[Music]
I'm excited to share and the study the
Gospel of Mark with you okay are we
ready
alright meanings of biblical text come
only in their context but many many
times what has happened is we get used
to certain verses and traditionally we
have some meanings attached to it and we
keep passing it on and we look at verses
without context so I have coined a word
for this disease we Christians have
including pastors called verse itis
we live on versus we send each other
verses but many times we may be missing
the point of that message in that text
because we are not reading passage
remember chapter divisions in our Bible
came hundreds of years later in the
beginning of the thirteenth century that
is twelve hundreds before that there
were no chapter divisions in your Bible
also remember verse divisions came in
the middle of the 16th century fifteen
hundreds there were no worse divisions
before that so if you ask the author of
john how many chapters are there in the
Gospel of John you know it right how
many chapters John 21 but the writer of
John doesn't know that because that was
put in much much later
now the problem the ones you have a
number some of us think that the number
just one verse any purse will have some
meaning without any context that's not
the way it was written when Paul writes
a letter when he talks about one issue
he has an any good modern translation
will give a paragraph so when we look at
a text in its paragraph then we'll get
the meaning right it is very important
that we learn how to understand biblical
texts in their own context otherwise we
are very happily saying wonderful things
which may not be true so very very
important for us to read the text in
context and therefore I recommend that
pastors preach from passages not from
verses
I have a feeling that some pastors they
fall into a temptation they are so busy
during the week that there is no time to
prepare for Sunday morning
they have not thought ahead so Saturday
night they start praying Lord what do
you want me to
or Sunday morning they get up early and
start preparing and what can happen is
you look at a concordance some thought
comes okay so look at concordance and
then pick up verses from all over and
preach so you'll have ten verses in
notes preach it but that may not be the
best way to preach the Bible because God
did not give us the Bible that way God
gave us the Bible in writings we call it
books sometimes right some of them are
big sections you know first five books
in the Old Testament are big books but
some of them are small as John it's not
so big second John one page third John
this much only they are not books
they're writing small postcards so but
we must read the whole writing to get
the meaning not verses right so one of
the things we are doing today is look at
the Gospel of Mark I want to say
something about Gospels how many Gospels
do we have four Gospels okay very good
now in the early church in the first
century I believe all these four Gospels
were written down sometime in the
one-third the last third of the first
century but all these four Gospels were
not put together in a New Testament the
New Testament comes much much later you
need to understand that no one in the
first century had a New Testament in
their hand okay so when they say
scriptures for example when Paul says
2nd Timothy all Scripture is
inspired by God he is not referring to
your New Testament because there is no
New Testament at that time he is
referring to the
scriptures for scriptures always
requires what we now call Old Testament
why do we call it Old Testament because
we have New Testament your car
becomes old when you have a new one
right so there scriptures were there but
the four Gospels were not put together
and the New Testament books or writings
had not been collected in the first
century keep that in mind
so each gospel writer writes the Gospel
according to their own leading of the
Spirit and they are all very different
okay let me ask you a question you like
to eat things made out of rice what are
the things you like to eat made of rice
Italy is made of rice what else do you
like made of rice dough say made of rice
what does do you like pea really like
what else do you like apple made of rice
now do you realize all of these are made
of rice
what are they prepared the same way do
they taste the same way okay let's say
Italy and biryani made of rice do you
mix your idli and biryani why made of
rice no it's made of rice they can be
mixed right No
what we do is we look at we take each
dish separately and enjoy it separately
so when you want to eat Italy you have
Italy when you are eat biriyani
separately have biriyani you do not mix
them even though they are made of the
same material the DNA is the same
correct now
God gave us four Gospels using different
people and they are as different as
Italy upon biryani and rice by some they
are not meant to be mixed up of course
we do it
and we do it because we don't recognize
that each gospel is so different from
the other there are similarities but
there are lot of differences okay let me
give you an example of how we do it in
our churches Christmas time one of the
things we do in our Christmas drama
remember how we do Sunday school
Christmas drama how do we do it
you have Sunday school children one Mary
will be there and one Joseph will be
there and one doll will be in the hand
