Epaggelia

v21-25, Most Jewish homes were lit with oil lamps. This was both beneficial and at the same time dangerous, as oil needed a safe & stable place to burn. So we see Jesus putting an emphasis on providing a basis for the light to shine effectively and safely. A lampstand is essential for safety and to help the light shine effectively. But the idea of judgment was on Christ’s mind, as he wanted his followers to recognize that if they treated the light of God with carelessness and apathy, then they would be judged. The very nature of this light needed care, and if they judged it unnecessary, neglecting it, they would get burnt! Just as we treat electricity with respect, so 1st century people had to treat oil lamps with respect. Jesus is the light of the world, and if people don’t pay close attention and learn the purpose of why he is teaching, they will suffer the consequences. Do not misuse the light of the world, use it efficiently! This parable is similar to Luke 8:16-18.

This parable is found only in Mark 4:26-29 and shows a complete picture of the coming of God’s kingdom: (1) sowing; (2) growth; (3) harvest. Some understand the parable as a reference to evangelism, but it does not seem to be the central idea. If you contrast it to the parable of the sower which emphasizes the quality of the different soils, this parable emphasizes the power of the seed to cause growth (with the clear implication that the mysterious growth of the kingdom is accomplished by God), without human understanding or observation.

v30-34, Jesus wanted us to have a clear understanding of the Kingdom of God, so most of his parables make comparisons to help us relate to the rule or domain of God’s Kingdom. Christ would become the King of kings, as the Kingdom of God entered the entire globe, and would not simply be represented by Israel any longer. So humankind needs to know it’s nature, values and purpose so that people of many different ways of life enter it, and grow in God’s domain with Christ ruling in their hearts. What do you believe is represented in his phrase, “so that the wild birds can nest in it’s shade?” A good way to see this from the past and into the future is to read Psalm 91:1-6 alongside Revelation 21:22-22:3. Keeping in mind that many christian soldiers die on the battlefield and many christian nurses die from contagions. While at the sametime, kings bring their glory into the New Jerusalem and the leaves of the tree of life in this city bring healing to the nations. How can we make sense of this? By looking at the benefits of God’s faithfulness in Christ in this life with all it’s perils. There is a reason why the western world has moved on from covid restrictions in September 2022, and China still suffers over 21 million people locked down! The kingdom of heaven grows like a mustard seed bush and the wild birds nest in it’s shade! The world benefits from God’s compassionate rule. Christians with this insight into Christ’s Kingdom are best at seeing the silver lining around any storm cloud that punishes our world. Hindus, Muslims, atheists and even Jews do not see His blessings like Christians do.

v35-41 “Peace, Be Still” is not a whispered request Christ makes to the wind and sea, but rather a command! See Mk. 9:25 & Luke 4:39. His authority overwhelms his disciples, amazing them. One day you and I will see his authority open the heavens and raise the dead on Judgment Day. Comfort and encourage each other with these words, 1st Thessalonians 4:14-18.

The crowds were so large again that Jesus teaches from a boat on the lake of Galilee for safety’s sake and also because Jesus wanted as many people as possible to hear his teaching, which is actually part of this parable’s point. There are well over 40 parables in the New Testament but only 3 are actually explained by Jesus, the rest are meant for us to meditate upon, memorize or prayerfully study. Sometimes, Jesus will end a parable with a single pointed conclusion, but for the most part, most parables are left for us to pray about to make our own conclusion as the New Testament shows us that…

The Spirit of Christ is our _______________ (Matthew 23:10, John 14:26 & Colossians 3:16) and James warns the church globally, that leading the church as a Teacher is not a role the majority of Christians should try to fulfill, James 3:1-2. Yet it is a requirement of Elders, 1st Timothy 3:2. “LISTEN” v3, is a command made only by Jesus, as every leader in the church should be calling for everyone to listen to Jesus, not just our leaders, preachers, Elders & teachers. 

Jesus gave the disciples an allegorical interpretation of the parable of the sower (Mt. 13:18), and of the wheat and tares (Mt. 13:37) in which every little detail of the story had a significant meaning. The parable of the vineyard (Mt. 21:33) also has an allegorical message about God sending his prophets, and finally his Son, who are rejected by Israel. The sower would sow the seed (Word of God) and generally Jesus defines people as having four different kinds of soil (or hearts, Mt. 13:19).

1. Hardened,   2. Rocky,    3. Thorny,   4. Good.

Was the farmer picky about what type of soil he sowed his seed in?   Yes or No ?

