Mark Lesson #18

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January 12, 2010

RETURN TO SYLLABUS
MARK 12:30-31
LESSON #18
THE FAILED RESPONSIBILITY OR THE FULFILLED PRIORITY

• IN OUR STUDY OF THESE FINAL CHAPTERS OF MARK, WE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING AND RELATING EVENTS TO THE JEWISH FESTIVAL OF THE PASSOVER.
• JESUS’ TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM COINCIDED WITH THE ENTRANCE OF THE PASSOVER LAMB INTO THE CITY.
• THEN FOR 4 DAYS, THE PASSOVER LAMB WAS TIED TO THE TEMPLE ALTAR FOR CLOSE EXAMINATION.
• JESUS SPENDS 4 DAYS IN THE TEMPLE AREA AS THE SCRIBES, PRIESTS, AND ELDERS EXAMINE HIM IN DETAIL LOOKING FOR SOME DEFECT IN HIS ANSWERS.
• READ MAR 12:1-12 EXAMINATION BY THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS: THE PARABLE OF THE HOUSEHOLDER AND THE HEIR
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH FROM THIS PARABLE?
• GOD GAVE A SACRED TRUST TO THE JEWS. HE GAVE THEM MANY PROMISES AND PRIVILEGES, BUT THEY FAILED HIM BY KILLING HIS PROPHETS AND REJECTING HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST. GOD WOULD, THEREFORE, SET ASIDE THE JEWS FOR A TIME AND BUILD UPON A BELIEVING GROUP OF GENTILES.
• READ ISA 5:1-7
• NOTICE THAT THE SAME OBJECTS THAT OCCUR IN MARK, OCCUR IN ISAIAH.
• WHO IS THE HOUSEHOLDER? GOD.
• WHAT DOES THE VINEYARD REPRESENT?
• THE VINEYARD IS THE NATION OF ISRAEL.
• READ PSA 80:8-15
• NOTICE IT TELLS US IN ISA 5:2 THAT GOD DUG THE VINEYARD AND TOOK OUT THE STONES.
• GOD PROMISED THE LAND TO THE JEWS AND THEN HELPED THEM DEFEAT AND GET RID OF THEIR ENEMIES IN THE LAND.
• THEN ISAIAH TELLS US THAT GOD PLANTED THE VINEYARD WITH THE CHOICEST VINE.
• THE CHOICEST VINE REPRESENTS THE BLOODLINE OF JESUS CHRIST.
• WHAT IS MEANT BY “BEING HEDGED ABOUT”? (MAR 12:1)
• GOD MADE THE ISRAELITES SEPARATE FROM OTHER NATIONS AND PROMISED THEM PROTECTION FROM THEIR ENEMIES IF THEY WOULD BE GOD’S PEOPLE.
• NOTICE IN ISA 5:5 IT SAYS THAT GOD WILL REMOVE THIS PROTECTION BECAUSE OF THEIR FAILURE TO BE GOD’S PEOPLE. THEN THE VINEYARD WILL BE TRAMPLED.
• AS A RESULT WE HAVE SEEN THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF PERSECUTION AGAINST THE JEWS AS WELL AS NATION AFTER NATION MARCH ACROSS AND CONTROL THE PROMISED LAND.
• ISA 5:6 SAYS THAT THERE WOULD BE NO RAIN ON IT. RAIN IS ANOTHER SPIRITUAL SYMBOL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
• EZE 10 GIVES US THE VISION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT DEPARTING FROM THE TEMPLE.
• WHAT DOES THE WINEPRESS REPRESENT?
• READ REV 19:11-16
• THE WINEPRESS IS A SYMBOL FOR JUDGMENT.
• THE WINEPRESS IN THE VINEYARD IS THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST WHERE SIN WAS JUDGED. (ROM 6:10 2COR 5:21)
• WHAT DOES THE TOWER REPRESENT?
• ISA 5:2 TELLS US THAT GOD BUILT A TOWER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE VINEYARD.
• THE TOWER REPRESENTS THE WORD OF GOD THAT GOD GAVE TO THE JEWS FOR THEM TO BE A LIGHT TO THE GENTILES.
• WHO DO THE TENANT FARMERS REPRESENT?
• THE TENANT FARMERS ARE THE JEWS TO WHOM GOD GAVE SACRED RESPONSIBILITIES.
• WHAT IS THE “FAR COUNTRY”?
• AFTER CALLING THE JEWS TO BE HIS PEOPLE, GIVING THEM HIS PROMISES, DELIVERING THEM OUT OF EGYPT, HELPING THEM GAIN THE PROMISED LAND, THEY STILL COULD NOT BE HIS PEOPLE, SO HE LIFTED HIS HAND OF PROTECTION AND LEFT THEM TO THEIR OWN DEVICES FOR THE MOST PART. THEY DID NOT HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARY MANIFESTATION OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD AFTER THAT. (DEU 34:10-12)
