Jesus’ healing ministry begins in earnest and as such He comes under fire from family members and religious leaders who have no understanding of who He is or what His ministry involves.
Mark 2: Jesus Heals a Paralytic
1 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home.
2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them.
3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.
4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.
5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."
6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts,
7 "Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you question these things in your hearts?
9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk'?
10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"---he said to the paralytic---
11 "I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home."
12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"
Jesus Calls Levi
13 He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them.
14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him.
15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.
16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."
A Question About Fasting
18 Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?"
19 And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
20 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.
21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made.
22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins---and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins."
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath
23 One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain.
24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"
25 And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him:
26 how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?"
27 And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath."
Mark 3: A Man with a Withered Hand
1 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand.
2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.
3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, "Come here."
4 And he said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent.
5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
A Great Crowd Follows Jesus
7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea
8 and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him.
9 And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him,
10 for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him.
11 And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God."
12 And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.
The Twelve Apostles
13 And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.
14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach
15 and have authority to cast out demons.
16 He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter);
17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder);
18 Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean,
19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
20 Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat.
21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, "He is out of his mind."
Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit
22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebul," and "by the prince of demons he casts out the demons."
23 And he called them to him and said to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan?
24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.
26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end.
27 But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.
28 "Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter,
29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"---
30 for they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit."
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
31 And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him.
32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you."
33 And he answered them, "Who are my mother and my brothers?"
34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!
35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother."
Things to think about…
1. I love the story of the four mates lowering their paralytic buddy down from the roof, Mark 2:1-12. They crowd was too big in the house so they pulled apart the thatched roof above Jesus and lowered him down. The crowd didn’t believe the first comment about Him being able to forgive this man’s sin, so to confirm the first was true He did a miracle that they could not deny. May the Lord bless us with more of His miraculous presence, so He alone gets all the glory for being the Messiah. Only God can forgive sin. Jesus forgives this man’s sin. Jesus is God. The 2 JW’s that visited me yesterday would disagree, but the logic is obvious from this passage.
2. We know Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath and we keep the Sabbath perfectly only through knowing Christ and by no other means – Hallelujah, Mark 2:23-28. Where does church attendance, Sunday worship, prayer meetings and ministry fit into all of this for you? Do you attend church to somehow think you are keeping the Sabbath? Christ is our Sabbath, all these other things are a part of the privilege in knowing and sharing that truth. When we gather to worship we celebrate that the law, including the Sabbath requirement, is kept perfectly in Christ.
3. Wouldn’t you think if you saw a withered hand be stretched out to normal length at a church service that it would be an opportunity for praise. Surely it would be worthy of shouts of hallelujah for such a mind-blowing miracle. Look at what happens to Jesus, Mark 3:1-6. The hardness of heart expressed here is beyond belief. Let’s never be angry or disappointed at the miraculous things the Lord does for His glory. Jesus is our Sabbath rest. May He show us more of His grace by saving both souls and bodies as we gather in His name.
4. Jesus knew ministry pressure literally – due to the pressing of the crowds He asked that the disciples get a boat ready, Mark 3:9. Whenever there is intense blessing of the Holy Spirit, Satan is always there with a distraction. Verse 11 says that whenever the demons saw Jesus they said “You are the Son of God”. Their statement was true, but it was truth that came from an evil source and hence a truth that had no eternal benefit. Truth and the Holy Spirit must both be present to bring about true worship. How do you discern the difference between the influence of the Holy Spirit and an evil spirit when both are speaking the truth? Answer – the fruit of the Holy Spirit should be on display, Gal 5:22, 23.
5. In Mark 3:13-21 Jesus calls His disciples (whom He names Apostles). Look at those names. Quite a few are only names in the list and get very little mention elsewhere in the scripture. They are often only seen when they have fallen morally or spiritually. Even Jesus’ family wanted to stop His activity, Mark 3:21. They initially believed He was out of His mind. Those who are near to Christ’s words and works often feel persecution, whether they are believers or not. Do you know of family members or friends that have struggled with some of the things you have said or done because of your decision to follow Christ? May I encourage you to keep going. Our Lord says “I will honour those who honour Me”, 1Sam 2:30.
6. It is interesting that Jesus speaks about the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit within the context of a divided house/kingdom, Mark 3:22-26. Spiritual unity is only possible in families and churches where there is submission to each other and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a Spirit which unifies both grace and truth under the banner of Christ’s love. If Jesus was told that ‘He has an unclean spirit’, Mark 3:30, how much more for those who endeavour to follow Him.
7. Jesus’ mother and brothers wanted to have a private chat with Jesus because they were feeling some back lash from His ministry, Mark 3:31-35 (cf vs 21). He says that those who were sitting around Him were His “brother and sister and mother”, vs 36. The family of the Spirit has a closer bond than the family of the flesh. What a blessing it is when the two are one. Pray for family members who are presently outside the household of faith that they may enter in.
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.
