Mark Lesson #05

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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
MARK 3
LESSON #05
UNBELIEVING OPPOSITION AND BELIEVING COMMITMENT IN CONTRAST

• MEMORY VERSE: MARK 3:35
• AT THE END OF CHAPTER 2, OPPOSITION TO JESUS BEGAN TO BUILD WITH THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS OVER THE KEEPING OF THE SABBATH. CHAPTER 3 CONTINUES AN EXPLANATION OF THIS OPPOSITION WITH A HEALING THAT TAKES PLACE ON THE SABBATH IN THE SYNAGOGUE.
• READ MAR 3:1-5 THE HEALING OF THE MAN WITH A SHRIVELED HAND IN THE SYNAGOGUE:
• NOTICE THAT THE PREVIOUS SABBATH ENCOUNTER WAS IN SECULAR TERRITORY, IN THE FIELDS. NOW THE STAKES ARE HIGHER. THE ENCOUNTER OCCURS IN THE SYNAGOGUE, RELIGIOUS TERRITORY.
• WAS THIS ENCOUNTER WITH A MAN WHO NEEDED HEALING ACCIDENTAL? NO.
• THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS ARE WATCHING TO SEE WHAT JESUS WOULD DO. (2)
• THEY ARE LOOKING FOR A REASON. THE WORD “LOOKING” MEANS A CLOSE SCRUTINY WITH ADVERSE THOUGHT.
• THERE IS A SUBTLE IMPLICATION THAT THIS MAN WAS PLANTED PURPOSELY TO CAUSE JESUS TO STUMBLE OVER THE ISSUE OF THE SABBATH.
• WHAT WAS THE ISSUE BEHIND JESUS’ HEALING OF THE MAN WITH THE SHRIVELED HAND?
• THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS NEEDED SOME SPECIFIC VIOLATION OF THE RELIGIOUS LAW TO ACCUSE HIM PUBLICLY IN ORDER TO DISCREDIT HIM BEFORE THE PEOPLE.
• NOTICE JESUS’ RESPONSE: (3)
• HE TELLS THE MAN TO, “STAND FORTH”. IN OTHER WORDS, HE CALLS THE MAN TO STAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CROWD SO EVERYONE CAN SEE AND HEAR.
• HE KNOWS THE THOUGHTS AND HEARTS OF THE LEADERS WHO PLANTED THE MAN THERE. WE CAN ASSUME THIS BECAUSE HE KNEW THE THOUGHTS OF MEN IN CHAPTER 2.
• THE LEADERS HOPE TO CREATE AN INCIDENT WHERE THEY CAN ACCUSE JESUS OF BREAKING THE RELIGIOUS LAW. BUT JESUS WILL USE THE SITUATION TO MAKE A POINT.
• THE ISSUE:
• IS THE SABBATH A TIME TO DO GOOD AND SAVE LIFE OR NOT? (4)
• THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS DO NOT ANSWER HIM, AND THAT MAKES JESUS ANGRY. WHAT KIND OF ANGER IS THIS?
• THE GREEK VERB INDICATES THAT IT IS A SUDDEN FLASH OF ANGER THAT QUICKLY COOLED AND TURNED TO GRIEF.
• THE GREEK VERB INDICATES THAT HIS GRIEF FOR THE HARDNESS OF THEIR HEARTS WAS A LONG LASTING, ENDURING GRIEF.
• WHY WAS JESUS ANGRY?
• THESE RELIGIOUS LEADERS ARE LEARNED MEN WHO KNOW THE RELIGIOUS LAW. RABBINICAL LAW ALLOWED THE SAVING OF LIFE ON THE SABBATH. BUT THEY WOULD NOT ANSWER HIM.
• THIS MAN’S LIFE WAS NOT IN DANGER, SO THE ISSUE IS NOT THE SAVING OF LIFE, BUT OF DOING GOOD OR EVIL.
• WHAT LESSON DID JESUS TEACH FROM THE ENCOUNTER?
• GOD’S ULTIMATE DESIRE IS TO DO GOOD FOR MAN.
