BGEA

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Man who fits No Formua-Mark Lesson 4 (9-27-12)



 A severe rash prompted a farmer to come to town to be examined by a doctor. After the usual paperwork and a series of test, the physician advised the patient that he needed to get rid of the dog that was evidently causing the allergic reaction. As the man was preparing to leave the office, the doctor asked the farmer out of curiosity if he planned to sell the animal or give it away. "Neither one," the patient replied. "I'm going to get me one of them second opinions I been reading about. It's a lot easier to find a doctor than a good bird dog." 
George Hawkins, M.D. in Medical Economics, in Reader's Digest, January, 1982.
Each of us has a physician. Someone we trust to know how to make us feel better. After a year with a very fine doctor of oncology and hematology, we mutually decided that the three different drugs she prescribed had little effect on my skin cancer, but the last specialty drug was negatively affecting my health. One of my friends used to say, “That’s why they call it medical practice.” 
Thank you to the ladies who are concerned for my health. I honestly feel great!  God has blessed me. I have all of my original parts. LORD has given me an immune system that has kept me healthy these last two years so I have not had to miss CBS.
I have successfully hidden my non-Hodgkin's lymphoma from some of you for over 12 years, but now my hair is falling out and it's a little bit harder to hide that! The hair loss was flippantly diagnosed as old age. My thyroid is out of whack, plus medication drug I took had side effects. My Physician says I am in good shape except for my skin. Which you know is your largest organ! I am now under the care of the doctor who originally diagnosed my disease.
Praise for the LORD; the bi-weekly light treatments no longer require the seventy dollar copay.  Next week will be my 10th treatment so you can see how God has blessed me! I know that the LORD is Sovereign. I truly believe the LORD will heal this disease and HE alone will receive all the glory.
Jesus is the Great Physician, our Jehovah Rapha.
However this week’s lesson focuses on a different kind of healing.
Ladies help me recite our memory verse.
 “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”Mark 2:17
Let us PRAY.

“I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

  The Man who Fits No Formula
·        Physician (2:13-17)
·        Bridegroom (2:18-22)
·        LORD of the Sabbath (2:23 – 3:6)

Remember last week we talked about the changes for the leper Jesus had made clean. He was no longer an outcast but was now able to walk about the city and enter the temple. But now Jesus has taken to the outer areas. Jesus is again walking by the Sea of Galilee teaching the people
Mark 2: 14And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
Sometimes it appears Jesus is trying to cause a stir; trying to shake things up! Jesus chooses the most unlikely fellows to follow him. Tax collectors worked for the Romans and were often dishonest, cheating their fellow Jews.
The Scribes of the Pharisees were looking for something to find fault. “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus is not saying that the Pharisees were righteous, but implying that those who think they are righteous will not repent because they don’t think they have sinned.


Warren Wiersbe says the LORD has three kinds of patients.
·        Those who don’t know about Jesus.
·        Those who  know about Him but refuse to trust Him.
·        Those who will not admit that they have sinned.
We all have known friends and family who refuse to believe they are sick. They won’t go to the doctor until it is too late. We also know those who refuse to see their sin. If they don’t go to Christ for help, He cannot forgive them.
Warren Wiersbe said “Jesus comes to us when we are in need; He makes the perfect diagnosis; He provides a final and complete cure; and He pays the bill!!! What a Physician!” What a Savior!

Do you need to talk to Jesus about something that has burdened your heart? Don’t leave tonight until you have been spiritually healed. The altar is always open for you.

Jesus came not to call the righteous, but sinners.

Do you ever have times when it seems like people are questioning your every decision? Why do we do this? Why don’t we do that? When did that change? It’s almost like the enemy is flinging darts at you all the time. So Ladies, you better be prayed up and armed for battle just like Jesus.

Bridegroom (Mark 2:18-22)

In our next division of scripture “they” are after Jesus again!
I am sure He recognized what was happening.

 “Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.

