Notes Mark 2 B- 3 A
Last week we looked at the healing of the lame man and how when this man who had no strength of his own to get to Jesus was bore of 4 and it was their faith that Jesus worked with to deliver this man.
We also saw the beginning of opposition to Jesus ministry.
1. How the Scribes and Pharisees accuse Jesus of blasphemy in their heart when he said to the lame man Thy sins be forgiven thee.
2. Second they attempt to taint His reputation because He chooses to eat with publicans and sinners.
3. Now tonight we are going to look at the third confrontation where they accuse Him of lack of piety because neither He nor his disciples fast.
Verse 18
And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?
Now there is only 1 fast day that was required by God of the Jews and that was Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement. However the Pharisees fasted twice a week and it appears that the disciples of John followed this custom.
Look how Jesus addresses this problem.
And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
It seems odd that the Pharisees are talking about fasting and Jesus starts talking about a wedding.
Jesus is trying to tell them that they have their religion or their relationship with God all wrong.They treat serving God as though it were a funeral, something hard and sorrowful.
This is the way religion or following the “law” is.
Listen to what Romans 7:8-10 says about the law.
But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.
Jesus said in me a relationship with God is not a funeral it’s a wedding. We are the bride of Christ. It is a time of rejoicing, a time of being united together for we are one in Him.
Now there are two opinions as to when; and then shall they fast in those days is.
Some commentators believe it is from the time that Jesus died and will last until Jesus returns.
Others believe it is from the time Jesus died until the day of Pentecost.
This group says; there are times of mourning in our life, times of sorrow. But in every such instance there is always the availability of Jesus Christ by his Spirit to step into the situation and turn our sorrow into joy our fasting into feasting.
I have a tendency to agree with the latter.
Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
In fact Jesus calls the Holy Spirit, Comforter 4 times John 14:16, 26; 15:26 16:7
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
The Spirit of truth 2 times in 14:17 and 15:26
He is called the Spirit of Glory in 1 Peter 4:14
His is called The Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in Ephesians 1:7
Jesus is saying you have this mourning thing, beating yourself up all wrong.
John 16:7-11
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Of sin, because they believe not on me;
Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
Jesus parable of the patched garment is closely connected to his answer about fasting.
Verses 21
No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.
The “religion” of the Pharisees was one of harshness, rules, laws. But the Gospel of Jesus was new; remember Mark 1:27
And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this?
Jesus was saying you cannot take the gospel of peace and just add it to your preaching of the law. You cannot just sew a piece of new garment onto an old rag.
You cannot saw a portion of the garment of Righteousness by faith onto the filthy rags of self-righteousness.
Verse 22
And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.
This is why Jesus recruited his disciples from those who were not the religious leaders of the day.
But praise God after the Holy Spirit was sent we all can be NEW BOTTLES, Paul proved that, but Paul did say;
Galatians 4:30
Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
Philippians 3:5-8
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
When God begins to move in a new and fresh way we often want to add it to our old agenda. We can’t seem to break out of “Church” as usual, we want a new and fresh move but we have a hard time giving up our old traditions. We want to put a new front on an old rag. God forbid we should leave our old traditions behind. This is the reason God has a hard time moving in His church, the church has gotten so tied up in the law and traditions and when God wants to pour out his Grace and His Spirit we choose our traditions instead of simply following the SPIRIT.
It is kind of like Nicodemus who earnestly came to Jesus seeking “new wine or new teaching” to put new vigor in his life. But Jesus said; No There must be a new creation, a new birth, new life straight from the Spirit of God.
If you want to drink New Wine, break out of the old traditions that have settled into your life and seek to experience God in a fresh and new way. Move In Him not For Him!
Verse 23-24
And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?
The question here about what was lawful was a question about the Sabbath not a question of picking someone else’s corn. God all the way back in Deuteronomy 23:25 had made provision for travelers who were hungry.
When thou comest into thy neighbor's standing grain, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thy hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbor's standing grain.
So it wasn’t a question of picking the corn it was the day they picked the corn that the Pharisees objected to. However as you saw when you answered your question the Sabbath was made so that everyone would have a day of rest. It was a day to remember that even the Lord rested from his work after six days of creation. And also the Jews were to remember that they had been slaves and did not receive rest so God made provision for all to rest by making it a law. However over the years the Pharisees and other religious sects had added their interpretation of this law and had made what they considered work so strict that keeping the Sabbath had become a burden instead of the blessing God intended it to be. In fact things had gotten so strict that when Jesus and his disciples picked the ears of corn they had broken several traditions that the Pharisees had made a law.
1. Plucking the corn was considered reaping.
2. Rubbing it in their hands was considered threshing,
3. When they separated the grains and the chaff they were winnowing.
4. And finally by doing all this they were guilty of preparing a meal which constituted work.
Verses 25-26
And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him? And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Jesus answers their concerns by pointing them to what David (who all religious leaders considered a righteous man) did when he and his men were hungry and they ate the showbread which according to the law was not legal for them to eat.
In Exodus 25: 30, God told Moses: “And thou shalt set UPON THE TABLE SHEWBREAD before me always.” And “shewbread,” in the original, means; “Bread of the Presence, Looketh at, or Upon Me, Meet With Me.”
Matthew’s version on this event includes another answer to the Pharisees question that I want to take a look at.
