Although many see the miracles of Christ and see Him as the Messiah He does not want that fact to get out.
Mark 7: Traditions and Commandments
1 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem,
2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed.
3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands, holding to the tradition of the elders,
4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.)
5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?"
6 And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, "'This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;
7 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'
8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men."
9 And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!
10 For Moses said, 'Honour your father and your mother'; and, 'Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.'
11 But you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, "Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban"' (that is, given to God)---
12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother,
13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do."
What Defiles a Person
14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand:
15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him."
16
17 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable.
18 And he said to them, "Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him,
19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.)
20 And he said, "What comes out of a person is what defiles him.
21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person."
The Syrophoenician Woman's Faith
24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden.
25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet.
26 Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
27 And he said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."
28 But she answered him, "Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."
29 And he said to her, "For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter."
30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
Jesus Heals a Deaf Man
31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis.
32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him.
33 And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue.
34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."
35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.
36 And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.
37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."
Mark 8: Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand
1 In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them,
2 "I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat.
3 And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away."
4 And his disciples answered him, "How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?"
5 And he asked them, "How many loaves do you have?" They said, "Seven."
6 And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd.
7 And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them.
8 And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.
9 And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away.
10 And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.
The Pharisees Demand a Sign
11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation."
13 And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.
The Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod
14 Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat.
15 And he cautioned them, saying, "Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."
16 And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread.
17 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened?
18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?
19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve."
20 "And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" And they said to him, "Seven."
21 And he said to them, "Do you not yet understand?"
Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida
22 And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him.
23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?"
24 And he looked up and said, "I see men, but they look like trees, walking."
25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
26 And he sent him to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village."
Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ
27 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?"
28 And they told him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets."
29 And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ."
30 And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.
Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.
32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."
34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.
36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?
37 For what can a man give in return for his soul?
38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
Things to think about…
1. Jesus breaks man-made cultural and traditional laws to establish the rule of faith in the hearts of His hearers. The Jews had many laws regarding hand washing and eating and the Pharisees rebuked Jesus and His disciples for not ceremonially washing their hands when they ate, Mark 7:1-23 (not that they didn’t wash their hands at all, that’s not the point). Jesus says it is not what goes into the body but what comes out of a person that makes them unclean. In their hypocrisy they even denied honouring father and mother if their gift - Corban, was dedicated to God. As a result aging parents would go without and therefore were not honoured or cared for in old age. The Pharisees aided the people in their hypocrisy by annulling the law of Moses. Jesus encourages us to make what comes out of our mouths edifying and our actions honouring to Him to back up our words. It’s easy to pull someone down, let’s be encouragers of people and build them up in the truth and show them love through acts of grace, starting with those in our own home.
2. Jesus was not just the Saviour to the Jews, but the Gentiles as well. He travels to the gentile regions of Sidon, Tyre and the Decapolis, Mark 7:24-37 and heals people with both demons and deafness. If Jesus was in modern day Israel today, what ministry do you think He would have for those in Gaza or Ramullah – Arab areas of Israel? Do you think His ministry would be any better received today? Our Lord is the Saviour of both Jews and Gentiles. The poor woman is called a dog by Jesus, albeit indirectly. But He was trying to draw out this woman’s heart and ultimately her faith. She knows who He is and Jesus honours her with her request. We are by nature those same Gentile dogs, but He blesses us with the salvation of our souls, which is a far greater blessing than even this woman had regarding the healing of her daughter.
3. I am so encouraged when I read how slow the disciples were at understanding Jesus. Jesus had previously fed 5000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish, the disciples then begin to lack common-sense and logic after He fed 4000 at this point, Mark 8:4. But more than this, when Jesus dismisses the crowd and gets into the boat with the disciples Jesus says “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod” – they still think He is talking about literal bread and whether they will have enough bread or not. How slow are they?! But then again, I know I can be slow at picking things up, just ask my wife. The amazing thing is that after all these ‘signs’ the Pharisees ask for a sign, Mark 8:11. He says He won’t give them one, vs 12. Is it wrong to seek after a sign or a wonder then? Not at all, if it is based on faith and a desire to see the Lord Jesus receive all the glory. But these people did not have the right motivation from the heart when they were seeking after a sign. This was also the case when Jesus was in His hometown. Jesus had already given many examples at that point to confirm that He was indeed the Saviour of the world.
4. After healing the blind man in Mark 8:22-26 Jesus says to him to not to enter the village. He then asks the disciples in the villages of Caesarea Philippi who they say He is. Peter answers correctly by saying Jesus is the Christ, Jesus says not to tell anyone. Why did Jesus not want His name or identity getting out? ‘Messiah hysteria’ that’s why. Knowing who the Messiah is as opposed to knowing the Messiah are two different things. Most in Israel at the time wanted an earthly saviour and not a Saviour from sin. The same is true today, when people want the blessing more than the Blesser. Even today the children of Israel are still looking for a man made messiah. They will look for a son of David, an Israeli, but he will be a false christ. But the true Son of David has already come and He will come again.
5. Jesus says that He is going to die, Mark 8:31. Peter rebukes Him and then Jesus rebukes him back, vss 32-38. Peter does not see in his theology that the Messiah must die in order to receive the kingdom. This is the same blindness that covers the eyes if the Jews today. Jesus says the soul has a far greater significance than any earthly existence. Australians and Jews by and large have the same problem – they believe this world is all there is whether it is building a sports stadium or a sacred temple. Christ’s message remains the same for both. Repent or perish.
Vision statement for CBC
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Sermon:-“The arrival and return of Jesus” – reading Zech 9:9-17
a. What prophesies of Christ have been fulfilled in this reading with respect to the arrival of Jesus? Can you think of others mentioned on Sunday that are found elsewhere.
b. Just as the arrival of Jesus was multifaceted so was/Will be His return. A notable first part of His return was His resurrection. There are a number of others mention in the last few chapters of the book of Zechariah Eg Zech 11:16, 17, Zech 13:1, 2; Zech 14:4; Zech 14:9. Discuss.
c. What is the point and relevance for us that these prophesies have been or will be fulfilled?
Prayer Points
1. That the contacts made over Easter and the Family Fun Day will be maintained and that strong connections and discussions may draw people to Christ.
2. Been a big term for our teachers pray Rosie and our teachers get a good rest over these next 2 weeks.
3. Pray for Chuwar Youth and Jarrod’s ministry. Pray as he meets with youth at Westside, this week as well as the growing young adults ministry.
4. How you can serve in ministry this year.
5. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. Quite a few visitors on Sunday – Pray this continues and they get involved in the life of the church.
2. Young adults ministry is growing – keep praying as Jarrod develops this ministry.
3. Kids@Church and Youth ministries are a great blessing. Pray for Rosie and Jarrod as they start out for term 2.
4. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Chuwar Youth and Kids@Church start back this week.
2. Mother’s Day High Tea. Sat 10am Church. Speaker and pampering, 13th May RSVP Suzanne 1/5/2023. Ph:- 0418 889 683.
3. Remember to check your duty rosters for term 2.
4. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
5. Tune in again this week on our youtube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism questions for April...
Q. 7. In how many persons does this one God exist? A. In three persons.
