Motif primarily in the Gospel of Mark that portrays Jesus as commanding his followers to keep his Messianic mission secret
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5 episodes with Messianic Secret
3 episodes with Messianic Secret
3 episodes with Messianic Secret
3 episodes with Messianic Secret
2 episodes with Messianic Secret
2 episodes with Messianic Secret
2 episodes with Messianic Secret
2 episodes with Messianic Secret
2 episodes with Messianic Secret
Mark 8:1-26 // Brooks NesseExplore Jesus's compassion and the disciples' struggles with faith in this passage from Mark. We examine the feeding of the 4,000, the Pharisees' demand for a sign, and Jesus's warning about leaven. We also discuss the healing of a blind man at Bethsaida and how it connects to spiritual sight. Discover how these stories highlight the importance of faith in truly understanding Jesus.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/49413879PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2542/responses/new25.04.06
Mark 8:1-26 // Tom NelsonExplore Jesus's compassion and the disciples' struggles with faith in this passage from Mark. We examine the feeding of the 4,000, the Pharisees' demand for a sign, and Jesus's warning about leaven. We also discuss the healing of a blind man at Bethsaida and how it connects to spiritual sight. Discover how these stories highlight the importance of faith in truly understanding Jesus.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/49413880PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2509/responses/new25.04.06
Mark 8:1-26 // Gabe CoyleExplore Jesus's compassion and the disciples' struggles with faith in this passage from Mark. We examine the feeding of the 4,000, the Pharisees' demand for a sign, and Jesus's warning about leaven. We also discuss the healing of a blind man at Bethsaida and how it connects to spiritual sight. Discover how these stories highlight the importance of faith in truly understanding Jesus.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/49413881PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2553/responses/new25.04.06
Mark 8:1-26 // Bill GormanExplore Jesus's compassion and the disciples' struggles with faith in this passage from Mark. We examine the feeding of the 4,000, the Pharisees' demand for a sign, and Jesus's warning about leaven. We also discuss the healing of a blind man at Bethsaida and how it connects to spiritual sight. Discover how these stories highlight the importance of faith in truly understanding Jesus.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/49413882PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2546/responses/new25.04.06
Mark 8:1-26 // Paul BrandesExplore Jesus's compassion and the disciples' struggles with faith in this passage from Mark. We examine the feeding of the 4,000, the Pharisees' demand for a sign, and Jesus's warning about leaven. We also discuss the healing of a blind man at Bethsaida and how it connects to spiritual sight. Discover how these stories highlight the importance of faith in truly understanding Jesus.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/49413878PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2574/responses/new25.04.06
Christine Darg: In at least 7 events in the New Testament Jesus instructed silence about his miracles or identity. Why? We explore this and other topics concerning End-time prophecies.
Mark 3:7-19 // Nathan MillerThis video explores Jesus' ministry to the crowds, his call to the twelve apostles, and the themes of the Messianic Secret, miracles, and the authority of Jesus. We'll dive into how these elements point towards Jesus' commission for his followers to carry out his mission of discipleship and build a community of faith.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2542/responses/new25.03.09
Mark 3:7-19 // Brooks NesseThis video explores Jesus' ministry to the crowds, his call to the twelve apostles, and the themes of the Messianic Secret, miracles, and the authority of Jesus. We'll dive into how these elements point towards Jesus' commission for his followers to carry out his mission of discipleship and build a community of faith.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2509/responses/new25.02.09
Mark 3:7-19 // Caleb JenkinsThis video explores Jesus' ministry to the crowds, his call to the twelve apostles, and the themes of the Messianic Secret, miracles, and the authority of Jesus. We'll dive into how these elements point towards Jesus' commission for his followers to carry out his mission of discipleship and build a community of faith.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2553/responses/new25.03.09
Mark 3:7-19 // Bill GormanThis video explores Jesus' ministry to the crowds, his call to the twelve apostles, and the themes of the Messianic Secret, miracles, and the authority of Jesus. We'll dive into how these elements point towards Jesus' commission for his followers to carry out his mission of discipleship and build a community of faith.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2546/responses/new25.03.09
Mark 3:7-19 // Paul BrandesThis video explores Jesus' ministry to the crowds, his call to the twelve apostles, and the themes of the Messianic Secret, miracles, and the authority of Jesus. We'll dive into how these elements point towards Jesus' commission for his followers to carry out his mission of discipleship and build a community of faith.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2574/responses/new25.03.09
Why does Jesus so often silence people who wanted to tell others that he is the messiah in the gospels? How does this fit with the evangelism of the Church?Support us on Patreon for access to more contentApply for Saint Paul's House of FormationEmail usMusic by Richard Proulx and the Cathedral Singers from Sublime Chant. Copyright GIA Publications
What does consubstantial with the Father means? Can someone be un-baptized? Why Jesus prevented people, demons, etc. to reveal his divinity? Don't miss today's Open Line Wednesday with Fr. Mitch Pacwa. (Originally aired on 12/14/22)
What does consubstantial with the Father means? Can someone be un-baptized? Why Jesus prevented people, demons, etc. to reveal his divinity? Don't miss today's Open Line Wednesday with Fr. Mitch Pacwa. (Originally aired on 12/14/22)
We check the voicemail and reflect on a strange command Jesus keeps giving in the gospel accounts. Got MORE Bible questions? Quit bein' scared and leave us a voicemail at 305-290-1190! I like playing with words. So that's what I do. Whether it be with tweets, videos, essays, sermonic presentations, Bible studies, podcasts, or speaking engagements of other sorts, I'm always trying to figure out how to provoke an image in a seeker with some combination of words.If you've enjoyed any of the words I have to offer, check out my book Theologizin' Bigger: Homilies on Living Freely and Loving Wholly wherever books are sold! Visit pastortrey05.com to see what else I got goin on. You can support our work at patreon.com/threeblackmen, where you'll also get access to bonus content! Visit linktr.ee/threeblackmen to find links to more Three Black Men Podcast content. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/treyslation/support
Mark 7:31-37Then [Jesus] returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hands on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and he put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is “Be opened.” And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.” I spent some time, a week ago Friday, wandering around the art museum at Newfield's, here in Indianapolis.Among so many other things, there is an exhibit there called “The Message is The Medium.” It was closed, for some reason, but there was at least one piece of that exhibit outside of its confines and closed doors. This piece of contemporary art is called “Who's Your Tree?,” and it was created by a Korean artist named Nan June Paik. It consists of 34 old TVs, that flash seemingly random images of things that are quintessentially Indiana … images of the Indiana State House, the Indy 500, other pieces from Hoosier artists and, of course basketballs.I can't say I was all that moved or impressed by that one, so I kept looking and found some other artwork that seemed to fit the “Message is the Medium” bill. Like this one, called “Outside the Coal Mine” by a Black artist from Alabama, named Thornton Dial. It's a mess of artificial flowers, cloth, metal, wire, canvas scraps, found wood, paint can lids, industrial sealing compound, and enamel … on canvas. A quotation by the artist, about the piece, said, “I only want materials that have been used by people, the works of the United States, that have did people some good.”It's not pretty. It looks like a mess, on purpose. “Outside the Coal Mine.” The message is the medium.But my favorite was a photograph of a work in progress … a piece of performance art, actually … called “Borrando la Frontera,” by a Mexican artist named Ana Teresa Fernandez. In 2011, Fernandez set up shop along the border wall that separates Tijuana from San Diego, and she started painting the border wall with a pale blue color matching the sky behind it, which had the effect of making the wall seem to actually disappear. The artist means to encourage people to ask better questions about the geographic and political boundaries that separate us.