Reading: Mark chapter 1 verses 12-28.
Ill:
The British PM David Cameron took his cabinet out for a meal;
• The waiter asked him; “Sir, what would you like to eat?”
• David Cameron replied; “I’ll have the roast beef please”,
• The waiter then said; “And what about the vegetables?”
• David Cameron replied: “They will have the same!”
As Prime Minister David Cameron has tremendous authority;
• But he is not to use that authority for selfish gain;
• But rather to serve the people of his country.
Jesus is the Servant of God, but he is a most unusual Servant!
(a).
• After all, it is the servant who prepares the way for others and announces their arrival.
• But last week we saw how others prepared the way for Jesus;
• And announced that He had come!
• Even heaven itself took note of Him!
• Because this Servant is God the Son.
(b).
• We expect a servant to be under authority and to take orders,
• But as we are going to see today and the next few weeks;
• God’s Servant exercises authority and gives orders and His orders are obeyed.
• In this section, Mark describes two situations that reveal the authority of Jesus;
• As the Servant of God.
Ill:
• Setting out from Hamburg, Germany, to give a concert in London,
• The violinist Fritz Kreisler had an hour before his boat sailed.
• He wandered into a music shop,
• Where the proprietor asked if he might look at the violin Kreisler was carrying.
• He then vanished and returned with two policemen,
• One of whom told the violinist, “You are under arrest.”
• “What for?” asked Kreisler.
• “You have Fritz Kreisler’s violin.”
• “I am Fritz Kreisler,” protested the musician.
• “You can’t put that on us. Come along to the station.”
• As Kreisler’s boat was sailing soon, there was no time for prolonged explanations.
• Kreisler asked for his violin and played a piece he was well known for.
• “Now are you satisfied?” he asked.
• The policemen let the musician go because he had done what only Fritz Kreisler could do.
In Mark chapter 1:
• The author informs his readers as to who Jesus Christ is;
• In verse 1 he tells us that Jesus Christ is the Son of God;
• And now he shows us Jesus doing that which only he was able to do!
• Although Jesus is pictured as a servant,
• He is a very unusual servant!
• A servant is one under authority and takes orders;
• But Jesus exercises authority and gives orders!
• In this section, Mark describes three situations that reveal the authority of Jesus;
• As the Servant of God.
Situation One: His temptation (vs 12-13).
At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.
• Mark in his fast paced style of writing;
• Does not give to us a full an account of the temptation of Jesus;
• Quote: If Mark was describing a beautiful sunset & sun rise inn all its glory,
• He would write: “The sun set & the sun rose!”
• So if you want all the details of this incident then read the other gospel writers.
• Notice although brief, Mark draws to our attention some important facts.
Note:
• NIV: “…the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness,
• KJB: “The Spirit "driveth Him",
• NLT: “The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness”,
• Message: “This same Spirit pushed Jesus out into the wild”.
• Now don’t misunderstand what the verse is saying;
• It is not that Jesus was either unwilling or afraid to face this experience.
• Rather, it is Mark’s way of showing the intensity of the experience.
• Remember from last week:
• At his baptism heaven itself was torn open and God audibly spoke!
• “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
• Mark tells us that for Jesus the servant of God there is work to be done;
• So there is no time spent basking in the glory of the heavenly;
• Not time to dwell on the voice or the presence of the heavenly dove.
• The Servant had a task to perform;
• And as the perfect servant he immediately went to do it.
Notice:
• Verse 12: It was the Spirit who led |Jesus into the desert:
• "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil”.
• Life of course is full of highs & lows.
• Quote: “If you were never in the valley, you could never appreciate the mountain top.”
• Now having just experienced the high and holy experience of his baptism, (MT)
• Jesus will now face a tough, down to earth experience in the wilderness. (V)
Quote: Warren Wiersbe:
“Jesus was not tempted so that the Father could learn anything about his Son, for the Father had already given his divine approval (i.e. previous verses Baptism)
Jesus was tempted so that every creature in heaven, on earth, or under the earth might know that Jesus Christ is the conqueror. He exposed Satan and his tactics, and defeated Satan. Because of his victory, we can have victory over the tempter”.
Ill:
• Often when we buy things e.g. My Computer,
• Has a little sticker on it that says "Hardware tested".
• That is not put on my computer for negative reasons, but positive.
• The product has been examined & proven to be the genuine article in working order!
• This temptation in the wilderness very much proves Jesus to be the genuine article;
• The real deal, the authentic article - the Son of the Living God.
Jesus enters this situation as the one in charge:
• He is a man of authority;
• He has faced a test, a challenge and emerged from it victorious!
