I Stand Amazed Mark: Who Do You Say That I Am? Mark 1:21-45 Pastor Josh Black August 31, 2014 What gets you excited? What gets you excited? You can tell when someone is excited about something. Especially in the way they talk. Their eyes brighten up. They come alive. They start using demonstrative body language. They don’t always talk like this. But some things are so amazing they have to share it. For some it’s sports. Football season is here and you can bet Pastor Jeremy is going to be talking about the Denver Broncos. For some it’s a particular TV show. Right now my mother-in-law is really excited about a show on National Geographic called Dr. Pol. It’s a reality show about a veterinarian in Michigan. In less than 24-hours I’ve heard her tell three people about this show. After telling me about it, she said, “It just doesn’t get any better than this!” I get excited about local restaurants. And I love to tell people about the newest dive I’ve found. One of my favorites right now is Gorditas Durango across from North High. It has the best gorditas in town. The gordita pouches are made fresh on site. And although I have no idea what the meat is they put inside these pouches, I know I love it! When we get excited about something, we love tell people about it. And if enough people spread the news to enough people, anything can become famous. What gets you excited? What do you tell people about? There’s nothing wrong with getting excited about the things I’ve mentioned. And there’s nothing wrong with enthusiastically telling people about them. But I have a hard question for us to consider this morning. Do you get excited about the gospel? Do you light up in amazement when you think about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? And are you itching to tell people this good news—to spread the fame of Jesus to everyone you know? In our text this morning we encounter a number of people who are amazed by Jesus. And they want to tell others about him. But they’re only amazed by his miracles—his healing and casting out demons. Jesus is fine with people being amazed about him healing their immediate and temporal needs. But he also wants them to hold off spreading the news about him until they come to understand the main reason he came—to suffer and die for our sins. That’s the main reason to be amazed by Jesus. Turn in your Bibles to Mark 1. For the last two weeks we’ve been in the Gospel of Mark. We’ve been considering two main questions: who Jesus is and how we should respond to him. As Jesus begins his ministry he begins preaching and teaching, but his teaching is accompanied by miracles. Jesus wants to teach people who he is, but we learn who Jesus is best in the context of what Jesus does.1 And we learn how to respond to him best by examining how others in the Gospels
1 Edwards, James R. The Gospel According to Mark. The pillar New Testament commentary. Grand Rapids, Mich: Eerdmans, 2002. 2
respond to him words and deeds. So let’s look at Mark 1:21-45 as we continue to examine who Jesus is and who we should respond to him. Mark 1:21-452 2And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 25But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee. 29And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them. 32That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. 35And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. 40And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 45But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter. This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Our text this morning has a number of different stories in it. And there are a number of common elements in each of these stories. ▪ First of all, in each of these stories we see Jesus taking care of people’s problems—whether it’s exorcizing a demon or healing a sickness. ▪ We also see that in each case people are amazed by Jesus and they want to tell others. But Jesus commands people to be quiet about his ministry. I could walk you through each of these stories individually. But instead of going verse by verse, I want to point out three truths that are taught here. I think this will help us to see more clearly who Jesus is and how we should respond to him?
2 Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® unless otherwise noted 3
So to divide our time this morning I want to ask three questions. ▪ What do all the healings and exorcisms teach us about Jesus? ▪ What does the specific story of Jesus healing the leper teach us about Jesus? ▪ What is the significance of silence in these stories? Or why does Jesus command people to be quiet and how does that inform our response to Jesus? JESUS HAS AUTHORITY.
