Cleansing the Synagogue

 

For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him?  So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.  --1 Corinthians 2:11

Hollywood has just about ruined the Bible for a lot of people.  In so many movies, the actor cast to play Jesus was white skinned, blond haired, and blue eyed.  People of color, especially those associated with BLM, are rejecting the message of Christ because of the way that He has been depicted on the Silver Screen.  One BLM activist tweeted, "Yes, I think the statues of the white European they claim is Jesus should also come down.  They are a form of white supremacy.  Always have been."

In the same way, Hollywood images of evil spirits have colored the way we look at certain passages of Scripture.  Whenever we read of Jesus meeting and healing one tormented or possessed by an evil spirit, we immediately think of scenes from The Exorcist or Rosemary's Baby.  On the contrary, I believe that the people Jesus met on the street and delivered from the clutches of sin were normal, ordinary folks that one would ordinarily see on the street.  Although described as people who "had an unclean spirit", I don't think they they stood out in a crowd, foaming at the mouth and spewing curses while their heads swiveled 360 degrees on their shoulders.  I believe that everyone is at their core a spiritual being, and when we are engrossed in sinful addictions it could be said that our spirits are unclean.

We see one such person in our passage today.  He appears to be a leader of the synagogue in Capernaum, a place where Jesus taught early in His ministry.

A Dramatic Message

And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and was teaching.  And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as One who had authority, not as the scribes.  --Mark 1:21-22

This is one of the first recorded activities of Jesus.  Matthew describes the start of Jesus' ministry as going throughout Galilee, "teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people" (Matthew 4:23).  Luke 4:14-15 gives a similar account, followed by what might have been His central message in the synagogues that He visited.  

And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up.  And as was His custom, He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up.  And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to Him.  He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."  And He rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down.  And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.  And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." --Luke 4:16-21

We know that the village of Nazareth was only about 20 miles from the town of Capernaum, so it is safe to assume a similar message to the synagogue there.  Mark described Him as one who had authority, "not as the scribes."  Those who normally taught in the synagogue were well versed in Scripture, because they copied it word for word in the scrolls from which they taught, but their message was flat and uninspired.  They did not know of whom they spoke.  When Jesus spoke, He had the authority of the I AM behind him. 

A Dramatic Challenge

The passage that Jesus quoted from, Isaiah 61:1-2, was largely recognized as a Messianic scripture.  That is, the One upon whom the Spirit of the Lord had fallen, who was anointed to preach good news to the poor, to preach freedom to those enslaved (in sin), and to heal the blind was believed to be the Messiah.  When Jesus claimed to be the One of whom Isaiah spoke, it was a bold revelation.

A man stood up to challenge that assertion.  He was described as a man with an unclean spirit.

And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are--the Holy One of God." --Mark 1:24

In reading the context of this passage, this man appeared to be well known in the synagogue.  He was apparently one who had standing to stand up and speak.  I am not a scholar in Jewish tradition, but I don't think any random bum off the street could come in and speak.  So why would the members of the synagogue allow someone to speak in their gathering whom they knew had an evil spirit?  In other words, why would they invite someone into their congregation who had red, scaly skin and horns and a spiked tail, and carried a pitchfork?  They clearly didn't; this was a man who was not unlike themselves.  He was part of the "in crowd" in this religious gathering, but in retrospect (by the time Mark penned this Gospel), they knew what was in his spirit. 

His question to Jesus was a valid question.  Maybe he was a scribe, or a Pharisee, well versed in Scripture.  His question may have been a legitimate one from someone well versed in traditions and liturgy.  "What about me?" he asked.  "Are you saying that I and others like me are obsolete now, useless in the kingdom of God?"  The following statement may have been a declaration of a person teetering on the edge of conversion, one who knows his own heart and wants to change, but won't follow just anyone.  "I hear what you are saying--that you are the Messiah.  How do we know you aren't just a self-proclaimed saint, one who comes to bring judgment on us?"

He said this in such a way as to prove Jesus' point.  "I know who You are--the Holy One of God."  It reminds me of the passage in John 15 when the Pharisees were plotting to kill Jesus. 