• GOD DID NOT INTEND THAT MAN BE ENSLAVED BY RELIGIOUS RULES SUCH AS THE SABBATH RESTRICTIONS.
• READ MAR 3:6-12
• THE RESULTS OF THE HEALING:
• AN INCIDENTAL RESULT WAS THE HEALING OF THE MAN.
• THE MORE FAR-REACHING RESULT WAS THAT THE PHARISEES COUNSELED WITH THE HERODIANS.
• WHO WERE THE HERODIANS?
• THEY WERE A JEWISH POLITICAL PARTY THAT FAVORED AND SUPPORTED HEROD ANTIPAS, TETRARCH OF GALILEE. HEROD WAS APPOINTED BY ROME TO KEEP THE PEACE IN THE AREA AND SEE THAT TAXES WERE PAID TO ROME. THE HERODIANS DID NOT AGREE WITH THE PHARISEES ABOUT RELATIONS WITH ROME, EXCEPT THAT BOTH BELIEVED IN NATIONALISM. THE HERODIANS DID NOT AGREE WITH THE PHARISEES ABOUT RELIGIOUS MATTERS. HOWEVER, THEY BOTH OPPOSED JESUS BECAUSE HE WAS REACHING THE PEOPLE.
• THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE PLOT TO KILL JESUS.
• THE GREAT MULTITUDE:
• IN CONTRAST TO THE UNBELIEVING RELIGIOUS LEADERS AND HERODIANS IS THE GREAT MULTITUDE.
• PEOPLE CAME FROM GREAT DISTANCES, AT LEAST ABOUT 150 MILES AT THE MOST, THIS WAS AT A TIME WHEN TRANSPORTATION WAS EITHER ON FOOT OR BY DONKEY.
• PEOPLE CAME FROM ALL OVER THE GALILEE AREA.
• PEOPLE CAME FROM JUDEA AREA AND FROM JERUSALEM IN PARTICULAR.
• PEOPLE CAME FROM IDUMAEA.
• PEOPLE CAME FROM BEYOND THE JORDAN RIVER.
• PEOPLE CAME FROM TYRE AND SIDON.
• THE PEOPLE CAME MOSTLY FOR HEALING MIRACLES AND THE CASTING OUT OF DEMONS. (10)
• MARK TELLS US JESUS HEALED MANY. IN OTHER WORDS, THE FEW HEALINGS DESCRIBED IN THE FOUR GOSPELS ARE ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF HEALINGS JESUS PERFORMED. AND THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW THE EXACT TOTAL.
• THE DEMONS HE CAST OUT TESTIFIED OF WHO HE WAS. (11)
• JESUS’ RESPONSE:
• JESUS WITHDREW FROM THE PRESSING OF THE CROWD INTO A SMALL BOAT ON THE SEA OF GALILEE.(9)
• HE WAS IN DANGER OF BEING MOBBED.
• JESUS FORBID THE DEMON SPIRITS TO TESTIFY OF HIM. WHY? (10)
• THE CREDIBILITY OF A TESTIMONY IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE CREDIBILITY OF THE ONE MAKING THE TESTIMONY.
• JESUS WANTED PEOPLE TO COME TO KNOW HIM THROUGH HIS COMPASSIONATE DEEDS. HE WANTED PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE THAT HE WAS THE BURDEN BEARER.
• TESTIMONY BY SATAN, WHO IS THE FATHER OF LIES, (JOH 8:44) IS NOT A WORTHWHILE, CREDIBLE TESTIMONY.
• READ MAR 3:13-21 FROM DISCIPLES TO APOSTLES:
• JESUS GRADUALLY ADDS TO HIS GROUP OF CLOSE FOLLOWERS. OUT OF THAT LARGER GROUP HE CHOSE 12 TO BE INTIMATE DISCIPLES. THEN THE 12 ARE CHOSEN TO BE APOSTLES.
• THE LIST OF THE 12 BEGINS WITH PETER WHO DENIED JESUS AND ENDS WITH JUDAS WHO BETRAYED JESUS. THEY WERE AN IMPERFECT GROUP.