of Mary right then on the other side who
will be standing here shepherds
Shepherd's will be there
okay Sunday school boys dressed up as
shepherds with mustache put on them okay
and on this side who'll stand here the
wise men they are not called kings
though we call them kings
how many wise men do we usually have
three wise men why do we have three wise
men because there are three gifts
mentioned we assume reverse logic that
three people were there I think I have
another you know interesting humorous
reason why we only have three wise men
because it's very difficult to get more
than three wise men anywhere that's why
I churches are full of women not men
anyway jokes aside but do you realize
you have done something very interesting
you have mixed Italy and biryani
because the Shepherds coming is
mentioned in which Gospel Luke's Gospel
chapter 2 and when did the shepherds
come on the day Jesus was born
remember that angel said today is born
for you a savior so the Shepherd's came
and they found Jesus lying in a manger
not born in a manger sorry lying in a
manger mentor is a small thing that
happened mentioned only in Luke's Gospel
not mentioned anywhere else and the wise
men came where is that mentioned only in
Matthew's Gospel chapter 2 and when did
they come very clearly it says the very
first line after Jesus was born wise men
from the east came
say three wisemen and so that is
happening after many months that is why
when the Weizmann go away what does
Herod do he decides to kill all the
children below the age of he doesn't say
kill all the newborn babies
so they never came together they never
shook hands with each other shepherds
and wise men except in our Christmas
drama
so what have you done we have mixed the
two it's not harmful it's perfectly all
right you can mix your Italy and biryani
nothing will happen but we don't do that
why because we want to get the taste of
each food made of rice each item
separately so what am I saying
the four Gospels you have have been
written differently
and they have been written to different
audiences and the emphasis of each of
these Gospels is different but if you
keep mixing them up you will never get
to know the taste of each gospel all
right
so you need to take time to read each
gospel and as pastors if possible preach
from each gospel learn from each gospel
and then preach from each gospel maybe
ten sermons through different passages
in the Gospel of Mark ten sermons
through different passages in the Gospel
of Matthew ten sermons through ten
passages in John 10 sermons through
passages in Luke so that while you do
that people will get a feel for each of
those Gospels otherwise if we ask many
of us also maybe and find it difficult
to say so what is special about Mark's
Gospel in comparison to say Luke's
Gospel it's not that they are all saying
the same thing so we just pull from here
and there each gospel has a different
taste now Italy is made of rice right
biryani is also made of rice when you
look at biryani can you see the rice
grains yes you can see the grain when
you look at Italy can you see the grain
no in other words it's been made
differently you can't see the grains and
yet it is made of rice so the way the
food is prepared it changes the
appearance and the taste and the texture
each gospel is different has a different
emphasis so we need all the four Gospels
we need what Matthew will emphasize we
need what Luke will emphasize we need
what John a very different gospel Gospel
of John how did Jesus teach usually an
is teaching people how did he teach
using what stories what we call those
stories parables
they're not a single parable in John
very interesting single pair of John is
very different kind of gospel compared
to Matthew Mark and Luke so today with
that he'll brief introduction we're
going to look at the main things a few
things that we can study about the
Gospel of Mark some of the things that
he emphasizes what is the special focus
of the Gospel of Mark and we have put
that right there in the title it is a
gospel of the servant as I am that's the
focus the Messiah is a servant Messiah
or a suffering Messiah so the main thing
in the Gospel of Mark is what the nature
of the Messiah
what kind of Messiah is he a servant a
suffering Messiah that is special to the
Gospel of Mark and so some people like
to think of this verse as a key verse
which worse is that what is the key
verse there what does it say can
we can read it together 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 that could be considered as the
key verse it's a good passage to look at
and where does it come please note it is
in chapter 10 when we come a little
further we will look at that passage
especially from a certain part of
chapter 8 till the end of chapter 10
this is a very important section of the
Gospel of Mark the heart of the Gospel
of Mark okay I did not want to take too
much time talking about some of the
technical things about the Gospel of
Mark who wrote it when they wrote it how
they wrote it all that would take too
long and so I just have two lines on
that okay number one who wrote this
gospel
okay one of the things you realized the
moment you open the four Gospels is the
writers don't put their name there the
letters of Paul you know Paul says I
Paul and Sosthenes or whatever but who
wrote the Gospel of Matthew
the Gospel of Mark the writers names are
