Mark Lesson #04

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January 12, 2010

RETURN TO SYLLABUS
MARK 2
LESSON #04
THE BURDEN BEARER FORGIVES SIN

• MEMORY VERSE: MARK 2:27
• MARK CONTINUES HIS NARRATIVE OF JESUS MINISTRY THAT BEGAN IN CHAPTER ONE. WITH THE FIRST WORD, “AND” IN CHAPTER TWO, MARK CONTINUES RIGHT WHERE CHAPTER ONE LEFT OFF.
• READ MAR 2:1-13 THE HEALING OF THE PARALYTIC MAN
• CAPERNUM
• THE CITY OF CAPERNUM WAS LOCATED AT THE NORTH END OF THE SEA OF GALILEE. IT WAS A BUSY TRADING PORT. IT WAS ALSO A CUSTOMS COLLECTION CENTER. THAT IS WHY WE FIND MATTHEW LOCATED THERE.
• IN THE AREA AROUND THE SEA OF GALILLE, THERE WERE MANY HOT SPRINGS THAT DREW MANY SICK PEOPLE.
• THEREFORE, MOST OF JESUS’ HEALING MINISTRY IS IN THIS GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION.
• JESUS LOCATED THE HEADQUARTERS OF HIS MINISTRY IN CAPERNUM INSTEAD OF NAZARETH. WHY?
• THE PEOPLE OF NAZARETH WERE NOT RECEPTIVE TO HIM. (JOH 1:46 MAT 13:55-58)
• BECAUSE OF JESUS’ POPULARITY AFTER THE HEALING OF THE LEPER, HE LEFT CAPERNUM AND THEN LATER RETURNED.
• THE HOUSE WHERE THE HEALING TAKES PLACE IS PROBABLY PETER’S HOUSE.
• THE GROUP OF FIVE:
• ONE MAN WAS SICK WITH PALSY. HE WAS A PARALYTIC, UNABLE TO WALK.
• THERE WERE FOUR FRIENDS WITH FAITH.
• DISCUSSION:

HOW DO WE EXPLAIN THE EFFECTIVE FAITH OF THE FOUR FRIENDS? CAN A PERSON HAVE FAITH TO BELIEVE SOMETHING FOR ANOTHER PERSON?

• NOTICE THAT ALL 5 HAD FAITH. THE FOUR HAD FAITH TO GET HIM TO JESUS. BUT THE FAITH OF THE SICK MAN WAS WHAT JESUS WAS DEALING WITH. THAT MAN WAS SAVED AND HAD HIS SINS FORGIVEN BECAUSE OF HIS OWN FAITH.
• THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEALING AND THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS
• SOMETIMES

ILLNESS IS DIRECTLY CAUSED BY A SPECIFIC SIN IN A PERSON’S LIFE.

• ALWAYS

ILLNESS IS THE RESULT OF LIVING UNDER THE CURSE OF A FALLEN WORLD FILLED WITH SIN IN GENERAL. (GEN 3)

• MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO CAME TO JESUS WERE INTERESTED IN THE MIRACLES AND THE HEALINGS. BUT THESE HEALINGS WERE TO GET PEOPLE’S ATTENTION AND MOVE THEM TO FAITH FOR SALVATION.
• HOW DO WE KNOW THIS?
• THIS PASSAGE IN THIS CHAPTER PROVES THE POINT:
• VERSE 2 SAYS HE PREACHED THE WORD TO THEM.
• JESUS’ PRIORITY WAS THAT THE PEOPLE HEAR THE WORD OF GOD.
• VERSE 5 SAYS THAT JESUS FORGAVE HIS SINS.
• THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN SEE OCCUR IN A PERSON’S LIFE. IT HAPPENS IN THE SPIRITUAL REALM.
• THEY COULD SEE THE HEALING. THEREFORE, WHEN THEY SAW THE HEALING, THEY WOULD KNOW THAT THE MAN’S SINS WERE FORGIVEN. THE HEALING WAS THE VISIBLE PROOF OF THE MORE IMPORTANT SPIRITUAL SALVATION.
• VERSE 10 TELLS US JESUS’ PRIORITY IN THE MATTER. IT WAS TO CONVEY THE MESSAGE OF THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS AND NOT PRIMARILY TO HEAL THE MAN PHYSICALLY.
• AS A RESULT OF THE HEALING, THEY LISTENED TO JESUS’ PREACHING. (13)
• THE CONFLICT:
• THE SCRIBES QUESTIONED JESUS’ ABILITY TO FORGIVE SINS. THEY WERE CORRECT WHEN THEY THOUGHT THAT ONLY GOD CAN FORGIVE SINS.
• AS GOD, JESUS KNEW THEIR THOUGHTS.
• THEREFORE, BECAUSE JESUS AND THE FATHER, GOD, ARE ONE, HE DID NOT BLASPHEME WHEN HE FORGAVE SINS. JESUS, THE BURDEN BEARER, IS CLAIMING TO BE GOD.
• THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN IS CONTINGENT ON JESUS GOING TO THE CROSS AND PAYING THE PRICE FOR THAT FORGIVENESS.
• READ MAR 2:14-17 THE CALL OF MATTHEW
• MATTHEW WAS FROM THE TRIBE OF LEVI. HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A PRIEST, BUT INSTEAD HE WAS A TAX COLLECTOR.
• WHAT WAS WRONG WITH BEING A TAX COLLECTOR (PUBLICAN)?
• TAX COLLECTORS WORKED FOR THE ROMAN EMPEROR AND EVIL HEROD ANTIPAS. THEREFORE, TAX COLLECTORS WERE CONSIDERED BY THE JEWS TO BE TRAITORS AT WORST OR COMPROMISERS AT BEST.
• TAX COLLECTORS HAD REGULAR DEALINGS WITH GENTILE TRADERS THAT MADE THEM SUSPECT TO ORTHODOX JEWS.
• WHILE THE TAX COLLECTORS WORKED FOR ROME, THEY OBTAINED THEIR SALARY BY ADDING THEIR SALARY TO THE ROMAN TAX. THEREFORE, THERE WAS NO SET AMOUNT. THEY COLLECTED WHATEVER THEY COULD PERSUADE PEOPLE TO GIVE OVER AND ABOVE THE ROMAN TAX.
• JESUS WAS NOT POLITICALLY MINDED AND DID NOT OBSERVE THE POLITICALLY CORRECT ATTITUDE OF AVOIDING FELLOWSHIP WITH PUBLICANS. HE SAW MEN AS EITHER LOST OR SAVED SPIRITUALLY.
• THE CONFLICT:
• THE PHARISEES AND THE SCRIBES ARE AGAIN THE SOURCE OF CONFLICT OVER JESUS’ ACTIONS.
• WHO WERE THE PHARISEES?
• THEY WERE THE FORMALISTS OF THE TIME. THE PHARISEE MOVEMENT BEGAN IN THE THIRD CENTURY BC AS A REACTION AGAINST THE GREEK EFFORT TO HELLENIZE THE JEWS BY GETTING THE JEWS TO ACCEPT GREEK CULTURE AND PAGAN RELIGIONS. THE PHARISEES MAINTAINED NATIONAL INTEGRITY AND A STRICT CONFORMITY TO MOSAIC LAW. FORMALISM WAS THE END RESULT AT THE TIME JESUS CAME, BECAUSE THEY HAD ADDED TO THE MOSAIC LAW, A LAW OF TRADITION, PROMOTED BY THE SCRIBES AND ELDERS. THE PHARISEES WERE THE RELIGIOUS POWER OF THE TIME BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE SUPPORTED THEM.
• WHO WERE THE SCRIBES?
• THEY WERE THE LAWYERS WHO WERE IN CHARGE OF COPYING SCRIPTURE. THEIR DUTIES WERE TO ADD TO THE LAW THE REGULATIONS COVERING MINOR DETAILS OMITTED IN THE MOSAIC LAW. SCRIBES ALSO WERE TO EXPLAIN THE LAW ITSELF, AND TO STUDY AND TEACH THE LAW. THEY WERE TO INTERPRET THE LAW AND MAKE DECISIONS AS JUDGES UNDER THE LAW. SCRIBES WERE RECOGNIZED AS AUTHORITIES. THE DECISIONS OF LEADING SCRIBES BECAME ORAL LAW OR TRADITION.
• JESUS’ RESPONSE:
• JESUS SAID HE CAME TO BEAR THE BURDENS OF THOSE WHO ARE SICK WITH SIN.
• BECAUSE NO ONE IS RIGHTEOUS BUT JESUS CHRIST, HE CAME TO BEAR THE BURDENS OF SIN OF ALL PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE PHARISEES AND THE SCRIBES.
• OF COURSE, THESE RELIGIOUS LEADERS DID NOT RECOGNIZE THEIR OWN SINFULNESS.
• READ MAR 2:18-20 CONTROVERSY OVER FASTING
• THE DISCIPLES OF JOHN THE BAPTIST FASTED.
• THE DISCIPLES OF THE PHARISEES FASTED.
• THE DISCIPLES OF JESUS DID NOT FAST. WHY?
• THERE WAS ONLY ONE OLD TESTAMENT REQUIREMENT FOR FASTING. GOD SAID THE JEWS SHOULD FAST ONE DAY A YEAR ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT FOR SIN. IT WAS A DAY OF MOURNING. GOD SPECIFIED MANY FEAST DAYS OF REJOICING. THEREFORE, FASTING WAS A MATTER OF INDIVIDUAL CHOICE THAT HAD BECOME A TRADITION.
