"Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither."
C.S. Lewis.
That quote doesn't relate to the podcast much, but who cares, it kind of punches you in the face. :)
The Authority of Jesus
Mark 2: 1-12
-Everyone knows Jesus, but they know little about his life and what he actually said.
-They want to know a Jesus of their own, one they come up with in their head. Not reality.
-For the first decade after the death and resurrection there were no written accounts of it actually taking place, and all the prophets with the knowledge were dying off.
Jesus’ first impressions (Mark 1:14-15)
-Jesus’ first message.
-Repent, I want you to change your mind, and therefore the trajectory of your life. Because a new kingdom is here, a new situation, a new era has arrived.
-Not self-help advice
-Jesus picks up his first followers, Simon and Andrew (make you fishers of men story)
-He’s calling people to him and their response is IMMEDIATE and TOTAL. There leaving occupations and families. Whatever was primary before now becomes secondary.
-Back in the ancient world, disciples picked Rabbi, Rabbi didn’t pick disciples. So for Jesus to pick them and they just drop everything and follow is weird.
Mark 1:21- A full day in the life of Jesus
-They were astonished by his teachings because he taught with authority and not like one of the scribes. Scribes quoted to make them legit.
Mark 1:23
-Demon possessed guy calls Jesus out in the synagogue. Jesus says, “Enough,” and the spirit leaves the guy. No elaborate excosism, just tells him to stop.
-This guy comes in and starts talking like he owns the place, then this big spititual moment happens and he starts talking like he owns the place, then it started looking like he kind of did.
-The walk out asking who possesses spiritual authority like this guy?
Mark 1:29- First healing
-Who has authority over the physical world like that?
-At sundown, they brought everyone who was sick and everyone gathered at the door.
-What sticks out most in his first impression is his authority, not his wisdom or power.
-This guy commands people like he has the rights to command people.
-This guy commands spirits like he has the rights to command the spiritual world
-This guy commands nature as if he has the right to tell nature what to do and it responds.
-What kind of authority is this?
-What is the first thought who you think about Jesus? Is it the word authority? Commander? Or is it like they see him on South Park or Family Guy, real little and confused? They see authority.
-They’re not sure what to do.
-They put him in boxes they’re comfortable with.
1) Problem solver/Healer
-they come to him with needs they want met, that’s all.
-This is why some people reject Jesus. “Well, I don’t need help so I don’t need Jesus.”
-Jesus rejects it. He goes out into the wilderness the third morning and when Peter comes to find him saying things like “everyone’s looking for you!” basically saying, “Hey, we got this great little miracle thing going on, what are you doing out here!” Jesus says, “No, lets get out of here cause I wanna preach. The miracles are meant to serve a message.”
-Jesus won’t stay in their boxes.
Mark 2- The lowering the paralyzed guy through the roof so he can be healed story.
-He forgives the guys sins before he heals him
-Who has the right to forgive sins like that?
-This is not Jesus’ first miracle. Jesus says that on purpose. He’s setting up a confrontation, He is creating a moment.
-Mark 2:9
-Jesus asks which is easier. Your sins are forgiven, or get up and walk?
-On one side, “Your sins are forgiven,” is easier because you cant verify it by doing something. But in another sense, to say for sins are forgiven? Only God can say that.
-They cant answer that, so Jesus puts them together.
-So you know that I have the authority to do this unseen thing, I’m gonna do this seen thing. Get up and walk.
-Then Jesus runs into Matthew and his buddies and starts hanging out with them. A bunch of tax collectors. Sinners.
-Jesus starts picking fights with the leadership.
-Fights are always about his identity.
-”Hey, your religious, your not supposed to chill with the sinners.”
-”I an because I’m the physician.”
-“I don’t fit into the old ways of doing things.”
-The disciples weren’t fasting when everyone else was. When Jesus was asked why, he says they will later, but right now the BRIDE GROOM is here.
-Wildly offensive statement.
-Aside: Offensive because im the Old Testament, in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, God is always the Groom of Isreal.
-THEYRE NOT FASTING BECAUSE THE GROOM IS HERE.
-That is wildly arrogant, and he just says it and walks off.
-Jesus and the disciples were walking through a grain field and picking off the grain heads and eating the grains off them. Pharisees come up and tell them what they are doing is harvesting (Illegal in Sabbath). But instead of fighting with their narrow interpretation of the laws, he says “Your guys heart is off, you’ve made religion about following all these rules when its about people coming to know and enjoy God. You guys have totally missed it.”
-Jesus doesn’t stop there. He closes it with saying “I’m the Lord of the Sabbath.
-Extremely unnecessary for the argument, but hes not there to win an argument, he’s there to self identify.
-Jesus heals on the Sabbath (Illegal)
-Jesus picking a fight.
-By the end of this chapter, people are beginning to follow Jesus in crowds, and the Pharisees are plotting his death.
-2 responses.
-Im walking with you, or I want you dead. There is no mild amusement.
-3 responses to how Jesus moved in this chaper
-Hatred, adoration, terror
-Jesus is calling for you to acknowledge his authority.
-ONLY GOD CAN COME SAVE US. YEAH YOUR RIGHT, AND I’M HERE
-When someone claims authority over you there are only 2 responses, allegiance or rebellion. No middle ground.
Message: He’s authority over the whole world, because He’s God.
Response: Allegiance or Rebellion.
-you want authority, you don’t feel like it sometimes, but you do. There are times when enough happens when you realize you want someone in charge. Hurricane Katrina for example.
-”The record of kings is abysmal, full of tyranny. But where people are forbidden to honor a king, we honor millionaires, athletes, film stars, even famous gangsters. For spiritual nature, like physical nature, will be served. Deny it food, it will gobble poison.”-C.S. Lewis.
-There’s something in us that wants to serve something. Selfishness will make you alone.
-Look at what kind of King he is.
-sets people free, heals, invites you to walk with him, brings a joy like a wedding day. He will make religion about true rest, not about his approval. His kingdom gives you forgiveness that you cant get on your own. He’s the only person that become a slave to that will actually make you free.
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