not mentioned they are all anonymous so
later on tradition added names the
Gospel according to mark or Matthew or
John and because of good reasons I think
those names were added because they are
connected to those people maybe they
also wrote it but there is a connection
this is the biblical way of naming books
why is first samuel called first samuel
and not first David
why is it called for Samuel is connected
to that any other reason why is called
Samuel did he write it did he write
first Samuel what about second Samuel
who wrote second Samuel did he write it
you think no because in 1st Samuel
chapter 25 Samuel is dead still 2nd
Samuel is coming so it's not because
Samuel wrote it that his name is called
first samuel 2nd samuel it is because
samuel is a main figure in the whole
story
even though Samuel is dead by the time
you come to second Samuel so same way we
use the word books of Moses who wrote
the first five books they are called the
books of Moses not because Moses wrote
everything that's not what the Jewish
people believed because the last chapter
34 of Deuteronomy mentions the death of
Moses who wrote that surely not Moses
now some people have believed you know
in the past that yes Moses himself was
writing about his own death God revealed
to him I don't want to write about my
own death and say I was buried somewhere
and nobody even knows where I was buried
or there are passages which say Moses
the servant of the Lord was the most
humble man what do you think he's
writing that but Moses is surely not so
the Moses is the main authority of the
first five books not necessarily the
author of everything from Genesis 1 to
Deuteronomy 34 that's not what it means
same way these four Gospels are
connected to four important people they
may have written it but it's very
important that we realize this is
traditional names given much later so
who wrote this gospel the most important
tradition is that somebody called John
Mark wrote this gospel he's mentioned in
other places for example in first Peter
Peter will say my son Mark is with
me and you know where he is he's in
Babylon he says he said babylon babylon
is a code word for rome okay so that is
probably what is happening john mark
who was a kind of disciple of mentored
by Peter maybe the author of this gospel
so there is this strong what we call
Petra in tradition when it comes to this
gospel then why do you write this gospel
and this is where the main point comes
why do we do that there is a purpose for
that sometimes when you're not very well
the doctor doesn't say go and have
biryani but he will say have some Italy
because Italy is better for your stomach
than rich biryani
right so there is a purpose for what you
take so why did Mark write this gospel
he has a purpose in mind most probably
it is because he is writing to a group
of persecuted Christians in an around
Rome so then this gospel will encourage
Christians going through persecutions
that is why it has a special flavour and
a special direction so mark starts his
gospel with the prologue introducing us
to the good news about Jesus Christ and
then goes on to unfold the story of
Christ in three parts so if you want to
divide this gospel the three simple
divisions that we are given they're the
works of the servant remember what is
the theme of this gospel the servant
Messiah or the suffering Messiah and the
first part is the works of the servant
so till half of chapter 8 is the
Messiah's works miracles of Jesus
focusing on the miracles of Jesus then
comes the servant is rejected this is
chapters 8 22 onwards till the end of
chapter 10 the focuses Jesus is telling
his disciples I am going to be suffering
I will suffer horribly I will be
humiliated and I'll be put on a cross
and I will be killed
but I will rise again so that focus on
the suffering of Jesus and then comes
the last part which is the suffering of
Jesus the servant completes his work
what is his main work the work of the
servant is mainly to go to the cross and
give his life finally that is the point
of the gospel so and in the Gospel of
Mark one thing very interesting you find
even in the very first chapter you'll
keep finding the word and immediately
and immediately and immediately and
immediately I mean goes on and on this
word immediately in the Gospel of Mark
is mentioned about 41 times in the
Gospel of Mark what is it meant to
convey it doesn't mean immediately it
means immediately
what does that mean there he's trying to
convey a good servant is a servant who
does the job quickly you see if you're
hungry and you ask a servant hey bring
some water and he brings it after one
hour he's not a good servant he's not
moving fast enough so there is this to
convey that Jesus is wonderful servant
of God who does his work and he's moving
he's moving he's moving he's moving
there to finish his work which is the
work of the cross that is the focus of
the Gospel of Mark
now some defining features of the Gospel
of Mark each gospel begins very
differently
you remember how Matthew begins there's
a interesting genealogy very interesting
very interesting prepares the way of
Jesus a son of David but how does Mark
begin no genealogy in mark he begins
with a quotation from Isaiah
the way of the Lord and so that's so
different
there is no mention of birth of Jesus in
Mark's Gospel very different and no
mention of Mary and Joseph like that
