Misunderstanding the Messiah

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14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 17 For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.

21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison 28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb. – Mark 6:14-29 ESV

In the middle of his account of Jesus’ commissioning and sending of the 12 disciples on their first official missionary journey, Mark inserts the story of John the Baptist’s death. At first glance, placing this event here in his gospel narrative seems odd and out of place, but it offers important insight into the atmosphere surrounding Jesus and His ministry.

Jesus had warned His 12 disciples that they would encounter a wide range of reactions as they preached and performed miracles throughout Galilee. Some would gladly receive them, while others would refuse to have anything to do with them. Although Jesus’ reputation had spread throughout the region, confusion and even conflict over His identity remained. Some believed He was their long-anticipated Messiah. Others concluded that He must be a prophet sent by God, with some declaring that He was actually Elijah. According to 2 Kings, Elijah did not die but was taken up to heaven by God (2 Kings 2:11-12, so some assumed that Elijah had simply reappeared on earth.

Then there was the rumor that Jesus was actually the resurrected John the Baptist. This is why Mark mentions John’s death at this point in his narrative. To make the rumor of John’s return make sense, Mark had to explain how John died. Mark’s last mention of John the Baptist was in Chapter 1.

John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. – Mark 1:4-5 ESV

In that same chapter, Mark recounts John baptizing Jesus but never mentions him again until this point. The apostle John revealed that John the Baptist knew his ministry and mission were short-term in nature. He had been given the divine privilege of announcing the coming of the Messiah, but once Jesus appeared, John the Baptist knew his job was done. He even rejoiced in the diminishing nature of his role.

“I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.” – John 3:29-30 NLT

But John the Baptist didn’t just hang up his camel-hair coat and retire; God decommissioned him, and Mark details his fate. To explain why people assumed Jesus was John the Baptist returned from the dead, Mark had to reveal how Mark died in the first place. As the story makes clear, John’s death was tragic and unexpected.

At this point, Mark introduces Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee and Perea. Herod was the Roman-appointed ruler of northern Israel. Mark calls Herod a king, which was not uncommon at the time. But Herod was not a descendant of David, and most Jews did not recognize him as Israel’s official king. He was little more than a puppet king, who served at the discretion of Caesar. As the story unfolds, this pseudo-sovereign would later play a significant role in Jesus’ life.

Herod was a wicked man who coveted power and would do anything to solidify and maintain his lofty position. He was one of the sons of Herod the Great, who ruled over Israel when Jesus was born. After Herod the Great’s death, the Romans appointed Herod Antipas and his brother, Philip, to rule over their father’s former lands. In a sense, the brothers became competitors, each vying for Caesar’s favor and hoping to expand and solidify their power and influence. The Jewish historian Josephus records that Herod Antipas fell in love with his brother’s wife, Herodias. He divorced his own wife and convinced Herodias to leave Philip and marry him instead. This kind of behavior by a “king” of Israel was unacceptable, and John the Baptist publicly called out Herod for this and other indiscretions.

John also publicly criticized Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, for marrying Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for many other wrongs he had done. So Herod put John in prison, adding this sin to his many others. – Luke 3:19-20 NLT

John the Baptist accused Herod of violating God’s laws concerning divorce and remarriage.

“It is against God’s law for you to marry her.” – Matthew 14:4 NLT

But his outspoken criticism of this powerful man resulted in his imprisonment. Herod had heard enough from John and decided to curtail his criticism by locking him away.

Matthew’s gospel states that this turn of events left John confused and questioning the very nature of Jesus’ identity. He began to doubt whether Jesus was who he had thought Him to be. He even sent some of his disciples to seek clarification.

John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?” – Matthew 11:2-3 NLT

John had believed Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, but his sudden and unexpected imprisonment seems to have caught him off guard. Perhaps John didn’t think things would end this way. If Jesus was the  King of Israel, would He not defeat the Romans and remove Herod from power? John was having a difficult time reconciling his imprisonment with his belief that Jesus was the anointed one of God. But all of this was part of God’s sovereign plan. In His wisdom and according to His providential will, God orchestrated every event in John’s life. Unbeknownst to him, John was living out his very statement: “I must become less and less.” Little did John know he would sacrifice his life so his ministry would not be a distraction. His role was to herald the Messiah’s arrival. But now that Jesus was here, John’s job was complete, and God would call him home.

John’s death reveals volumes about the decadence and immoral nature of Herod and his unlawful wife. This woman was furious with John over his humiliating comments about her, and she longed to see him dead. When she discovered that her husband had imprisoned John, she began to scheme how to take advantage of the situation and ensure that John never left the prison alive. Her chance came when Herod threw a lavish birthday party for himself and invited “his court officials, military commanders, and leaders of Galilee” (Mark 6:21 NLT). Part of the night’s entertainment was a dance performed by his own stepdaughter, Salome. It seems likely that her mother set this young girl up. It was part of a carefully orchestrated plot to eliminate John the Baptist. Pleased by Salome’s dancing, Herod offered her a reward,

“Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” He swore to her, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.” – Mark 6:22-23 NLT

When Salome sought her mother’s input, Herodias told her to request the head of John the Baptist on a platter. The queen saw her chance to seek revenge and took full advantage. She knew Herod would have to keep his word, having made his brash, unwise offer in front of all his guests. Reluctantly, Herod gave in to Salome’s strange request. He immediately ordered John’s execution and had his head placed on a platter and presented to his stepdaughter as a reward for her dancing. Ultimately, Herodias received the gruesome gift.