• WHO DO THE SERVANTS REPRESENT?
• THE SERVANTS SENT BY THE HOUSEHOLDER ARE THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS.
• THEY CALLED THE PEOPLE TO ACCOUNTABILITY. IN OTHER WORDS, IT WAS LIKE A SERVANT GOING TO COLLECT THE RENT.
• THE SERVANTS WERE MISTREATED.
• ISAIAH WAS SAWN IN TWO, JEREMIAH WAS STONED, AMOS WAS MURDERED WITH A CLUB, JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS BEHEADED. (HEB 11:36-38)
• JESUS HAD REPRIMANDED THE JEWISH LEADERS FOR BEING THE FIG TREE, HAVING THE OUTWARD LOOK OF BEING RELIGIOUS BUT BEARING NO FRUIT OF BRINGING PEOPLE TO GOD. NOW HE CONDEMNS THEM FOR BEING MURDERERS OF THEIR OWN PROPHETS.
• WHO DOES THE SON REPRESENT? JESUS CHRIST.
• THIS IS A PREDICTION OF HIS DEATH AT THEIR HANDS.
• STEALING THE INHERITANCE (THE TITLE OF LORDSHIP) MEANS THEY SOUGHT TO RETAIN THEIR PRESTIGE, THEIR MONEY, AND THEIR POWER TO BE THEIR OWN LORD.
• NOTICE THAT JESUS ASKS THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS WHAT GOD SHOULD DO TO THE STEWARDS OF THE VINEYARD FOR KILLING THE SON. (MAR 12:9)
• THE ANSWER IS A PROPHECY FULFILLED IN 70 AD WHEN THE ROMANS DESTROYED THE TEMPLE AND JERUSALEM AND SCATTERED THE PEOPLE.
• THE VINEYARD WOULD BE GIVEN TO OTHERS.
• WHO ARE “THE OTHERS”?
• THE OTHERS REPRESENT THE GENTILE BELIEVERS, THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH. (ROM 11)
• WHAT DOES THE FRUIT REPRESENT?
• ISA 5:2 SAYS THAT GOD LOOKED FOR THE VINEYARD TO PRODUCE GRAPES, BUT IT BROUGHT FORTH WILD GRAPES.
• THE JEWS WERE TO PRODUCE THE SPIRITUAL FRUIT OF BRINGING PEOPLE TO GOD, BUT INSTEAD THEY PRODUCED ROTTENNESS.
• THE TERM “WILD GRAPES” REFERES TO SMALL, HARD, BITTER BERRIES ROTTEN ON THE VINE AND USELESS FOR FOOD.
• THE CHANGE IN METAPHOR:
• JESUS CHANGES FROM TALKING ABOUT THE VINEYARD TO TALKING ABOUT A STONE.
• READ PSA 118:22-23
• WHO DOES THE STONE REPRESENT?
• JESUS CHRIST IN THREE ASPECTS:
• =1= THE STONE THAT THE BUILDERS REJECTED:
• THIS IS THE REJECTION OF CHRIST BY THE LEADERS OF ISRAEL.
• IT REFERS TO CHRIST COMING IN THE FORM OF A SUFFERING SERVANT INSTEAD OF COMING IN THE FORM OF A REIGNING KING. THAT MADE THE JEWS STUMBLE.
• JESUS IS CALLED THE STONE OF STUMBLING.(ISA 8:14-15 ROM 9:32-33 1COR 1:23 1PET 2:8)
• =2= THE HEAD OF THE CORNER:
• TO THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, CHRIST IS THE FOUNDATION STONE. THE HEAD OF THE CORNER IS WHAT IS CALLED THE CORNER STONE. THIS PERFECTLY SQUARED STONE INSURES THAT THE WALLS WILL HEAD OFF AT THE PROPER ANGLE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING. (1COR 3:11 EPH 2:20-22 1PET 2:4-5)
• =3= THE SMITING OR CRUSHING STONE:
• THIS ASPECT OF THE STONE IS NOT MENTIONED IN THE PARABLE.
• TO THE GENTILE WORLD NATIONS, CHRIST IS THE SMITING STONE OR CRUSHING STONE OF DESTRUCTION. (DAN 2:34)
• NATIONS WILL FIGHT AGAINST CHRIST AND ISRAEL AT THE SECOND COMING, BUT THEY WILL BE CRUSHED.
• SUMMARY:
• IN THIS PARABLE, JESUS TELLS US WHO HE IS IN RELATION TO ISRAEL AND GOD’S PLAN. HE ALSO TELLS US OF HIS COMING DEATH AT THE HANDS OF THE JEWISH RELIGIOUS LEADERS.
• NOTICE THAT AFTER ISA 5:1-7, THERE IS A SERIES OF 6 CURSES UPON THE JEWISH LEADERS. THIS SAME PATTERN IS REPEATED IN THE ACCOUNT OF THE PARABLE IN MAT 21:33-46 WHERE JESUS PRONOUNCES CURSES UPON THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS.