How many of the different types of hearts actually bear fruit from the seed planted?

Which type of soil (heart) never had an opportunity to let the seed germinate?

Why did the growing plants in rocky soil (hearts) have a shortened lifespan?

Which soil (heart) was troubled by the deceitfulness of riches and worldly interests?

So that good soil (hearts), can actually be good, do we see the opposite of hard is soft? Do we see the rocky soil is shallow and the opposite, is soil that has depth and is able to hold moisture for the seed? Do we see that the opposite of soil with thorny weeds is soil that is kept clear of weeds?  All the problematic soils, hard, rocky & thorny, have this in common; water either runs away, dries up, or is taken up by the weeds, choking the plants growing from the implanted seed (Word of God). What does Jesus claim to give any who come to him, recorded in John 7:37? What does Paul compare water to in 1stCorinthians 12:13 ?

Even with such large crowds begging for help, and from practically all the regions of Israel, Jesus is powerfully merciful towards them all. He successfully meets the challenge of helping them, even those with evil spirits. How did the unclean spirits react to Jesus?

Jesus had at least two reasons why he silenced demons, firstly because they were evil and had no right to speak out of turn before ruling divinity, as it is inappropriate for evil to proclaim what is holy. Secondly because if he let them speak the truth, in any capacity, the obvious political implications are not what Jesus wanted people to pursue, the timing of the public’s desire for a King had to wait till he was nearer the passion week. In this way Jesus was still in complete control of his self-sacrifice. At the end of his ministry, he did not deny such a lofty title as Christ when the high priest asked him (Mk. 14:61-62). But as his ministry developed (Mk. 8:29), Jesus began to ask his own closest disciples to define their identity of him. Here in the first year of ministry, Jesus is not only calling disciples, but he “Appoints” them, 3:14. What is the primary purpose in appointing or naming them? (Luke 6:13).

v20-22 shows us a persistent refusal of Jesus by Jewish Leaders, who are in contrast to his disciples. Mark even includes the physical family of Jesus as refusing to accept Jesus as even reasonably serving The Lord. The fact that Jewish leaders accuse Jesus of being in league with the devil (22-30) is included between Mark’s mention of Jesus’ family coming to restrain him (the Greek word for restrain here is also used to mean arrest; see Mk. 6:17, 12:12, 14:1-51) because they thought he was out of his mind (v21). This is an amazing conclusion by his physical family since they had been eye-witnesses to his first miracle of turning water into wine, see John 2:1-12. How do you think Mary and his brothers expect Jesus to make known his identity?

It is probably Mark’s intention in this passage to show that Jesus’ family is to be regarded as comparable to the experts in the law & Pharisees in their perception of the true identity of Jesus; the family of Jesus are wrong in their understanding of him as well. The tone is obviously one of sadness and the emphasis on Jesus’ true family in v31-35 effectively underscores the comparison between his relatives and the scribes on the one hand, and those who truly obey God on the other hand!

How did Jesus reply to the charge of casting out demons by the power of Satan?

If we are wrongfully charging the Forgiver to be in league with the Devil, how could we even want to be forgiven, much less be surprised to find out that it’s impossible to be forgiven of the sin of blasphemy?

Does it not surprise any reader of this passage to find that educated Jewish leaders would attribute the power of miracles performing so much good, to “Beelzebul”? It means “Lord of Dung Flies”. The only possible reason for doing this, is that they thought Satan was a master of deception, using his power for good to trick people into following him to their ultimate destruction. 

Who does Jesus describe as his “True” Family? v33-35.

During the days of Jesus, it is estimated that Jewish oral law restricted at least 38 kinds of labor on the Sabbath and the activity of Jesus and his disciples was a violation of that law. Why was Saturday so important to the Jews for rest?

2:23-24, What did the disciples of Jesus do that was challenged by the Pharisees?

They were plucking heads of grain on the ______________, see Duet. 23:25 & Colossians 2:16.

2:25-28, What two arguments did Jesus make in defense of His disciples?

1. The _____________ of David and his men eating the showbread, 

2. The Son of Man is _________ of the Sabbath. Would David ever be referred to as Lord of the Sabbath?

How did Jesus ultimately treat the Sabbath Law of Moses, in reference to Matthew 5:17?

The phrase “First Day of the Week” occurs eight times in the New Testament, 

Name three events of the LORD, that are connected to the “First Day of the Week”.

