SUFFERING KING: THE BOOK OF MARK:
Who Is Jesus: Mark 3:7-12
Pastor John Weathersby
Sunday March 1, 2020
We’ll look at 3 points in today’s passage:
- Jesus is here for the message
- The heavens and earth validate Him
- Jesus’ character is pure
Today is Communion Sunday – in the communion we celebrate all that was done for us by Jesus, we remember his broken body and his blood were given over willingly for all those who would follow after Him. We get to ask, is that me? Am I His child joined to God in Him in each time we take the communion in remembering Him. And today we’ll see a few things about Jesus in answering the question, who is Jesus.
We’ll see 3 things:
Jesus is here for the message
The heavens and earth validate Him
Jesus’ character is pure
We’ll see Jesus deliver what people need, over what they want. And we’ll learn “who is Jesus”
So when we’re done you should be able to answer, who is Jesus – and find in this passage what the people needed over what they wanted. Let’s discover God’s message for us in the text.
Mark 3:7–12 (ESV)
7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea
In last Sunday’s study we saw Jesus, perhaps set up in a trap by the Pharisees, who were waiting in the synagogue on a Sabbath day to see if Jesus would heal a man whose hand was withered. He did and he gave them these words: “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” – They were unable to answer because their intention was too in fact kill Jesus. Here was how that ended: “Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him”.
In the life and times of Jesus medical care isn’t what it is today. You look around we have it pretty good – I mean we have people just waiting to heal us up, billboards boast their ER waiting times, commercials on TV try to get it so medical clinics for our bumps and bruises. Some clinics are built for young people with brightly colored murals on the wall and toys in the waiting / exam rooms, some for older people with barcaloungers and judge Wapner playing .. in Jesus time people suffered greatly at times when sick. I remember one time my mother-in-law putting quite the silver lining on being sick, she said well at least I have a home to be sick in. I was sick once on the road and I know exactly what she was saying – now taking away running water, flooring, air conditioning systems and be as sick as you ever have been, it’s misery. People were forming in great crows following Jesus – look at verse 8:
8 and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him.
They came to him. They’re not just interested in the going’s on in this region, hearing that things are happening, they’re specifically hearing about Jesus and they’re flocking to him in great droves, desperate to get to Him. They’re coming, Mark may as well say from North South East and West, anyone with local ears that hears these town’s realizes a few things 1) they’re coming from near and far and 2) they’re coming from everywhere. This town must have felt overrun, almost too much pressure from Jesus’ ministry. These people have come from far and they’re going to get to what they’re there to see. Tourists are an amazing group, they’ll do anything and look any way to get to what they’re after. All the bets are off when you’re touring, social norms are out the window and you’re all practicality, it’s socks and sandals, belly bags, you’ll wear a necklace with your wallet tied to it in your shirt – tourists are insane, and these people have come from maybe more than 100 miles, on foot and on animal, through treacherous conditions to see the guy named Jesus, and they’re on a mission.
9 And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him,
Lest they crush Him. Getting the sense of the scene. This is not peaceable and controlled, this is insane. This is likely a similar scene to John 6:26 where Jesus says:
John 6:26 (ESV)
26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
10 for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him.
These are the pressures of Jesus ministry. He had healed so many people that everyone with diseases pressed around him to touch Him. I don’t now about you guys – but I’m a bit claustrophobic just thinking about it. He is setting up practical boundaries because the crowed is so many and so pressing in that he could be crushed, he had an escape plan by boat, this is insane stuff guys. Now, most ministries today would snuggle up to all this love. In fact, over the history of “ministry” many have tried to leverage healing to build crowds, where Jesus tries to deflects crowds from healing to truth.
Here is the power of Jesus’ ministry, and God allows this to be seen by so many so they’d learn who is Jesus:
11 And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”
12 And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.
People oppressed by unclean spirits, which we see all over scripture – in fact more than 20 times, Luke 11:24 (on demon behavior), Matthew 10:1 (on Jesus authority), and early in Mark’s own gospel:
Mark 1:26–28 (ESV)
26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
Luke 11:24 (ESV)
Return of an Unclean Spirit
24 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and finding none it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’
Matthew 10:1 (ESV)
The Twelve Apostles
1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.
These unclean spirits are demons. Each of us has a spirit a soul, the body wears out the spirit lives on. In a spiritual world – this is why we see dimly now, 1
1 Corinthians 13:12 (ESV)
“12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” We see dimly we walk by faith not by sight:
2 Corinthians 5:6–8
“6 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” –
These unclean spirits, those without human form are demons, who will, as Jesus describes, be gathered to his left and
Romans 8:28 (ESV)
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,[a] for those who are called according to his purpose.
Matthew 25:41-46 (ESV)
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, “‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’
45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’
46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
These demons are fallen Angeles from Isaiah 14 / Ezekiel 28 the 1/3 of angels in described in Revelation 12:3-9.
Revelation 12:3-9 (ESV)
3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems.
4 His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it.
5 She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,
6 and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.
Satan Thrown Down to Earth
7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back,
8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
I say all of this because there is a danger for us today – we tend to allow ourselves to logic away amazing things. There are spiritual realities and wars that happen all around us, we don’t see them clearly now, but they’re going on. We saw the great exchange in Job 1-2 read those chapters and ask if there was a spiritual battle going on in around and through job’s life. And consider
Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Let that remind us who Jesus is He is powerful over the things we see and the things we cannot see, He is our mediator to God, He is our savior, and He is our Lord.
This scene in Jesus’ ministry is God’s grace allowing people to tangibly see Jesus command over the earth and the heavens, His authority and His grace are on display for all to see – and because of His Grace He endures the crowds flocking and pawing, for an opportunity to share truth from Scripture, because that is what the people need more than what they want.
The angels of 2 Peter 2:4, who fell from their places among God’s creatures in His good grace, are the unclean spirits. The one’s Jude 6 says left their dwelling place of authority under God, what about us? Are we under God’s authority or working to find our own, being “unclean” Jesus offer is righteousness, His own righteousness.
2 Peter 2:4 (ESV)
4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell[a] and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;
Jude 6 (ESV)
6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—
Jesus is here for the message He’s willing to deal with much, to get the word of God across – see Isaiah 55:11 and ask, “what is it’s purpose in me”
The heavens and earth validate Him – see Mark 1:26–28 and ask “what would seeing all this impress on me”
Jesus’ character is pure – see Hebrews 4:15 and be thankful this is where your righteousness comes from, not yourself and ask “do I believe Jesus is my righteousness”?
Isaiah 55:11 (ESV)
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Mark 1:26–28 (ESV)
26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
Hebrews 4:15 (ESV)
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Pray, Observe, Apply.
I pray we’d dwell on that. I pray we’d not be like the crowd distracted by healings, and power over demons, but that those things would make us press on to find the truth of God’s grace in Jesus – that we’d trust God with those things we cannot clearly see right now, but we know are there and we’d be 1 Corinthians 4:8-10 believers:
2 Corinthians 4:8–10 (ESV)
8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
Who is Jesus? He is powerful over the things we see and the things we cannot see, He is our mediator to God, He is our savior, and He is our Lord.