Situation two: His preaching (14-22).
• It has been said that the religious leaders spoke from authorities;
• In contrast Jesus spoke with authority!
• It has been said that the religious leaders spoke from authorities;
• ill: “Rabbi so & so says this verse means this”
• In contrast Jesus spoke with authority!
• ill: “I say to you”.
We see the authority of Jesus words in two different ways:
• (1). His message (vs 14-15).
• (2). His calling (vs 16-20).
(1). His message (vs 14-15).
“After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Jesus’ message is direct and compelling – notice it is threefold:
• (a). It’s time to turn back to God – “The time has come”
• (b). There is something waiting at the entrance of people’s lives - “The kingdom of God”.
• (c). Therefore respond accordingly – “Repent and believe the good news!”
LET’S LOOK AGAIN AT THOSE THREE THINGS:
(a). It’s time to turn back to God – “The time has come”:
• God deals with us in the present;
• He never promises a tomorrow but deals with us in the ‘now’.
• Quote: 2 Corinthians chapter 6 verse 2:
• “ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.”
• Quote: Hebrews chapter 3 verse 15:
• Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."
(b). There is something waiting at the entrance of people’s lives - “The kingdom of God”.
• Jesus’ message concerned the ’kingdom of God’.
• We find the phrase fourteen times in Mark’s Gospel;
• And over one hundred times in all four Gospels.
• Notice here it is the very first message that Jesus preached;
• And Acts chapter 1 verse 3 tells us it was the very last message Jesus preached!
Question: What is the ‘kingdom of God’?
Answer: A kingdom is where the king reigns.
• To the people of Jesus day that expression had taken on a highly political tone.
• They wanted a king (a Messiah) who would liberate them from their Romans occupiers.
• Instead of Rome reigning over them;
• They wanted God’s king – they wanted to live in God’s kingdom!
Now Jesus’ understanding of’ the kingdom’ was different in a number of ways:
• Firstly: for Jesus the kingdom was not national but personal.
• It was about God’s rule in a person’s heart.
• The kingdom was not a territory to be found on a map (like the United Kingdom);
• But God’s reign as king in an individual’s life.
• ill: During his trial, Jesus explained to Pontius Pilate (John chapter 18 verse 36).
• That his kingdom is ’not of this world’.
• It is another kind of kingdom.
• Secondly: for Jesus the kingdom was not material but spiritual.
• ill: in Luke chapter 17 verse 21 Jesus was asked a question:
• Some religious leaders said to him ‘When the kingdom would come?’,
• In answer Jesus said: “the kingdom, of God is within you”.
• In other words ‘God’s kingdom’ is internal and spiritual;
• Not external and visible.
• Thirdly: for Jesus the kingdom was not only future but here and now.
• With the coming of Jesus, God’s rule among men had begun.
• The day the prophets had dreamed of was here.
• The kingdom was here because Jesus was here!
Application:
• For us today whenever a person receives Christ as saviour and Lord,
• That is they make their own individual response to him.
• By repentance and faith.
• For them the kingdom of God is present,
• Because that person has made God king in his or her own life.
Note:
• Undoubtedly, there is also a future element to the kingdom of God.
• The Bible (e.g. Revelation chapter 11 verse 15):
• Looks forward to a time when
• ’the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of Christ’
• But the first stage is here.
• Hence the challenge to repent and believe, for this is the way into God’s kingdom.
Jesus’ message is threefold:
• (a). It’s time to turn back to God – “The time has come”
• (b). There is something waiting at the entrance of people’s lives - “The kingdom of God”.
• (c). Therefore respond accordingly – “Repent and believe the good news!”
• The third part of Jesus message was:
• A turning from and a turning too!
• ‘Repent’ means to ‘turn around’ to ‘change direction’.
• ill: Miss the junction on a motorway you need to repent or stay lost!
• In this context ‘repentance’ means ‘stop living for self and start living for God’
• ‘Believe the good news’ – the Christian message is a message of good news;
• It is a message about a person Jesus Christ.
• That’s why in verse 17 Jesus called people to ‘follow him’
Note: In this passage we see the authority of Jesus words in two different ways:
• (1). His message (vs 14-15).
• (2). His calling (vs 16-20).
HIS CALLING (VS 16-18):
“As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
17 Come, follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men.
18 At once they left their nets and followed him.”
In these verses Mark recalls for us:
• The call to full-time ministry as disciples of Peter, Andrew, James & John.
• The time when they left their fishing boats (the safe & secure) to follow Jesus (unknown)
• A command by Jesus was made: “Come follow me!”