okay
how does look begin his story or he
begins with a little introduction Luke
is the only among the four Gospel
writers only he's the only one who says
I'm going to I'm writing like this I've
done research and I received it from
others
very interesting Luke then talks about
stories in the temple right
Zechariah sin and Elizabeth and then
Mary in the call of media all that
special thing that is there in Luke then
comes John how does John begin in the
beginning that sounds like Genesis right
he has a very different a theological
introduction of and no mention again of
Joseph very birth of Jesus nothing
so each gospel is different in the way
they begin the story and tell the story
so the way of the Lord is a key
understanding in the Gospel of Mark now
you may remember in the book of Acts
that in some places Christians were
called people of the way remember that
in the book of Acts their name is who
are you we are people of the way
interesting not always used but in the
book of Exodus mentioned the people of
the way
okay so in other words the gospel is the
way Jesus in Gospel of John is the way
Christian Church is called the way and
the gospel beginning of Mark's Gospel is
also talked about as the way
so mark pictures discipleship as
following Jesus who is on the way Jesus
is going on the way Entei hodo
on the way now let's look at these three
passages 827 933 1032 and 52 I just want
you to read this
these are phrases where you see this
focus of Jesus being on the way okay
on the way see that phrase coming into
hodo on the way they are going on the
way okay next on the way when you
are coming on the way what were you
arguing about on the way
alright next 1032 they were on the way
to Jerusalem
cause that Jesus your faith has healed
you and therefore
on the wait by the way you have
different translations in English but
it's the same phrase in the Greek on the
way so where is Jesus going he is going
on the way and the disciples are moving
on the way
what is discipleship
Jesus is on the way we have to follow
Jesus on the way so this theme or motif
of on the way is a very special teaching
or emphasis in the Gospel of Mark
alright what was the central message of
Jesus I have a feeling if you stopped
somebody on the road let's say or a
believer in the church and ask them what
was the heart of the message of Jesus
what will most people say
huh repent salvation love yes many
people will say love now many of these
answers they are not wrong but they are
just not right be like me all these are
good things but these were not the
central message of Jesus the central
message of Jesus was the kingdom of God
the kingdom of God and mark gives us
very clearly in chapter 1 verse 15 so
turn to mark
everything was revolving around that
remember even after the resurrection in
the book of Acts what do they ask him
Lord are you going to bring the kingdom
now at Acts chapter 1 so the main
message of Jesus was not love salvation
all that will come all that will come
but the main thing is what you were
waiting for has come the kingdom of God
has come look at mark by the way
this is the way mark introduces Jesus
the first words from the mouth of Jesus
as it were is the time has come the
kingdom of God has come near therefore
what should he do repent and believe the
good news that's it
now by the way that is just the summary
of what Jesus would have preached he
didn't preach for six seconds right what
you're reading there this is a summary
of all that Jesus began to teach mark
puts it right there in this very simple
summary and I like it because it's
simple but it conveys a lot of things so
how can we say the three things here the
first thing is the time has come
what does it mean the time has come you
are waiting for the kingdom of God to
come the kingdom of God you're waiting
waiting for the Messiah to come the
kingdom of God to come it has come time
is up is come
it's what he saying secondly is saying
the kingdom of God has appeared has come
not coming already come
the only right response to the kingdom
of God is repent what is repentance
repentance is you are going in this
direction
and you turn around and say that is not
the right direction I need to go in this
direction that's a repentance repentance
doesn't mean feeling sorry repentance
means turning around
you may feel sorry also you realize
there is a stupid way to go on that
direction you turn around and you
believe this good news which good news
the kingdom of God has come
you believe the kingdom of God has come
that's what you believe you changeable
and now you try to follow what the
kingdom of God
kingdom of God stands for you follow the
kingdom of God
so the absolutely central theme in the
life and message of Jesus is what
kingdom of God everything falls around
that everything else is important but it
moves around the kingdom of God now to
understand this kingdom of God many
people still confuse kingdom of God and
kingdom of heaven and heaven and hell
and all that okay
now in the Gospel of Matthew Matthew
uses another phrase instead of kingdom
of God Matthew uses kingdom of heaven
why
why does Matthew use kingdom of heaven
and not kingdom of God now Matthew is
writing mostly to Jewish audience and
among the Jewish people they do not like
to use the word for God openly by the
way many of us in our traditional homes
our mothers did not call our fathers by
