Mark 1:29-2:12, What Does It Prove?

Mark 1:29-2:12 and the Question of What Jesus Proves

Mark chapter 1 verse 29 to chapter 2 verse 12. Hear the word of the Lord. And Immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever and Immediately they told him about her and he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up and the fever left her and She began to serve them.

That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick and or oppressed by demons and the whole city was gathered together at the door and 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.

And Rising very early in the morning while it was still dark he departed and went out to a desolate place and there he prayed and Simon and those who were with him searched for him and they found him and said to him Everyone is looking for you and 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.

And he went throughout all Galilee preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. And A leper came to him imploring him and kneeling said to him if you will you can make me clean. Moved with pity.

He stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him. I will be clean. And Immediately the leprosy left him and he was made clean and Jesus certainly charged him and sent him away at once and 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? But 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 and When he returned to Capernaum after some days it was reported that he was at home and many were gathered together So that there was no more room not even at the door and he was preaching the word to them and they came bringing to him A paralytic carried by four men and when they could not get near him because of the crowd they removed the roof Above him and when they had made an opening they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay and when Jesus saw their faith He said to the paralytic my son.

Your sins are forgiven and Some of the scribes were sitting there questioning in their hearts Why does this man speak like this? He is blaspheming who can forgive sins, but God alone and Immediately Jesus perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves said to them Why do you question these things in your hearts, which is easier to say to the paralytic?

Your sins are forgiven or to say rise take up your bed and walk. But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. He said to the paralytic I say to you rise pick up your bed and go home.

And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all so that they were all amazed and glorified God saying We never saw anything like this. May the Lord add his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word.

Human Credentials and the Need to Prove Ourselves

Well, what does it prove? Whatever it is We have we have to present evidence that we can do What we want to do, whatever that is. We can't expect to be chosen for a team or for a band or hired for a job unless we can show That we can do it Whatever it is.

So we have ways of proving ourselves and that's not bad. Nothing wrong with that. In fact kids who are being who are raised kind of being told Constantly how great they are without having to prove themselves.

That there's something wrong with anyone like a coach or a teacher or questioning them. Will often hate to have to prove themselves and so they won't do it Whatever it is to prove themselves. They won't try to make the team or the band at school or they won't come here to play play ball and Sunday evenings.

Because they know deep down that if they do they try to prove themselves that they might prove. They're really not the next Michael Jordan. Just undiscovered they would rather live the rest of their lives kind of imagining how great they really are.

Just no one ever recognize it even if no one knows it then be made to prove themselves and Be shown that maybe they're not so great. They don't want to be proven to not be as great as they think they are and so they won't do it to prove themselves.

Whatever it is. What does it prove. Well that depends on what it is. In the job market you can prove yourself for some jobs. Maybe by having the right credentials. You've got a college degree in the right field of study or a certificate of training from some place or maybe it's belonging to an organization like a union or professional organization your membership proves that you can do the job the Association is all about or maybe both, you know for doctors and at least most most lawyers in most states.

You have to have graduated From the right school right University and passed the exams for the ministry is being quote ordained. Ordination is it it is a church's way of being a professional organization and saying that this person can can do the ministry.

The church says he's proven himself even for the restaurant business. You have to prove yourself. Don't you you restaurateurs here? You have to prove to government health inspectors that you're clean.

That you can prove yourself with numbers. High school athletes. Want to put up good statistics to catch the eye of college scouts. It's it's their shooting it. That they're trying to get is their shooting percentage or their yards per game a good SAT score.

Can be it Can show to colleges that you're a good student. Sometimes people judge churches by or our pastors bite by numbers. That's the it in their mind how many people they have or you can prove yourself by a referral.

It can be someone vouching for you like writing a letter of reference. Rachel B has asked me to give her letters of reference and I'm happy to do so. Of course, you can prove yourself by by doing it. Whatever it is prove that you're a good cook.

By cooking good food. Prove that you're a good business person by running a profitable business. Prove that you can play. By playing you're a good student by getting good grades. Now the question is What does it prove?