We learned in the first lesson that John was in the prison and his disciples could have been mourning his absence by fasting. Jesus as the bridegroom is referring to the time when He must leave his disciples.

I attended a beautiful wedding this weekend. The bride was a former student and her mother a dear friend of mine. I also knew the groom from church.  It was a beautiful ceremony. The Bride was beautifully arrayed her gown of purest white. Her hair and makeup was perfect. She was the center of attention. But if you didn’t know the groom, it would be hard to pick him out among all the black tuxedos.
 In “Here Comes the Bridegroom,” Bob Deffinbaugh writes, “If there is anything that sticks out in the Bible regarding the imagery of the bride and the Bridegroom, it is that the glory belongs to the Groom. It is the Groom (Jesus Christ) Who chose us to be a part of the bride (John 15:16). It is the Groom Who laid down His life to purchase the bride (Ephesians 5:25). It is the Groom Who is working to perfect and purify the bride, so that He may present her to Himself (Ephesians 5:26). The glory goes to the Groom.”
Ladies when Christ returns for his Bride; there will be no doubt who He is! Will you say “I do” to Jesus to commit to him in all your ways?

Remember Jesus came not to call the righteous, but sinners like you and me.”

The next 2 verses always puzzled me. What do patches and wineskins have to do with Jesus? Some study was required.
21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22 And no one puts new wine into old (Y)wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”[c]
We know the Scribes and Pharisees are observing all that Jesus has taught in the synagogue. They had to agree with the scriptures he read in the synagogue and His quotations from the Old Testament. Maybe they were hoping He was the Messiah coming to rescue them from the oppression of the Romans. They probably would like to take part of His message and then their man-made laws and Mosaic laws; put it together and make a new patchwork covenant. We see in these verses that you can't patch the old with the new.  
Jesus came to introduce the New Covenant not to patch up the old. The Old Covenant required blood sacrifice for sin.  Jesus came to provide the perfect blood sacrifice for all our sin (past, present and future sins) for each and every one of His children. All who will receive His free gift of life everlasting.
Wiersbe say “Salvation not a partial patching up of one’s life; it is a whole new robe of righteousness.”
Last year study of Joshua we learned about 10 different rock memorials. Deuteronomy 27: 2-8 tells us that the laws were to be written on stone as a remembrance for our children. Jesus will write the new covenant on human hearts.
Will you allow Jesus to write the new covenant on your heart? Are you leaving a memorial for your children?
“Jesus came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

·        LORD of the Sabbath (Mark 2:23 – 3:6)

23 One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

Jesus must tire of always explaining the laws to these people. The retelling of the hungry King David eating the showbread reserved only for the priest was mainly for Mark’s audience, the Romans. They could not understand all the Jewish laws, but would honor a hungry warrior king.

The Jews had 39 laws for Sabbath. Laws on how far you could walk, what medical attention was emergency, what activities are considered work. It was allowed to take some fruit or grain from a neighbor’s property as long as they were not using tools or harvesting.

The Jews did cherish the Sabbath. God gave the Sabbath to the peoples of Israel when Moses brought them out of Egypt.  It was a day of rest for his people to recover from their week of work. Jewish tradition had taken this gift and altered it so it became a burden and a hardship for the people.
27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”
Let’s follow Jesus into the synagogue where He encountered the man with the withered hand. What will He do? He knows this is a test!

Mark 3:
And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.
And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?”
But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
Jesus may have pushed too far! Now the Pharisees are joining forces with the Herodians to kill Him! The Herodians were a political party that supported King Herod Antipas. This support of Herod took away Jewish independence in the minds of the Pharisees, making it difficult for the Herodians and Pharisees to unite and agree on anything.
But one thing did unite them—opposing Jesus.
The Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath. Is he Lord of your life?
Will you choose to accept Jesus Christ who came not for the righteous but for sinners?