• And for these four obedient fishermen their lives would never be the same again.
Ill:
There is a certain courthouse in Ohio, America that stands in a unique location:
• Raindrops that fall on the north side of the building;
• Go into Lake Ontario and the Gulf of St. Lawrence,
• While those falling on the south side of the building:
• Go into the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico.
• The peak of the roof and the blowing wind can determine the destiny of many raindrops.
• It will make a difference of more than 2,000 miles as to their final destination.
The authority in the words of Jesus is like that wind:
• It changes the course of a persons life, a persons destiny;
• When we allow them to blow over us.
Peter, Andrew, James & John:
• Were so gripped by the authority and person of Jesus.
• That their occupations, their families, their homes, all that had been so important to them,
• Was now set aside;
• They had a new focus, a new purpose, they were now under a higher authority.
Ill:
• Bible teacher Donald Grey Barnhouse (1895-1960) told the following story:
• A young son of a missionary couple in Zaire was playing in the yard.
• Suddenly the voice of the boy’s father rang out from the porch,
• "Philip, obey me instantly! Drop to your stomach!"
• Immediately the youngster did as his father commanded.
• "Now crawl toward me as fast as you can!"
• The boy obeyed.
• "Stand up and run to me!"
• Philip responded unquestioningly and ran to his father’s arms.
• As the youngster turned to look at the tree by which he had been playing,
• He saw a large deadly snake hanging from one of the branches!
• At the first command of his father,
• Philip could have hesitated and asked,
• "Why do you want me to do that?"
• Or he could have casually replied, "In a minute."
• But his instant obedience without questioning saved his life!
Jesus was asking Peter, Andrew, James & John:
• For instant obedience;
• In return he would literally give them eternal life!
• They recognised and responded to the authority of Jesus;
• And were willing to place their lives under his command!
Quote: John Wesley wrote,
• “Among the many difficulties of our early ministry, my brother Charles often said,
• ‘If the Lord would give me wings, I’d fly.’
• I used to answer,
• ‘If God bids me fly, I will trust Him for the wings.’”
• John Wesley like the disciples knew that when Jesus gave an invitation;
• The right response was to obey and trust him for the future!
HIS INSTRUCTION (21-22).
“They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.
22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.”
When Jesus preached people noticed an immediate difference:
• The scribes & teachers of the law spoke FROM authority.
• But Jesus Christ spoke WITH authority.
Ill:
The scribes & teachers of the law:
• Would read the Old Testament scriptures and interpret them by saying;
• “Rabbi so & so, says that this passage means this and Rabbi so & so says that”.
• In contrast Jesus never quoted other Rabbi’s (other men);
• He simply said; “this is what it means” or “I say unto you”
• The scribes & teachers of the law spoke from opinion or tradition;
• Jesus spoke with divine authority.
Ill:
• Samuel Clement (better known by his alias Mark Twain);
• Attended a Sunday morning Church service.
• He met the pastor at the door afterward and told him;
• That he had a book at home with every word he had preached that morning.
• The minister assured him that the sermon was an original.
• Clement still held his position.
• The pastor wanted to see this book so Clement said he would send it over in the morning.
• When the preacher unwrapped it he found a dictionary and in the flyleaf was written this:
• "Words, just words, just words."
In contrast to the scribes, the message of Jesus was alive and authoritative:
• It was given to him direct by the living God,
• Those people who took the time to listen to Jesus:
• Knew that he had a message from God.
• His words left them in verse 22 “amazed”.
Situation three: His command (vs 23-28).
• Now if the words of Jesus had left the people amazed;
• Then the actions of Jesus would leave them thunderstruck!
“They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.”
• It was custom of the day to ask visiting rabbis to read the scriptures and teach.
• And Jesus had been invited into this synagogue to preach.
• As he was preaching there was a terrible disturbance;
• A man possessed by an evil spirit started to cry out and disrupt the meeting.
• And although the man was saying complimentary things about Jesus;
• “I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
• Jesus did not need or want the compliments or acknowledgment of demons.
• So he commanded him to be quiet about his identity.
• And then ordered the demon to depart from the man.
• I love verse 25 where Jesus says to the demonic spirit “be muzzled”.
• And the demon obeyed the authority of Jesus and was quiet and then departed.
Here we see the authority of Jesus at work in this mans life;
• Before he met Jesus he was unclean and in bondage;
• After he met Jesus he was clean and liberated!
• Jesus had restored the mans mental and spiritual health.
• No wonder the people who were gathered in the synagogue;
• Looked on and were “amazed” (verse 27)
• And it is little wonder that news quickly spread about Jesus all over the region of Galilee.