• WHY WERE THERE ONLY 12 CHOSEN TO BE CLOSE TO HIM OUT OF A LARGER GROUP OF DISCIPLES THAT FOLLOWED HIM?
• IT CORRESPONDS TO GOD’S CHOOSING OF THE 12 TRIBES OF ISRAEL IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. THEREFORE, IT IS A SIGNAL THAT GOD IS DOING SOMETHING NEW BUT SIMILAR TO THE OLD TESTAMENT.
• IT CREATES A HIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE WITH WHICH JESUS CAN WORK AND TRAIN ON A VERY PERSONAL BASIS.
• READ JOH 15:16
• WHAT IS A DISCIPLE?
• INHERENT IN THE MEANING OF THE WORD IS A TEACHER / STUDENT RELATIONSHIP FOR THE PURPOSES OF TRAINING.
• A DISCIPLE IS SOMEONE GOD CHOSE. THEREFORE, GOD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT DISCIPLE.
• A DISCIPLE IS CALLED TO BE SEPARATE FROM THE WORLD SYSTEM.
• A DISCIPLE IS CHOSEN FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE.
• THEY WERE TO PRODUCE FRUIT (BELIEVERS) FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD BY PREACHING THE WORD. THEY WERE TO BE FISHERS OF MEN. (14) (MAR 1:17)
• THIS IS THEIR JOB DESCRIPTION.
• DISCIPLESHIP IS A LONG ROAD OF PERSISTENT HARD WORK IN FELLOWSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST.
• WHAT IS AN APOSTLE?
• THE WORD MEANS “SENT ONE”.
• AN APOSTLE IS A TRAINED DISCIPLE SENT OUT BY GOD TO FULFILL THE DISCIPLE’S RESPONSIBILITY IN OTHER GEOGRAPHIC AREAS.
• THERE WERE 12 DISCIPLES BUT MORE THAN 12 APOSTLES. WE COULD SAY THAT ALL APOSTLES ARE DISCIPLES, BUT ALL DISCIPLES ARE NOT APOSTLES.
• PAUL AND A FEW OTHERS WERE ALSO CONSIDERED APOSTLES.
• IN THE BOOK OF ACTS, THE APOSTLES WERE SENT OUT BY GOD TO PREACH THE GOSPEL AND PLANT CHURCHES.
• PAUL’S MINISTRY IS THE PRIME EXAMPLE OF AN APOSTLE.
• WHAT AUTHORITY DO THE 12 DISCIPLES HAVE?
• JESUS GAVE THEM POWER TO HEAL DISEASES AND POWER TO CAST OUT DEMONS.
• IN OTHER WORDS, POWER OVER THE PHYSICAL BODY.
• AND POWER OVER THE SPIRIT WORLD.
• THE REASON FOR THESE POWERS WAS TO ADVERTISE THE GOSPEL.
• MARK TELLS US HOW VERY BUSY JESUS AND THE DISCIPLES WERE MINISTERING TO THE DEMANDS OF THE PEOPLE. JESUS HAD NO TIME FOR HIMSELF. (20)
• FRIENDS CAME TO INTERVENE ON JESUS’ BEHALF. WHO WERE THE FRIENDS? MARK DOES NOT SAY BUT PROBABLY SOME OF THE OTHER DISCIPLES AND CAMP FOLLOWERS.
• READ MAR 3:22-30 OPPOSITION BY THE JERUSALEM SCRIBES
• IN CONTRAST TO THE BELIEVING DISCIPLES AND APOSTLES IS THE GROUP OF UNBELIEVING SCRIBES THAT ACCUSE JESUS OF DOING MIRACLES BY BEELZEBUB.
• “BEELZEBUB”
• THE NAME LITERALLY MEANS = MASTER OF THE HOUSE. IT CAME ALSO TO MEAN “LORD OF THE FLIES” OR “LORD OF THE DEMONS”.