“The Message is the Medium.”All if this made me wonder about today's Gospel … and what in the world might Jesus be up to, if we pay close attention to, or focus particularly on, the “media” he chose that day: the laying on of hands, I mean; the fingers and the ears; the spit and the tongue, even; the sigh of deep breathing, and the sound of his words.All of it's incarnational, right? It is something much more than performance art, for sure. And it's bodily. Physical. Tactile. And a little messy and gross and unsettling and beautiful. And I'll come back to this in a minute, if you don't mind.Because there's something else going on in this morning's Gospel. And that's the curiosity about why Jesus tells people, as he does often in the Gospels, not to tell others about what they've seen him do or what they've heard him say. It's a long-disputed, curious quandary theologians have mused about for ages, called the “Messianic Secret.” Why does Jesus, over and over again, order his followers – like he does this morning – not to tell others about the miracles they've witnessed? Some think Jesus didn't want the attention, “because his hour had not yet come;” that the timing wasn't right. Some suggest “his hour hadn't come,” because he wasn't ready to face the cross and his own crucifixion, just yet. And who could blame a guy for that?I decided a couple of years ago that Jesus didn't want people crowing about his miraculous healings, at every turn, because he knew not everyone gets the miraculous healing they long for, and bragging about your own can come off as prideful, selfish, and insensitive, in the wrong circles.And this week I wondered about yet another reason Jesus may have told the people who watched this healing happen to keep their mouths shut, to keep his “Messianic Secret,” to themselves. I wonder if the reason for that … if the message, today … is in the medium. I wonder if that message is in the hands, the fingers, the ears, the spit, the tongue, the breath of his deep sigh of what he's up to.What if Jesus told his followers not to tell anyone about what they'd just seen, because he wanted them to go and do something about it, instead?And maybe he meant spit and tongues and fingers and ears. I don't know. (I kind of hope not, to be honest.)But maybe the message in his medium was, somehow: “Get your hands dirty, people.” Maybe he meant get close, come near, be open, and not so afraid ... or so shy … or so timid. Maybe he meant don't leave this all – or only – up to Jesus. Maybe he was calling for more than “thoughts and prayers” and more than all of our best intentions, too. Maybe he was calling for some of our blood, some of our sweat, some of our tears, some of our sacrifice, more often than we're inclined to offer them up for the good of the cause … for the sake of the Gospel … on behalf of our neighbor.Maybe the message we send about the faith we claim is in the medium of our lives – in what we're willing to give up and give away, perhaps. (Is it generous and sacrificial, like Jesus asks us to be?)Maybe the message we send about the faith we claim is in the medium of our lives – in if or how we're willing to love and serve our neighbor. (Does our definition of “neighbor” include the least, the last, the lost – and not just those who live next door? And how do they know that we love them?)Maybe the message we send about the faith we claim is in the medium of our lives – in how and why we cast our votes. (Do we do that with our own interests in mind or do we consider the needs and interests of others, too?)All of this seems to be what James calls us to, just the same, when he suggests that a faith without works is dead. It's something St. Augustine was after when he proposed we “Preach the Gospel at all times.” And that we “use words if necessary.”The message of our faith is, indeed, in the medium of our lives. It's in the physical, tangible, tactile, visible, measurable ways we love, serve, give, comfort, care for, and elevate the lives of those who need it most.It's in the money we share. It's in the sacrifices we make. It's in the time we offer. It's in the love we prioritize and proclaim – not merely with thoughts and prayers or even in worship on Sunday morning. It's in the loving actions those thoughts, prayers, and this worship bring to life … to others… and for the sake of the world, in Jesus' name.Amen
Join Fr Rob, Alyssa and Justine in this episode of Season 12 of the Catholic Influencers Podcast as they break open this week's upcoming Gospel. 23rd Sunday in Ordinary TimeGospel: Mark 7:31-37Throughout this episode, you'll hear highlights from an interview between Fr Rob & Cardinal Giorgio Marengo. You can find the extended interview exclusively on our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@CatholicInfluencersPodcastCardinal Giorgio Marengo is the first Cardinal in Mongolia's history and one of the youngest members of the College of Cardinals. He began his missionary work in Mongolia after his ordination in 2001, was elevated to Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar in 2020 and was then named Cardinal in 2022. He is well known for his dedication to interfaith dialogue, community building, and pastoral care. For a shorter, more reflective explanation of the Gospels, be sure to check out our sister podcast Catholic Influencers Fr Rob Galea Homilies.Discover more OSV Podcasts content by signing up for monthly updates on the latest show highlights at www.osvpodcasts.comSupport the Show.An OSV Podcasts partner. Discover more ways to live, learn, and love your Catholic faith at osvpodcasts.com. Sharing stories, starting conversations.
Things in life do not make sense. We are told God has a plan. That there is a greater reason. That “we can do all things through Him. “ But while we are busy asking the WHY, we are missing the point. We forgot that Jesus is NOT us, and we are not called to understand. We are called to be faithful. On Sunday, July 21, 2024, Pastor Chad Gilligan gives us Five Things We Learn from the Messianic Secret.
Thank you to Amy, Temi, Ed, and Don for being part of the service. Happy birthday this week to Shirley, and happy anniversary to Tina & Earl, and to Gloria & John who are celebrating their 60th! Songs from this service: All Hail The Power Of Jesus Name - https://youtu.be/T8IdK0KgJ0A -- Fairest Lord Jesus - https://youtu.be/_oXwsqLfpuY -- In Christ Alone - https://youtu.be/RY4CW5pte98 -- Hope Of The Nations - https://youtu.be/yOxVonkxVi4 -- The Dinosaur Song - https://youtu.be/N-u6_iI4HrA -- My God And I - https://youtu.be/TnEYmkZZsks Scriptures from this service: Communion - Luke 19:39; John 2:15; Mark 11:17; Jeremiah 7:9-11; Mark 11:18; 11:28; 11:33; 12:1-8; 12:9; 12:10-11; Titus 3:4-7. Reading - Mark 3:7-12. Sermon - Mark 16:15; 1:40-44; 3:7-11; 3:12; John 6:15; Mark 3:11-12; 5:35; 5:36-39; 5:40; 5:40-43; Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 28:20; 28:20; Mark 7:31-35; 7:36-37; 8:22-26; 9:2-5; 9:6-7; Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 28:20; Mark 9:8-10; 10:45; Matthew 28:16-20; Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 28:20; Matthew 23:11. Song Leader - Matthew 28:20. Photo by Sai De Silva on Unsplash
Pastor Tom dives deep into the crucial questions Jesus posed in Mark chapters 7-9, challenging listeners to confront their understanding of Christ's identity and mission. Examining the pivotal moment when Jesus asks, "Who do you say I am?" and "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world yet forfeit their soul?", Tom unpacks the concept of the "Messianic Secret." He explores the balance between miracles and suffering, urging a full embrace of the true Biblical gospel that includes both joy and sacrifice. Join this compelling reflection on faith, commitment, and discipleship.
Paul Brind takes us through the sort of King Israel was expecting and how the ‘Messianic Secret' is revealed in Jesus. The post Jesus is King first appeared on Hope Chapel.
Why did Jesus ask people to be quiet about His miracle? Dr. Leighton Flowers and Bill have an intriguing conversation about the mystery of God's intention and strategy as it pertains to: judicial hardening of the heart, choosing the weak to confound the strong, blinding of their eyes, and much more. Faith Radio podcasts are made possible by your support. Give now: Click here This conversation originally took place on April 13, 2023
THE GOSPEL OF MARK EVANGELIZES THE WORD, JESUS CHRIST. TODAY HIS HEALINGS CONTINUE...WITH THE 'MESSIANIC SECRET'...TELL NO ONE!Support the showEVANGELIZING THE WORD, JESUS!
www.FRIENDSOFTHEWORD.ORGTHE GOSPEL OF MARK EVANGELIZES THE WORD, JESUS CHRIST. TODAY HIS HEALINGS CONTINUE...WITH THE 'MESSIANIC SECRET'...TELL NO ONE!Support the showEVANGELIZING THE WORD, JESUS!
THE GOSPEL OF MARK EVANGELIZES THE WORD, JESUS CHRIST. TODAY HIS HEALINGS CONTINUE...WITH THE 'MESSIANIC SECRET'...TELL NO ONE!Support the showEVANGELIZING THE WORD, JESUS!
Welcome to Grace in Focus radio. Bob Wilkin and Ken Yates are talking about something that has been called the Messianic Secret. What is this about? Did Jesus claim to be the Christ or not? Why, in some cases, did He seemingly try to hide that He was the Messiah? Bob and Ken will offer
What is the last judgement? Can you speak about worship regarding the cross, saints, Mary? What's the distinction between spiritual gluttony and the pursuit of wisdom? and more on today's Open Line with Fr. John Trigilio.