So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, "What are we to do? for this man performs many signs.  If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."  But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all.  Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish."  He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.  So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.  --John 11:47-53

Just as Caiaphas had spoken truth without realizing it, I believe the leader of the synagogue in Mark 1 spoke truth, only realizing afterward what he had said. Jesus said in Luke 6:45, "Out of the abundance of a man's heart his mouth speaks."

A Dramatic Response

Jesus looked past the man's words and spoke to his spirit.

But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent and come out of him!"  And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.  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."  And at once His fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.  --Mark 1: 25-28

The man's response to Jesus was a very dramatic conversion.  I have seen others with a similar reaction to Jesus' message of hope and forgiveness--they crumple to their knees and sob uncontrollably, their shoulders convulsing as they cry out from their very soul.  The words used in the phrase, "crying out with a loud voice" is the same phrase used in the passage describing the time when Herod killed all the babies under two years old in Bethlehem.  "A voice was heard in Ramah,  weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more." (Matthew 2: 18).  This man's conversion used the same imagery--a man weeping from the depths of his soul for his sin, and repenting from them.

Again, I can't see this scene play out like some Hollywood version of an exorcism, because of the people's reaction to it.  Their first response was to Jesus and His message, a new teaching or doctrine delivered with authority, as though from God.  The deliverance from the unclean spirit was like an afterthought. 

We all are born with an unclean spirit.  Sin's currents run deep and strong within our innermost being.  When Jesus sets us free from the bondage of sin, He gives us a new heart.  Ezekiel 36:26 says, "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.  And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh."  This heart transplant is God's gift of repentance.  Those who still have a heart of stone feel no remorse for sin, for their hearts are hardened.  The redeemed of the Lord know that sin pricks us to the very heart, and makes us sorrowful.  Thanks be to God for renewing our hearts, and giving us a clean spirit.

In Jewish tradition, there are many rites of purity.  A person may become unclean, ineligible to participate in Temple worship, because of his or her association with unclean things--dung, blood, vermin, wild animals and death, to name a few.  Jesus came to be our sacrifice, once and for all, to make us clean in the eyes of God.  God is holy, and cannot abide sin; man is sinful and cannot approach God.  Jesus bridges the gap, coming to us so that we may go to God and worship him.  

If your place of worship has leaders with an unclean spirit, pray that God would cleanse their hearts like He cleansed this leader of the synagogue.  Jesus still sends out a message of repentance and hope and healing, of setting captives free and restoring sight to the blind, bringing liberty to the oppressed, and proclaiming the Lord's favor.

Captivated by Love

 

But thanks be to God, who in Christ always lead us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere.  --2 Corinthians 2:14

When you fall in love, the poets say your heart is taken captive by your beloved.  You lay down your weapons, put away your defenses, and become very vulnerable to your lover.  She may catch your eye before she captures your attention, but if you are smitten by her, you may fall heels over head for her.  The imagery is quite violent, but when you are in the midst of it, you don't seem to mind.  Love makes you hand over your heart voluntarily.  It makes you lay aside your desires and work diligently for what she wants or needs.

It's not all romantic.  The same feeling comes over you when you hold your child in your arms.  Your heart is captivated by his smile, his every need is yours to meet, his every desire is your heart's desire.  You truly would rather die than to see your child harmed in any way.  You would gladly give up your life for his.  If given a choice between breathing and loving your child, you would use your last breath to tell him how much you love him.

O, that we could love God in this way.  How sweet it would be if our love for Jesus was so great that we could willingly lay down our life for Him the way that He laid down His life for us.  How wonderful to be captivated by the Spirit such that if our bodies were taken prisoner we would still praise Him.  As we look into the gospel of Mark, there are three such stories.

Captivated by force

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."  --Mark 1:14-5

John the Baptist had been preaching the good news that Jesus was on the way.  But when Jesus began His ministry, John was put in prison for speaking truth to power.  He had been preaching a message of repentance--the only way to God is to put aside willful sin, and Herod had willfully divorced his own wife Phasaelis and had bedded his sister-in-law Herodias.  Herod put John in prison to shut him up, because he feared an insurrection--according to historian Josephus, John was so powerful a preacher that Herod feared he would lead the people to rise up against him.   Apparently Herodias was not too fond of John either, because she is the one who suggested putting him to death.  When her daughter Salome had danced seductively for her drunken stepfather Herod, he promised her whatever she asked, up to half his kingdom.  Salome asked her mother Herodias what she should ask of Herod, and her mother demanded the head of John the Baptist on a platter.