• BEELZEBUB WAS A LOCAL PAGAN GOD. (2KIN 1:2)
• THE JEWS CONSIDERED BEELZEBUB THE MASTER OVER THE EVIL SPIRITS. IN JEWISH LITERATURE IT WAS NOT APPLIED TO SATAN. HOWEVER, JESUS USES THE NAME AS ANOTHER NAME FOR SATAN.
• JESUS USES COMMON REASONING TO COUNTER THE ACCUSATION THAT HE IS IN LEAGUE WITH SATAN WHEN HE CASTS OUT DEMONS AND BRINGS HEALING TO PEOPLE. (23-27)
• THE RESULTS OF JESUS’ MINISTRY IS GOOD, THEREFORE THE SOURCE IS GOD.
• THE RESULTS OF SATAN’S MINISTRY IS EVIL, THEREFORE THE SOURCE IS SATAN.
• THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN: (28-30)
• BEFORE CONSIDERING WHAT IS THIS UNFORGIVABLE SIN, WE MUST FIRST NOTICE THE CONTEXT AND THE AUDIENCE TO WHOM JESUS SPOKE.
• THE SCRIBES FROM JERUSALEM ARE THE AUDIENCE JESUS SPEAKS TO CONCERNING THIS UNFORGIVABLE SIN.
• THE CONTEXT IS THE ATTRIBUTING OF THE WORKS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO SATAN.
• IN OTHER WORDS, THE JERUSALEM SCRIBES HAD COMMITTED THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN WHEN THEY ACCUSED JESUS OF CASTING OUT DEMONS BY BEELZEBUB.
• THE MIRACLES THAT JESUS DID WAS BY THE ANOINTING POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. WHEN THE SCRIBES SAID THAT THE MIRACLES WERE BY SATAN, THEY BLASPHEMED THE HOLY SPIRIT.
• WHAT IS THE SIN OF BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT?
• THEREFORE, FROM THE CONTEXT OF THE PASSAGE, THE SIN OF BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT IS TO GIVE CREDIT TO SATAN FOR THE MIRACLES OF GOD PERFORMED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.
• WHY IS THIS SIN THE ONLY UNFORGIVABLE SIN?
• WASN’T THE DEATH OF JESUS ON THE CROSS SUFFICIENT PAYMENT TO PURCHASE FORGIVENESS FOR ANY OR ALL SIN?
• THE ANSWER IS YES, JESUS DEATH WAS SUFFICIENT FOR ALL SIN.
• UNDERSTANDING WHY THE SIN IS UNFORGIVABLE COMES FROM OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKS IN THE LIVES OF PEOPLE.
• READ JOH 16:8-10
• JOHN TELLS US THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTS THE HEART OF SIN. WE COME TO KNOW GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. (JOH 14:9) WE COME TO KNOW JESUS THROUGH THE CONVICTION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
• AS A NON-BELIEVER, LIKE THE SCRIBES, WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT CONVICTS US OF SIN, WE REPENT AND RECOGNIZE THAT WE NEED A SAVIOR TO PAY FOR OUR SINS.
• THE SCRIBES REFUSED THE TESTIMONY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST.
• IF YOU ATTRIBUTE THE CONVICTING WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO SATAN, YOU WILL NEVER COME TO KNOW JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR WHO PAID FOR YOUR SINS. THEREFORE, YOU WILL NEVER KNOW GOD.
• THE SCRIBES CUT THEMSELVES OFF FROM THE CONVICTION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
• NOTICE THAT IT IS NOT SO MUCH THE SIN IS UNFORGIVABLE BUT THAT THE PERSON WILL NEVER REPENT, HE WILL NEVER ACKNOWLEDGE THE SIN, AND HE WILL NEVER ACKNOWLEDGE HIS NEED OF A SAVIOR. THEREFORE, HE MAKES HIMSELF FOREVER UNFORGIVEN.
• THE ATTITUDE OF THE HEART OF THE NON-BELIEVER IS UNPARDONABLE, NOT THE ACT OF BLASPHEMING.