First, what do all the healings and exorcisms teach us about Jesus? They teach us that Jesus has authority. Remember how Jesus ministry begins? “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the gospel’” (Mk 1:14-15). Jesus ministry starts with preaching the gospel. He’s telling people who he is and why he came. He is the Christ, the Son of God (cf. 1:1). And his coming marks the coming of the kingdom of God. Jesus is the king. Jesus has authority. But Jesus doesn’t just preach and tell people he’s king. We also learn who he is through what he does. We see that he has authority through his teaching, through casting out demons, and through his healing. His teaching shows us he has authority with the Scriptures. Look at verses 21-22. “And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.” But while he’s teaching a man with an unclean spirit comes in. The unclean spirit knows exactly who Jesus is. Look at verse 24. The demon says, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” But it’s not just words that demonstrate he’s the authoritative King. Jesus shows us that he has authority when he casts out the demon. He shows us that he has authority over Satan and his demons. When he says to the demon, “Be silent, and come out of him,” the unclean spirit came out (vv. 25-26). That’s authority! Look at verse 27. “And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves saying, ‘What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.’” We also see Jesus authority through his healing ministry. Jesus has authority over sickness. When Peter’s mother-in-law is sick with a fever, Jesus takes her by the hand and she’s healed (v. 31). He then goes on to heal many in Capernaum (v. 34). And when says to the leper, be clean, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean (vv. 41-42). So it’s not only through Jesus words, or through the words of demons, that we know Jesus is the king. His actions show it. His actions show that he has authority teaching the Scriptures, authority over Satan and his demons, and authority over sickness. 4
JESUS HAS COMPASSION.
But there’s more to Jesus than his authority. Most people who have authority “lord it over people” (10:42). But that’s not the way King Jesus acts. Jesus has authority but he didn’t come to lord his authority over people. He came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (10:45). And that brings us to our second question. What does the specific story of Jesus’ healing the leper teach us about Jesus? It teaches us that Jesus has compassion. The story of Jesus healing the leper certainly highlights his authority over sickness. But it shows us that there’s more to Jesus than his authority. You see leprosy is a skin disease.3 But in the 1st C. leprosy brought with it much more than physical pain. Those with leprosy would have been social outcasts. Leprosy was thought to be a curse of God and highly contagious. So people with leprosy were banished from their communities and their families. They had to live alone outside of the community (Lev. 13:45-46). A leper had to make a concerted effort to stay away from people. They couldn’t come within a stone’s through a person. In fact, if they did come within a stone’s throw, people would sometimes throw stones at them.4 If a leper came into contact with a “regular” person they had to shout out “unclean, unclean!” so people knew to stay away from them. But in our story, Jesus and the leper break all of the rules. Look at verse 40. Instead of staying away from Jesus and shouting “unclean,” the leper comes right up to Jesus and kneels down in front of him and says, “If you will, you can make me clean.” That was really bold. The leper knows Jesus has the authority and the ability to make him clean. “You can make me clean.” But he questions Jesus’ willingness to make him clean. In verse 41, we’re told that Jesus was moved with pity or compassion.5 Jesus not only has the authority to heal this man. He has the heart to heal him. And he shows his heart by what he does next. He stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” Jesus didn’t have to touch him. He could have simply spoken a word and the man would have been healed. But Jesus understood that this man needed healing from more than his medical condition. This man had much deeper wounds. And so he touched him. Jesus saw beneath the immediate physical need to the real pain in this man’s life. And so he touched him. We don’t have a lot of exposure to leprosy in America. So for most of us, I think it’s hard to understand the depth of compassion Jesus shows this man. So to illustrate what’s going on here with Jesus and the leper, I want to read a story from Gary Smalley and John Trent’s book, The Blessing. They tell the story of Dorothy. Dorothy’s life was changed by her college speech professor. He didn’t change her life through his knowledge of public speaking or his stirring lectures. No, he simply stretched out his hand and touched Dorothy.