I think that if John was such a captivating speaker that Herod feared him, then it may have been difficult for Jesus to get the crowds to follow Him.  I believe it was God's will for John to be imprisoned and martyred, so that John's own words would be fulfilled: "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30).  Jesus may have had John in mind when He said, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13).  Yes, I know that Jesus was speaking prophetically of His own death, but on a different level I think he was also speaking of all of the the martyrs, those who would lay down their lives for Him.

How deep is your love for Jesus?  Deep enough to be taken captive for Him, and to risk your own life rather than renounce Him?  O, that God would grant me that undying love for Him.  "If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes; if anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword he must be slain." --Revelation 13:10 (cf Jeremiah 15:2).  If it is the will of God that this happen to you, He will give you grace to fulfill it.

Captivated by His calling

Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.  And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  And immediately they left their nets and followed Him.  --Mark 1:16-18

Very often men get their identity through their profession.  Very often in Scripture men are identified by what they do.  "Simon the fisherman" is different than "Simon the tanner".  If you have a common first name, perhaps people will list you in their phone logs by what you do: "John the accountant" or "Dave the plumber."

When Jesus approached these two brothers, he offered them a chance to change their identity by changing their occupation.  He recognized them as fishermen; He offered them a new identity as evangelists, or "fishers of men."  I can't imagine what might have gone through their minds at this moment.  I'll bet the two brothers looked at each other and grinned before leaving their nets.  God had to have been working in their hearts beforehand, because this was not a decision to be taken lightly.  At that very moment, however, they responded decisively.  

When Jesus calls, one always responds.  He either responds positively, following the call of Christ, or he responds negatively, rejecting the call.  No one knows how many chances he may get.  God is gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy, but His Spirit will not strive with man forever.  This calling may be the last call, the last chance to respond to His will.  I want to be so in love with God that when His Son calls, I respond decisively.  I want to be captivated by His calling.

Paul gave this advice to his young protegee Timothy, "And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will." (2 Timothy 2:24-26).  I would much rather be captivated by God's calling to do good than to be captured by the devil to do evil.

Captivated by love

And going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in the boat mending the nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.  --Mark 1:19-20

James and John had strong family ties.  The two brothers were practically inseparable.  Whenever the disciples are listed, the three who are always listed first are Peter, James and John, perhaps indicating that they were considered leaders in the group.  James and John were present at the Transfiguration of Jesus (Mark 9:2-8; also Matthew 17:1-8 and Luke 9:28-36).  They shared a strong temperament, as Jesus called them Sons of Thunder (Mark 3:17).  Their mother called Jesus aside and asked that her two sons be seated in places of authority when Jesus came into His kingdom, one on his right side and one on his left (Matthew 20:21).

So when they left their father with the hired servants to help him care for his fishing nets, it was not because they did not love their father.  Their love of God the Father was greater.  Jesus said, "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me." (Matthew 10:37).  In the Gospel of John, the younger brother referred to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved."  At Jesus' crucifixion, John was designated as the caretaker of Mary, the mother of Jesus. 

It was John who penned one of the most recognized verses in all the Bible, John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, what whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." This, my friends, is the gospel: that Jesus loved us more than Himself, so that we could love Him more than we love ourselves.  That is the love that captivates us, that conquers all, that commands us to follow Him.

In the mid 19th century a man by the name of George Matthison was engaged to be married.  However, the girl broke the engagement when she found out that George was going completely blind.  Years later, when George's sister was getting married in 1882, he wrote this hymn out of an anguished heart, remembering his broken engagement:

O Love, that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in Thee;
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O Light, that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to Thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in Thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy, that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to Thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be

O Cross, that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from Thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

Come, Holy Spirit

 

Though you lie down among the sheepfolds, you will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.  --Psalm 68:13 NKJV

There is a meme on Facebook that has been around my feed for the past several months (or years, maybe, as my feed is not always on the cutting edge).  In various forms, it reads, "QUESTION: Do you need the Holy Spirit to go to heaven?  ANSWER: Man, you need the Holy Spirit to go to Walmart!"  The answer is intended to turn the question on its head.  Not only do you need the Holy Spirit to indwell your heart and life to assure a place in heaven forever, but you also need the Holy Spirit to consume your soul and body in the more mundane, everyday activities like shopping for groceries or replacing a light bulb.