• THE PHARISEES FASTED MONDAYS AND THURSDAYS.
• JESUS ANSWER:
• FASTING WAS AN OUTWARD DEMONSTRATION OF MOURNING AND SADNESS. HIS DISCIPLES WERE NOT SAD AND MOURNFUL WHILE JESUS WAS WITH THEM. HIS DISCIPLES WOULD BE SAD LATER WHEN JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED AND TAKEN TO HEAVEN. THEN THEY WOULD FAST.
• JESUS IS THE BRIDEGROOM.
• CHILDREN OF THE BRIDE CHAMBER ARE THE DISCIPLES.
• NOTICE THAT THIS IS MARK’S SECOND MENTION OF THE COMING CRUCIFIXION IN THIS CHAPTER.
• READ MAR 2:21-22 THE PARABLE OF OLD GARMENTS AND OLD BOTTLES
• THE PARABLE OCCURS IN MAT 9:16-17. IT WAS SPOKEN TO DISCIPLES OF JOHN THE BAPTIST ABOUT THE PHARISEES DURING A FEAST AT THE HOUSE OF MATTHEW UPON MATTHEW’S CONVERSION.
• THAT IS THE SAME CONTEXT HERE IN MARK.
• THE PATCH OF UNSHRUNK CLOTH ON AN OLD GARMENT:
• THIS PARABLE IS BEFORE THE ERA OF “SANFORIZED” PRE-SHRUNK FABRICS. IF YOU PUT A NEW PATCH OF FABRIC THAT WAS NOT PRE-SHRUNK ON AN OLD GARMENT, WHEN NEXT IT WAS WASHED, THE PATCH WOULD SPLIT AWAY FROM THE GARMENT.
• THE NEW CLOTH REPRESENTS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST GIVEN TO THE BELIEVER AT NEW BIRTH. .
• THE OLD GARMENT REPRESENTS OUR OLD SINFUL NATURE.
• WHY IS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE OLD SINFUL NATURE?
• THE OLD NATURE DOES NOT HAVE A HEART ATTITUDE TOWARD GOD WHILE THE NEW DOES.
• READ GAL 2:20
• THIS PART OF THE PARABLE IS FOR THE DISCIPLES OF JESUS AND JOHN WHO MUST BE BORN AGAIN AFTER THE CRUCIFIXION.
• THE NEW WINE IN OLD WINESKINS:
• NEW WINE REPRESENTS THE FLOWING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. (ACT 2:13)
• OLD WINESKINS:
• WINESKINS WERE BOTTLES MADE OUT OF ANIMAL SKINS. WHEN THE SKIN IS “GREEN” OR NEW, IT STRETCHES AS THE WINE IN IT FERMENTS. IF YOU PUT NEW WINE INTO AN OLD WINESKIN, THE FERMENTING PROCESS WOULD CAUSE THE SKIN TO BREAK.
• THE OLD WINESKINS REPRESENT THE OLD RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS OF THE PHARISEES.
• YOU CANNOT PUT THE NEW FLOWING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT INTO THE OLD TRADITIONS OF THE JUDAISM THAT THE PHARISEES PRACTICED. WHY?
• TRADITIONS WITHOUT A HEART ATTITUDE TOWARD GOD WILL NOT PERMIT THE MOVING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE LIVES AND HEARTS OF MEN.
• NEW WINESKINS:
• THE NEW WINESKINS REPRESENT JESUS’ TEACHINGS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT BASED ON HIS CRUCIFIXION, RESURRECTION, AND ASCENSION. FAITH IN CHRIST MAKES A NEW HEART READY TO HOLD THE INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT. (JOH 7:37-39)
• THIS PART OF THE PARABLE IS FOR THE DISCIPLES OF THE PHARISEES.
• READ MAR 2:23-28 THE SABBATH
• THE MOSAIC LAW REGARDING THE SABBATH INDICATED THAT THE SABBATH (THE SEVENTH DAY=SATURDAY) MUST BE KEPT HOLY TO GOD BY A DAY OF REST.
• IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, IT WAS NOT A TIME TO GO TO THE SYNAGOGUE. FOR WORSHIP. IT WAS A TIME TO STAY HOME.
• MANY INCIDENTAL LAWS WERE ADDED TO THIS BASIC LAW BY THE SCRIBES THAT SPECIFIED LEVELS AND TYPES OF WORK THAT COULD OR COULD NOT BE DONE ON THE SABBATH.
• MANY INCIDENTAL RESTRICTIONS TO PEOPLE’S ACTIONS WERE ADDED TO THIS LAW THAT RESTRICTED TRAVEL.
• IT IS THIS INCIDENT OF THE SABBATH THAT CAUSED A BREAK BETWEEN JESUS AND THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF HIS TIME.
• JESUS REACTION TO THE SABBATH LAW:
• DID JESUS BREAK THE SABBATH LAW ESTABLISHED BY GOD? NO. HE DID NOT.
• DID JESUS BREAK MAN’S ADDED RESTRICTIONS PLACED ON THE SABBATH? PROBABLY YES.
• THE PHARISEES PROHIBITED THE HARVESTING AND THRESHING OF GRAIN ON THE SABBATH.
• IF THE DISCIPLES HAD HARVESTED WITH A SICKLE INSTEAD OF THEIR HANDS, THEY WOULD HAVE BROKEN THE SABBATH LAW.
• JESUS DID NOT ARGUE THE LAW WITH THE PHARISEES. INSTEAD HE GAVE THEM AN OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLE:
• DAVID AND THE TABLE OF SHEWBREAD. (1SAM 21:1-6)
• DAVID WENT INTO THE TABERNACLE AND TOOK THE BREAD OFF THE ALTAR AND GAVE IT TO HIS MEN TO EAT.
• DID DAVID BREAK THE MOSAIC LAW? YES. BUT JESUS SAYS HE WAS JUSTIFIED TO DO SO.
• BECAUSE HIS MEN HAD NOTHING TO EAT, DAVID BROKE THE LAW. JESUS SAYS THAT THE LAW WAS MADE FOR THE GOOD OF MAN.
• THE SABBATH PRINCIPLE