What is the last judgement? Can you speak about worship regarding the cross, saints, Mary? What's the distinction between spiritual gluttony and the pursuit of wisdom? and more on today's Open Line with Fr. John Trigilio.
The “Messianic Secret” theory proposes that Jesus Christ forbids demons and followers from revealing who he is for an enigmatic reason. While the findings of the original theory have largely been abandoned, the idea of secrecy motifs in Mark has endured. Mark's use of the “Son” may be an interpretive key for understanding some of […] The post Conference Talks: The Messianic Sacred, Not Secret first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.
Why did Jesus ask people to be quiet about His miracle? Dr. Leighton Flowers and Bill have an intriguing conversation about the mystery of God's intention and strategy as it pertains to: judicial hardening of the heart, choosing the weak to confound the strong, blinding of their eyes, and much more. Faith Radio podcasts are made possible by your support. Give now: Click here This encore presentation originally aired on April 13, 2023
Tonight we will play the part of Judas. What was it that Judas betrayed? Judas betrayed the Messianic secret and the place where Jesus might be found…a most important role in the great mystery of God. Neville. The Return of Glory: 1969 Lectures
In this week's show we discuss the podcast "Misquoting Jesus" which recently discussed the Gospel of Mark. We explore how "The Messianic Secret" is part of Jesus epic journey of discovery and how Mr. Erhman misses the most important Jewish elements of this narrative. Another interesting Jewish tradition which points to description of the Meshiach in Isaiah 11 is what is known as "The Meal of the Messiah." A Passover commemoration of the 8 day at the end of a week of partaking of the "Matzah/bread of affliction" which is redeemed as the time to look forward to a bright future in the Olam Haba/Age to Come .Mystic-Skeptic Media produces podcasts such as Uncensored Radio Show, Raiders of the Unknown and Jesus The Israelite. In the past 7 years we have featured academics (Amy Jill Levine) , presidential candidates( Howie Hawkins), Commentators (Jay Michaelson) , Advocates (Vanessa Guillen), Scholars(John Dominic Crossan) and Holistic Healers (Rosemary Gladstar). We have taken deep dives on the topics of human trafficking, ancient civilizations, demonology and the occult, social movements, controversial topics and many of the current affairs affecting our society. Join us as as we explore the mystic-skeptic mind space…
Why did Jesus ask people to be quiet about His miracle? Dr. Leighton Flowers and Bill have an intriguing conversation about the mystery of God's intention and strategy as it pertains to: judicial hardening of the heart, choosing the weak to confound the strong, blinding of their eyes, and much more. Faith Radio podcasts are made possible by your support. Give now: Click here
Pastor Chris dives into the Messianic Secret in Mark and some of the discussions on the controversy of the Messiah. (Dr. Crispin Fletcher-Louis and Dr. David Mitchell are the names shared) Also, a brief moment is spent on God's wisdom in giving a request that benefits Him either way.Key thought from this episode: Jesus is the Messiah.We look forward to hearing from you for future topics we might address!Email chris.stukenberg@parkhillsefc.org or check out parkhillschurch.com for more info.
What exactly does Orthodox Christianity understand is happening at the crucifixion regarding the incarnation and death of the Son of God? How can a timeless being die, etc.? Why is the Last Supper/Eucharist associated with Passover and not Yom Kippur? I don't understand how there could be an original group of Christians without an individual who prompted all of the enthusiasm about him being the Messiah in the first place. In other words, how did this concept (i.e. that Jesus - who had not liberated the Jews and had been killed by the Romans - was the Messiah) become so proliferated that there were numerous (and very different) ideas about who he was without an historical figure to inspire it all? How did you apply Wrede's “Messianic Secret” theory to Jesus Mythicism? Also, what might lead to the conclusion that Jesus was a revolutionary?
Jesus' special instructions - "the Messianic Secret" - offers imortant wisdom in today's reading from Matthew's Gospel.
In this episode, Kirk sits down with New Testament scholar, Dr. Peter Orr, for a conversation on theology and major themes of Mark's Gospel. We discuss the identity of Jesus, the so-called “Messianic Secret,” the meaning of the cross and discipleship in Mark, the role of the temple in Mark, and much, much more. We hope this conversation helps you better understand the Gospel of Mark, even as you read it for yourself!
If you read through the gospels, you quickly encounter a very strange feature of Jesus's ministry. He keeps instructing people not to talk about who he is and what he's doing. Why is that? How does it square with the Great Commission? This facet of Jesus's ministry has come to be known as the "Messianic Secret." In this episode, Cole and Terry discuss the different ways of understanding the secret and give their opinions on how to interpret these texts in the Gospel of Mark.
Scripture Reading: John 10:1-42 1 “I tell you the solemn truth, the one who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The doorkeeper opens the door for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought all his own sheep out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. 5 They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they do not recognize the stranger's voice.” 6 Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.7 So Jesus said again, “I tell you the solemn truth, I am the door for the sheep. 8 All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and runs away. So the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them. 13 Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep, he runs away.14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold. I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, so that there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17 This is why the Father loves me—because I lay down my life, so that I may take it back again. 18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again. This commandment I received from my Father.”19 Another sharp division took place among the Jewish people because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He is possessed by a demon and has lost his mind! Why do you listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see, can it?”22 Then came the feast of the Dedication in Jerusalem. 23 It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple area in Solomon's Portico. 24 The Jewish leaders surrounded him and asked, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus replied, “I told you and you do not believe. The deeds I do in my Father's name testify about me. 26 But you refuse to believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father's hand. 30 The Father and I are one.”31 The Jewish leaders picked up rocks again to stone him to death. 32 Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good deeds from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jewish leaders replied, “We are not going to stone you for a good deed but for blasphemy because you, a man, are claiming to be God.”34 Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods'? 35 If those people to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods' (and the scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say about the one whom the Father set apart and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,' because I said, ‘I am the Son of God'? 37 If I do not perform the deeds of my Father, do not believe me. 38 But if I do them, even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds, so that you may come to know and understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” 39 Then they attempted again to seize him, but he escaped their clutches.40 Jesus went back across the Jordan River again to the place where John had been baptizing at an earlier time, and he stayed there. 41 Many came to him and began to say, “John performed no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man was true!” 42 And many believed in Jesus there.Main ThemesShepherds in AntiquitySheepIn the ancient world, both Jew and Gentile, sheep were prized. They provided wool; meat; milk that could be turned into cheese; and, leather that could be turned into “canteens” to carry liquids. Shepherds cared for sheep and oftentimes goats as well.Sheep (and goats) would learn to follow the voice and pipe of the shepherd. (Forgive me, I tried learning more about what a shepherd's pipe may have looked like or sounded like, but I did not gain a good level of confidence on the material I found. Suffice it to say, it was some kind of flute, perhaps made of reeds.) Obedient animals could be led by voice and pipe without requiring the use of a staff. We have modern examples of shepherds guiding over 200 sheep by walking slowly and giving them a call about every forty seconds. In our daily lives, the closest analogue to this would be our relationships with our dogs.Shepherds' ReputationsShepherds were important in Old Testament times. Moses was a shepherd (Exodus 3:1). David was a shepherd (1 Samuel 16:11). Yet, despite the greatest patriarchs of the Jewish people being shepherds, the profession became despised by the elite during Jesus' time. As Craig Keener points out in his John commentary, contemporary texts portrayed shepherds as rogues, thieves, and murderers. Shepherds were considered the only class of people lower than peasants. And these texts include not only gentile sources. Surprisingly, Jewish rabbis shared these opinions considering shepherds as dishonorable—like tax collectors.In Chapter 10, Jesus is obviously speaking with a positive outlook on shepherds, very much in keeping with the Old Testament precedent. What we might not consider as we read the text is that Jesus is speaking to the religious elite, who probably do not share Jesus' positive description of pastoral life. This does not change the theological meaning of the text, but it informs us about the tone of the conversation. By this point in Chapter 10, the argument between Jesus and the religious elite has reached a boiling point. Jesus' use of shepherds in his parable probably did not bring the temperature down.The SheepfoldMany households would have owned sheep in Jesus' time. If the sheep were being kept “at home,” then they would be kept in the modern equivalent of the yard. (Perhaps our closest equivalent word would be the curtilage.) The yard was surrounded by a tall wall made of a permanent material, such as stone. There would be a door to enter the