Whatever it is a couple of you visited Mary in the hospital a week before last and someone called Alexander called people offered help someone made special food for me. It's supposed to help heal bones.

What is all that proof? When I was laying in the hospital after the surgery and Mary told me about those who came to visit I I said That's the church. That made me happy. I lay there in that hospital bed happy because all that Proved something, you know, we don't have a lot of numbers here to prove ourselves with.

But we do have that and I think that kind of love that it Proves something far greater than a lot of numbers. What does it prove. Well that depends on what it is if it's a 90 three-point shot rate.

It proves you're a good basketball player. If it's a four-minute mile, it proves you're a fast runner. It was making millions of dollars. It proves you're a good business person if it's 1600 in the SAT.

It proves you're smart or maybe you cheated. I don't know if it's over a thousand people in your church. It probably proves That you're an attractive communicator. I guess I'm not sure what else beyond that.

If $100 goes missing from the cash register, you might confront the cashier. You know, there's $100 missing. You were the only one who had access to the cash register. Defensive he or she says. What does that prove?

That you're the only one who could have taken it. When it comes to Jesus Here we all know what we're supposed to say he is who we're supposed to say he is. It's a you know, it's in our statement of faith to be a Christian.

You you have to believe some things about who he is, but do we know? How he proved it. Do we know that he showed himself and how he showed himself to be? That do we know what are the it's that proved who Jesus is here.

We see those it's and What they prove we see them here in five parts five. It's they prove five truths about Jesus. He is first the razor. Not r a z o r like you shave with but r a i s e r someone who raises.

Second the Lord. Third. He's the preacher. Fourth, he's the the willer and. Finally he's the forgiver and also God. But first Jesus proves that he is he's the razor. He's the one who raises up his people now immediately after casting out the evil spirit and synagogue and Capernaum.

We saw last week Jesus and the disciples go to Peter's house. Here we find out that Peter was married. Now. What does that prove? Well, it proves that when Jesus said to him follow me Peter had a family to think about.

He had at least a wife and in that his mother-in-law lived with him probably proved that she's a widow and was depending on him for support and Peter could have said. You know, I appreciate the invitation Jesus, but you know, I have a family to provide for and so I can't right now.

Thank you very much. But he didn't he immediately left his fishing business and followed Jesus proving that he was a disciple and When they get to Peter's house they find that his mother-in-law lay sick.

With a fever and she's laid up in bed. And when they when they tell that to Jesus he came to her and notice verse 31. It doesn't say that he prayed for her or that he said anything to her. Like we might expect now he probably did he probably said something to her but Peter Giving us this account through Mark here doesn't doesn't tell us about that.

What he tells us is that Jesus took her by the hand notice that verse 31. He took her by the hand and he lifted her up. It's like immediately take urines. You're well now He raised her up. Up from the sickbed maybe far as we know maybe from the deathbed.

Now, what does that prove? It proves that Jesus raises up his people. What he does for Peter's mother-in-law here he will do one day for all his people. He will raise them up not just from a fever but from death he said in John chapter 6 verse 40 everyone who looks on the Sun and believes in him should have eternal life and I will Raise him up on the last day.

Here in Mark chapter 1 he proved that he's the one who raises up his people. After proving that he's the razor by raising Peter's mother-in-law from sickness. She helped get dinner ready. What's that proof?

Well, she's a nice lady, right? Next Jesus proved something else that evening after sunset. That means this in there, you know understand the Jewish way of doing days a day starts when the Sun sets so Sabbath starts on Friday evening.

The Sun goes down and it ends the next sunset. So it's a Sabbath the Sun sets. It's no longer the Sabbath anymore understand. I'm Saturday evening. So it's not Sabbath anymore. And so people there now can walk as far as they want to walk they can carry other things that carry people and so people Brought to him multitudes of sick people.

Maybe some with maybe some with broken legs like me. And demon oppressed people now just a note here and in English I don't know where we got the term from but in English we often talk about someone being demon possessed.