: THE SABBATH WAS ORIGINALLY TO SERVE PEOPLE RATHER THAN TO ENSLAVE PEOPLE.

• SUMMARY:
• WHAT STATEMENTS OF SELF-REVELATION DOES JESUS MAKE IN THIS CHAPTER TO TELL US WHO HE IS?
• JESUS TELLS US THAT HE IS GOD BECAUSE HE CAN FORGIVE SINS.(5)
• JESUS TELLS US THAT HE IS THE OMNISCIENT GOD BECAUSE HE KNOWS THE THOUGHTS OF MAN. (8)
• JESUS TELLS US THAT HE IS GOD WHO KNOWS THE FUTURE. HE IS THE BRIDEGROOM WHO WILL LEAVE HIS DISCIPLES BEHIND. (19)
• JESUS SAID THAT HE IS LORD OF THE SABBATH. (28)
• IN CHAPTER TWO OF MARK, WE ALREADY SEE THE SHADOW OF THE CROSS LOOMING ON THE HORIZON. JESUS ALREADY SEEMS TO KNOW IT IS COMING.
• JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS ARRESTED AND BEHEADED. HE NOT ONLY SHOWS THE WAY TO JESUS, BUT HE ALSO FORETELLS WHAT WILL COME TO JESUS’ LIFE, AND WHAT WILL COME TO THE BELIEVER WHO FOLLOWS JESUS.

• HOMEWORK
  MARK 3
  THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF MAR 2
• WHAT SPECIFIC THINGS DID YOU LEARN ABOUT JESUS CHARACTER FROM THIS CHAPTER?
• PREPARATION FOR MAR 3
• READ MAR 3:1-5
• WHAT WAS THE ISSUE BEHIND JESUS’ HEALING OF THE MAN WITH THE SHRIVELED HAND?
• WHAT LESSON DID JESUS TEACH FROM THE ENCOUNTER?
• READ MAR 3:6-12
• WHY DID JESUS FORBID THE DEMONS TO SPEAK ABOUT WHO HE WAS?
• READ MAR 3:13-21
• WHAT IS A DISCIPLE?
• WHAT DUTIES AND AUTHORITY DOES A DISCIPLE HAVE?
• READ MAR 3:22-30
• WHAT IS THE SIN OF BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT?
• WHY IS IT UNFORGIVABLE?
• READ MAR 3:31-35
• DESCRIBE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A NEW TESTAMENT RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST.
• MEMORY VERSE: MARK 3:35