Mark 2
- Central theme
- Competing needs
- Characteristics of Jesus
- Caring Companions
- Compelling question
Mark 2:1-2 NIV
[1] A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. [2] They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.
https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.2.1-2.NIV
- Jesus preached like nobody ever heard. He had an unusual authority in his words
1 - Central Theme
The authority of Jesus
- Jesus had authority
- when Jesus shows up, the main actor enters the stage.
- the author shows up in the story
We live in a cultural moment that is suspicious and cynical of all authority. Sometimes for good reason.
- in Mark 2, Jesus stands out as the ultimate authority
- but he's also cloaked in humility.
Jesus doesn't want to be your wingman, he wants to be your Lord. And yet, he comes as the ultimate servant. Not to be served, but to serve.
Jesus has a different kind of authority from what we've ever seen.
Mark 2:3 NIV
[3] Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them.
https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.2.3.NIV
- nobody moves and accommodates these men
Mark 2:4 NIV
[4] Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on.
https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.2.4.NIV
- the Greek word says that they "unroofed" the roof.
- this distracted everyone from Jesus sermon. For other preachers, this would kill the sermon. But for Jesus, it was just getting started.
Mark 2:5 NIV
[5] When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.2.5.NIV
- the paralyzed man must have been disappointed by this answer. He was in pain. He wanted to be healed physically
2 - Competing Needs
- for some of us, Jesus doesn't make sense for us. Do people keep pushing Jesus on you, but it's not working for you?
- life may have you paralyzed. Your finances are a wreck, and you're fiscally paralyzed. Your health is a wreck, and you are medically paralyzed. Your marriage is upside down, and you are relationally paralyzed.
- if this is you, when you come to church and they talk about sin, you may feel like you're not getting relief from what you need.
We come with our needs that feel urgent and Jesus addresses the need that is ultimate.
- in all of us are the same seeds of sin
- the same seeds are in the prostitute as the Pharisee
- the inmate as the preacher
- the liberal as the conservative
We often see Jesus as the person who gives us what we think we need to build are life on. If he does not work for us, we give up on him. BUT, he loves us too much to simply address our immediate need. Sin. But we don't talk about sin much in our culture. We talk about mistakes, mess-ups, struggle.
When somebody hurts you, you want justice, and there's a place for that, but what you ultimately need is radical forgiveness.
Mark 2:6-7 NIV
[6] Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, [7] “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.2.6-7.NIV
- the Pharisees are made because Jesus says the man's sins are forgiven
- Jesus makes it seem to easy
- they're also mad because only God can forgive sins
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic the level with the man who says he is a poached egg or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
- C.S. Lewis -
- Jesus does not leave any doubt that he declares to be God
Mark 2:8-9 NIV
[8] Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? [9] Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’?
https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.2.8-9.NIV
Mark 2:10-12 NIV
[10] But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, [11] “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” [12] He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.2.10-12.NIV
3 - Characteristics of Jesus
The Son of Man
Mark 2:10 NIV
[10] But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man,
https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.2.10.NIV
- The term son of man comes from the book of Daniel
Daniel 7:13-14 NIV
[13] “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. [14] He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
https://bible.com/bible/111/dan.7.13-14.NIV
- Jesus is saying that he is the man prophesied about in Daniel 7.
- Jesus has the authority to heal the urgent and evident needs
- Jesus has the authority to see what we ultimately need
- he knew the thoughts of the Pharisees.
- he knows about us what nobody else knows.
- Jesus has the authority to forgive our sin
- the gospel is not that your life will be easier when you come to Jesus
- the gospel is trust Jesus and you will be forgiven
- even if he never heals you or makes you comfortable, you will be blessed beyond your comprehension.
Mark uses a particular Greek word 3 times.
"Get up" - same Greek word as Mark 16:6-7 "He has risen!"
4 - Caring Companions
Mark 2:5 NIV
[5] When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.2.5.NIV
- these guys would stop at nothing to get their friend to Jesus
5 - Compelling Questions
- Have I ever trusted Jesus to deal with my ultimate need?
- What lengths will we go to bring other people to Jesus?
- Do we show the love of Christ to a world of evident and urgent needs?
- Are we rejoicing in Jesus ultimate forgiveness while hoping in his eventual victory over suffering.
- Are we amazed at Jesus?
Mark 2:12 NIV
[12] He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.2.12.NIV