Matthew 12:5-6
Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
The disciples of Jesus were hungry just like David and his men were hungry and when questioned about this Jesus points them to the eating of the showbread or the “Bread of the Presence”. Jesus in the sermon on the Mound said; Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
And then Jesus went on to point out that the priests worked in the temple on the Sabbath and were blameless and then added, that in this place is one greater than the temple.
Remember the disciples are on their way to the temple and they are hungry; they are not hungry because they crawled out of bed just in time to get to church and did not have time for breakfast. No, by Jesus' statement we can conclude the disciples had been “waiting” on the Lord, in prayer, in service of some sort. There work was In Christ and therefore they were blameless.
The Matthew version goes on to say:
But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.
I will have mercy…which is connected to God’s grace and not sacrifice which is connected to his law.
To work or do works for someone makes you feel good but to have mercy or compassion sometimes hurts. They might forsake you, they might let you down; but praise God He desires mercy and not sacrifice because we all fail, and we all miss the mark. We need to have compassion when others miss their mark.
Finally returning to Mark we read;
Mark 2: 27-28
And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
I love this Jesus calls himself the Son of man. He is fully invested in becoming one with us. Jesus calls himself the Son of man 30 times just in the Book of Matthew.
John 1:3
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made
John 1:10
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
Jesus is letting them know that He is the one who instituted the Sabbath and therefore should know how it should be spent.
Man was created the day before God instituted a day of rest. God did not make a Sabbath and than create man to worship Him on that day. No, God created you and He created all mankind to fellowship with 24/7. It was in the heart of God to walk and talk with Adam in the garden in the cool of each day.
But Jesus did tell us that God DID create the Sabbath for man. God instituted the Sabbath for it to be a blessing to us.
1. God knows the body in which he created and He knows it needs rest.
2. God is concerned with all men and He knows the hearts of some so in Deuteronomy 5:14 the Lord gives all men the right to rest.
But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
3. God was not only concerned about our body but he was also concerned about our spirit and soul so the Sabbath was made a Holy day; a day to commune with God; to come and worship Him and receive strength from His presence and wisdom from His Word for the week ahead.
Exodus 16:23
And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the Holy Sabbath unto the LORD.
Chapter 3
This next confrontation with the Pharisees in the temple on the same Sabbath day is a crucial turning point in Jesus ministry.
Verse 1
And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
I want you to notice that mans hand was withered. Rendered useless. (shriveled).
Shriveled, dried up.
Verse 2
And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
Notice the Pharisees and Scribes are watching Jesus. Not to see if He could heal the man but if He would heal him.
Again this would be breaking the law according to their traditions. Anything short of preserving life was considered work. What they felt Jesus should do was to send the man away and let him come back another day to be healed because his problem was not life threatening.
I can’t help but look at this in the spiritual since that there are thousands going to church week after week dried up, rendered useless and because all they are receiving is the preaching of the law they leave just as dry, just as shriveled up, just as useless to the kingdom as they came in.
Obviously they knew this man was there because they were lying in wait to see what Jesus would do. How many years had this man come into the temple where God was to dwell, yet because of the hardness of those representing God this man left receiving nothing?
But this day was different. This day in walks the King of Glory, our Wonderful Merciful Savior and He tells this man to Stand Forth. Get up, Get up, Get up out of your set.
Verse 3
And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
Now we have never seen Jesus make a show of himself and He is not here. He is making a show of the Pharisees.
Because after he tells the man to stand he turns and asks the Pharisees a question.
Verse 4
And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
Notice that Jesus first asks the man to “stand forth”. Jesus wants the Pharisees to see the condition of the man. Maybe just maybe they might feel a little compassion. Look at him, don’t you want to help, don’t you want to see a change in his life.
2. Jesus appeals to their heart. Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days or to do evil?
Jesus knows what is in their heart; He is trying to expose it; to let them know he knows.
Verse 5A
And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts,
Jesus was not just grieved with the hardness of their hearts; Jesus was angry.
Here He was; the King of Glory….they knew that He was going to heal this man. But instead of rejoicing in the power and presence of God they bowed their neck and resisted all physical as well as spiritual evidence to the truth.
Jesus was not just angry that they had no mercy on this man but He was angry that they continued to harden their hearts.
It is the fulfillment of Isaiah 6:9-10 which is also quoted in Acts 28:27
For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost and that went for the Pharisees and Scribes as well and it made him angry to see their unbelief that would keep them for entering into His Kingdom.
Verse 5B
he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
Jesus says…Stretch forth that which is withered…Stretch forth that old withered relationship… Stretch forth that old withered heart….Stretch forth that had which is quick to make a fist…Stretch forth and reach out to Jesus and He will make you whole.
Proof that Jesus knew their heart.
Verse 6
And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
They did not want Jesus to heal on the Sabbath but they could plot to destroy him…because he broke their rules.
I want you to notice that Mark draws our attention to the alignment of two opposite groups against Jesus.
1. The Pharisees-Meaning: separatists (Hebrew: persahin, from parash, “to separate”)
They were the pious religious leaders of the day and in every other situation were greatly opposed to any alignment with the Herodians.
2. The Herodians A Jewish political party who sympathized with the Herodian rulers in their general policy of government, and in the social customs which they introduced from Rome. They also supported Herod as their king.
These two groups represented the most powerful Jewish religious leaders and the most powerful Jewish political leaders in alignment against the King of Glory.
Both out of fear of a loss of power. When you lay down the law you loss power over people. To walk in mercy makes you vulnerable and these men did not want to feel vulnerable.
Micah 6:8
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