yard. Teenagers who were part of the household may be hired to care for the sheep. This may be the image we encounter in the first few verses of Chapter 10.Large herds, though, were not kept in anyone's backyard. They would be out in pastures and moved around from pasture to pasture as the seasons changed. The herds would have been taken higher into the mountains during summer and low into the valleys in winter. Neither the shepherd nor the sheep were safe during all this travel. Lions, wolves, and criminals posed dangers. We will discuss these dangers in a minute. For now, I want to focus on the kind of enclosure in which sheep could be kept when out in the pastures. A shepherd could use a cave, build a temporary shelter with thornbushes for sides, or perhaps use a temporary summer shelter built of stone walls topped with briars. This last kind of shelter would have no door but simply an opening, so the shepherd would sleep across the opening, himself acting as the door.Different shepherds might share the same sheepfold at night. We may think that separating the animals would be difficult in the morning, but that was not the case. The sheep would distinguish the voice of their shepherd and follow him.Thieves and RobbersThieves and robbers were common at the time. Technically there was a difference between the two. Generally, thieves broke into homes and robbers assaulted travelers.Robbers may not only steal sheep but kill the shepherd. Bands of robbers could grow powerful enough to require military intervention. Shepherds had to be ready for combat, which was part of the reason they carried a staff. They also had vicious dogs with them, but it is unclear how often dogs were used by Jewish shepherds. (Dog's were ceremonially unclean.)Of course, the words thieves and robbers were also used as insults. For example, a politician who exploited his people might be referred to as a robber. Pagan nations oppressing Israel could be referred to likewise.Shepherds in the Old TestamentThe last bit of background we need to better understand Chapter 10 is Ezekiel 34. Certainly Ezekiel 34 is not the only chapter in the Old Testament that calls Israel sheep, but it is the primary allusion in John 10. I quote verses 1-24 below,1 The Lord's message came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them—to the shepherds: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not shepherds feed the flock? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the choice animals, but you do not feed the sheep! 4 You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled over them. 5 They were scattered because they had no shepherd, and they became food for every wild beast. 6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over the entire face of the earth with no one looking or searching for them.7 “‘Therefore, you shepherds, listen to the Lord's message: 8 As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, my sheep have become prey and have become food for all the wild beasts. There was no shepherd, and my shepherds did not search for my flock, but fed themselves and did not feed my sheep. 9 Therefore, you shepherds, listen to the Lord's message. 10 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I am against the shepherds, and I will demand my sheep from their hand. I will no longer let them be shepherds; the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, so that they will no longer be food for them.11 “‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will seek out my flock. I will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered on a cloudy, dark day. 13 I will bring them out from among the peoples and gather them from foreign countries; I will bring them to their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams and all the inhabited places of the land. 14 In a good pasture I will feed them; the mountain heights of Israel will be their pasture. There they will lie down in a lush pasture, and they will feed on rich grass on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will feed my sheep and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. 16 I will seek the lost and bring back the strays; I will bandage the injured and strengthen the sick, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them—with judgment!17 “‘As for you, my sheep, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look, I am about to judge between one sheep and another, between rams and goats. 18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture that you must trample the rest of your pastures with your feet? When you drink clean water, must you muddy the rest of the water by trampling it with your feet? 19 As for my sheep, they must eat what you trampled with your feet and drink what you have muddied with your feet!20 “‘Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says to them: Look, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you push with your side and your shoulder, and thrust your horns at all the weak sheep until you scatter them abroad, 22 I will save my sheep; they will no longer be prey. I will judge between one sheep and another.23 “‘I will set one shepherd over them, and he will feed them—namely, my servant David. He will feed them and will be their shepherd. 24 I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken!The Parable of the Shepherd and the SheepForgive me, that was a lot of background information before we got to today's text. But, hopefully, all that information will help us understand the text with more depth.Parables in John's GospelOne final side note. You may have heard that the Gospel of John contains no parables. Yet, in John 10:6 you see the word “parable.” Why would people say that, then? The Greek word in John 10 is paroimian. When the Gospel of Matthew, for example, introduces a parable, it uses the word parabolēn. Some people argue that these two terms are not synonymous. The former might mean something more like a riddle while the latter truly means parable. However, both terms are used in the Septuagint to translate the Hebrew term “mashal,” and the paroimian in John 10 behaves just like a parable in Matthew's gospel: Jesus uses earthly shepherds as analogies. I do not believe that there is any meaningful distinction between John's paroimian and Matthew's parabolēn, so I will call the text in John 10 a parable.Sheep Kept at HomeIn verses 1 through 6, Jesus seems to describe the very familiar situation in which sheep were kept “at home.” As I explained above, sheep would be kept in the modern equivalent of the front and backyards. The yard was surrounded by a tall, stone wall. Someone was tasked with watching the sheep and the door. In the parable, the one who enters through the door is one who belongs to the household. He is known to the doorkeeper. The thieves and robbers do not belong to the household, so they must sneak in. Moreover, when the member of the household returns, his sheep recognize him. Notice that there is a bidirectional familiarity described here. Of course the “household member” is familiar with his household; but also, the household (i.e., the doorkeeper and the sheep) is familiar with him.To better understand the parable, let's recall the passage from Ezekiel I quoted above,The Lord's message came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them—to the shepherds: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not shepherds feed the flock? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the choice animals, but you do not feed the sheep! You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled over them. As the last piece of the puzzle, let's also recall Matthew 23. In the first 7 verses of that chapter, Jesus speaks of the Pharisees as follows,[T]hey do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries wide and their tassels long. They love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues and elaborate greetings in the marketplaces and to have people call them “Rabbi.”I think the connection of John 10, Ezekiel 34, and Matthew 23 is hard to deny. Jesus' parable demotes the religious leaders from selfish shepherds (like in Ezekiel) to outright thieves and robbers—people outside the household and unrecognizable to the sheep. This is a harsh condemnation of the Pharisees. They are outside of the God's family. Of all people, those who considered themselves most holy stand damned.Sheep Out in the FieldIn verses 7 through 13, Jesus continues to use the shepherd analogy but seemingly changes the setting. Now Jesus seems to be describing a situation in which sheep are being kept in a temporary, summer sheepfold. As I described above, this would have been a temporary structure made of stone and briars. It would not have a door, so the shepherd slept across the opening and became the door himself. If this is the situation that Jesus had in mind, describing himself as the door makes perfect sense. Notice he is still the shepherd, so there is no lack of continuity in the parable.For anyone to enter the fold properly, they must go through Jesus. If they enter the fold any other way, they are nothing but a thief or a robber. Remember, the Jews believed that they were already part of God's family. They shared in God's inheritance because they were descendants of Abraham. Jesus is denying this. Jesus is denying there is any other way to enter God's family but through faith in him. The parable goes a step further. It accuses these impostors of causing harm to the sheep. The Pharisees are not innocently mistaken people; they have evil desires.In verse 11, the parable becomes prophetic. The good shepherd will sacrifice his own life for the sheep. Jesus will do exactly that on the cross. Contrast the good shepherd with the “hired hands.” We understand the difference between an owner and a hired hand very well. People do not take good care of things that are not theirs. The sheep owner is willing to risk (and lose) his life protecting the sheep. The hired hand says, “they don't pay me enough for this” and runs away. If Jesus is the good shepherd, who are the hired hands? Probably the Pharisees. Parables tend to have one message and not multiple, complex messages. Jesus is probably repeating that same, simple message multiple times. In this last iteration of the parable, the Pharisees are described as cowards who did not take real “ownership” of their jobs and left the sheep to die.Knowing GodThe idea of knowing God is found throughout the Old Testament. For example, in Exodus 6:7 God says, “I will take you to myself for a people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from your enslavement to the Egyptians.” In John 10, however, this “knowledge” grows exponentially. Jesus explains that his “own” know him and he knows them—just as the Father knows Jesus and Jesus knows the Father! We must stop and consider the weight of this statement. Consider the intimacy that exists between the Father and the Son. They are one. Believers somehow are elevated to a similar level of closeness with God.Of course, I am not suggesting that believers become one in substance with God. That would be heretical, to say the least. We are creation, he is creator. There is an unbreachable ontological chasm between us. But that is the very reason that we should be shocked when Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.” We are brought into a “knowledge” of God that far exceeds that of even the biblical prophets. Remember the words of the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 24:7), “I will give them the desire to acknowledge that I am the Lord. I will be their God, and they will be my people. For they will wholeheartedly return to me.” Our division with God is finally fully remedied. How is this accomplished? Consider John 14:15-17, “If you love me, you will obey my commandments. Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept because it does not see him or know him. But you know him because he resides with you and will be in you.”Another SheepfoldJesus will call another sheep “that do not come from this sheepfold.” Who are these other sheep? Let's consider the alternatives. This could be referring to uniting Ephraim and Judah—that is, the northern and southern kingdoms of Israel. In Jesus' time, the northern kingdom was called Samaria. Jesus could also be referring to the Diaspora Jews. For example, when the high priest in Chapter 11 refers to gathering “God's scattered children,” he is referring to Diaspora Jews. This also seems to be the most obvious meaning in passages like Ezekiel 34:13, “I will bring them out from among the peoples and gather them from foreign countries.” The last alternative is that Jesus is referring to Gentiles. I think this is the correct interpretation for multiple reasons. The passage speaks of sheep that are not of “this sheepfold.” Both Ephraim and the Diaspora Jews would be of “this sheepfold.” They are scattered, sure, but they are from the same source. The words of the high priest in Chapter 11 are not dispositive of what Jesus meant in Chapter 10. Also, although Ezekiel's listeners would have interpreted his prophecy to mean Diaspora Jews, we understand Old Testament prophesies were often “bigger” than the original audience would have understood. The Jews expected a political king; they received a king of the universe instead. The Jews expected deliverance for their nation; they received deliverance for the whole world instead. The Jews expected a gathering of the Diaspora; they received a gathering of the whole world instead. Contemporary Jews already believed that Gentiles who converted to Judaism became part of the Jewish people. So, the idea of sheep from another sheepfold becoming part of the Jewish sheepfold would not have been strange. And, finally, this is the interpretation favored by the New Testament. Consider, for example, Romans 11:17. Paul explicitly refers to Gentiles (“wild olive shoots”) as being grafted onto the main olive tree. This is an equivalent analogy to the sheep of another sheepfold.Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah)The SettingHanukkah is an extrabiblical feast—it was not ordained in the Old Testament. A website explains the origin of the feast as follows:When Israel was under the Syrian-Greek Empire, the Temple in Jerusalem had been desecrated and set up as a house of worship to Zeus. A faithful Hebrew priest, Mattathias and his family, known as the Maccabees, led a rebellion for several years to restore Israel's independence and their ability to worship Yahweh properly. According to the second book of Maccabees, the time for the festival of Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles, which is a remembrance of Yahweh's provision for the Israelites in the wilderness) passed shortly before their victory. But the Jewish people did not celebrate because the Temple was not in order.However, when they did achieve victory, they began to restore the Temple and they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles in conjunction with a rededication of the Temple to Yahweh.Hanukkah is celebrated approximately three months after the Feast of Tabernacles, in the wintertime. The season alone would have made it a less popular feast. Like the Feast of Tabernacles, Hanukkah was celebrated for seven days. Notice that Hanukkah celebrated national liberation, not a religious theme. Naturally, we may expect fewer connections between the feast and the biblical passage in John 10.Using a “portico” or porch during the wintertime would have been natural. It provided some shelter from the elements while a speaker gathered with his audience.The Messianic SecretThe Jewish leaders surround Jesus and demand an answer. “Tell us who you are!” (I am paraphrasing, of course.) This naturally raises the question of the Messianic Secret, which I will explain in a minute. However, before we even get to that, let's get to the main irony. In verse 30, Jesus humors them and clearly replies, “I am God.” (Again, I am paraphrasing.). And the Jewish leaders try to kill him. The answer to their question has been clear, it is made clear again, and it is simply not an answer they are willing to accept.What is the Messianic Secret? As a Christian website explains,The Messianic Secret is a theme of biblical criticism developed in 1901 by a German Lutheran theologian named Wilhelm Wrede. The Messianic Secret involves Wrede's explanation for Jesus wanting to hide His identity from His enemies by commanding the disciples to keep silent about His mission on earth and the miracles He performed. Wrede claimed that Jesus did not ever think He was the Messiah and that Mark (and the rest of the New Testament authors) sensationalized Jesus and made Him into the Messiah. Wrede claims Mark added the Messianic Secret in an attempt to give a reason for why Jesus was not accepted by many as Messiah until after His death. Wrede's theory enjoyed some popularity during the 1920s but faded soon thereafter.Is there any biblical basis for Wrede's theory? It is undeniable that Jesus told His disciples on several occasions to keep what He had done secret. Each of those incidents, however, has a much more plausible explanation than the one put forth by Wilhelm Wrede. Further, each is consistent with the other Gospel accounts, and not an invention by Mark.In Mark 1:43–45 Christ commanded the leper He had healed, “‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.' But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.” Jesus knew the publicity about the healing would hinder His ability to minister in the area, which is exactly what happened when the leper disobeyed, and worse, the sensationalism caused by miraculous healings would hamper the spreading of His message. Because of the leper's disobedience, Jesus could no longer enter a city without being mobbed by those seeking healing, causing Him to abandon His ministry in the city and keep to relatively uninhabited areas. The healing of the leper is also found in Matthew 8:1–4 and Luke 5:12–16, with Luke reiterating the reason for the command for secrecy in verses 15–16.Further “evidence” for Wrede's theory of secrecy involves the explanation for Jesus speaking in parables in Mark 4:11 where He tells His disciples that the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God had been given to them, but to others He spoke in parables so that, “though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.” This is not, however, a plea for secrecy. Rather, it is an explanation of divine revelation in the hearts of true believers, revelation that is unavailable for those who, like the Pharisees, continued to reject the truth. The “mysteries of the kingdom” are revealed to those who have “ears to hear” but not to those whose hearts are darkened. As the Messiah, the Son of God, Jesus would have been able to distinguish between those two groups. Again, this is not an invention of Mark, as it is reiterated in Matthew 13:11–17.Let's assume the Messianic Secret for a minute. Let's assume that, particularly in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus conceals his identity until the “end of the story.” Is this consistent with what we see in the Gospel of John. I think so. Remember that Jesus' brothers ask him to go do public miracles during the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus declines and makes his public appearance during the middle of the festival. He performs a miracle (healing the blind man) but he does not perform a highly public miracle, like the feeding of the 5,000. Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks using imagery that confuses his audience (e.g., “born again,” “living water,” “bread from Heaven”). In fact, the Gospel of John seems to explain the Messianic Secret. Jesus' “own” will listen and believe. Those who are not his sheep will not. Notice that this “listening” is not primarily an intellectual hurdle. In verse 31, the Jewish leaders clearly understand that Jesus is calling himself God. The intellectual component is there. They do not believe, however.You are GodsIn verse 34, Jesus begins to make a how-much-more kind of argument. This line of argumentation is called qal vaomer, and it was commonplace in religious debates among Jesus' contemporaries. Although verses 34 through 36 may seem a little confusing, the argument is as follows:Your* scripture uses the term “god” for people who merely received the word of God.(*When Jesus refers to “your law,” he is not dissociating himself from the Old Testament. He is highlighting the fact that his adversaries are already committed to this first premise.)I did not merely receive the word of God, God set me apart and sent me (i.e., God considers me unique and special). (Notice that the reader is filling in the blanks as well, thinking, “I did not merely receive the word of God, I am the word of God.”How much more should the term “god” be appropriate for me.Bonus Argument: And I do not even call myself “god” but “son of god.” (Notice that Jesus consistently makes himself one with the Father ontologically but subject to the Father in rank.)
Don and Tristan talk about the Messianic Secret.
Do you want your life to count for Christ? Would you like to make a real impact for God's kingdom in this world? Jesus invites us to accompany Him on an incredible journey toward a meaningful life and the power to significantly impact the world around us, when He boldly called His disciples, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." In this new series “Following Jesus: The life of a Disciple,” we will examine what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and how we can emulate his life to reach people and make disciples. Diving into the heart of discipleship, we will discover steps and biblical principles of following Jesus in our everyday life.