3 Most of what follows on leprosy comes from Edwards. 4 Trent, John, and Gary Smalley. The Blessing: Giving the Gift of Unconditional Love and Acceptance. Nashville, Tenn: Thomas Nelson, 1993, 46. 5 See France for translation options. France, R. T. The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary on the Greek Text. The new international Greek Testament commentary. Grand Rapids, Mich: W.B. Eerdmans, 2002 5
On the first day of class, this teacher went around the room and asked each student to introduce themselves. Each student was to respond to the questions “What do I like about myself?” and “What don’t I like about myself?” Nearly hiding at the back of the room was Dorothy. Her long, red hair hung down around her face, almost obscuring it from view. When it was Dorothy’s turn to introduce herself, there was only silence in the room. Thinking perhaps she had not heard the question, the teacher moved his chair over near hers and gently repeated the question. Again, there was only silence. Finally, with a deep sigh, Dorothy sat up in her chair, pulled back her hair, and in the process revealed her face. Covering nearly all of one side of her face was a large, irregularly shaped birthmark—nearly as red as her hair. “That,” she said, “should show you what I don’t like about myself.” Moved with compassion, this godly professor did something he’d never done before in a classroom. Prompted by God’s spirit, he leaned over and gave her a hug. Then he kissed her on her cheek where the birthmark was and said, “That’s OK, Honey, God and I still think you’re beautiful.” Dorothy cried uncontrollably for almost twenty minutes. Soon other students had gathered around her and were offering their comfort as well. When she finally could talk, dabbing the tears from her eyes she said to the professor, “I’ve wanted so much for someone to hug me and say what you said. Why couldn’t my parents do that? My mother won’t even touch my face.” Dorothy, just like the leper in Christ’s time, had a layer of inner pain trapped beneath the outward scars. This one act of meaningful touching began to heal years of heartache and loneliness for Dorothy and opened the door that drew her to the Savior.6 Jesus had the authority to heal the leper. But he also had the heart. He saw beneath the physical pain and touched the most tender spot. If we’re going to understand who Jesus is, we need to understand that he is powerful. He’s the king. He has authority. But he’s also full of compassion. Jesus is not only Lord of the world. He also loves the world. WE MUST BE AMAZED BY THE CROSS.
Let’s look now at our last question. What is the significance of silence in these stories? Or why does Jesus command people to be quiet and how does that inform our response to Jesus? In each of the stories we see that Jesus is becoming increasingly famous. ▪ As he teaches, people are astonished (v. 22). ▪ When he casts out demons, people are amazed (v. 27). ▪ And his fame spreads everywhere throughout Galilee (v. 28). ▪ When he’s at Simon’s mother-in-law’s, the whole city was gathered at the door (v. 33). ▪ When he retreats to a desolate place to pray, everyone is looking for him (v. 37). ▪ After he heals the leper, the leper talks freely about it and the news spread everywhere (v. 45). ▪ In fact, Jesus became so famous that he could no longer openly enter a town; he had to minister out in desolate places (v. 45)
6 Smalley and Trent, 47-48 6
But Jesus continues to tell people to be quiet. ▪ He tells the demons to be silent (v. 25). ▪ He would not permit them to speak because they knew who he was (v. 34). ▪ And when he heals the leper, he says to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone” (v. 44). Why does Jesus want to keep his ministry a secret? I think there is a reasonable explanation.7 He doesn’t want people to misunderstand him. Jesus doesn’t want people getting too excited about who he is and what he’s doing until they fully understand the scope of who he is and what he came to do. And so he told people to keep his miracles on the down low. The miracles he was doing would have identified him as the Messiah, the Christ. But many people during that time didn’t understand what the Messiah would come to do. They thought the Messiah would be a military leader who would deliver them from the opposition of Rome. Jesus didn’t want that kind of attention. That’s why it was so important in this early stage of his ministry to do a lot of teaching and preaching. It’s not enough to know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. They need to understand what that means! So Jesus also had to teach his disciples that “the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again” (8:31). Why does Jesus command people to silence? Here’s the reason: We must be amazed at the cross. We must not only be amazed by the authority of Jesus. We must also be amazed by the love and compassion of Jesus. And that is seen most clearly on the cross. In verses 35-39 we see Jesus alone in a desolate place praying. He’s aligning his ministry with the will of the Father. And as we’ll see later in Mark the Father’s will for Jesus ministry was for him to go to the cross (14:32-42). But while Jesus is praying, his disciples come and say, “Everyone is looking for you.” In other words, everyone wants you to continue healing and casting out demons. But Jesus reminds them that his main mission at this stage was to preach. He needed to teach and preach because he didn’t want people to misunderstand who he was and what he came to accomplish. He needed people to understand that his ultimate mission, and the will of his Father, was to suffer and die and then be raised. He wanted people to understand he has more than authority. He also has compassion. He has more than power. He also has love. And he showed his love and power most emphatically through his death and resurrection. Anybody can get excited about a Messiah who takes care of their immediate and temporal needs— healing disease, casting out demons, overthrowing oppressive governments. But are you excited about the humble servant who had to suffer and die? Jesus doesn’t want people amazed by the wrong thing. And Jesus doesn’t want people spreading news about him until they understand the main reason he came. So more teaching was necessary. Our faith in Jesus must be based not only on his displays of authority. It must also be based on his display of compassion.
