Mark 4:35-41 - Jesus Calms the Sea

After giving us a very brief glimpse into the content of Jesus' teachings, Mark returns to recounting miracle stories. This recounting covers four incidents and will take us through the end of chapter five. These miracles all take place in or around the Sea of Galilee. Each of these miracles accomplishes the purpose of demonstrating for us the power that Jesus has over all the enemies of humanity--all that is evil and opposes itself to God. We will see Jesus' power over the demonic, his power over disease, and his power over death. But . . . we start with a story of a storm, and Jesus with his disciples in a boat as they cross the Sea of Galilee.

Pay close attention because Mark is telling us something important with this story. In this account we are going to see both the humanity and the deity of Christ, but it is his deity which is emphasized.

In the Bible the wind and the sea represent the forces of chaos and the unknown, and God is frequently pictured as having power over such forces. In that the sea and the wind represent chaos and destruction they represent the work of Satan in this world. It was through Satan that the curse was unleashed on the world and it became a dangerous place in which to live. And so when Mark records Jesus' reaction to the storm Mark says he "rebuked" the wind, using the same word that Mark uses to describe how Jesus speaks to the unclean spirits--Jesus rebukes them. He rebukes Satan and he rebuked the wind. In fact, the language is uncannily like an exorcism story.

The way in which Jesus stills the storm with a word also reminds us of how God spoke into the darkness and void in Genesis 1:2 and brought order out of chaos. The voice of Jesus is the voice that spoke the worlds into existence. The material elements of this creation know that voice and obey it. Clearly, Mark intends for us to see and understand through this incident that Jesus is very God of very God. No mere mortal commands the wind and the sea, but in the Old Testament it is precisely this that God is portrayed as doing. Especially in that portion of Psalm 107 which we read a few minutes ago:

Some went down to the sea in ships,

doing business on the great waters;

they saw the deeds of the LORD,

his wondrous works in the deep.

For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,

which lifted up the waves of the sea.

They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;

their courage melted away in their evil plight;

they reeled and staggered like drunken men

and were at their wits' end.

Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,

and he delivered them from their distress.

He made the storm be still,

and the waves of the sea were hushed.

Then they were glad that the waters were quiet,

and he brought them to their desired haven.

Psalm 107:23-30

Surely Mark had this passage in mind when he recounted this story and surely the entire incident was orchestrated by God as a message to the disciples and to us that Jesus was God in the flesh, come down to defeat Satan and reverse the curse that his destructive craftiness had brought upon the world. The wind and the sea obey the voice of Jesus. It wasn't just true then. It's still true today.

Below you will find a link to the audio from the sermon I preached on this passage. There is much more to this passage than I have touched on here and I'm sure that by listening to the word preached you will be blessed.

Click here: Mark 4:35-41 - Jesus Calms the Sea



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Galatians 4:21-31 - Sarah and Hagar

Now we arrive at the end of chapter four and Paul is concluding his theological argument against the false teaching of his opponents--an argument which he began at the beginning of chapter three. He ends his argument with an allegory from the book of Genesis, something which is not Paul's usual method. In fact, this passage is unique in all of the Pauline writings. He takes the story of Abraham and Sarah and Hagar and Ismael and Isaac and tells us it is an allegory.

Understand that Paul is not advocating for a strict allegorical interpretation of the Old Testament. Paul has already demonstrated that he approaches that text primarily looking for what could be called in Latin the sensus literalis--looking for the plain meaning. In following Paul's example we try to interpret the Bible the way any and all literature should be interpreted--primarily using what is called the grammatical/historical method. We consider things like genre, historical setting, use of language in a given time, place, and culture. We search for the author and the audience, place them in their historical setting, and look for the intended meaning. Then we take it and apply it to ourselves. What Paul does here does not negate or undermine that at all. 

But what he does demonstrates that there is more than one layer to inspired Scripture. There is a big picture to the Bible. Although it was written by many different authors over many years there is a cohesive unity to it all. We understand this to be so because we believe it was all superintended by the same Holy Spirit. You see, the Scripture is very human, but it is also divine. And Paul everywhere affirms and assumes this dynamic.

So we're not surprised to see him looking at this story as a whole and finding in it a sort of typology. In the Bible study linked below I have much more to say about both this and what Paul is trying to teach us through this allegorization he makes of the Genesis passage. There is wonderful theology here, including teaching on the nature of the Church, its relation to Jerusalem, and a beautiful comparison of Isaac to Jesus to us. I hope you will take a few moments and listen. Just click the link below. God bless.