name write their name of the father
maybe John but she never called him John
come here
even today right in many of our cultures
that's the way why a tradition a
respectful way of calling the Jewish
people never spoke about God for example
the Hebrew letters when it is written
there are four letters for God which we
Christians happily use the word Yahweh
or Jehovah all right but the four
letters Yad hey Wow hey
bye h wh
he will never read it they would say
don't I which means Lord or they will
say Hashem the name
just like many of us our mothers did not
call our fathers by name but we
Christians come from another tradition
where we happily sing Yahweh Jehovah
this that and all but Jewish people will
never do it even today they will never
use the word Yahweh okay so Matthew
instead of saying kingdom of God he says
kingdom of heaven that does not mean it
is up go into some place called heaven
he's still talking about kingdom of God
but he uses words Kingdom of Heaven that
is Matthew's tradition and cultural
setting okay so how do we understand
this kingdom of God I want us to
understand this diagram if you can
understand these four lines you will
understand kingdom of God okay the
kingdom of God Jesus says has come
already come
it's not coming is come
is that well look at those two vertical
lines the two vertical lines represent
the first coming of Jesus and the second
coming of Jesus and you see that the two
vertical lines the first one is the
first coming the second one is a second
coming now what happened there are two
horizontal lines correct the first
horizontal line after the coming of
Jesus you see that first horizontal line
is breaking and is just passing away and
it does not continue after the second
coming do you see that right but with
the first coming another horizontal line
begins what is that that is the kingdom
of God or the new age so the kingdom of
God began when Jesus came his life his
work his ministry his death on the cross
and resurrection something started from
that time the kingdom of God started and
then the Second Coming comes what
happens to that line because that line
it comes in all its fullness so we use
this word you know commonly used that
the kingdom of God has already come but
not yet in all its fullness so we are
living between the first coming and the
second coming where the old age or the
evil age or the world is passing away
you notice that you see that line
passing away that old age the horizontal
line on the top it is still there it is
still there but it's passing away that's
why Paul in 1st Corinthians 7 31 he will
say because this world in its present
form is passing away but it's still
there it but
passing away I like to use the analogy
of a chicken in the villages this you
will not see this in the cities because
you eat but in the village you may see
sometimes a chicken live chicken if you
cut off the head and if you leave it
sometimes it will still keep running for
some time have you seen that yes
headless chicken is running but not for
very long
so that is your first line on the top
the world was given a deathblow with the
coming of Jesus and so that evil way age
the old age has been given a death blow
it is dying it is in this dying process
and what happened with the coming of
Jesus first coming the kingdom of God
was I have used two words their
inauguration and consummation
inauguration means beginning the kingdom
of God began not is coming in the future
it began 2,000 years ago with the life
death ministry death resurrection of
Jesus and that kingdom is continuing we
are living in kingdom time now but we
are not yet living in that full
consummation of the kingdom so guess
what we are in that middle period
between the ages that is why scripture
will tell us things like do not love the
world James 4:4 right because that world
is passing away that has no future don't
invest in the world but invest in the
kingdom of God and the kingdom of God
has got different value systems very
different from the value systems of the
world and that is what we are living so
Jesus inaugurated the kingdom the
kingdom will come in his fullness when
Second Coming takes place so that
diagram is very important for us to
understand already not yet what has
already come kingdom of God what has not
yet come kingdom of God in its fullness
has not yet come ok so this is the key
teaching in the New Testament and that
is why friends you and I as pastors must
remember because the kingdom of God has
come when we pray healings will take
place the dead could be raised but we
pastors also
have funeral services
okay why do we have funeral service
because the person who had cancer died
of cancer though we prayed
so every time cancer is not healed yes
right so we are not yet in that fullness
of the kingdom that's why we still have
burial services but we also pray and we
do see miracles but we cannot guarantee
miracles because we are not yet in that
fullness of the kingdom do you
understand that is very helpful for us
to understand this otherwise we can get
discouraged but that healing takes place
so miracle takes place these are signs
the kingdom has come but remember that
second line also is dot dot dot dot dot
so we don't get completely disheartened
because we prayed and this miracle did
not take place because we had a funeral
service because our hope is in the
