gospel of Mark.  By way of reminder, the end of chapter 2 tells of the Pharisees complaining of the disciples of Jesus breaking heads of grain off their stalks in order to eat them while they are on their way to the Synagogue.  They complain that it is the Sabbath and what they are doing is work.  True to form in that passage, Jesus stood up for them.

The Bible did not originally have chapter divisions, so we should understand that today’s story is thematically tied to the end of chapter 2.  Both of these stories are about the Sabbath day, and in both of them, Jesus pushes the issue and clarifies what God the Father really had in mind when He instituted the Sabbath and its prohibitions in the Law of Moses.

The Lord of the Sabbath heals on the Sabbath

Let’s recall the teaching of Jesus regarding the Sabbath from the earlier story in chapter 2.  Jesus asserted that he was the Lord of the Sabbath, and as Lord, he declared that their actions were not breaking the prohibition against working on the Sabbath.  Another crucial point is that Israel had not been created in order to honor the Sabbath and its rules.  Rather, the Sabbath had been created as a blessing for God’s people.  God was giving them the gift of rest.  Our passage today will add to this teaching on the Sabbath because Jesus will clearly demonstrate that healing is not a breach of the Sabbath laws either.

Our setting is inside a synagogue.  It is not clear how many sick or infirmed people went to synagogues during these days.  However, we are told that a man with a withered hand was in attendance.  We do not have a scientific description of what is wrong with his hand.  However, the end effect is that it is shrunken (most likely from atrophied muscles) and lacks strength.  He is disabled with a hand that is practically useless to him.  We are given no back story.  Does he always come to this synagogue?  Was he asked to come by others, perhaps the Pharisees who wish to test Jesus?  We cannot know these things.

We are told, however, that the people at the synagogue were watching to see if Jesus would heal the man even though the religious authorities had made it clear that they believed doing so would break the Sabbath commands. 

Like any group the “they” here is a mixed group.  Some of them are on the side of Jesus and hope that he will heal the man.  In fact, the man with the withered hand would most definitely be in this group.  Yet, there are Pharisees in the group, and others with them, who are watching for evil purposes.  They are hoping to find grounds for accusing Jesus.  The word translated as accuse could be used for both private settings or placing a formal accusation before a court.  They want evidence that they can then use to bring Jesus before the religious court of the land, the Sanhedrin.  Thus, you could say that everybody wants Jesus to heal the man, but for very different reasons, some that are good and some that are bad.

Jesus clearly understands the trap that is set for him.  However, He also knows that the religious authorities are very mistaken in their decrees.  He is not breaking the law as they would so charge.  The Sabbath was made for God’s people.  It was intended to be a blessing and not a curse.  People typically worked 7 days a week.  Yet, God tells His people to take one day off to rest and worship Him.  If they do this then He will bless them even more than if they had worked that day.  Jesus poses two parallel questions to highlight a proper analysis of what he is doing.

The first is this.  Is it lawful to do good or to do evil on the Sabbath?  Though no discussion ensues, we could clearly cross off doing evil.  There was no day, Sabbath or otherwise, upon which it was deemed acceptable or lawful to do evil, period.  Thus, we should always be doing good.  Next, we look at the first half of the question.  Is it lawful to do good?  Now, the Pharisees could have responded that it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath, but certain things which would normally be good (aka, working), were prohibited and thus unlawful only on that day.  The problem here is that Jesus has turned the trap back on them.  Of the two parties, Jesus and the Pharisees, Jesus is clearly doing good; he is healing someone.  However, the Pharisees seem to be trying to trap him on the Sabbath, which is not such a good thing to do to someone.  They sit in judgment of Jesus for healing a man’s withered hand, all the while, they are seeking to destroy Jesus.  They are blind to the irony of their own actions.

Now back to the issue of whether this particular good thing was prohibited by the law.  There is no place in the Law of Moses where they are instructed not to heal on the Sabbath.  They are simply told not to work.  This is not a scientific term that is defined by a maximum number of joules per day.  It is social term that would generally refer to the way that most people made a living.  This was to be a day of rest, but the people did plenty of things that technically required work.  They got out of bed, they went to synagogue, the priests would teach, etc.  Just how much “work” is Jesus expending to heal this guy?  The problem with defining healing as work is that it is just too convoluted and raises too many questions about what God really intended with the law in the first place.  The silence of the Pharisees is proof that they have no answer.  They only want the evidence.

It is easy to take Scripture, or the words of Jesus, and twist them to your own benefit.  Thus, a person could go out and harvest their crop the next Sabbath and say, “Isn’t it lawful to do good on the Sabbath?”  Yet, harvesting is explicitly prohibited on the Sabbath, healing isn’t.  Jesus clearly is not justifying something that is explicitly prohibited.

The second question basically asks the same thing.  Is it lawful to save life or heal on the Sabbath?  This takes the point to a finer state.  They are seeking to kill him because he is seeking to help people.  Who is wrong in such a case, and especially on the Sabbath?

