Monday, May 30, 2022

Mark 3:7-12

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7 Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, 8 Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him. 9 Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him. 10 He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him. 11 And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of him shrieking, “You are the Son of God!” 12 But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who he was. ~ Mark 3:7-12

The four Gospels are designed to provide proof of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ to a different group. All four Gospels tell us the Lord Jesus Christ is no mere man, prophet, or religious leader; they inform us, He is God. And, eternal life comes to those who believe the evidence of His deity. 

In v.7-8 of today's passage we read, "7 Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, 8 Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him."

There were there, that day, tens of thousands who came from all over the area. It was the miracles of the Lord Jesus that was attracting the people. In their eyes, He was a spectacle causing His popularity to rise. And, even though His following had a gradual rise, today's passage underscores the emptiness of popularity. 

As mentioned, the crowd that pursued the Lord Jesus that day was attracted to His miracles instead of His message. As a result, the Lord Jesus began de-emphasizing His miracles. More than the human body, He came to heal man's heart. 

The people wanted miraculous healings, but the Lord Jesus wanted to provide for them the teaching that would heal their souls. Popularity is always a danger to us because, most often, it distorts our message. Popularity will always tempt us to emphasize the secondary, causing us to miss the most important. 

In v.9-10 of today's passage we read, "9 Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him. 10 He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him."

The Lake of Galilee is thirteen miles long and about seven miles wide, and, the Lord Jesus used it to retreat from the large buldging crowds. This large group of people was in danger of crushing the Lord Jesus because He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him. 

In v.11-12 of today's passage we read, "11 And whenever those possessed by evil spirits caught sight of him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of him shrieking, “You are the Son of God!” 12 But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who he was."

When demons saw the Lord Jesus they always identified Him as the "Son of God." Yet, the Lord Jesus rejected their testimony because they were out to mislead the people into following their agenda rather than God. Though what these demons said was true, it was nevertheless misleading. As a result, the Lord Jesus rejected their testimony. 

When we are yet to understand what a given moment or a given truth is about, we are tempted to make out that we understand. It is always out of this context that we are in danger of falling into the trap of image. And, it is then that we are in the danger of manufacturing what we think God has made it about. Inevitably, we make it about something that is lacking in substance. As this passage points out, real life is not about the temporal or the image that may be put forth. No, real life is about the eternal and the substantive, real life is about a personal relationship with God. When we make it about image we show we lack substance. 

As the Lord Jesus was going about healing the sick and teaching the misled, no one tried to dismiss Him as a fraud. He performed miracles daily, underscoring His undeniable testimony as the "Son of Man," and the evidence of His deity. 

The religion of the so-called leaders of Israel was in opposition to the Lord Jesus because their teachings led the people to hell. Behind all of the religious were the activities of the demonic. In fact, at that time demon possession was at an all-time high. If the teachings of the religious leaders had been of God this would not have been the case. 

We live in a time when the presence of demons has not been all that obvious, because, for some time, we have enjoyed the residue of the impact of the teaching of the word of God in this country. As we go further from the influence of the truth in and on our culture, we will see an uptick of the demonic in our world.

When the Lord Jesus came on the scene, the demonic world responded quickly to Him which underscores the authenticity of His person and His message. When the Lord Jesus walked this earth and demons saw Him, the one possessed by the demon would be thrown to the ground by the demon. The verb used to describe this action is used eight times in the New Testament, and every time it describes an inferior bowing to a superior. The demonic world knows the identity of the Lord, and, they respond accordingly. 

The religion of the Pharisees was a system that emphasized the distance between God and the sinner. Though God was at work in the nation, He was yet distant. When the Lord Jesus began His ministry, He confronted this distance that was created by our sin. The law kept us at a distance and frightened us with the wrath of God, whereas, the Lord Jesus came in order to make it possible for us to know the forgiveness of our sin and that we would know God as our Father.