1. The Lord’s  R________________, Mt. 28:1, Mk. 16:2-9, Lk. 24:1, Jn. 20:1-19

2. The B____________ of B________ , Acts 20:7

3. The Churches C_________________, 1st Corinthians 16:1-4

What day is more significant than any other day of the week in the New Testament? See Revelation 1:10

3:1-5, What two commands did Jesus give the man with the withered hand in the Synagogue on the Sabbath?

A.                                                                    B.

When Jesus asked Pharisees about good vs evil and life vs killing on the Sabbath, He must have had Isaiah 58:7-14 in mind, to put the idea of work on the Sabbath as something the Lord would do.

3:6, Who began to plot to destroy Jesus?  The Pharisees together with the _________________

Capernaum was a town that Jesus kept returning to, see Mark 1:21 & 9:33. Later in his ministry he would judge the majority of it’s inhabitants for a lack of repentance, Luke 10:13-15.

If you see God’s power and hear God’s word, what does He expect? __________________

Which came first for the paralyzed man? Forgiveness or Healing?

Would you take anyone paralyzed up on top of a house to meet a Doctor?

What kind of paralyzed person would consent or desire to be taken up above a house and lowered down through a hole in the roof for the opportunity of healing?

Why didn’t the friends of the paralyzed man wait till the crowds thinned out and get access to Jesus later?  Why jump the line, so to speak?

What was the reaction of most people when they saw Jesus perform a miracle to prove he had the power to forgive sins?

Initially what was the first reason Jesus called Levi the tax collector to follow Him?

1. To get a free meal
2. To make hypocrites feel guilty
3. To show his priority in healing sinners

Jesus stated his purpose in coming and going out into the world was:

“I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to _____________________”

What was the first fact Jesus taught about fasting? It’s about the…

1. Timing of who’s presence you’re in.
2. Faith of who’s power you’re using.
3. Health of who’s doing the fasting.

In using the analogy of mismatching new cloth with old garments, or new wine/old wineskins, 

Jesus claimed to be the new ____________________ and his disciples to be the new ___________

Did Jesus expect his disciples to fast? Yes/No

Are marriage relationships always happy, or do marriages have highs and lows?

What three descriptions does Jesus make of himself in the following verses:

v10___________________________

v17___________________________

v19-20_________________________

– Casting out an unclean spirit in the synagogue at Capernaum. Synagogues grew from Israel’s need to have a place to study the Law for prevention of idolatry threatening to invade their society. The first dated evidence we have of synagogues is 250 years before Christ came, during the period of God’s silence between the old and new testaments. Jesus habitually used Synagogues to make known God’s powerful mercy, Matthew 4:23. Demons would often try to invade his teaching but would not be allowed to rule any longer, Mk. 1:39. They were ignorant of exactly why Jesus came into their realm with us, but the demons were certain of his true identity as The Holy One of God.

– Healing the mother-in-law of Simon-Peter from a fever is the powerful compassion Jesus demonstrated on the people his disciples loved. This is a reminder that God takes care of what we can’t take care of. We must do our best with what God gives us, but what we can not do, God can see to, IF we prayerfully ask for His help, trusting His sovereign grace.  Remember James 5:14-15.

– Healing many who were sick of various diseases, and casting out demons; God’s mercy was powerful towards any and all he could physically reach, with the exception of the demoniacs themselves. Because there were so many people, the tireless and powerful work of Jesus took a toll on him and he needed a “desolate” place to pray and refresh himself with his Father for more work in front of him. Jesus had at least two reasons why he silenced them, firstly because they were evil and had no right to speak, it was inappropriate for evil to proclaim what is holy, and secondly because if he let them speak the truth, in any capacity, the obvious political implications are not what Jesus wanted people to pursue, the timing of the public’s desire for a King had to wait till he was nearer the passion week. In this way Jesus was still in complete charge of his self-sacrifice. Don’t forget Paul wouldn’t let the slave girl be used by demons to speak the truth either, see Acts 16:17-18, but preaching the true good news was his priority. This primary purpose of Christ is stated clearly at the beginning of Mark’s gospel, 1:38. 

