6- A Decision to Make: Mark 3 - Mike Olynyk, Meadows Church

You're invited!  Come on a journey as we see the sights, smell the smells & experience Jesus' story told by Mark in an immersive way.  Engage in the story as one of the crowd, the disciples or even as a religious leader.  For an even more immersive experience, click the link below to follow along with the PDF media with maps, pictures of historical sites and more.

A DECISION TO MAKE PDF - CLICK HERE

Meadows Church is a church in the community, for the community, located in Langley, BC.  We want you to know that you're welcome here!

Transcript

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You're listening to audio from Meadows Church in Langley, BC. For more information about Meadows Church, go to Meadowschurch.ca. Well, here we go, friends. We're continuing in our series called Encountering Jesus as we really try to experience Scripture as we read through Mark's account of Jesus' life. We're gonna be in Mark 3 today, and here there are three groups of people that Jesus interacts with. The now combative religious leaders, the Pharisees, you have the receptive crowd, and then you have Jesus' worried immediate family. And so as we continue to marvel at Jesus' wisdom and his power, look for this interaction, the interaction with Jesus from these three groups as we read. So let's get started. We are Mark 3, verse 1. Another time Jesus went in the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them, and Luke is quite specific in his account to name them as the religious leaders and the Pharisees. So know that Luke's account, we know what some of them is. So some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus. So they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Mark starts the chapter by saying another time, which is a writer's way of tying the story with the previous uh story that we talked about last week, where Jesus is asked about his disciples picking grain to eat on the Sabbath. We talked about the posture of the religious leaders in chapter two, and it's very different from right now in Mark 3, verse 1. In chapter 2, they weren't on their home turf, they weren't berating Jesus with questions, hoping to trap him. No, they were on a Sabbath walk in a grain field, and the conversation is honest. It is pupil rabbi dialogue. And I would assume that those pupils that were alongside him that are actually still tracking with them, they're there. But now Jesus is in the synagogue, and verse 2 says that there are religious leaders looking to trap him. They have decided it is bad for business, and they are watching for Jesus to make a mistake. These religious leaders are in a small Galilean synagogue. Most scholars would say that Jesus was in his hometown on the Sabbath, and so this is what it would be. And the Pharisees are here and they are not here to worship with the crowd, but it is clear that they've been sent from Jerusalem to help protect their own interests and to spy on Jesus. And we're about to read verse 3, and I want you to notice something. The place is packed. The man with the shriveled hand doesn't ask for a healing like so many others have asked Jesus to this point. His predicament is that he has a hand that is medically withered and has lost all functionality. The man is described as being in the room and maybe waiting to speak to Jesus afterwards. We don't know. What we do know is Jesus notices his deformity and he calls the man to stand up. Jesus doesn't walk on eggshells on this issue of the Sabbath. No, he highlights the conflict and hits it head on. He is going to heal this man on the Sabbath and again show that what God is about, what his heart for people is. He is not a rule monger adhering to rules for rules' sake. But as Jesus says in Mark 2, verse 27, the Sabbath is for man and not man for the Sabbath. These rules are for our own good, to give us a break and a day off. He can still heal on that day. Let's keep going in verse 3. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, Stand up in front of everyone, and can you can you feel the sudden excitement that comes over the religious leaders and the Pharisees looking to trap him? They are on the edge of their seat. Oh, we've got you now, Jesus. Just finish it up. Then Jesus asked them, which is lawful on the Sabbath? To do good or to do evil? To save life or to kill? But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts. Jesus is angry and he's distressed. Here are the religious leaders being so off in their theology, wanting to cling to the past and cling to this hypocritical law that they've instated. They're looking to trap him. They aren't even willing to say anything to Jesus for fear that he would catch them in their stubbornness. Or even worse, make them look like a fool because of his wisdom. And so they stay silent. Jesus said to the man, stretch out your hand. He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. To the surprise and delight of the onlookers, minus the Pharisees, before their eyes, this hand notably changes, muscle start growing, nerves and bones are repaired, and that this hanging appendage is transformed into a useful, fully restored hand. It's incredible. The crowd sees it happen. But what is the response of the Pharisees? Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus. That they thought it was unlawful to heal on the Sabbath, and yet they have no problem plotting to kill Jesus on that same day. But did you catch why the Pharisees plotted to kill him? Jesus doesn't publicly shame them. He doesn't speak heresy and blasphemy that would warrant death or stoning. No, he simply speaks with authority and wisdom, and the Pharisees feel challenged and they feel vulnerable. Where's all the respect and the honor of the crowd that they used to get constantly? It's all going away from them, and now the spotlight is on this Jesus guy. He must be stopped for the good of their ego. Mark's gospel draws a comparison here. The Pharisees dip and they try to take out a mob hit on Jesus, but the crowd has a very different response in verse 7. Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake. And again, the commentaries that I've looked at all suggest that it's quite likely Jesus had come out of his hometown synagogue in the town of Capernaum. He then walked down to the lake and they followed them. And a large crowd from Galilee followed. When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Edomia, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon. At first thought, all these names they don't really have meaning. So let's look at a map real quick, and I've highlighted here. And what you'll see is that the entire region of what was Israel and on the other side of the Jordan as well, they are all flocking to Jesus. This is no longer a Galilean thing. For one, they sent the big dogs from Jerusalem to scrutinize Jesus and shut him down. And then two, look at this map, the entire region was coming out, people from all over. So try to picture the next scene as I read it. Because of the crowds, he told his disciples to have a small bolt ready for him to keep the people from crowding him. For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. Can you sense the crowd's energy? Like this is verging on riotous energy. You have people there because they've been healed by Jesus, or they've, you know, just had a demon exercise out of them, and they are telling everyone and their dog about their healing, and they are lingering. And then you have those who haven't been healed yet, and they are trying to push forward. Well, what if he what if he leaves before I get to him? There's this new nervous energy. Will he heal me? Pushing forward. As I read the text, it seems quite transactional here. Verse 8 says that the crowds were flocking to Jesus because of what they heard he was doing, the miracles. My question is, was the boat the exit plan? It's curious that that boat is there. In the next chapter, he would get in it to teach. But here it's not specific on what it was there for. Well, whenever the impure spirit saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, You are the Son of God. But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him. If you remember a couple of weeks ago, we learn that this isn't a public outing of Jesus and what who he truly was that the demons were doing. This was a feeble attempt to exert power over him. And that was common in dark magic and spiritual warfare of the day. Calling out someone's name and rank allowed the spiritual forces to start to control. But Jesus would not even allow them to speak. Jesus is king. Well, from here, Jesus goes up on a mountaintop, and we've read this before, we're not going to get into it. We already did the calling of the disciples, I think, on week two of our series, and so you can go back and listen to that. All of our messages, by the way, are on our website at meadowschurch.ca slash messages. We also have it on a podcast that Darren's been hooking up with us. And if you go on the website, we'll even have the maps and pictures and the other the resource packs of each of our discussions. And so go back and check that out. Now they're on the mountain. Jesus is with his boys, the 12 disciples, he appoints them, and the crowd seems to disperse for the moment. But then verse 20 happens. Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, He is out of his mind. So there's this transition from his lake ministry up a mountain where he has this his disciples, uh, and now he is walking back up. He is going to the house, which is most likely Peter and Andrew's house. And the people are needing healing and to see Jesus, and they are coming in a constant stream, so much so that it is shocking to Jesus' family, to the point where they feel the need to interject and take charge. He had needn all day, maybe for days, yet the work was never ending. And Jesus has such compassion on the crowds and keeps going. Well, all accounts say that his family wanted to take charge of him. That verbiage in the Greek is the same word Mark uses to talk about when Herod arrests John the Baptist and also when Jesus is arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. So know that this is not a light-taking charge of. Presumably, they want to take him by force, remove him from the situation, his overworkedness, and take him back to Nazareth. Maybe they could talk some sense into him. So they had traveled 50 kilometers from Nazareth to Fernim, saw what was happening, and they came to take him by force. Look around you, Jesus. This is insane. There are too many people here, and you are overworked. Come home with us right now. They didn't understand what Jesus as Messiah meant. And they were inadvertently actually trying to derail Jesus' ministry by taking him away from what he was supposed to be doing. Shows over here, people, go home. Based on verse 31, that tells us that Jesus' mother and brothers arrive. I'm gonna assume that this first taking charge of this family is just his brothers, and then they go