• READ MAR 3:31-35 THE FAMILY OF GOD
• IN CONTRAST TO THE UNBELIEVING SCRIBES, MARK RAISES THE SUBJECT OF A NEW FAMILY RELATIONSHIP AMONG BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST.
• JESUS’ BROTHERS AND HIS MOTHER, MARY, ARE THERE.
• JESUS HAD HALF BROTHERS AS A RESULT OF THE MARRIAGE OF MARY AND JOSEPH.
• JAMES IS ONE. JAMES WAS NOT A BELIEVER UNTIL AFTER THE CRUCIFIXION. HE BECAME THE HEAD OF THE JERUSALEM CHURCH AND WROTE THE BOOK OF JAMES.
• JUDE IS ANOTHER. HIS NAME WAS JUDAS BUT CHANGED TO JUDE TO DIFFERENTIATE HIM FROM JUDAS ISCARIOT WHO BETRAYED JESUS. JUDE WAS NOT A BELIEVER UNTIL AFTER THE CRUCIFIXION. HE WROTE THE BOOK OF JUDE.
• NEITHER JAMES OR JUDE MENTION THEIR BLOOD RELATIONSHIP TO JESUS IN THEIR BOOKS.
• THE REASON IS THAT THEY CAME TO UNDERSTAND THE MORE IMPORTANT AND ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP IS NOT ONE OF AN ACCIDENTAL PHYSICAL BLOOD DESCENDANCY, BUT ONE OF A PURPOSEFUL SPIRITUAL BLOOD COMMITMENT.
• DESCRIBE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A NEW TESTAMENT RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST.
• THE PERSON WHO DOES THE WILL OF GOD IS IN THE FAMILY OF GOD.
• READ 1TIM 2:3-4 AND JOH 1:12
• 1TIM TELLS US WHAT IS THE WILL OF GOD AND JOH 1:12 TELLS US HOW TO DO IT.
• SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
• THE CHAPTER CONSTANTLY CONTRASTS BELIEVING WITH NON-BELIEVING. THEREFORE, THE READER IS LEFT IN THE MIDDLE HAVING TO DECIDE WHICH SIDE WAS RIGHT…THE NON-BELIEVING SCRIBES AND PHARISEES OR THE BELIEVING DISCIPLES AND FOLLOWERS OF JESUS.
• THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES WERE LONG-STANDING LEADERS WHO LOVED GOD AND THOUGHT THEY WERE RIGHT. THEY WERE UNWILLING TO BE OPEN TO ANYTHING NEW FROM GOD BECAUSE THEY COVETED MORE THEIR POWER AND STANDING IN THE COMMUNITY.
• WE, AS BELIEVERS, SHOULD CONSTANTLY EXAMINE OUR OWN ATTITUDES IN LIGHT OF THE SPIRIT’S LEADING.
• ALL BELIEVERS ARE CALLED BY GOD TO BE DISCIPLES. THEREFORE, WE MUST EXAMINE OUR ROLE AS A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST IN RELATION TO THE 12 DISCIPLES.

• HOMEWORK
  MARK 4:1-34
  THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF MAR 3
• READ THE SECTION, “SUMMARY AND APPLICATION” ABOVE. THE DECIDE WHICH OF THE TWO MESSAGES RELATES MORE TO YOUR LIFE AND WHY?
• -1- THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES WHO LOVED THEIR POWER AND POSITION MORE THAN GOD.
• -2- THE DISCIPLES WHO MUST COMMIT EVERYTHING IN THEIR LIFE TO FOLLOW HIM AND MUST PERFORM THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO PREACH THE WORD.
• PREPARATION FOR MAR 4:1-34
• WHAT IS THE MAIN POINT OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING 4 PARABLES:
• READ MAR 4:1-20 THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER
• READ MAR 4:21-23 THE PARABLE OF THE LAMP AND LIGHT
• READ MAR 4:24-29 THE PARABLE OF THE GROWING SEED AND HARVEST
• READ MAR 4:30-34 THE PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED
• MEMORY VERSE: MARK 4:9