Questions around Matthew 8, Mark 1, 3, and 5.
In this episode, we hear Jesus telling his disciples not to tell anyone about what they have seen!
This episode explores the biblical perspective of the messiah and why Jesus instructed those around him to keep his identity as the messiah a secret.
Jesus is moved by compassion and tenderly touches a leper who has been untouchable perhaps for years as a powerful picture of our own salvation. - Sermon Transcript - I'd like to ask you to turn in your Bibles as we continue in our study in the Gospel of Mark. You just heard Ben read Mark chapter 1:40-45. Essential to our salvation is to face the reality of our true condition. All of Jesus' healings were not merely awesome displays of his supernatural power, but also living parables, metaphors, really, depictions of our true spiritual condition in the eyes of our holy God. Jesus' healings operated in the realm of human weakness, human defects, human frailty, human repulsiveness, human inability, powerlessness. Jesus himself linked his physical healing ministry to our spiritual condition with a statement in Luke chapter 5:31-32. He said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." To be righteous in the sight of God is the same, then, as being spiritually healthy. Just as physically healthy people don't need a doctor, so also spiritually healthy people don't need a savior. But Jesus knows our condition better than we do. And all of his healings, in some way, portrayed our true spiritual condition. One of the clearest of these, to me, is his healing of the leper in today's accounts. Lepers were utterly repulsive in every regard. They looked disgusting, often with their flesh half eaten away; they smelled disgusting because of the rot of their flesh. They were utterly desperate since there was no cure. They were universally dreaded because it was a contagious disease. People fled from them, sometimes screaming in terror. They were also economically destitute because they could not earn money. Anything they touched would've been considered defiled. They were spiritually outcasts, no better than the lowest uncircumcised Gentiles, unable to go to the temple, unable to worship God with their fellow Israelites. In all of these ways, they are a grim picture of our spiritual condition, naturally apart from Christ before God. Think of this general depiction of an unredeemed sinner in the sight of God from Romans chapter 3, "There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away. They have together become worthless. There is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves. Their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes." What do you think a person in that spiritual condition looks like to a holy God? Of whom it is said in Habakkuk 1:13, "Your eyes are too pure to look on evil. You cannot tolerate wrong." So when Jesus cures a leper at the end of Mark chapter 1, it's beneficial, I think for all of us, in some way, to insert ourselves into the story as spiritually defiled, corrupted, repulsive in the eyes of God, apart from the saving work of Christ. And when Jesus is moved by compassion, and when he tenderly touches the man who had, up till that point, been untouchable, perhaps for years, it's a powerful picture of our own salvation. And even more amazing is what this brief account teaches us about Jesus. As with all of his healings, this shows the infinite majesty of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as we've been learning. The healing is effortless. The healing is perfect. It is instantly effective. And his desire to touch this defiled outcast shows, again, his yearning for a close relationship with sinners. At the end of this sermon, I'm going to seek to show how this account is written to give us a sense of an amazing reversal. Jesus took the outcast's place as an outcast himself. Therefore, this is a beautiful picture of the gospel of Christ's compassionate work for sinners like you and me. But it's only available for those who know that that is their true spiritual condition apart from Christ. How we really are the spiritual lepers and we need him to touch us and we need him to save us. I. The Leper’s Plea So we begin with the leper's plea. Look at verse 40, "A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, 'If you are willing, you can make me clean.'" So we come to the terrors of this disease, leprosy. I've already described somewhat how awful this disease was seen to be in Jesus' day. The word leprosy comes from the Greek word lepros meaning scale, like the scales that fell from Saul's eyes after his conversion. It gives us a sense of the scaly nature of a leper's skin because of the ravages of the disease. Now there are actually a wide range of skin diseases that fell under this category and not all of them were equally serious. The book of Leviticus describes a wide range of skin conditions that were addressed in the Law of Moses. Some just had to do with eczema or some other forms of dry, scaly skin that really were no threat, or maybe running sores or scabs. Others were far more serious. Biblical scholars believe that the most serious form of leprosy, the one that brought terror to the population and devastated the lives of all who had it was Hansen's disease, which is a communicable bacterial infection that could be spread through the air by physical touch. Even today, there is no cure for Hansen's disease, though its symptoms can be greatly mitigated by modern medical science. Leprosy of that sort usually begins with pain, but then is followed by numbness as the disease attacks the nervous system. The leper's skin loses its color and hair begins to fall out. The skin swells and bunches. The leprosy often causes the body to emit a foul odor, making the leper even more repulsive. But perhaps most devastating of all is, as I mentioned, the numbness that results in a loss of the sensation of pain. Thus lepers frequently destroy their own bodies unknowingly. They injure themselves because they don't feel anything while the injury is going on. Philip Yancey wrote a book about pain entitled Where Are You God When It Hurts? and speaking about how essential pain is to protect us from greater damage. He described how awful it is for people who are suffering from Hansen's disease to feel no pain at all. "For thousands of years, people thought that Hansen's disease caused the ulcers on hands and feet and face, which eventually led to rotting flesh and the loss of limbs. But modern research has shown that in 99% of the cases, Hansen's disease only numbs the extremities. The destruction follows solely because the warning system of pain is gone. How does the decay happen? Well, in villages of Africa and Asia, a person with Hansen's disease has been known to reach directly into a charcoal fire to retrieve a dropped potato. Nothing in his body told him not to. Patients at a leper's hospital in India would work all day, gripping a shovel with a protruding nail, or extinguish a burning wick with their bare hands, or walk on splintered glass. The daily routines of life ground away at the patient's hands and feet but no warning system alerted him. If an ankle turned, tearing tendon and muscle, he would just adjust and walk crooked." So that's what's going on in the bodies of the lepers. But beyond this is the religious or spiritual defilement, the religious defilement of leprosy. In order to protect his chosen people from infectious diseases, the Lord made certain laws causing sick people to be quarantined from the rest of the community. Leviticus 13:45-46 says, "The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, 'Unclean! Unclean!' As long as he has the infection, he remains unclean. He must live alone. He must live outside the camp." Imagine what this was like. Socially, people need to be together. Scripture says it's not good for man to be alone. People need to be touched. They need to be hugged. They need to be patted on the back. They need a good firm handshake from time to time. We're all like this. They need to be able to greet family members with a kiss. They need to be able to sit across the table with friends and eat a meal together, see their faces, listen to their voices, to be together. But all of that is over for the leper. All of it. Even worse, they're effectively cut off from corporate worship, as if they were cast out of the sight of God. Since the temple was the center of Jewish religious life, the spiritual exile was a devastating condition for lepers. It was like a living hell for them. Psalm 31:22, "In my alarm I said, 'I am cut off from your sight!'" Psalm 88 says, "I'm set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care. You have put me in the lowest pit in the darkest depths." That's what it felt like, cut off, out in the darkness, excluded. So that's the condition of this poor man who came to beg healing from Jesus that day. And so look at his plea. He casts off all concern. He approaches the Lord. He would not stand far off as he was ordinarily required to do. He had heard of Jesus' healing ministry and hope rose in him that he could be healed, and he wanted to be healed. So he broke all of the societal and religious norms. He came close to Jesus. He fell on his knees in reverence before Jesus. He called him Lord. In Luke's Gospel, he goes even farther. He falls on his face before Jesus. And he's moved by faith. He's heard the accounts of Jesus' healing, and faith is rising up in him. Hope is rising up in him that Jesus can do anything. And so he's beyond, "Can you do it?" He knows he can. It just comes down to Jesus' willingness. "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean," he says. Now this humble plea, I think, shows great faith. There's no doubt whatsoever that Jesus can do this. The only question is, will he? This is a pattern of prayer that I think we could all follow. Convinced, constantly convinced of God's omnipotence. We know that God can do anything. As Job said in Job 42:2, "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted." That's the basis of a healthy prayer life. A sense of God's omnipotence. But if God has made no specific promise to us in any area, we don't know for certain what his will is. We cannot presume on him for healing. John Calvin said, "This man ought not to expect more than God promises." The leper had not learned by any inspired communication or any promise of God what Christ would do. It would've been improper of him, therefore, to go beyond these limits. We cannot make demands. God does not owe us healing. The leper knew it was well within Jesus' power. It's just a matter of Christ's willingness. Now the leper's desire is clearly stated: If you are willing, you can make me clean. It's a beautiful word, a Greek word, the cleaning or the cleansing of his body from this defilement, this pollution of leprosy. Now I wonder what the crowd must have been thinking as this leper comes and falls right in front of Jesus. John MacArthur in commenting on it said this, "One can only imagine the people's reaction as they watch this dramatic scene unfold. Horror mixed with indignation must have swept through the crowd of onlookers. Some probably shrank back in startled fear covering their mouths as they quickly retreated. Perhaps others glanced around for stones or sticks to drive away this unwanted outcast. Others surely stood watching in stunned silence, wondering how Jesus would respond." II. The Lord’s Compassionate Power So that's the scene. That's what's going on. Now let's look at the Lord's compassionate power, verses 41-42. "Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. 