home so concerned that they then bring his mother back. And so, in the meantime, many things happen, including this story in verse 22. This, the jealous, the the petty, the proud religious leaders are making their way into the house where Jesus is doing all the miracles. In an attempt, by the way, this house, right? In an attempt to try and win back the crowd, they have this conversation with him. And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, He's possessed by Beelzebub. This is another term uh for Satan. By the prince of demons, he is driving out demons. That's their retort. Jesus is freeing people from a lifetime of demon oppression. But don't worry, there is no need to come to Jesus' aid. Jesus has this. Verse 23. So Jesus called them over and began to speak to them in parables. How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, the kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand. His end has come. In fact, no one can enter a strong man's house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strongman's house. And then he goes on, and and he goes on to teach the religious leaders. Can you see that he still has compassion for these religious leaders? He is appealing to them. And he says this truly I tell you, people can be forgiven of all sin their sins and every slander they utter. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. They are guilty of an internal sin. He said this because they were saying he had an impure spirit. Well, this is quite a warning. Here they are trying to convince the crowd that Jesus is getting all this power to heal and to cast out demons by Satan. And Jesus has compassion on them, nonetheless. You're on thin ice, Pharisees. Hear this, you better watch it. You are crossing the line, you are blaspheming against the Holy Spirit. The warning is that it's this is the only unforgivable eternal sin. Defaming or speaking sacrilegly against the Holy Spirit. And the religious leaders were doing it at that moment. Well, at some point Mary and her sons arrive. Because verse 31 says, Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrive. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, Your mother and brother are outside looking for you. And Jesus used it as another teaching moment. Not to dishonor them, because that would be against God's law. He honors Mary, his mother, but it was a chance to hammer hone a point. Who are my mother and my brothers? He asked. Another question to hang in the air. Then he looked back on those seated in a circle around him, and he said, Here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother. And I just want to say that I'm assuming that Jesus would go outside and talk to his mother and calm her fears or to touch base with her. But in this moment, Jesus actually wanted to talk about something important. And that was when you believe in him and when you follow him, and when you do God's will, you are adopted into the family of God. You become sons and daughters of the living God. And that is the kicker of this story. You see, the crowd was pressing in on him and hanging on his every word. The Pharisees were looking to stop God's will, and he says something just beautiful. Here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does the will, God's will, are my brother and my sister and my mother. You see, friends, this is the choice we need to make. Are we willing to make Jesus king of our lives? Just accept and follow his amazing plan for your life. Or not? You see, verse 35 doesn't say whoever believes I'm something special. No, verse 35 says, adoption into the family of God is whoever does God's will. And what is that? We talked about it last week. It can all be summed up in loving God and loving others. If you embrace that, embrace Jesus as King, you are family. I don't know if that resonates with you, but man, it does for me. As someone who has been rejected and abandoned by some earthly family, and it is it is everything for me. And so I think there are two implications for us. And I'm gonna invite Mega and the teen. And we're gonna close with the worship song that that talks about leaning back into the loving arms of our father. It's a beautiful song. But in this moment in our response time, we have a father that loves us. When we choose to follow him, we are adopted into God's family. The Bible says we become sons and daughters, princes and princesses of the kingdom of God. Awesome. I think there's another implication there. The other implication of this chapter is that when you embrace Jesus, we all need to understand in our society that is very individually focused, we need to understand that we're not alone anymore. We don't have to you we now have family. You see, when we get together as a church, we don't just come together as a consortment of people doing their own thing. We are liked-minded. Jesus says that we are family. Just take that in. Every Sunday is family time. It's a chance for us to get around a meal. And we're invited. God, I really thank you for this time. We can dig into your Word. I thank you that you love that you're here with us. And thank you that if we choose you, we are actually adopted to become your son or your daughter. When all earthly families tend to mess up at times, you are faithful as our Abba Father. And we praise you for that. Amen. We're so glad you chose to join us today. To find out more about Meadows Church and how you can get involved, connect with a pastor or how you can partner with us in ministry. Go to meadowschurch.ca.