Click here: Galatians 4:21-31 - Sarah and Hagar



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Mark 4:26-34 - Two More Parables

Mark chapter four is one of only two places in Mark's Gospel where we get an extended look at the actual content of Jesus' teachings. For the most part, in Mark, we only get snippets. But here and then later in chapter thirteen we get more.

Remember the setting? Jesus is on a boat and the crowds are on the seashore. Jesus is speaking in parables. Two weeks ago we looked at the first parable, that of the Sower and the Soils. Last week Jesus explained to his disciples why he spoke to the crowds in parables. The purpose of the parables was to reveal the secrets of the kingdom to the disciples while at the same time leaving the unbelievers in the dark. The parables, then, are not evangelistic in nature per se, but they are full of gospel nonetheless.

Now Jesus is going to give two more parables, without explanation, and with those two parables Mark will bring this section to an end. Both parables are similies and they describe the nature of the kingdom of God which the coming of Jesus inaugurated. In the sermon linked below we looked at them--the Parable of the Seed Growing and the Parable of the Mustard Seed.

So what are we to make of these parables and why did Mark choose these three, specifically, to record in his gospel? Think about his audience for a minute. Although he undoubtedly knew that his gospel would eventually be read by a wide variety of people, it was originally intended to be read by a fledgling Christian community experiencing persecution at the hands of the greatest empire ever known to the world. If Christ was King and had ushered in a kingdom, then where was it?

You and I need to understand this as well. Where is the kingdom of Christ and why hasn't it overthrown the kingdoms of this world yet? Here we are 2000 years later, where is this kingdom? And the answer is that it came in a person--Jesus Christ. And like a field that is sown or a garden that is planted it is coming gradually. And it is coming through the seed which is the word which is the gospel. It began in Galilee in the hearts of those disciples and it spread to Jerusalem. From there it went into all Judea and Samaria. From there it went into the uttermost parts of the earth. The kingdom is in you and in me and in all who hear the gospel and believe. And the word implanted in our hearts grows and produces fruit until one day the reaper comes and brings in the harvest. The sower was Jesus and so is the reaper and one day he is coming again and that is when we will see the kingdom in its fullness. That is when his work in us will be complete and that is when his work in this world will be complete.

And the surest sign that that day will come and that we will see the King in his glory and the kingdom in its fullness happened early on a Sunday morning about this time of year 2000 years ago, when Jesus came out of that grave. His resurrection is your resurrection is the resurrection of this dead and cursed world.

Take a few moments and listen to the sermon linked below where I expand upon all of these things. I know you will be blessed in the hearing.



Mark 4:26-34 - Two More Parables


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Galatians 4:8-20 - No Turning Back

We are winding down to an end of Paul's theological arguments against his opponents in Galatians 3 & 4. Once again he makes an appeal to their experience, this time on a very personal level. He reminds them of the personal relationship he previously had with them and how they received him when he first came to them preaching the gospel. And he shows deep concern for them because he views their turning to the law to be tantamount to returning to their pagan roots and religion. It is interesting how Paul equates these two things in this passage and interesting how similar his appeal and arguments to the book of Hebrews where the same appeal is being made to believing Jews not to go back to the Mosaic covenant.

In this section of chapter four we also have a very controversial, but I hope charitable, discussion about the ramifications of some of what Paul says to the modern use by many Protestants and evangelicals of a liturgical calendar. More importantly there is discussion about what it means to know Christ, or to be known of Christ.

The audio of this study went 45 minutes, but there was a lot of discussion. I hope you will forgive the disjointedness of much of it, though, and still be able to profit from the lesson taught, in spite of the length and the sometimes rambling nature of the conversation. God bless.



Click here: Galatians 4:8-20 - No Turning Back



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Mark 4:10-12, 21-25 The Purpose of the Parables

God is God. He can do what he wants. Think about that. God is what we have always wanted to be. Isn't it true that from early childhood we have desired, longed for, dreamed about, being able to do whatever we want? This is because we are fallen. It is part and parcel of our sinful, fallen nature to desire autonomy. Think about that word. Autonomy.  It is everything we desire as human beings. And yet, at the same time, it is the greatest witness to our sinful nature. We are not king. We are not the ruler of our own destiny. We do not own ourselves. This is not our life. We belong to God. But in our rebellion we have sought autonomy. Autonomy, if you think about it, is the original sin. It is only when we submit ourselves to Christ in faith that we can say we are back on the right path.