Which would literally mean that they belong to the demon. Someone's possessed by a demon there. They belong to the demon. But that's not the Bible's term. I don't know where the English term came from the Bible's term.

Like here in this passage uses a verbal form of the word demon. In other words, it's demon turned into a verb which could be you could translate it as demonized. The ESV is okay here. I think it's fine what the ESV does to translate it as oppressed by a demon.

So now the Sabbath is over this huge crowd full of sick and demonized people are outside Peter's door. In verse 34 Jesus healed many of the sick and cast out many demons and the demons would try to speak.

Like earlier in the synagogue and he screamed, you know when the demons screamed out I know who you are the Holy One of God. Remember that last week? He didn't want them saying that anymore. And so in verse 35, he does not permit the demons to speak.

What does that prove? What does it show? That Jesus could command the demons not to speak and they can't speak. That he can shut them up. It proves that he has authority over them. That if he tells them to be quiet.

They have to be quiet. They have to do What he says. It proves that he's Lord. Third. After a long night of healing and casting out demons proving that he is Lord over bodies and spirits. He got up early in the morning before it says before sunrise.

Went out to a lonely place. To pray. What's that proof? Well, it proves this is Jesus felt the need for prayer. How much more do we? Well Peter and the other disciples had to search for him and eventually they found him and said, you know.

Everyone's looking for you Jesus. They they want more of what they saw last night. These miracles have gotten people's attention. They attracted a crowd. Now, what does it prove that he slipped away in the early morning to get away from the crowd?

Well. It proves that he's not really interested in crowds. I wanted to help as many needy people as possible. Sure, but he wasn't doing it just to prove something to the crowds. Did this draw in big numbers for numbers sake look how many people I have.

I'm out doing John the Baptist now I'm the big shot. No, and so they told him when they told him everyone is looking for him. He said in verse 38. Let us go to the next towns that I may preach there. The crowds he's attracted gave him the opportunity to preach to more people to tell them that the kingdom of God is remember at hand.

It's here. And so they need to repent and they need to believe the good news. The crowds are. For Jesus are not just about numbers for numbers sake. Something you can boast him as though that proves something about him.

It doesn't by the end. He'll only have one disciple left. How concerned is he about crowds and think of it by the end. He only had one disciple left at the cross and a few women still willing to be with him.

He's preaching not to get big crowds, but because at the end of verse 38. That is why I came. He came to preach the kingdom of God. Came to declare God's kingdom and so he goes throughout the towns of Galilee.

That's kind of northern Israel. Preaching casting out demons. Now, what does that prove? It proves that he is the preacher. And while he's preaching his way through Galilee starting at verse 40 Jesus encounters a leper man.

That's leprosy if the man was abiding by the letter of the law in Leviticus. He would have to be calling out unclean unclean as Jesus and his disciples started to get closer to him. They had to warn people.

Lepers were supposed to warn anyone getting close that they had leprosy like that. Now lepers were supposed to live alone. They're supposed to be quarantined and they were supposed to warn anyone who came close, you know.

Keep a social distance we would say now and here the leper tells Jesus if you will if you. You will. You can make me clean. Notice that's a statement of faith. He believes that Jesus has the power Just to to will him.

To be healed of leprosy that his healing the lepers healing that it depends on the will of Jesus. Right understand the difference. It's not like healing is out there and this leper thinks that if he just says the right words if he implores Jesus in the Right way that he can get this leprosy that it all depends on the lepers will know the leper says if you will it depends On your will.

Jesus then in verse 41 Jesus does something revolutionary. It's got a really shocking in their culture something No one was supposed to do. He stretches out his hand and he touches he's already closer than they would normally be expected to be he touches the leper.

What does that prove? That proves that Jesus is not afraid of the disease. That he knows that as soon as he touches the leper. That the leper will be healed and so he Jesus won't be made unclean by touching the leper.

And when Jesus touches him at that moment The man becomes an ex-leper a disease that people a man now remember in their day people thought of leprosy is. But here if it's real real leprosy like we know the disease today and it's just basically final it's just uncurable.