• READ MAR 12:13-17 EXAMINATION BY THE PHARISEES AND THE HERODIANS:
• NOTICE THAT THESE SELF-IMPORTANT PEOPLE FLATTER JESUS BEFORE THEY ATTEMPT TO TRICK HIM.
• THE QUESTION: “IS IT LAWFUL TO GIVE TRIBUTE TO CAESAR?”
• IF JESUS HAD ANSWERED, YES, HE WOULD BE GIVING CAESAR MORE IMPORTANCE THAN GOD.
• IF JESUS HAD ANSWERED, NO, HE WOULD BE VIOLATING ROMAN LAW AND THEY WOULD HAVE A LEGITIMATE REASON FOR TURNING HIM OVER TO THE ROMANS.
• JESUS USES A COIN THAT HAS TWO SIDES:
• THERE ARE TWO AREAS OF LIFE IN WHICH WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITY:
• =1= CHRISTIANS HAVE HEAVENLY OR SPIRITUAL REPONSIBILITIES.
• =2= CHRISTIANS HAVE EARTHLY OR PHYSICAL RESPONSIBILITIES.
• FROM JESUS’ ANSWER, WHAT GENERAL PRINCIPLE DOES HE TEACH REGARDING A BELIEVER’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GOVERNMENT?
• THE CHRISTIAN HAS MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE HEAVENLY AND EARTHLY RESPONSIBILITIES. IN OTHER WORDS, KEEPING ONE RESPONSIBILITY DOES NOT PRECLUDE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR KEEPING THE OTHER. OUR RESPONSIBILITIES FALL IN AREAS OF PRIORITIES.
• =1= THE CHRISTIAN HAS RESPONSIBILITY TO GOD TO BE A FAITHFUL AND OBEDIENT DISCIPLE.
• =2= THE CHRISTIAN HAS RESPONSIBILITY TO FAMILY TO MEET THEIR NEEDS.
• =3= THE CHRISTIAN HAS RESPONSIBILITY TO CHURCH AND PERSONAL MINISTRY.
• =4= THE CHRISTIAN HAS RESPONSIBILITY TO GOVERNMENT TO BE A GOOD, LAW-ABIDING CITIZEN IN HIS COMMUNITY. (ROM 13:1)