One should not get their theology from memes or T-shirt slogans.  Last week I wrote about some who go to church expecting excitement and heart-racing thrills, like one who "rides the rapids" in a raft.  They enjoy the wind in their hair as they get bounced over rocks in the river by water that flows extremely fast but is only a few inches deep.  Experiences like this do not help them face the hard parts of life, the rocks in their path in the day-to-day life.  That's why we want to slow down and enjoy the Scripture as we would enjoy bread--one bite at a time, and chewed slowly and carefully.

In the introduction to our study of Mark last week we were introduced to John the Baptist, who preached a baptism of repentance.  His presence was a fulfillment of prophecy as "the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way of the Lord.'" (Isaiah 40:3).  Part of John's message was that the large crowds who came to hear him preach should watch for another, One greater that John, who would be coming soon.  "I have baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." (Mark 1:8).  I want to move on from there.

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And when He came up out of the water, immediately He saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.  And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."  --Mark 1:9-11

I don't know why Jesus started His ministry by being baptized--He certainly didn't need to repent, and John's baptism was one of repentance in anticipation of Jesus and His message.  That's a discussion for another day, but if you want to go down that road, then bookmark this lesson and go to Matthew 3:13-17.  The point that Mark was making was the activity of the Holy Spirit in conjunction with the beginning of the ministry of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit confirms

God the Father spoke audibly, saying "This is my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."  The Spirit was present in the image of a winged creature descending from heaven and alighting gently on Jesus, the Son.  Very few times in Scripture is the Trinity mentioned in such close proximity.  If you look hard, you can see it in Genesis in the creation story, when God said, "Let us make man in our image."  The word used for God in that passage is the plural proper noun Elohim.  God was present in three Persons at the creation of the first Adam, and God was present in three persons in the confirmation of the second Adam.

Many Christian denominations take children of a certain age and make them go through a number of classes.  When they are able to recite the Apostle's Creed and take their first Communion, then they are said to be confirmed into the Church.  This is their "confirmation."  In Mark 1:10, the Holy Spirit confirmed that Jesus came from God. This was His confirmation.  

I like the image at the top of this post, when the photographer captured streaks of light in the shape of a bird.  In Acts 2, the image of the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples as flames or "tongues of fire."  There are similarities in the image, especially if the source is light.  The significance of the dove is interesting.  A humble creature, a dove was used as a sacrifice in the Jewish sacrificial system for a poor person, one who couldn't afford a lamb.  Jesus was the Lamb of God who came as a sacrifice for all, rich and poor.  He came humbly into the world, born in poverty being laid in a manger.  He was a "Man of sorrow, acquainted with grief."  However, God worked His redemptive plan through the sacrifice of His Son, and the next time He comes it will be as a victorious conqueror.

Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; let those who also hate Him flee before Him.  As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.  But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God; yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.  Sing to God, sing praises to His name; extol Him who rides on the clouds, by His name YAH, and rejoice before Him.  A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation.  God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.  O God, when You went out before Your people, when You marched through the wilderness....The Lord gave the word; great was the company of those who proclaimed it: "Kings of armies flee, they flee, and she who remains at home divides the spoil.  Though you lie down among the sheepfolds, You will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold."  --Psalm 68:1-7, 11-13 NKJV

This was what the Holy Spirit confirmed: That Jesus is He who rides on the clouds, a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows.  He is the Word made flesh (John 1:1-14).  He was humbly laid in a manger in a sheepfold.  Yet here, at the shore of the Jordan river, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove upon Him.