'I am willing, he said. 'Be clean!' And immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured." So we come to this great topic of the compassion of Jesus. The text actually says that Jesus was filled with compassion or moved by compassion. The Greek words for compassion root his feelings in his bowels, like in his intestines. KJV frequently uses that word. He feels it within his gut what it must have been like to be this leper. That's his compassion. Jesus in general displayed a very healthy, perfectly healthy and robust emotional life. He was an emotional man. Unlike the gods of the Greeks, the Stoics who thought of their gods as thinking machines, untouched whatsoever by the deplorable human condition. Jesus was nothing like that. Jesus perfectly displayed the emotions of our Heavenly Father. A God who says again and again that he is gracious and compassionate. And so he pities and seeks to relieve the miseries of his creatures. By far, the most common emotional state ascribed to Jesus in the Gospels is compassion. He feels it again and again. We're going to see it as the reason for his teaching ministry in chapter 6, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. He has compassion on them, and they need the word of God. And so he teaches them. He's going to openly declare his compassion for the crowd in Mark chapter 8. He says, "I have compassion for these people. They've been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they'll collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance." He just is able to immerse himself in the condition of other people. He's moved deeply, and so it is with this leper. Jesus is moved with compassion for his plight. "Jesus perfectly displayed the emotions of our Heavenly Father. A God who says again and again that he is gracious and compassionate. And so he pities and seeks to relieve the miseries of his creatures." That's why I said, as I was preaching through the Book of Job, I felt that the worst thing that Job ever said about God is in Job 9:23. This is what Job said about God. "When a scourge brings sudden death, he mocks the despair of the innocent." That was probably Job's lowest moment, I think. As though God gets some kind of twisted pleasure out of enjoying just watching his creature suffer. He doesn't. He's moved with compassion for the suffering of the human race. And Jesus lived that out. Consistently moved with compassion for people. He would weep before raising Lazarus from the dead. Not, I think, just because of the obvious abject sorrow of Martha and Mary. But he knew all that death would cost his people in grief and sorrow over the centuries to come, and so he wept. He would also weep over Jerusalem because of the destruction that was going to be coming on them because of their rebellion, their failure to recognize the time of the Lord coming, and he wept over them. So I just want to pause and just apply it to us. What about us? The parable of the Good Samaritan—the priest and the Levite, these religious people, see the guy bleeding by the side of the road and then just walk right on by. They're not moved with compassion. They're not able to immerse themselves in that other person's situation. Though I usually reserve applications for the end of the sermon, I just want to do it right now. Just look in the mirror and say, "Lord, Spirit in me, the Spirit of Christ, move me with compassion for lost people. Help me to see what it feels like to be without hope and without God in the world." What is it like to be that person in that situation? If I were in that family, what would I feel? If that were happening to me, what would I feel? Jesus is compassionate, and it's part of his healing work in us to make us so. To make us so. But with Jesus, it's not just a feeling only. He has power to do something about it. Amen? The power to do something about it. And so moved with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched him. "I am willing," he told him. "Be made clean." He doesn't just have feelings. He physically extends his own hand to touch this man. Now, what must that have been like for this leper? Who knows how long it has been since the last time a human being touched him? He was used to people running and screaming from him, even his own family, even his own friends. This was in some ways exactly where the law of Moses took this man. In order to protect the community from the communicable disease, this man had to be made an outcast. Anyone who touched him would become unclean himself and liable to contract the same disease himself. Holiness does not move to defilement. It's the other way around. Defilement moves and defiles holy people. That's how it works. That's the normal pattern. Leviticus 5:3, "If anyone touches anything that would make him unclean, whether he is aware of it or not, when he learns of it, he's guilty." Just touch, you're unclean. Haggai chapter 2, "This is what the Lord Almighty says: Ask the priests what the law says: 'If a person carrying consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, he's carrying that meat, and that fold touches some bread or stew or some wine or oil, some other food, does that become consecrated?' The priests answered, 'No.' Then Haggai said, 'If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of those things, does that become defiled?' The priests answered, 'Yes, it becomes defiled.' Then Haggai said, 'So it is with this people and this nation in my sight. Whatever they do and whatever they offer has become defiled.'" But not Jesus. Hallelujah, not Jesus. He is the exception. His touch produces cleanness in this man, in this defiled man. We've noted before that Jesus deeply desires a personal relationship with each of the people he healed and sees this a lot in touching people. He loves to touch people to heal them. We already saw that with Peter's mother-in-law. He touched her, and the fever left her. He loves to touch people. Now keep in mind, he doesn't have to do this. Do you remember the story in Matthew 8 of the Roman centurion whose servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering? Jesus says, "I'll go and heal him." And the Centurion says, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; I tell that one 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,', and he does it." "The Roman emperor doesn't need to come from Rome when he wants the legions to go do something in Palestine, he just gives the order and it's done. You don't need to come." Jesus said, "I've not found anyone in Israel with such great faith," and he was healed just like that. He actually does this a number of times. The royal official's son in John 4, Jesus doesn't go, he just heals him. The guy goes and travels, the next day finds out, oh, he's healed. When did it happen? Lines it up, that's when Jesus said it. Or Syrophoenician woman, her daughter's lying at home in bed, demon possessed. Jesus never saw the girl. He actually never said anything to the demon, just thought it and the demon left. He didn't have to go anywhere or be anywhere. He didn't have to touch somebody. But he wanted to touch this leper. You would think of any cases that you're going to heal, healing from a distance would be good here, right? Now, this would be a prime example to heal from a distance, but not Jesus. He just reaches out and touches him. Maybe grabs his hand. "I am willing. Be clean." And why is this? Because perfect health is going to flow from Jesus, the source of all life. I picture it like the river of the water of life flowing clear as crystal from the throne of God. It goes from God out. It goes from Jesus out. So picture two rooms, side by side, one of them in deep darkness, the other one brilliantly lit, and a door between. You throw open that door, which wins—the darkness or the light? Friends, the light wins. And that's what it was like with Jesus. When he touches his hand, health flows from the Savior into this man's body. But more than that, I think just at the personal level, he wanted this lonely, sad outcast to feel human touch for the first time in years. And he also uses this word, "I am willing. Be clean." You see the word of power, the word of power coming from Jesus. "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth," Psalm 33:6. That's how God made everything. Let there be, and it is. And Jesus we’re told in the Gospel of John is the Word of God. He is the energetic power of God moving out, and so he just speaks and it is. And immediately the leprosy left him and he was made clean. Immediately. I just continually marvel over the instant healings, physical healings that Jesus did. No convalescence needed, no walker for a while, no week of getting better. Don't you wish that our sanctification were that quick? Just like that. Oh yes, we're going to see what a journey it's going to be for these disciples to become stronger in faith. It's a hard journey for them. But physically, instantaneous, the healing comes and he's clean. I love that word clean. Think about the story of Naaman, the Syrian general, who is a leper and he washed in the river, as Elijah told him to do, and it says, 2 Kings 5:14, "His flesh was restored," and listen to this, "became clean like that of a young boy." Oh, isn't that awesome? A little glimpse maybe into your resurrection body future. It's like, "I don't want to be like a young boy anyway." Just think it through. You'll understand what I mean. Completely healed. The flesh is restored. And he would command him to go from Jerusalem to show himself to the priest. That's about a 100-mile hike. No need to convalesce. He's healthy, he's energetic, he's strong, he's ready to go. I wonder what happened at the cellular level. That's the geeky pastor you guys have. Like what happened to the cells? But you remember how Peter cut off Malchus' ear and Jesus touched him and gave him a new ear. New cells, new structure, just done. That's God. That's Christ. But again, all of our healings, I believe, are a picture of our future resurrection body. That's where the real healing is coming. We should pray for each other when we're sick. We should ask God to heal. But you understand all those healings are temporary, they're localized. You're going to have some other sickness later. It's right for us to pray. It's right for us to seek God for healing, but the real healing, you know, is the resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, we are going to get our resurrection bodies. "The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body." At the resurrection, Jesus will instantly give all the redeemed imperishable, glorious, powerful spiritual bodies. That's where we're heading. III. The Leper’s Disobedience All right, well, unfortunately, now I have to tell you about the leper's disobedience. The leper's disobedience. Jesus commanded the leper, former leper now, very sternly, 43-44. "Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning. 