future ultimately all our prayers will
be answered
ultimately they will be healing for all
of us how the resurrection there are
sometimes Christians who misunderstand
read certain passages and they think
every time there will be a miracle now
there are people for example who have
written and said that because we are now
in the kingdom and we are not under the
curse they will say things like
therefore your wife when she gives birth
need not have pain
and the preacher says my wife had
children and she had no pain okay
brother wonderful but most others their
wives had pain because we are not yet in
that final consummation of the kingdom
that's important for us to keep in mind
all right I have just put down a few
more things like this that we can learn
from the Gospel of Mark one of the
things we notice in chapter 1 35 to 38
by the way these are just a summary
statements how Jesus struggled with this
life of activity and prayer do you see
the struggle Jesus has on one hand there
is so many activities so much of work
yet he needs to find time for prayer
now that is the challenge that we
pastors have don't be right and
especially because most of us pastors
did not listen to the advice of Apostle
Paul first Corinthians chapter 7 Paul
gave very good advice
you know what the advice he said I
suggest don't get married that's in your
Bible by the way and you will be free to
do the ministry of the Lord but most of
us did not listen to that advice so now
we have children wives and husbands and
children and that takes a lot of our
time most pastors first thing in the
morning after their prayer or whatever
they get ready and take the children to
school and then go and pick them up you
know all these things we all do then
find money for their fees all these
things take time and we have then we
want to go here we want to go there we
have to visit so and so we are - so much
of work and yet we know we must also
find time in prayer now do you have a
struggle with that sometimes if you are
a few others of you don't have any
struggle but let me tell you I struggled
with that because you have to find time
to do the work but you also have to find
time to to be with the Lord not to tell
people that I prayed for eight hours or
whatever but to pray we need to pray
so that is a struggle and you see that
in the life of Jesus early morning is
gone trying to get some time and before
he can spend the time they are coming
Lord Jesus come on there's lot of work
and that is a struggle as pastors we
have to fight this battle here to
constantly fight it and make time and
struggle with this the need for personal
prayer alright the next thing we notice
is that popularity brings opposition
from the religious leaders and even
sometimes concern from his own family
members know that is in the Gospel of
John Jesus becomes popular very soon
quickly and a lot of people are there
the crowds are following him but the
religious leaders are not very happy so
very early that's the way mark presents
the story very early we find him being
the people are wanting to kill him right
in the beginning in the Gospel of Mark
all right the next point Jesus is on the
way remember the theme is what one of
the themes in the Gospel of Mark is
Jesus is on the way we also have to be
on the way with him and as he goes along
there is a beautiful parable the parable
of the sower right that's how we have
learned it actually it's a parable of
the soils different types of soils and
mark gives us the story all right one
thing I did not mention is that among
gospel collars the view is the majority
view is that Mark's Gospel was written
first and then Matthew and Luke used
Mark's Gospel that is one of the views
okay don't ever imagine that they did
this Gospel writers just sat down and
prayed and then they started writing
that's not how it happened okay in fact
Luke tells us how he wrote it read the
beginning part of Luke he says we have
received this from eyewitnesses and
since I have carefully done research in
other words I have gone to different
places and collected information now I
am putting it together
he doesn't even sound very spiritual if
you lead the beginning of the Gospel of
Luke he just says I am putting he
doesn't say God
with me or the Holy Spirit help me and
my hand just moved no no no so these are
the ways God used the Gospel writers so
mark is being used by Matthew and and
Luke and also Matthew and Luke had some
set of sources that was common to both
of them skew by the way is just a name
to denote a group of sources q is the
first letter of the German word Cuellar
we just mean source that probably
Matthew and Luke had access to why do we
say that because when we read Matthew
and Luke there are some things common to
Matthew and Luke not found elsewhere for
example in Matthew 3 and Luke 3 you will
have the words of John the Baptizer the
same words almost the same exact words
how come and that's in Greek friends so
how come the words in Greek are the same
so there are good reasons why people
think there were some sources available
to both Matthew and Luke then they had
their other sources Matthew had some
special sources that he could use and
Luke also had some extra sources that's
why there are a lot of unique things in
the Gospel of Luke including parables
and stories narratives all right so we
find Jesus is growing along and he's the