• READ MAR 12:18-27 EXAMINATION BY THE SADDUCEES:
• REMEMBER THAT THE SADDUCEES WERE THE LIBERALS OF THAT DAY. THEY DID NOT BELIEVE IN THE SUPERNATURAL OR IN THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.
• HOWEVER THEY DID KNOW THE LETTER OF THE LAW. THEY REFERED TO THE LAW OF THE LEVIRATE MARRIAGE WHERE A KINSMAN REDEEMER WOULD INSURE THE CONTINUATION OF THE FAMILY LINEAGE BY MARRYING HIS BROTHER’S WIDOW.
• JESUS SAYS THAT THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW AND THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF GOD.
• JESUS TELLS THEM THAT THERE WILL BE A RESURRECTION BY THE POWER OF GOD.
• JESUS TELLS THEM THAT AFTER THE RESURRECTION WE WILL BE LIKE THE ANGELS, AND WE WILL HAVE NO NEED FOR MARRIAGE. (THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A FAMILY UNIT TO RAISE CHILDREN)
• CONTRARY TO WHAT MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE, JESUS DOES NOT SAY WE WILL BE ANGELS.
• JESUS’ PROOF OF THE RESURRECTION IN THE LAW:
• MOSES’ EXPERIENCE WITH THE BURNING BUSH IN THE BOOK OF EXODUS:
• GOD REVEALED HIS NAME TO MOSES AS “I AM”.
• THE NAME “I AM” INDICATES A LIVING GOD.
• WHEN GOD SAYS, “I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB”, HE MEANS THAT NOT ONLY DOES GOD LIVE, BUT ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB ALSO LIVE.

• READ MAR 12:28-34 EXAMINATION BY A SCRIBE
• THE FIRST AND GREATEST COMMANDMENT
• “THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD.”
• THIS IS QUOTATION FROM DEU 6:4. IF WE USE THE HEBREW NAMES FOR GOD, IT SAYS, “JEHOVAH, OUR ELOHIM (PLURAL), IS ONE JEHOVAH.
• THE HEBREW SHOWS US THE TRINITY IN THE NAME “ELOHIM”, AND THE ONENESS IN THE NAME JEHOVAH, THE GOD WHO MAKES COVENANTS WITH MAN.
• THIS ASPECT OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FULFILLS THE FIRST 5 COMMANDMENTS, WHICH ARE CONCERNED WITH MAN’S RELATIONSHIP TO GOD.
• THE SECOND GREATEST COMMANDMENT:
• LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.
• THIS ASPECT OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FULFILLS THE LAST 5 COMMANDMENTS, WHICH ARE CONCERNED WITH MAN’S RELATIONSHIP TO MAN.
• JESUS TOLD THE SCRIBE HE WAS NOT FAR FROM THE KINGDOM OF GOD. (34) WHAT DID HE MEAN?
• THE SCRIBE STATED GOD’S REQUIRED STANDARD. THE ONLY THING THE SCRIBE NEEDED TO BE SAVED WAS TO REALIZE HE CANNOT COMPLETELY FULFILL THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS ALL THE TIME. THEN HE WOULD RECOGNIZE HIS NEED OF THE SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.

• READ MAR 12:35-40 JESUS QUESTIONS THE LEADERS
• JESUS TEACHES THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS ABOUT HIS OWN VIRGIN BIRTH:
• THE QUESTION:
• HOW CAN THE SCRIBES SAY THAT THE MESSIAH IS THE SON OF DAVID?
• DAVID, WHO WROTE PSA 110 BY THE ANOINTING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. VERSE 1 SAYS, “THE LORD SAID UNTO MY LORD, SIT THOU AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE THINE ENEMIES THY FOOTSTOOL.”
• DAVID CALLED THE MESSIAH, LORD. THE ONLY WAY DAVID’S DESCENDANT CAN BE LORD IS IF HE IS MORE THAN DAVID’S DESCENDANT. THEREFORE, HE MUST BE VIRGIN BORN.
• JESUS CONDEMNS THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS FOR THEIR HYPOCRITICAL PIETY AND PRETENSE.