They had no cure for it. It's unhealable as death itself. Basically, no one's come back from that and their tradition if you touched a leper you yourself were Unclean and had to go to the temple for cleansing.

Assuming you didn't catch leprosy in which case you're in trouble, but Jesus touches him proving that he is the toucher. Jesus says I will Be clean Leprechaun fast that is healing depended on Jesus as will and that's important prosperity preachers today.

Teach that our healing or our wealth or whatever, you know victory we want that our victory. They're preaching that it all depends on our will. They teach God wants everyone saved everyone healed and wealthy and all our problems is blown away.

And all we have to do is is we say the right words we can get it. It depends on us on our will. We can blow away all our problems like one of them literally last year blew away the corona virus. He said he literally blew.

And he claimed that the corona virus would disappear. That was like April of 2020. Okay, it didn't quite work out did it which it should tell everybody that this man's a false teacher and that is a false teaching that our healing or our Wealth are our you know, whatever blessing as you want.

It depends on our will and many more people. There's a plenty of people would know. Okay, that's wacky. But there's many more people other Christians would believe that our will is essential that it is.

Our will is the key that unlocks God's most important blessings because salvation. There's salvation. They think they will teach it. They will say it that our salvation depends on our will. Our making the right decision our saying the right words our repeating the right prayer.

Salvation that they say Requires our will it depends on us. It doesn't. Romans chapter 19 verse 16 says salvation. Does not depend on man's Desire or the word could be translated just as well will. Salvation does not depend on man's will or effort.

It's not our will or our words that create that makes something from nothing that heals that cleanses that saves. It's God's will and here Jesus shows that he is the one who wills he Is the willer. Well, there's God's will of command.

That is what he commands us to do and his will of decree. That is what he orders to happen like a king issuing a decree. He commanded Joseph's brothers. God commanded Joseph's brothers to to love their brother.

Think about that story in Genesis. I suppose to love your brother. God commanded Joseph's brothers to love Joseph. But he decreed Joseph says himself in Genesis chapter 50 verse 20, but he decreed that they would sell him into slavery.

Although that they would disobey the command to love their brother. He decreed that they would sell him to slavery so that Joseph could fulfill God's plan. Including the saving of many lives including the lives of the brothers who sold him into slavery.

That is God's will of command is what he commands us to do. Love your brother. What were commanded to do? But we don't always do it doing. We don't always do what he commands us to do now. God's will of decree is Always done as Paul says in Romans chapter 9 verse 19 who can resist his will.

He wills it it comes about His decree what he orders to happen that happens. Right. He's the willer. But we do resist his will of command what he commands us to do. Now here the Lord Jesus sternly charged the the ex-leper.

Now, he's an ex-leper in verse 43 something like. We don't exactly. Well, we do know exactly he said but something like whatever you do do not tell people about this miracle only the priest only tell them and Your family.

Now, is that clear? So he sternly warned them strictly ordered him not to talk about it in verse 44 see that you say nothing to anyone. This is God. This is God's Jesus's will of command. See that you say nothing to anyone but go show yourself to the priest and Offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded.

Now, what does that prove? Well, it proves that Jesus wasn't Just trying to draw in a bigger crowd. He wasn't using these miracles for publicity. His miracles weren't just tricks to grow big numbers. He didn't heal the leper so that he could use it for advertising.

Understand he did it to have compassion on that man. That man needed compassion and Jesus gave him compassion. He proves it proves that when we do ministry. When we preach the word or we share the gospel to the guys at gym.

Or have Jim jr. Or we visit a member when her husband is in the hospital after an emergency surgery. We don't do it. For the platform it might give us. We do it because we want those people to hear the gospel for the kid to be taken care of.

Because we care about a member in need if if we forget to take a picture of it while we're doing it. To post on Facebook. We just forget about it or to have in our next year's calendar. That's okay. That's not a big deal.

That's not what we're doing it for. Notice that Jesus told the ex-leper to go to the priest and offer the sacrifice the law requires as proof to them. What does that prove? Let's approve that Jesus wanted proof presented to the priest.