But the reason why autonomy is wrong for us is because we are not God. But God is God and God is autonomous. He does whatever he wants.

At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, 

and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, 

and praised and honored him who lives forever,

for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,

and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;

all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,

and he does according to his will among the host of heaven

and among the inhabitants of the earth;

and none can stay his hand

or say to him, “What have you done?”

--Daniel 4:34-35

Are there no limits at all, then, to what God can do? Well, of course, God cannot stop being God. It would follow, then, that the only limits to what God can do are those established by his nature. For example, God cannot sin. He cannot go back on his word. He cannot act in an unjust way. But these are not limits, they are who He is.

But within the nature of who God is he can do exactly anything he wants. In other words, there is nothing outside of God to restrain his free will to do as he pleases. But we must understand that he always wills to do what is right, for that is his nature. That is what pleases him. For not only is God sovereign, but he is also good. And gracious. And in that is our hope, for had not God first loved us we would never have loved him.

The reason for bringing all this up is because of what Jesus tells his disciples when they ask him why he is teaching the multitudes in parables.

The purpose of the parables is two-fold. It is to reveal mysteries to those who respond to Jesus in faith, and to hide them from those who approach him in unbelief. Jesus even quotes from Isaiah 6 to emphasize his point:

so that

“‘they may indeed see but not perceive,

and may indeed hear but not understand,

lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”

Below you will find a link to the sermon I preached from this text on Sunday, April 9, 2017. Just click on the link and a new window will open in your browser where you will find the link to the audio recording. Just click and listen. God bless.



Click here: Mark 4:10-12, 21-25 - The Purpose of the Parables



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Galatians 4:1-7 - Adoption As Sons

In chapter 4 Paul continues his theological argument against the Judaizers by using a cultural analogy with which his readers would have been familiar. He is going to compare our position in Christ and in the Abrahamic covenant with Greco-Roman adoption. He takes his cue from the preceding verse:

And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.--3:29

Heirs. That's key. We are heirs of the promises made to Abraham. Now taking that concept of our being the heirs of the promises made to Abraham he draws his comparison.

(1) I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything,

Now think about a rich son. He is in a royal household. He is the heir. But as long as he is still a child he is treated (especially by the guardian) no differently than is a slave--although legally he is, or will be, the owner of everything. He has no voice. He makes no decisions. He is made to obey, made to learn, by the guardian. He has to go to bed at a certain time. He has to get up at a certain time. He is not free.

(2) but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 

The day will come when he is set free, but it is not yet. This is where the people of God were before the coming of Christ. They were under Moses, under bondage. This is where we were before Christ, enslaved to the elementary principles of this world.

This is the Bible study I taught on a Wednesday night covering the first seven verses of Galatians 4. Below you will find a link to the audio of the entire lesson. Just click the link and a new window will open up where you can stream the audio on your pc or other device. Take a listen and see what you think. God bless.

Click here: Galatians 4:1-7 - Adoption As Sons



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Mark 4 - The Parable of the Sower and the Soils

When I first started working on this sermon I called it the Parable of the Sower. But after reading one commentator on it I changed the name to the Parable of the Soils. Then I did some more reading and decided I had it right the first time. So I went back to the Parable of the Sower. Finally, I just went with both. That way I could cover all my bases. So we have here in Mark 4 the Parable of the Sower and the Soils.

Before we start into it, though, let's evaluate where we are in Mark's Gospel. So far we have been introduced to Jesus by Mark, by John the Baptist, by the voice of the Father, and even by unclean spirits. We have seen that he is no ordinary teacher, that he speaks with authority. He has the audacity to disagree with and even rebuke the religious authorities of his day. He refuses to submit to religious teachings that are derived from tradition and extrapolation rather than from the word of God itself. He makes claims at authority that no mere human would make. He heals, draws huge crowds, and rebukes demons. So far, what we've seen is extraordinary.

But the reaction has been diverse. Some hear his voice and drop everything to follow him. Others crowd around him hoping to get something from him or see something extraordinary. Still others reject him and begin forming a formidable opposition. In fact, the opposition is growing.

If Jesus was and did all these things, then how do we explain the opposition? And if Jesus has come to usher in the kingdom, where is it? And how do we explain the reaction he is getting in light of this coming kingdom? What kind of kingdom is he bringing?

And just as we're beginning to ask these questions, Mark gives us an answer. He pauses his narrative to give us some insight into his teaching. This insight is going to help answer our questions. It also serves the purpose of expanding on another theme that has been emerging as we read--that of insiders and outsiders.

