Disciples and Miracles
Mark 1:16-45
Introduction
- Jesus is demonstrated in this book as a “servant” who acts, immediately
-- He is the ultimate servant; giving Himself clearly for all who will receive
-- Key verse: Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
- Read Mark 1:16-45
∆ Point 1 – The First Disciples (16-20)
- Jesus is on a mission to call others to Himself
-- He forms a “ministry team” of those who’d be willing to GO (faithful men)
-- Ref 2 Tim 2:2
-- The purpose of the calling is for preaching and teaching of the Gospel
-- IMP: Jesus would be pouring into them and they would take the Gospel forward
- IMP APP: Jesus uses a teaching method of showing others the way (servant)
- The Sea of Galilee is a very popular gathering place in this time
-- Lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1, “One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God.”)
-- Sea of Tiberieas (John 6:1, “Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias”)
- APP: Why the different names? Don’t we have different names for places?
-- Depending on where you were raised, the name might be something different
-- EX: You might say “burger joint” and someone else might say “greasy spoon”
- v17 is important because two things happen when Jesus calls you:
-- First: There is an offer to come FREELY and follow Christ
-- Second: What happens when you follow me (“I will send you out…”)
- The phrase “make you fishers of men” means “to gather of people for judgment”
-- Jeremiah 16:14-16, “Therefore behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them.’ For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers. Behold, I am going to send for many fishermen,” declares the LORD, “and they will fish for them; and afterwards I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them from every mountain and every hill and from the clefts of the rocks.”
- APP: Urgency in Jesus’ words: COME now, let’s move, we’ve got work to do
-- Result: They left “at once” (immediately) … when Jesus calls, men respond!
- The sons of Zebedee are James and John (v19-20)
-- James: Older brother of John; not the ½ brother of Jesus who wrote “James”
-- John: Wrote the Gospel of John, very young in age, disciple Jesus loved
- IMP: There is a cost for leaving to follow Christ in discipleship
-- Left their family, left their business, let their comfort zone
-- APP: When Jesus calls you to follow, it is all in … no “part time ministry”
∆ Point 2 – Driving out Spirits (21-28)
- Capernaum was a major city for Jesus’ ministry
-- He visited this city most likely as it was home of Peter, James, John, Andrew
-- Contrast: His hometown of Nazareth was like Marbury (small, rural)
- Do you see what he does when he goes into the city?
-- He waits for the Sabbath and then attends church, God’s house (important)
-- Being invited to teach was an honor for someone visiting the town
-- Jesus is recognized as being able to teach and is given opportunity
- v22 shows us the response; it’s probably why the elders allowed him to teach
-- Most teachers would give the meaning, and state the application (preaching)
-- Jesus offered something else: a personal narrative (opinion) of scripture
- IMP: Why? Because He was there when the events took place!
-- He didn’t use someone else’s opinion or commentary to back his teaching up
-- He spoke with authority from the beginning of time (teaching)
- And just like today, someone decides to come and ruin what God is doing
-- v24 A man possessed with an impure spirit (demonic) brings chaos
-- APP: First sign indicator that God is working: the devil tries to oppose it
- v24 uses the word “us”; meaning there are more than one spirit in him
-- The Spirit calls him by name assuming that he could be on the same level
-- It’s a matter of disrespect that they attempt to speak to Jesus like this
- v25: “be quiet … come out of him”: this is no typical exorcism happening
-- Exorcists command “by the name of Jesus”, etc. and this is Jesus speaking
-- Even the disciples used this method: Acts 3:6 says, “Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
-- IMP APP: The name of Jesus has authority; it is NOT to be taken lightly!
- The people’s response is awesome: “What is this??? … ” (v27)
-- Jesus spoke, demons obeyed, and this was just the beginning of ministry
- I’m sure word spread (v28) immediately: THIS IS AWESOME TEACHING!
-- As in, “… you guys won’t believe what we’ve just seen …”
-- That kind of excitement is contagious, IF we’d share it outside the church
∆ Point 3 – Jesus Cares (29-45)
- v30/31 shows more than just Jesus doing something
-- He obviously heals her from her illness, but something else happens here
-- APP: He makes it personal: takes her hand and helps her up from her bed
- After this, (remember this was the Sabbath) people came that night to see Him
-- APP: Doing work on the Sabbath was forbidden, and so people waited ‘til night
-- Once nightfall came, they flooded the house to see and meet Jesus (v33)
- Praying is VERY important to Jesus
-- It is something He does often, and Christians need to be ready to follow in this
-- If we are really His followers we will do what He commands and follow
-- Matthew 6:5, “And when you pray…” (when … not IF)
- Jesus was in high demand (v37) and so His decision to move on is shown here
-- Why? Because if He had only stayed in one place He’d never get to others
-- APP: Jesus has come to bring the Good News which needs to be heard; “GO”
∆ - Now, something very interesting happens in when Jesus encounters this leper
-- Re-read v40-45
- What we need to learn here is the personal approach Jesus takes
-- Lepers were required to dress a certain way (filthy) to show their condition
-- It makes them stand out, isolates them … SHAMES them
-- They were required to shout “unclean, unclean” so others would stay away
-- v40 shows this man’s approach to Jesus is one of humbleness, as a servant
- But, look at how Jesus handles this situation … (get this)
-- Bible says “indignant”; means he was filled with anger; but not anger at the man
-- He knows that this sickness is of the devil (God is one of perfection; purity)
-- Jesus’ ministry is to destroy the fifth that is Satan from God’s creation
-- But …. look at what Jesus does … He touched Him!!!
- Surely, Jesus could’ve just healed him and pressed on with his travels
-- But this man’s need was far greater; he hadn’t had human contact in years
-- How do we know this? He’s a leper, an outcast, someone others AVOID
- APP: How we treat others on a human level says a lot about us as well
-- How we treat others shows our heart condition and compassion level
-- IMP: Do you avoid someone because they are sick? Ill? Not like you?
- Jesus’ concludes this great miracle by asking the man to remain silent
-- But consider this: could you keep quiet? Wouldn’t you rejoice?
-- The difficulty is that it caused Jesus to have to leave (crowds swarmed)
∆ Big Ideas
- When Jesus tells this man to go to the priests and claim his cleansing
-- He does so in direct representation of Leviticus 14:2-31
-- Priests had to go through an entire ritual to make someone clean and worthy
-- Jesus knew the Word’s direction on this, thus he sent the leper (he disobeyed)
- The purpose in this is simple: this kind of healing could only come from God
-- Jesus was asking him to let them know that the Kingdom was truly near
-- Jesus is for real … It is a validation of Mark 1:15
- The REALLY big question is this: What are YOU doing with this?
- Pray