– Cleansing a leper who came to Him, is the only miraculous work of Christ that is described as a cleansing, not a healing. Leprosy is a disease that the law of Moses linked to sin itself, see Leviticus 13:3-15 for relating the priest’s declaration of leprosy with a ‘cleansing’. While Jesus was more than perturbed with the man’s uncertainty of being healed, God’s mercy was so powerful, despite the anger of Jesus, his compassion towards the leper was able to cleanse him anyway. This is proof that God’s grace & mercy works on the problems of people He is not entirely yet pleased with, this is really good news!  The immediate cleansing of leprosy was mandated by Jesus, but Christ under the law of Moses was obliged to send the cleansed man to the priesthood and offer what God’s law required, see Leviticus 14:1-32. Notice that Jesus himself touched the leper, and was not concerned about catching the illness or being declared unclean by anyone. Why? Because all the previous miracles established his holiness was powerful in the eyes of his disciples. Cleansing someone from leprosy instantly would put Him above any High Priest regarding levels of power. All priests had to wait for what would happen over time, to see if the leper would be cleansed, read Leviticus 13 and you’ll see seven days mentioned over 11 times regarding the long purification process the priesthood had to practice on lepers.

The public announcement of this amazing power above the priesthood, put Jesus in a different position with the public than before. His ministry is about to take a change towards an immense amount of popularity and he would need discretion to keep working and preaching effectively, v45.

v9, Jesus was immersed by his cousin John the Immersionist, with his baptism of repentance. This marked a change in Christ’s life, from secular to spiritual. Jesus was Immanuel, God with us, he didn’t need repentance because He was already righteous, however, before his baptism, he was not involved in the service of being the Lamb of God. He was indeed the Son of God, but now, after his baptism the Son of God would work, live and die as the Lamb of God. See John 1:29. Whenever we are immersed it is primarily to be forgiven and repentance is an immediate reaction to the gospel, which should take on a part of our lifestyle becoming a sheep! But Jesus had no sins to forgive, and his lifestyle was already righteous, so his baptism was a change in service & sacrifice. Two events immediately took place as soon as Jesus was immersed, Firstly; Heaven being ‘torn open’, and Secondly; His Temptation.

v10, The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descended and remained (Jn. 1:32 “MENO”) on Jesus. This is significant when we read John 3:33-35 “without measure” is shown by the dove staying with him. The descent of the Spirit upon the apostles was tongues of fire resting “KATHIZO”, on them with the sound of rushing wind, which of course soon dissipated, Acts 2:3-4, else how would anyone hear anything of the sermon being translated? What would the purpose of a “dove” serve? Read Ephesians 2:14.

v11, The Voice clarified what John was reminded of, upon seeing the dove, leaving no one in any doubt that God just came closer now to all of them. God was WELL pleased with Jesus. This would certainly give everyone there a sense of privilege to be in His presence. The same pleasure God felt that day is what He feels when he gives anyone the Kingdom today, see Luke 12:32. 

v12-13, As strangely as it would seem for a dove to remain on someone, just as strangely Jesus was driven to a desolate place where wild beasts lived, to be tempted by the devil himself for forty days. During the 1st century this would include bears and lions! Not a place to weaken yourself by fasting alone, making yourself vulnerable to even Satan. What kind of courage would Jesus be driven to display? It’s one thing for a human being to be tempted while other people are present, but what about when you’re alone?

v14-15, For now, Mark ends the role of John’s service in prison, here, but his martyrdom is recorded in 6:1. In the meantime, Jesus starts preaching good news about His Father’s dominion, calling it the Kingdom of God, (not an Old Testament phrase). Pleading for people to trust his message and change their lifestyle, because time is running out. In just 4 decades, Israel would lose their Temple and Economy, only to be left to find security, holiness and purpose in Him, or else. Even today Judaism is a veneer of religion with no Temple and enjoys an economy based entirely on historical references and allies in the world, not God! The phrase “Gospel of the Kingdom” is a phrase Matthew uses in Mat.4:23, 9:35 & 24:14, not Mark, but it emphasizes the power of Christ’s message, which is what Mark is referring to here.

v16-20, The first disciples Jesus calls are fishermen. The majority of employed people in Israel are based in Agriculture, so he is starting off with people who are familiar with not fitting in with a common majority. Cicero wrote this about fishermen in this region at approximately 40BC: “the most shameful occupations are those which cater to our sensual pleasures: ‘fish-sellers, butchers, cooks, poultry-raisers, and fishermen” ~ Cicero, On Duties 1.42. Do you ever think that being a Christian is something the world should respect? Do you think Jesus ever intended the world to respect the church? No, He expects the world to respect His Father! The point of this passage is to teach us what Jesus expects of us, that is: To be fishers of people, so that we can be in a real relationship with Him and get home! Every Christian in some capacity and to some degree must live out a love for the lost souls in this world that will give our Heavenly Father, more than just acknowledgement. What is needed from our neighbor is for them to give Jesus their lives! Peter learnt that and said so in Acts 4:12, it’s a matter of life and death.