• READ MAR 12:41-44 JESUS’ STANDARD FOR GIVING
• JESUS WATCHED HOW PEOPLE GAVE MONEY TO THE LORD IN THE TEMPLE.
• MANY PEOPLE GAVE A LOT OF MONEY, BUT HE DID NOT PRAISE THEM.
• A WIDOW GAVE A TINY AMOUNT, BUT HE PRAISED HER.
• JESUS’ STANDARD FOR GIVING IS NOT HOW MUCH YOU GIVE BUT HOW MUCH YOU KEEP FOR YOURSELF.
• AS GOD IN THE FLESH, HE KNEW MEN’S HEARTS AND LIVES, SO HE KNEW THE ATTITUDE OF THE HEART. HE KNEW WHAT OTHERS DID NOT KNOW…HOW MUCH A PERSON KEPT BACK FOR HIMSELF.
• THE POOR WIDOW GAVE EVERYTHING AND KEPT NOTHING FOR HERSELF.

• SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
• WHAT DO YOU LEARN ABOUT TRUE RELIGION AND TRUE GIVING FROM THIS CHAPTER?
• THE ONE THEME THAT RUNS THROUGH THIS ENTIRE CHAPTER IS THAT GOD POURS OUT BLESSINGS ON PEOPLE WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT THEY WILL DO SOMETHING WITH THOSE BLESSINGS THAT WILL GLORIFY GOD AND NOT THEMSELVES.
• IN THE PARABLE OF THE HOUSEHOLDER, THE JEWS FAILED THEIR RESPONSIBILITY.
• IN THE QUESTION ABOUT GIVING TRIBUTE TO CAESAR, JESUS EMPHASIZES EARTHLY AND HEAVENLY RESPONSIBILITIES FULFILLED BY HAVING PROPER PRIORITIES.
• IN THE QUESTION ABOUT THE RESURRECTION AND GOD’S POWER, THE IDEA IS THAT WITH GOD’S POWER WE CAN DO ALL THINGS TO FULFILL OUR RESPONSIBILITIES.
• IN THE QUESTION ABOUT THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT, FULFILLING RESPONSIBILITIES BY PROPER PRIORITIES WITH THE POWER OF GOD IS AGAIN EMPHASIZED.
• THEN JESUS TEACHES ABOUT HIS ROLE AS THE MESSIAH AND HIS VIRGIN BIRTH.
• THE POINTED QUESTION IS, “WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH THE SON OF GOD WHO IS GOD’S BLESSING TO MAN?
• AND THE FINAL INCIDENT IS THE EXAMPLE FOR THE CHAPTER:
• WE MUST BE LIKE THE POOR WIDOW WHOSE TOP PRIORITY WAS GOD. SHE GAVE UP EVERYTHING AND KEPT NOTHING FOR HERSELF.
• WITH THE PRESENCE AND POWER OF GOD, WE CAN LIVE UP TO OUR RESPONSIBILITIES IN THIS EARTHLY LIFE AND FOR GOD’S SPIRITUAL KINGDOM BECAUSE WE LOVE JESUS, THE SON OF GOD.
• THEREFORE, WE ALL NEED TO ASK OURSELVES, WILL WE BE LIKE THE JEWS WHO FAILED THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO GOD, OR WILL WE FULFILL THE RESPONSIBILITIES GOD HAS SET BEFORE US BY KEEPING RIGHT PRIORITIES?

HOMEWORK

MARK 13

• APPLICATION OF MAR 12
• IN WHICH AREAS OF YOUR LIFE DO YOU HAVE TROUBLE FULFILLING YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES?

• REMEMBER THAT IN OUR OWN STRENGTH WE CAN’T FULFILL WHAT GOD EXPECTS. THAT’S WHY WE NEED HIS HELP. IN PRAYER, ASK HIM TO HELP YOU THIS WEEK. THEN TRUST THE HOLY SPIRIT AS HE WORKS IN YOUR LIFE.

• PREPARATION FOR MAR 13
• READ MAR 13:1-37
• WHAT THREE FUTURE EVENTS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS CHAPTER?
• =1=
• =2=
• =3=
• WHY WAS JERUSALEM TO BE DESTROYED?

• WHAT WAS THE SIGN ASSOCIATED WITH THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM?

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH FOR THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE? (28-33)

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH FOR THE PARABLE OF THE MASTER AND THE PORTER (34-37)

• MEMORY VERSE: MARK 13:35-36