sword that story of the sword the
parable of the sower as we have called
it traditionally or maybe better to say
the parable of the soils Jesus is the
one sowing and the seeds the effects are
very interesting along the way you will
find some no surprising things that
happen as Jesus goes along all right the
next thing that I just want to highlight
is in Jesus uses an analogy Jesus
says it is not the healthy who need a
doctor but the sick I have not come to
call the righteous but sinners this is a
very interesting analogy for sin sin as
seen as a chronic disease
as a chronic disease a chronic diseases
like say some of us may get diabetes or
something like that and the doctor will
say you have to take medicine all your
life that's called a chronic disease and
actually what we have to realize is sin
is a chronic disease that has affected
all of us including fastest that is us I
mean that's why I meant by that so the
church is like a hospital where we are
being treated it's not that we get
discharged easily we are still remaining
in that hospital we have to be treated
all our life with the gospel medicine
because sin is not something after
sometime you don't have to worry with
sin just because we are a pastors and we
preach and we preach salvation and so we
don't have to deal with sin no we know
the reality that sin is a chronic
disease and Jesus is the physician and
we need lifetime medication I think
that's a beautiful analogy there for
when people come into a church remember
they're also people who need treatment
like us pastors new treatment
it's very dangerous for us fastest to
forget that that we are also people who
have a deal with sin as if others are
sinners and we are saved so we don't
have a deal with sin when that happens
what can happen very often is the sins
of leaders Christian leaders comes out
in the open and everybody's shocked how
come how come such a great preacher
church of thirty thousand people or
fifty thousand or whatever or a great
famous leader how come when we're all
sick with the disease of sin we are all
being treated and that should humble us
so as much as the same medicine you are
giving to others you are to apply to
yourself otherwise we will fool
ourselves that's a good analogy I like
that analogy of sin as a chronic human
disease and the church as a hospital
Martin Luther used the word simile
Eustis advocate or he said we are
simultaneously justified or sins as well
as sinners
we are both sinners and saints at the
same time and that is a humbling reality
so
we need to keep that in mind you all
right the family of Jesus in chapter 6
verse 3 there in passing it mentions
that they say isn't this the carpenter
isn't this Mary son and the brother of
James Joseph Judas and Simon aren't his
sister's here with us and they took
offense at him now this is a very
interesting verse which tells us that
Jesus had at least four brothers names
are mentioned right and how many more
sisters we don't know just says sisters
plural say at least two maybe four or
five but we don't know okay so this is
the family of Jesus now I mentioned
there most Protestants and most Roman
Catholics will have a different way to
read this passage most Protestants will
say that these children were born to
marry right most Roman Catholics will
tell to say that these are not
necessarily children of Mary but in
those days may have been some would says
maybe Joseph's children from a previous
marriage or relatives who are also
called brothers because they would have
lived in maybe kind of a joint family I
don't want to bet my life on this issue
though I would probably go with the
normal the general Protestant
understanding but you realize that this
is a big thing it's a big thing that
divides how Roman Catholics would look
at this because then Mary had children
after Jesus was born that is troublesome
in certain understandings in the Roman
Catholic Way of thinking all right
another interesting story that we find
in the Gospel of Mark remember this may
be the first gospel that is written is
the feeding of the 5,000 but that is a
story found in all the four Gospels
hitting on the 5000 but do you know
there is a story similar story in the
Old Testament in the time of Elisha one
of the servants of Elisha somebody
brought 20
loaves and but suddenly there were
hundred people there so Elijah says feed
them these are low this is very small
amount then Elijah prays and what
happens is hundred people eat just these
small loaves 20 loaves of bread they eat
and there is still some food left over
very interesting story you can read that
later on I given you the reference so
very interesting that this story of
Jesus feeding the thousands of people
has an echo from the story in the Old
Testament alright I want us to look at
another interesting phrase or verse in
chapter 6 verse 34 it's a very moving
passage when Jesus was going people were
hounding him people were coming after
him somehow they realized that this man
has something that they longed for and
verse 30 forces when Jesus landed and
saw a large crowd he had what does it
say
compassion something deep within I mean
just moved him when he saw those people
because they were like sheep without a
shepherd now you need to realize what is
happening here friends these are Jewish
people
Jewish people have Shepards spiritually
who are their Shepherds their religious