Next, we are told that the hardness of their hearts angers Jesus.  No one answers Jesus because they are no match intellectually and spiritually.  However, that is not what angers Jesus.  They have no answer and yet they cling to their purpose of working against him.  It is that they would harden their hearts and double down on wickedness that angers him.  Not everyone in that room had hard hearts.  However, one minister put it this way.  It is as if a man could fly (yes, like superman), but they can only focus on whether or not he has a pilot’s license to do so.  He is healing a man’s withered hand, for David’s sake!  The signs that Jesus was the Messiah, or the anointed savior from God, were unmistakable.  The powerful way in which he could touch a person or speak a word and they would be healed would floor modern man.  Jesus was not whipping out a secret elixir that he had people drink. He was not operating as some kind of Renaissance Man among the ignorant, a scientist among the superstitious.  Yet, neither was it some kind of magic.  In fact, the word for miracle in the Bible does not mean, a breach of the laws of physics.  It simply means a powerful work as opposed to those things we normally see and do.  What kind of power can speak a command and a person is healed?  The same power that the Creator used when He spoke the universe into existence.  No, they knew that these were not tricks set up by an illusionist.  This was the power that only the God of the Universe could wield, and yet they were refusing to believe. 

Jesus was rarely angry, but this is one of those few times where it says that he was.  God had bent over backwards to do in their day what every generation before them had been desiring and begging God to do.  They were being inundated with God’s grace and instead they hardened their hearts, nit-picked his actions, and sought to destroy him.  It was as if you were in the middle of helping someone, who desperately needed help, and they began condemning you for the way you are doing it.  Our natural impulse would be to walk away and leave them to their own devices, but Jesus is not a coward.  He sees a man who wants to be free in the midst of a bunch of jackals who could care less what his experience would be after this meeting was over. 

Jesus could have diffused the situation by telling the guy to meet him after the service behind the synagogue, where no one would be looking, or he could have told him to come by the next morning.  Yet again, Jesus is not a coward.  Everyone there needed to understand the truth and not be intimidated by the sophistication that comes from people who have intelligent minds, but wicked hearts.  So, Jesus tells the man to stretch out his hand.

Though this is a powerful work, it requires no exertion on the part of Jesus.  He is not sweating or going through some long ritual.  In the time it took him to lift up his arm and show his hand, it was healed.  I know that this creates a problem for some.  If it is so easy for God to heal disease then why doesn’t He do so for the countless millions who are suffering physical problems today?  If He is really good then mustn’t He have to heal us?  Doesn’t the fact that He doesn’t mean that He really isn’t good?  These are real questions and I do not want to ridicule them.  However, the Bible posits that our physical problems are merely a result of a larger problem that couldn’t be “healed” in such a way.  Our sin, and rebellion against God, is the greater problem.  If God were to heal all disease instantly then it would be equivalent to mitigating every law of physics when a person might be hurt by it.  A man jumps off a cliff, but God must intervene to keep him from hitting the ground and dying.  A person shoots up with heroine, but God must intervene and keep them from any negative consequences.  This is the logical result of such a world.  That is not the kind of “good” that the Father is.  He wants us to become like Him, and therefore, He allows us to see the results of our choices so that we may see that His way is best for ourselves.

The Pharisees were unimpressed, or refused to allow themselves to be impressed.  It states that they went out to plot with the Herodians to destroy Jesus.  The point of this statement is that it is an unnatural alliance.  The Herodians are a political party who support Herod as the King of Israel.  The Pharisees, and others like them, rejected this position because Herod was not from the line of David and wasn’t even an Israelite; he was an Edomite.  It would be like a number of cattle ranchers going out to plot with PETA in order to destroy a common enemy.  Let’s read the next scene, starting at verse 7.

Multitudes come to see Jesus

Jesus goes out from the Synagogue to the Sea of Galilee.  It appears that this section is a general statement and is not saying that all of this happened on the same day.  The point is that the Synagogue had become a hostile place and so Jesus moved out to the Sea of Galilee and ministers to the multitudes of people who would come to see him.  The synagogue saw one miracle that day and then Jesus left.  The experience outside the Synagogue was far greater.  Their hostility was bottling up something that couldn’t be bottled up and so they missed out on much that Jesus did.  We are told that multitudes came from all over the area.  The list of places is basically: everywhere within Israel, Idumea (the Greek term for the land of Edom south of the Dead Sea, and Tyre and Sidon (places outside of Israel in the North).  The multitudes become so large that a boat is kept nearby so that Jesus would not be crushed.  In other gospels it mentions that Jesus would also stand in the boat further out in the water, so that more people could hear.  That’s what we call a good problem.

The small work within the Synagogue is offset by the amazing things happening on the shores of the Galilee.  We must always watch our hearts and our spirits because our hard hearts can push the grace of God away and send it elsewhere.  Even then, God is gracious to keep working on our hard hearts in order to bring us back to repentance and softness towards him. 

Mark mentions that the evil spirits were crying out, “You are the Son of God.”  Yet, Jesus shut them down very quickly.  He would not let demons be his evangelists, nor was it time to press the issue of His true identity.  God had a particular timing for the crucifixion of Jesus and the evangelization of the nations to the Son of God.

As we close this morning, it may be easy to think that this is just a story to get people motivated to serve God.  The problem with this is that it is not a mythical story about beings long ago that no one had ever seen.  It was witnessed and contemporaneously written down by people who were there.  The evidence of Jesus and what he did is powerful, but often discounted because it came from His followers.  Yet, the rejection of Jesus and his execution is also witnessed by his detractors.  When we say that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath, we are saying that he is the Lord of the Rest and the Peace that God has for whosoever will follow Him.  Why would we fight against God and the good thing/s that He wants to give us?  Why not accept the Lord Jesus and rejoice in the favor that we have been given from the Creator?

I pray that today we will be a people who are not hard-hearted, and stiffened against the work that Jesus is doing.  Instead let us whole-heartedly embrace God’s work of calling all men everywhere to repent and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior!

Testing the Lord audio