Monday, September 24, 2012

AUTHORITY OF THE SON OF MAN Mark Lesson 3 9-20-2012



Last week I got so carried away with Mark 1 that I tried to cover the whole chapter. That’s what I get for doing my lesson in July. I know you were confused, but thank you for your patience.
The slide displayed last week listed the events in Ch.1.  I could only say a word about each bullet. Now you get “the rest of the story.”
 “A picture is worth a 1000 words.”  I trust you enjoy the photos I gathered and hopefully they will enhance your learning experience.
This week we will address the Authority of Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ has the Authority to forgive sins        
AUTHORITY OF THE SON OF MAN
·        Authority to cast out demons vv.23-28
·        Authority to heal 29-39
·        Authority to forgive sins 2:1-12

On the Sabbath Jesus entered the Capernaum synagogue and was teaching.
23 A man with an unclean spirit 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.”
Wonder how many services this man had attended without revealing that he was demonized.  Do you think we have any folks in our churches today with an unclean spirit? The man was probably dressed to fit in with the regular member. That how Satan enters our midst, posing as an angel of light. Be prayed up and ready!
Our commentary states that the first century Jews thought the power to name someone gave you control over them. The demons were foolishly mistaken to think they could gain authority over the Holy One of God.  Jesus not only rebuked the unclean spirits for to misuse and actual abuse of His name, but Jesus commanded him to be quiet and depart.  Powerful word for a mere man to speak!! “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.
Verse 27 they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”
What a spectacular show on a Sabbath in the synagogue!
Jesus Christ has the Authority to cast out demons and forgive sin.
 Authority to heal 29-39
Immediately Jesus and his disciples headed for Simon Peter’s house for a Sabbath meal.
Do you panic when someone shows up unannounced; too bad Peter couldn’t text or call ahead to his wife and tell her they would have four extra men for dinner! I bet Peter’s wife met him at the door and explained that her mother was suffering from a high fever.
How wonderful to have a friend like Jesus over for dinner! 31And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
We could sure use some of that instantaneous healing. Just a touch of Jesus’ hand and the fever left her. She was restored to health so completely, that she began to serve them!!
Do we even thank the LORD when our fever is lifted or our ailments are healed? He deserves so much more.
Ladies let us rise up and serve the one who has the Authority to heal and forgive sin.
Observance of the Sabbath kept the curious onlookers at bay until sundown. Then the whole city was gathered together at the door.
That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. Mark 1:32
Though fully divine; Jesus was fully human. He could feel hunger and fatigue. We sing an old gospel hymn. Steal Away and Pray. After a long day at work or with family, do you need to steal away and pray?
My recliner is where I sit and study. However it is in the den where my grandsons play or watch TV. Sometimes my 4 year old grandson, Gaven, will turn to me and very politely say, “Nanny, can you go in your bedroom and read? I need some alone time.”
Jesus Christ has the Authority heal the sick and forgive sin. Ladies, Jesus needed some alone time with His Father. How much time do you spend alone with the LORD?

Authority to heal the leprosy v.40-45
I love the faith of this leper. He knew Jesus had the authority to heal him! He had no doubt. v. 40 “If you will, you can make me clean.” He stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; Be clean.”
Ladies do we have that much faith to tell the LORD, “You can make me whole?”
Jesus Christ has been given the Authority to forgive sins
Leprosy was disfiguring and incurable. The lepers of Jesus day had to move outside the city and dress in torn garments and shout “unclean, unclean” so no one would come near enough to touch them. Leprosy is transmitted through the skin and the respiratory tract.
Leviticus 14:1-9 The priests could not cleanse the lepers; but when the Lord removed the plague, various rules were to be observed in allowing them again into the community and the temple.
Leviticus 14:1The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2“This shall be the law of the leprous person for the day of his cleansing.
1.     Bring 2 live clean birds and cedar-wood and scarlet yarn and hyssop.
·        Cedar-antiseptic qualities, symbol of the continuance of life, aromatic stately wood.
·        Scarlet yard signified the color returning to the white flesh of the leper-a symbol of freshness of life, or fullness of vital energy
o   Genesis 38:28-the midwife took and tied a scarlet thread hand of Tamar’s twins
o   Joshua 2:19  Rahab tied a scarlet cord in the window.
o   Matthew 27:2828 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,
·        Hyssop was used for cleansing; Passover-used to apply blood to the doorpost, priest used it for purification ceremonies
 Ps. 51:7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
2.Kill one of the birds in an earthenware vessel over fresh water. A trespass offering for sin- sin was the cause of leprosy, and of all diseases,
o    Respresents Christ incarnation and death of his earthly body. His soul was made a trespass offering.
3-Take the live bird with the cedar wood and the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, and dip all of them in the blood and water of the sacrificial bird.
o    The blood and the water represent Christ’s life and His spirit.
(John19:34  At the cross Christ’s side was pierced; blood and water flowed.)