'See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing as a testimony to them.'" So the Greek word here, a strong warning implies a certain strictness, like a sharp command from a superior officer or a king. He does not say it gently. He says it clearly. He is the King of Kings. He is the Lord of Lords. He has every right to expect to be obeyed. Notice again, the word "at once" or "immediately." He wanted immediate obedience from this man. And don't tell anyone. More on that in a moment, but we're going to talk about, "go show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifice Moses commanded for your cleansing." Jesus is the most law-abiding Jew in history, perfectly obeyed the law of Moses. And this is what was required to do for the cleansing of a leper. The law in Leviticus 14 required the priest to evaluate this man and prove his right to reenter society. The priest would take two birds. They would kill one of them in an earthenware vessel with running water. The live bird, along with cedarwood, scarlet cord, and hyssop were dipped into the blood of the slain bird. The leper was sprinkled seven times with the blood. And then the priests were to examine his skin and pronounce him clean. And the live bird was to be set free in an open field. Then the former leper was to wash all his clothes, shave off all his hair, go into a seven-day quarantine. On the eighth day, the priest would offer a final round of sacrifices for him, and he would be clean officially. He would be able to rejoin Jewish society, would be able to worship at the temple. So that was what's supposed to be done for him. But notice Jesus says, "Go offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded to the priest as a testimony to them." Some of those priests, I believe, were going to get converted. Some of those priests, it says in Acts 6, "A large number of priests became obedient to the faith." And so Jesus wanted to witness to these priests and testify concerning his healing power. That's what he wanted this leper to do. And he gives him this command to tell no one. Now this is the first of many such commands we're going to see in Mark's gospel. It's in all the Gospels, this command. Don't tell anyone. Don't tell anyone. This happens a lot actually. Some scholars call it the Messianic Secret. Keep in mind, it's not a secret anymore, friends. Okay, see right here on the page. This was a temporary injunction. The Holy Spirit inspired Mark to write this. We all know about the healing now, so the reasons are temporary. But right at that moment, there's a practical issue. And it comes as a result of the man's disobedience. Look at verse 45, "Instead, he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly, but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere." So this is in part, I believe, about crowd control. Crowd control. The people were hugely motivated to throng around Jesus and get physical healings. Jesus did not primarily come into the world as a physical healer. As we've said, death is the final enemy. Physical healings were all temporary signs. They're real healings, but then there'll be other diseases, other injuries that would come later. The most important aspect of Jesus' public ministry would always be the proclamation of the Word, the message of the kingdom of heaven, the preaching of the Word. That was it. The people all greatly overestimated the importance of their physical healing and greatly underestimated how much they needed spiritual healing. Because of this man's disobedience, huge crowds flocked to Jesus for healing. Immediately in the next chapter, God willing next week, chapter two, we're going to see such a huge crowd in his hometown that four friends can't get a paralyzed man to Jesus. They have to dig through the roof. And the frenzy got so high, these people thronging around Jesus did not really believe in him. As John chapter 2 says, "Jesus would not entrust himself to them for he knew all men. He did not need man's testimony about man for he knew what was in a man." "The most important aspect of Jesus' public ministry would always be the proclamation of the Word, the message of the kingdom of heaven, the preaching of the Word." The frenzy got so high that at one point in John chapter 6, the crowd wanted to take Jesus by force and make him king. You could picture a triumphant team at the end of the Super Bowl, picking up the coach, putting him on their shoulders and carrying him off in triumph. Jesus did not want to be made king that way. It wasn't time. He had a different vision. And so, he's got to turn down the heat under the pot. He's got to control the crowds. He tells him, "Don't tell anyone," but he disobeyed. Isn't it interesting how, at least at one level, superficially, the demons are more obedient to Jesus than people are? I mean, this happens a lot. I mean, we should do better than demons, don't you think? Amen. We should do better than demons, but this guy didn't. He just disobeyed, told everyone. Isn't it sad too that the ministry of reconciliation is now committed to us? And we are called on to tell everyone and we don't? We don't. You are free to tell this story to everyone in your workplace this week. You're free to do it. The injunction's off now. Tell everyone that Jesus healed a leper. "Oh, what'd you do this weekend?" Start there at the workplace. Say, "How was your weekend?" Ask them. "Oh, it was good. It was good. What'd you do?" All right, hoping they'll say, "What about your weekend? How was yours?" They probably will. And say, "I heard the best sermon on Jesus healing a leper." And you are free to tell the story, so tell it. Jesus has power, not just to heal physical leprosy but to heal spiritual leprosy. And our sins are like that. IV. The Lord Becomes an Outcast Now, the final insight, something I hadn't thought of until I read it from another guy. I thought this was interesting, how there's a sense of reversal, how in this regard then Jesus becomes somewhat of an outcast. Jesus can no longer enter a town openly, but stayed outside in lonely places. Jesus intended to go throughout Galilee preaching the message everywhere. Mark 1:38, he said, "Let's go somewhere else in the nearby villages so I can preach there also. That is why I've come." "And he went around," Mark 6:6, "teaching from village to village." Josephus tells us, first century historian, there were 240 towns and villages in Galilee, 240 of them, but he can't go there like he'd like to. And he stays outside in lonely places, in a desert. So, Jesus had become to some degree a practical outcast. So a commentator put it this way. I thought this was fascinating. "Mark began the story with Jesus on the inside, the leper on the outside. But at the end of the story, Jesus is outside in lonely places. Jesus and the leper have traded places. Early in his ministry, Jesus is already an outsider in human society. Mark cast him in the role of the servant of the Lord who bears the iniquities of others and whose bearing of them causes him to be numbered with the transgressors." It's a beautiful insight. I can't help but think about 2 Corinthians 5:21 speaking of Jesus, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him, we might become the righteousness of God." You see that exchange. Our filthy defilement, our corruption laid on Jesus, and he dies. And as it says in Hebrews 13:12-13, he died outside the city gate, outside the camp as a reject. And he died outside of intimacy with God in a mysterious way, crying out, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" And so, Jesus became sin for us and died on the cross in our place that we might be forgiven. And now we come full circle to how I began. You've got to see the truth about yourself and recognize the defilement of sin and find in Jesus the only healing that there is. Through simple faith in Christ, you can be clean. Like Jesus said to the thief on the cross, "Today, you'll be with me in paradise." So we're about to go into a time of the Lord's Supper. I'm going to close this sermon time in prayer. But in order to partake in this, church, in the Lord's Supper, you have to have trusted in Christ, testified to that by water baptism that you are a Christian. You can partake. If you haven't believed in Christ yet, the issue is not the Lord's Supper. The issue is your own heart. Call on the name of the Lord. Say, "Would you please heal me of my sin? Would you please forgive me?" And you can just sit there where you are in the pew and you can receive 100% full forgiveness and cleansing for all your sins. But for all of you who have already done that, testified by water baptism, you're free to partake. Let's close this sermon time in prayer. Father, we thank you for the time we've had in the ministry of the Word in the Gospel of Mark. And now Lord, as we turn to the Lord's Supper, we pray that you would strengthen each of us. Lord, help us to be able to look to Jesus, the healer, the powerful savior, who cleanses us from the filth of sin. And we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Join our hosts in today's episode where they look at Mark 1:21-45.
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