The Holy Spirit compels 

Reading further in the text, we see that after His baptism, "The Spirit immediately drove Him out into the wilderness.  And He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan." (Mark 1:12-13a).  Jesus was compelled by the Spirit to spend time alone, fasting and praying for 40 days.  God had been preparing Jesus for His work on earth for 30 years.  From His birth in Bethlehem to His emigration to Egypt to His return to Nazareth in the region of Galilee, God's hand was guiding His steps.  From the dedication in the Temple at Jerusalem throughout His growth "in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and Man" (Luke 2:52), God was preparing His Son for the physical walking and mental jousting with the Pharisees who followed Him from town to town.

I've never been in the military, but I'm told that if a soldier wants to be a Green Beret or a sailor wants to be a Navy Seal, they must not only go through Basic Training and serve for a time, but then they must also go through an intense period of additional training to hone their warfare skills.  I like to think this is what Jesus went through during the 40 days of fasting and praying, with Satan attacking Him daily with taunts and tirades and temptations.

People today have this idea that the work of the Holy Spirit is to bring them health and wealth and happiness.  They don't realize that the Spirit of God compelled Jesus to go to the wilderness to be tempted. It doesn't occur to them that the Holy Spirit compelled Jesus to fashion a whip out of cords and use it to drive the money-changers and merchants out of the Temple.  They never seem to preach that the Holy Spirit compelled Jesus to go to the Cross to die a horrible death.  In the same way, they don't realize that Christ-like men throughout history have been compelled by the Spirit to preach the Gospel of Jesus to hostile peoples, often at the cost of their lives.  Television preachers don't tell their viewers that the Holy Spirit compels people to take up their cross, crucify their fleshly desires, and to follow Jesus wherever He leads them.

2 Corinthians 3:17 says, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."  In context, this does not speak of freedom from want or freedom from pain and sickness or even freedom from oppression and slavery.  What it means is that the Spirit of God frees us from the veil that lay over our hearts when we were dead in our sin and despair.  We are freed by the Holy Spirit to do what He compels us to do.

The Holy Spirit comforts

The last verse I want us to look at today is Mark 1:13: "And He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan.  And He was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to Him."  Amid all the attacks of Satan, the Holy Spirit was with Him, helping Him to endure.  In Luke's account of the temptation of Jesus in Luke chapter 4, once it was all over and "the devil had ended every temptation" and departed from Jesus "until an opportune time" (Luke 4:13), it then says "And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee." (Luke 4:14a).

In Mark, and in the corresponding passage in Matthew, it says angels ministered to Jesus. Something you might not know about angels: they never do anything of their own accord.  The word "angel" means "messenger".  They only do God's bidding.  When the Holy Spirit came upon Mary so that she was with child, an angel was sent to inform her.  So when it says that angels ministered to Jesus, it is only because the Holy Spirit sent them to comfort Him.

Lamentations 1:16 says, "For these things I weep; my eyes flow with tears; for a Comforter is far from me, one to revive my spirit; my children are desolate, for the enemy has prevailed."  This was our life before Jesus.  Now that we know Jesus, He has promised to provide help and comfort for us.  "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever." (John 14:16 KJV).

Jesus said, "But when the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor--Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father, He will testify and bear witness about me." (John 15:26, AMP).  Come, Holy Spirit!  Come.

Give me Jesus

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.  --Acts 4:12

I love the song "Give Me Jesus" by Jeremy Camp.  Its simple message is a reminder that whatever happens, wherever we are or whatever we are doing, Jesus is our hope.  Whenever the world seems to spin out of control, give me Jesus, for He is my Rock (see Mark 12:10 and 1 Peter 2:7).

The world seems to be in a great upheaval these days.  Men are bitterly divided on what to do about a new disease capable of killing hundreds of thousands.  We seem bewildered about rising unemployment and look to government to help us, but our leaders are at odds with each other on how to proceed.  We seem destined for a "new normal" while everyone longs for things to get back to the way they were.  Sadly, there is no call to prayer or call for revival in the national discourse, because of all the voices clamoring for racial justice or economic security or disease control.

If Jeremy Camp were writing the song lyrics today, it might be "When I'm quarantined...give me Jesus.  When I lose my job...give me Jesus.  When I feel oppressed...give me Jesus."  You see, the words are timeless.  Jesus is all we need.