7 Most of what follows is informed by Edwards. Edwards says there are three reasons: 1) Strategy: He doesn’t want his mission prematurely interrupted; 2) Typology: He’s simply doing what the Servant and Isaiah was to do; and 3) Christology: His identity as Messiah necessarily includes the cross. 7
Sure people will come to Jesus if he’ll take care of their immediate needs. But will they come to him when they see his humility? Will they come to him when they see his suffering? Will they follow him when he calls them to humble suffering? Will they follow him when he calls them to proclaim the gospel of a suffering Savior? Until Jesus goes to the cross, we don’t actually know who Jesus is and what he came to do. Until Jesus goes to the cross, it’s premature to get excited and start spreading the news about Jesus. As one commentator says, “only on the cross can Jesus rightly be known for who he is.”8 In Mark 15, at the foot of the cross, the centurion declares, “surely this was the Son of God” (15:39). This confession comes at the end of the book of Mark for a reason. It’s the most fully informed confession. It’s only at the cross that we can truly say Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. That’s why Jesus wants people to be silent until he goes to the cross. He wants them to wait for the most amazing event that ever happened in human history! And his command to silence teaches us about our response to Jesus. What do you get excited about? Are you amazed by Jesus? And does that amazement cause you to tell others about Jesus? What is it about Jesus that amazes you? When you talk to others about Jesus what do you talk about? Are you excited about what he can do to take care of your immediate and temporal needs? He is able, more than able, to accomplish what concerns us today. But that’s not the main reason he came. We’re sinners in need of a Savior. He came to deal with our sin. And he wants us to come to him for forgiveness of sin. Yes, he deals with sickness and Satan. But those things are meaningless if we remain in our sins. If we are going to rightly respond to the gospel, we need to get this. If we are going to rightly share the gospel, we need to get this. We should get excited about Jesus. And we should tell people about Jesus. But the thing that should amaze us more than anything is the cross! What gets you excited? I pray the words of the old hymn would be true of us as a church! I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene. And wonder how he could love me, a sinner condemned unclean. O, how marvelous! O how wonderful! And my song shall ever be: O how marvelous! O how wonderful! Is my Savior’s love for me! Love Lusters at Calvary9 My Father, Enlarge my heart, warm my affections, open my lips, supply words that proclaim ‘Love lusters at Calvary.’ There grace removes my burdens and heaps them on thy Son, made a transgressor, a curse, and sin for me; There the sword of thy justice smote the man, thy fellow; There thy infinite attributes were magnified, and infinite atonement was made; There infinite punishment was due, and infinite punishment was endured.
8 Edwards 9 Bennett, Arthur. The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1975, 76. 8
Christ was all anguish that I might be all joy, cast off that I might be brought in, trodden down as an enemy that I might be welcomed as a friend, surrendered to hell’s worst that I might attain heaven’s best, stripped that I might be clothed, wounded that I might be healed, athirst that I might drink, tormented that I might be comforted, made a shame that I might inherit glory, entered darkness that I might have eternal light. My Savior wept that all tears might be wiped from my eyes, groaned that I might have endless song, endured all pain that I might have unfading health, bore a thorny crown that I might have a glory-diadem, bowed his head that I might uplift mine, experienced reproach that I might receive welcome, closed his eyes in death that I might gaze on unclouded brightness, expired that I might forever live. O Father, who spared not thine only Son that thou mightest spare me, All this transfer thy love designed and accomplished; Help me to adore thee by lips and life. O that my every breath might be ecstatic praise, my every step buoyant with delight, as I see my enemies crushed, Satan baffled, defeated, destroyed, sin buried in the ocean of reconciling blood, hell’s gates closed, heaven’s portal open. Go forth, O conquering God, and show me the cross, mighty to subdue, comfort and save.
In Christ’s name, Amen.