Well, it proves that Jesus really wasn't trying to abolish the law but to fulfill it as he said. That the priest should know that the plan was that only the priests would know and that they would know that Jesus kept the law.

The priest would know that the leper had been healed and by accepting that sacrifice the priest would then give proof. Kind of like a reference like a letter of reference. That God's kingdom had come.

Now remember there's God's will of command what he's commands us to do like here don't go tell anyone except the priest and God's will of decree what he decrees will happen here. Jesus proven to be the one whose will is done.

Commands the ex-leper to tell no one but the man went out and Did the opposite he told everybody he was a great the man should have gone to the advertising business. He was apparently had a knack for it.

The result was that so many people wanted to To see Jesus the result of that this ex-leper telling everyone about how he'd been healed now. Everybody wants to see Jesus so much. So there's so much of a of a crowd looking to see him that he couldn't publicly enter a town anymore.

He couldn't like go out down Main Street and everyone would see him because there would just be so much. So much of a crowd that he wouldn't be able to get in be too many people. And so what happened is he stayed out in the countryside mostly.

Kind of like being out here in the middle of you know, Providence middle of nowhere between Nancyville and Danville in a gym and People though here where they would come to him. Even though that was against Jesus's will of command.

It fulfilled his purpose. As we see in the next story finally starting in chapter 2 after this extensive preaching tour in in Galilee throughout Galilee Jesus comes back to Capernaum kind of his home base and Where he started back at home.

He is now wildly popular with hordes of people flocking to him the leper who had disobeyed his his command helped make that possible and the result of that is That one day There were so many people packed in to hear him preach the word.

No one could squeeze. No one else could squeeze in and four men came Bearing a friend on a on a mat. He calls it a bed. It's probably more like a stretcher or a mat. Bearing a paralyzed friend believing that Jesus would heal him if only they could get this paralyzed friend in front of Jesus.

Right, they so believe that they're gonna do whatever they can to get him in front of Jesus. But unable to get inside though. They think what are we going to do now? You know, it's not like well that.

They didn't think well, okay, even if we get him maybe Jesus really can't heal him. So never mind. It's just too hard. No, they they're just determined. So they go up to the roof now houses in that part of the world.

Most of them would have stairways outside. They go up to the roof and the roof was kind of like a patio up there and those houses. So we so they went up to the roof and in verse 4 they removed part of the roof.

Above Jesus and they lowered the paralyzed man down on there on his stretcher on his mat right in front of Jesus and Jesus saw that as Faith Jesus saw it says in verse 5 Jesus saw Their faith now that doesn't mean that he had some kind of supernatural Vision that he could look into their hearts and see wow, there's faith there.

Now I think it means that he saw what they did. This act of determination. So determined to get this man in front of Jesus, even if they're they can't get through the crowd. They're gonna lower him through the roof.

They saw that he saw that resolve that they were gonna do anything to get their friend in front in front in front of him he saw this work as Proving their faith. Faith without works is dead. That doesn't mean work safe.

No, they don't it means that saving faith produces works it changes the way you live. It makes you determined to do certain things here healing faith produces the determination to get their friend before Jesus.

So as Jesus he said he's probably sitting and preaching that was their usual posture for for teaching and preaching the hole opens up in the roof and This man is lowered in front of him. Probably to the gasp of people they're sitting around him.

He sees Jesus sees that and he sees faith. And so he says in verse 5 son Your sins are forgiven. How's that proof that proves that Jesus is the forgiver. But that poses a problem. Doesn't it? Especially for the theologians.

Here called the scribes. They're the scholars the Bible scholars when the scribes heard Jesus say son your sins are forgiven. They thought wait. Who does he think he is? He doesn't have the right to say that Verse 7.

Why did this man speak like that? He is blaspheming who can forgive sins, but God alone. Notice their reasoning. Okay, their reasoning is important. Only God can forgive sins that's their first premise their major premise then their minor premise.