leaders there are teachers of the law
there are scribes these people are
supposed to be doing the job of a
shepherd
remember in the Old Testament you have
stories of the Shepherd who are not good
Shepherds Ezekiel 34 the wicked
shepherds the religious leaders God is
angry with them and he says I will come
myself and I will Shepherd them that is
why in the Gospel of John we read Jesus
says I am The Good Shepherd
so how come God's people don't have
shepherds
where are the Shepherd's gone the
Shepherd's have failed
that is why when they come these are the
people of God they have scriptures they
have religious leaders but when Jesus
saw them they are like sheep without
Shepherds so by the way we use the word
pastor what does the meaning of word
pastor Shepherd what is the job of a
Shepherd we are called God puts some
people with us makes us Shepherds over
God's flock the flock that Jesus gave
his life for what is our job when Jesus
saw the people as sheep without a
shepherd what did he do these crowds
what did he do he began to teach them
many things and I want to say to us the
apostasy that is our primary
responsibility not to gather crowds
sometimes we get excited when crowds
come we try our best to get as many
crowds as we can so good we need to
share the gospel with as many people but
it's not to keep crowds happy we have to
teach God's people many things but to
teach many things we pastors have to
learn many things we have to find time
to learn from Scripture then when we are
learning many things then we can teach
many things the primary job of a pastor
is teaching many things when the people
gather of course after that individually
people need help we can visit we can
show care concern like the Good Shepherd
will take care of individual sheep but
otherwise we pastor mainly by teaching
our people many things so my
encouragement to you is
we must take time every day to learn to
study get good material read the Bible
using a good commentary whatever learn
so that you can teach many things if we
are not learning we cannot teach what we
learn 20 years ago is wonderful build on
that we cannot just be going with that
we need to constantly be learning and
teaching in the Gospel of Mark it's very
interesting that disciples don't
understand Jesus they are following
Jesus wonderful we see in the beginning
of the first chapter Jesus goes and he's
passing by and he sees these fishermen
he says come follow me and they follow
him
that's all that's how it puts the story
and so they are following Jesus left
everything they are following Jesus but
they are struggling to understand Jesus
they don't understand Jesus they are
following their with him they have left
everything and they are following Jesus
but they still don't understand Jesus so
there are three stories or narratives I
have given the references there around
the sea around the boat and and every
time it looks like have you heard the
English phrase missed the boat missed
the boat means they don't get it they
don't understand
every time the disciples are missing the
boat for example in chapter 4 verse 35
to 41 let's have a look at that what
happens to the disciples the days shout
to Jesus teacher don't you care if we
could drown and then verse 40 what does
he say to his disciples why are you so
afraid do you still have no faith you
have no faith how come you are following
Jesus but no faith the disciples are
struggling the next reference is in 6 45
to 52 again
we find this story Jesus is walking on
the water he comes and they were
terrified then look at verse 52 what
does it say but they had not understood
about the loaves their hearts were
hardened hello they are following Jesus
but their hearts are hardened
as interesting their disciples only left
everything following but the hearts are
hardened
okay then you have another story chapter
8 and from verse 10 onwards they are in
the boat and they are again what you see
here is they don't understand they don't
understand and Jesus has to keep on
asking them question look at verse 17
why are you talking about having no
bread do you still not see for
understand are your hearts hardened
verse 18 do you have eyes but fail to
see and years but fail to hear and don't
you remember when I broke the loaves
five loaves for the five thousand how
many baskets full of pieces did you pick
up twelve they reply and when I broke
the seven loaves for the four thousand
how many baskets full of pieces did you
pick up they answered seven and he said
to them do you still not understand
so very interesting in the beginning
part of the story we find that disciples
are faithfully with Jesus but they don't
understand they are fearful even their
hearts are there with Jesus but they're
following Jesus left everything but they
don't understand him
now that is a special emphasis in the
Gospel of Mark he's trying to show the
disciples don't understand what they are
Jesus
sometimes I wonder is that also true in
our churches now we were very happy when
our people come to attend church a lot
of people are there but do they
understand
it's a good question
and so the Gospel of Mark is challenging
us or showing us that the disciples even
though they are following Jesus are
struggling struggling to understand what
is happening who is this Jesus what is
happening in between even says their
hearts are
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