The last words of chapter three are a challenge. Are we on the inside of the house with Jesus, sitting at his feet, listening, believing, committed to be his disciples? Or are we on the outside with misconceptions, wondering if we like this Jesus of Mark or not? Right here Mark gives us a set of parables.

That is what this sermon covers--the first of these parables and the explanation of it that Jesus gives. You will find the audio at the link below. Take a few minutes to click and listen.



Click here: Mark 4:1-9, 13-20 The Parable of the Sower and the Soils



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Galatians 3:27-29 - Baptized Into Christ

Paul views the coming of Christ as the coming of a new era or the ushering in of the end of all things. But perhaps it would be better said that he views it as the ushering in of the new era. The old era of Adam and Moses is coming to a close and the age of the second Adam has come. To put it another way, the kingdoms of this world are becoming the kingdom of our Lord and Christ.

Remember how in Mark's gospel he represents the preaching of Jesus and the ministry of Jesus as an invasion of the Kingdom, or the King announcing his Kingdom? What Paul is saying here in Galatians fits that dynamic.

What he has been explaining throughout this chapter is that what we see in the Church is the fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham. Jesus is that promised offspring through whom the nations of the world would be blessed. The Galatians believing and being brought into the kingdom is a part of the fulfillment of that promise.

The Law of Moses was not in contention to the promises made to Abraham. Nor did the Law of Moses fulfill the promises made to Abraham. Nor did the Law of Moses replace the promises made to Abraham. The Law of Moses served to help bring those promises made to Abraham about. The Law could never bring life, not because of any problem with the Law, but because of the problem with us. As we have previously discussed, the Mosaic covenant served a purpose within the Abrahamic covenant, but now that covenant is coming to fulfillment in Christ and Moses has served his purpose. The theological argument Paul makes with the Judaizers is one of covenant priority. Abraham trumps Moses. And Abraham is fulfilled in Christ and the Church.

In verse 27 Paul mentions baptism--the only time he does so in this letter. We examine that in this Bible study from four viewpoints. Then we conclude by considering the ramifications of this passage to our views of Israel and the Church. The Church is not a parenthesis in redemptive history. The Church is the fulfillment of redemptive history. The Church is not a separate program God is doing, distinct from his program with Israel and existing alongside it. The Church is what Israel has become since the coming of Christ. The Church has not replaced Israel any more than the frog replaced a tadpole. The Church is what Israel was always intended to become.

The audio to this bible study is linked below. I hope you will take the time to listen and think about these things. God bless.



Click here:  Galatians 3:27-29 - Baptized Into Christ



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Mark 3:22-30 - The Eternal Sin

In this passage of Mark's gospel we have a pericope inside another pericope. The first was intended to get us to stop and assess what we think of Jesus--what our relationship with him is. This one is intended as a solemn word of warning. We will take heed to the warning. We will examine it and examine it well, for it is very frightening. Jesus announces that there is a sin for which there is no forgiveness. 

But there is something else that is laid down beside it that we will also take the time to notice, words that are wonderful to a soul in search of forgiveness. So in this story, this sermon, we are brought face to face with both law and grace.

Remember what Mark is doing in this section. He is clueing us in as to what the reactions of the people were to Jesus. The crowds were flocking to him because they wanted something. His family thought he was mad. The Sanhedrin, however, gives a two-fold pronouncement: (1) he is possessed by Satan and (2) his ministry--his healings, his miracles, his casting out of demons--is a work of Satan.

Jesus responds to this assessment in parables--parables that illustrate the absurdity of their findings. The last, especially, is dripping with sarcasm.

Understand that these two charges weren't just an official verdict spoken in Jerusalem. Mark tells us they "were saying" it. In other words, they were spreading it around. 'Don't go to Jesus. Don't listen to him. The miracles he does, he does as a sorcerer, for he is possessed by demons and through the prince of the demons he casts them out.'

It's worth mentioning that his enemies cannot deny the miracles. If there were a way to debunk his miraculous power, they would have. If they investigated claims of healing and found them to be fraudulent, they would have done that. But finding themselves in a position of not being able to deny the signs that Jesus is showing, they choose to attribute his works to Satan. This is important to understand, because after Jesus answers their charges he is going to make a frightening statement of warning and we need to understand that warning within its context.

This is the audio from the sermon I preached from this text on March 26. I hope you will take a few minutes and listen to it. We all need the gospel and we all need to grow in grace. Just click the link below and God bless you.



Click here: Mark 3:22-30 - The Eternal Sin



^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^