4-The priest will sprinkle it seven times on the one to be cleansed (7 number of completion).
5-Then he shall pronounce him clean and shall
let the living bird go into the open field.

Signifying freedom for the leper Isaiah 1:18 (ESV)

 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,  they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
·        The blood stained bird pictures Christ’s resurrection from the dead and His ascension
·        Christ's resurrection gives us the ability to fly away from the death that our sin required.
And after that he may come into the camp, but live outside his tent seven days.
Jesus Christ has been given the Authority to forgive sins
Sacrificial Lamb 10 On eighth day bring offerings to the temple 11 priest shall kill the lamb and the  blood of the guilt offering, shall put it on
·        the lobe of the right ear of man; (God’s WORD)
·        on the thumb of his right hand;(God’s work)
·        and on the big toe of his right foot.(God’s walk)
Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary the priest put some of its blood upon the tip of the right ear, the right thumb, and the great toe of the right foot of the person to be consecrated, in order that the organ of hearing, with which he hearkened to the word of the Lord, and those used in acting and walking according to His commandments, might thereby be sanctified through the power of the atoning blood of the sacrifice; just as in the dedication of the priests (Leviticus 8:24)
No sinner could be saved, had it not been for the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God with his blood.
15Then the priest shall take some of the log of oil representing the Holy Spirit,
·        put oil on the lobe of the right ear, the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot,
·        on top of the blood of the guilt offering
The Holy Spirit cannot come on human flesh until first the blood has been applied.
Wherever the blood of Christ is applied for justification, the oil of the Spirit is applied for sanctification; these two cannot be separated.
We need to call out to Jesus, kneel in prayer, and ask Jesus to be cleansed whiter than snow.
Jesus Christ has the Authority heal the leper and forgive sin.
Authority to forgive sins
Jesus returned to Capernaum, again large crowds appeared and blocked the doors to the house.
Mark 2: 3And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
 6Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7“Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Thomas Constable writes, “The Jews believed not even the Messiah could not forgive sins. In the Old Testament only God could do that. Consequently, they regarded Jesus’ claim as blasphemous.”

Anyone can say your sins are forgiven, but how could you prove it! Jesus not only read the thoughts of the scribes, but he healed the man.

9Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.”12And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
The Son of Man has the Authority heal the lame and forgive sin.
This is the first time Jesus used the term Son of Man. However, he uses this title more that any other-14 time is Gospel of Mark . 80 times in Gospels. Mistakenly we may think that the title Son of Man is a sign of humanity, even humility.
The Son of Man Is Given Dominion
Daniel 7: 13 “I saw in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven
    there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days
    and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion
    and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages
    should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
    which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
Jewish scholar David Flusser, this passage from Daniel was considered the most potent messianic prophecy in all of Scripture. While other passages point to a human king descended from David’s line. This one predicted the Messiah would be divine. Because it spoke of “one like a son of man.” This person seemed merely human, but he was actually far more. Jesus also speaks about himself as the Son of Man who will come in glory on the clouds (Mark 13:26;
Miracles - little child's definition, ‘Something we can’t do, but Jesus can.’”7
Jesus Christ has been given the Authority to forgive sins
Will you choose to believe Jesus Christ has the Authority to forgive you sins?