I have felt impressed recently to being an in-depth study of the book of Mark.  Most of my blog posts  over the years have been topical in nature.  Friend, when you look for a church to join or a pastor to follow, do not find one who preaches topical sermons, no matter how eloquent he may seem.  Instead, look for one that preaches expository sermons, going verse-by-verse through the Bible.  It may not be as exciting, but it will help you grow.  A wise man once said, "Still water runs deep."  Psalm 23 says, "He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul."  If you want excitement, go float the rapids.  If you want to grow, plant yourself beside still waters.  Anyway, God willing, I will endeavor to be more expository in my blog posts from this point forward.

I wanted to begin with the book of Mark for several reasons.  First, it is the shortest account of the life of Jesus, and easiest to read through in one sitting.  Second, it was written by a fellow named John Mark, who was a good friend of Simon Peter.  Now, I can identify with Peter: when he messed up, he did it big.  Peter shows us how we can get in our own way, but that Jesus can still forgive us, still restore us, and still use us for His glory.  Mark did not walk with Jesus while He was here on Earth, but Peter did.  Peter probably could not write--he may have been illiterate, or else he could not write very well--but Mark could.  So we have a gospel account of Peter, the impetuous apostle.  Third, it was written during a time of great political, social, and religious upheaval.  Mark wrote this as a gospel to Rome, and the Roman emperor during the time of his writing was Nero.  Nero persecuted the young Christian church at the time of it's greatest expansion.  He was a despised ruler (sound familiar?), and many thought he was crazy.  In 66 AD there were riots in Jerusalem, and two years later the Roman army besieged the city and set up their general Titus as leader.

Today, we are also seeing riots in the streets.  Churches are being shut down in the name of public safety, while many others feel that this is just a back door attempt to persecute the Church without overtly overturning the Constitution, which guarantees religious liberty.  Many feel that the current American president is bat-crap-crazy.  Many are looking for regime change, not realizing that Ol' Joe, the leader of their party, is no better suited to leading a nation in crisis than The Donald.

Same song, different verse.  The names have changed, but the game remains the same.

In this environment, Mark compiled all of the stories that Peter had told to him, and announced that there was good news, or a "gospel", found in Jesus.

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, "Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight."

John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.  Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.  I have baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  --Mark 1:1-8

Mark begins his story of good news (for that is literally what "gospel" means) with a preacher.  The veracity of this preacher was checked against Scripture.  Let me say that again: John was a preacher, and Mark verified John's message against the Word of God.  You see, there had not been a legitimate prophet of God for about 400 years.  So when John stood up and called for repentance, there was a great response, because people were hungry for a word from God.  Mark referenced the book of Isaiah, making it apparent that this preacher, John, was the one foretold in the Scripture.

Three things about this:  

One, John preached.  There is a lot of talk these days about finding your own way spiritually, but the importance of preachers cannot be emphasized enough.  Paul wrote in Romans 10:13-14, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.  How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed?  And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?  And how are they to hear without someone preaching?" 

Two, the preaching was scriptural.  1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 says, "Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast to what is good."  Instead of following preaching that "tickles the ear", we should be like the believers in Berea: "Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." (Act 17:11). 

Three, the message John preached was of repentance coupled with forgiveness of sin.  Too often today, we hear one message without the other: we are either drilled with the message of sin so often that we fear we may lose our salvation if we are not diligent with our confessions; or we are placated with the message that all is forgiven to the point where sin is not even a worry for us, to the point where sin is not sin, taking out of context the message that nothing separates us from the love of God, so there is no hell because all will end up in heaven.  The fact is that these are two sides of the same coin: sin does separate us from God, or else there would be no need for a Savior; and without turning from that sin and seeking God's forgiveness, we are beyond the Savior's mission, thus we are lost forever.  Grace does cover a multitude of sins, but without our acknowledgement of the price Jesus graciously paid, we have no receipt, no ticket into heaven.

I believe things will get worse in our world before they get better.  I also believe that most people have what I call crisis fatigue.  In our house we have turned off the news, because each day it seems to get worse.  People are hungry for something that will give them peace and eternal security.  The world needs Jesus.  The world needs preachers who will bring the good news with humility, not so much "Look at me" as "Look to Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith."  Those preachers need to be tested against Scripture to verify their message.  Finally, the message needs to be one that incorporates equal measures of God's wrath and God's grace.