Jesus is not God. He's not able to speak for God. But Jesus has just said that the paralytic sins are forgiven therefore. Based on their reasoning they conclude Jesus has blasphemed by speaking for God on his own authority.

What's Jesus's declaration that your sins are forgiven? What's that prove according to them? That he's a blasphemer. Jesus in verse 8 perceives says in his spirit. That they were inwardly accusing him of blasphemy.

He could tell That the deep of their hearts there. They'll think he's a blasphemer. We got to get him. So he answers their unspoken question to him. First with a counter question. Why do you question these things in your hearts?

Why why are you thinking like this? They've seen the they've seen this same act of faith in Jesus that Jesus saw. They heard Jesus declared that the man is forgiven. Why do they think that's wrong? Now keep in mind at this point the paralyzed man is still paralyzed.

Still lying on this mat this stretcher in front of Jesus probably for there's probably four heads I would guess you know peering through the hole in the roof. Seeing what's going on below the house is stuffed full of people.

And there's a huddle of of scribes looking on now with scowls on their face. Who does he think he is? When Jesus turns he speaks directly to them why are you so critical and they were thinking. They were thinking because you don't have a right to pronounce sins forgiven.

So Jesus debates. With their silent thoughts in verse 9, which is easier to say to the paralytic? Your sins are forgiven. Or to say Rise, take up your bed and walk. Now this confuses some people. Let's take it apart piece by piece notice.

Jesus didn't ask he didn't ask which is easier to make true. This is easier to declare with authority. Now forgiveness is actually harder to do. You understand to have the authority to declare someone forgiven is much more difficult than just declaring someone's healed.

Forgiveness requires a sacrifice that God accepts. Forgiveness requires satisfying God's holiness and justice. Forgiveness requires appeasing God's wrath. Who can do that? That's something that none of us can do.

But that's not what Jesus is asking. He's not asking which is harder to do. He's asking which is harder to say. Jesus not arguing with their premise that only God can forgive sins. He agrees with them about that.

Then how can he declare the paralytic sins forgiven? Doesn't that prove that Jesus has blasphemed. But the second premise the minor premise that Jesus is not God. That's the problem. Now keep believing Jesus is saying here, you know, keep believing that only God can forgive sins.

That's right. But then let's prove That Jesus can forgive sins. Which is easier to say say the words your sins are forgiven. How can how can you prove that that's true or not? If I say that how can you prove that I'm mistaken or I'm right?

You know, normally that kind of statement your sins are forgiven is what you might call Unfalsifiable you can't prove it wrong. You have no way to prove that. I'm just saying empty words. There's no way to prove this.

So the paralyzed man lying on the mat in front of Jesus no way to prove that his sins are forgiven or not. So it's easy to say. But normally you have no way of knowing whether his sins are really forgiven but now you do have a way Jesus has just Given us a test a way of proving.

Now we do have a way of proving it is wrong. Which is he easier to say your sins are forgiven or to tell him this paralyzed man to get up and walk. It's easier to say even if there are empty words your sins are forgiven because if you say to the paralyzed man Rise and walk and he still can't do it.

He's still just paralyzed lying there. Then everyone will know That you're a fraud. That you're a blasphemer. Scribes are right. So understand the test. That Jesus has just laid out for himself Jesus said to verse 10, but that you may know That is to prove to you who I am.

This is the way to prove. This is one of those it's what does it prove? Well that you may know that the and then he says the Son of Man. We got to take a little Go down a side path there. The Son of Man, this is the first time that this title is used.

This term is used in mark gospel mark son of man. It's Jesus's favorite term for himself. What does it prove many people just assume? Well, it proves that he's a as a person. He's a son of man. He's a man and no one questioned that you saw Jesus walking down the road.

You don't think is that a man? No, of course not. It wasn't easy a man. What's it prove? Well, he refers to a vision in Daniel chapter 7 where Daniel sees he says one Like a son of man if you read the whole chapter, he sees a succession of empires symbolized by Beasts different kinds of beasts for different beasts and then at the end of this succession of a beast he says one like a son of man one like a human being unlike unlike these beasts and One like a son of man.