This brings Mark’s little diversion full circle. The death of John the Baptist must have haunted Herod for some time. When he heard rumors about Jesus, he began to wonder whether John had returned from the dead.

“John, whom I beheaded, has been raised!” – Mark 6:26 NLT

This statement is filled with fear and foreboding. Herod must have had nightmares about his unlawful execution of John. He had ordered the death of a man for speaking the truth. As a convert to Judaism, Herod knew his marriage to Herodias was unlawful. Yet, due to his own pride and arrogance, Herod made a rash vow and unintentionally sealed the fate of this innocent man. Now he had to live with the consequences.

But this entire section of Mark’s gospel is less about Herod’s actions and John’s death than about Jesus’ identity. Sometime later, Jesus would ask His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13 ESV). Their response reflects the diversity of opinions about Jesus, including Herod’s. 

“Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” – Matthew 16:14 ESV

But when Jesus asked for their opinion, only Peter spoke up, proclaiming, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16 ESV). Jesus blessed Peter for his bold assertion but didn’t credit him for answering correctly. Instead, His Heavenly Father revealed His identity to Peter. One disciple gave the right response, but Jesus commanded all of them to keep it to themselves. 

Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. – Matthew 16:20 ESV

This prohibition against proclaiming His true identity seems strange. Why would Jesus prevent His disciples from declaring who He was? The answer is simple: they misunderstood the Messiah’s role. They expected a conquering king who would lead them to victory over the Romans and reestablish the Davidic dynasty and Israel’s dominance in the region. So, when Jesus began to reveal the truth about His mission, the disciples became conflicted.

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. – Matthew 16:21 ESV

This news confused His disciples because it didn’t fit their narrative about the Messiah. Dismayed by Jesus’ words, Peter “took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you’” (Matthew 16:22 ESV). Peter didn’t like what he heard. Jesus’ talk of death didn’t track with Peter’s understanding of the Messiah’s role. After Jesus had blessed Peter for his correct answer, he had to rebuke him for his lack of understanding. 

“Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” – Matthew 16:23 ESV

Herod had misidentified Jesus, but so had Peter. Their understanding of Him was either incorrect or incomplete because they were using human reasoning to determine His identity. Herod didn’t want to consider Jesus to be a king because that would make Him a competitor for the throne. Peter refused to accept Jesus’ talk of death because He had no use for a dead Messiah. Everyone had opinions about Jesus, but no one understood who He was. Peter had given the right answer, but still had a long way to go before He understood what it meant.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Taste of Things To Come

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7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them. – Mark 6:7-13 ESV

In the closing half of verse 6, Mark reveals that Jesus “went about among the villages teaching.” At this point in His ministry, Jesus concentrates His energies on the region of Galilee. After being rejected by the citizens of His hometown of Nazareth, Jesus moves on, taking His message of the Kingdom to other towns and villages where He will find a more receptive audience.

In this section, Jesus, as Master and Teacher, begins to prepare His disciples for the role they will play when the time comes for Him to return to His Father’s side in heaven. God handpicked these men (John 17:6) and assigned them to serve by Jesus’ side, but their greater contribution to the Kingdom would come after the Son’s eventual departure.

For some time, they have witnessed Jesus cast out demons, heal the sick, minister to the needy, display His power over the elements of nature, and confound people with His preaching and parables. But now, they were going to become participants rather than spectators. These men would be given an opportunity to practice what Jesus had preached. Instead of standing in the background safely observing His ministry, they will find themselves on the front lines declaring the arrival of the kingdom of heaven. To validate their message, they will be given unprecedented power to perform miracles, just like their Lord and Master.

Jesus sends them out in pairs, likely in keeping with Old Testament teaching on witnesses. Since these men would be declaring the news of the kingdom’s arrival and Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah, a second witness would validate that message. And Jesus knew that these men would need the strength and encouragement that comes with companionship. In keeping with the teaching found in the Book of Ecclesiastes, Jesus paired up His disciples.

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. – Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NLT

This entire enterprise was meant to benefit the disciples. While their message and ministry were vital, Jesus gave them this assignment to prepare them. As He has been doing all along, Jesus was attempting to strengthen their faith. Despite their constant exposure to His teaching and their front-row seats to His amazing displays of power, they still struggled to comprehend His true identity. Even after witnessing Him calm the winds and waves on the Sea of Galilee, they expressed shock and uncertainty.

“Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” – Mark 4:41 ESV

Jesus knew His disciples remained unconvinced about who He was. They wanted to believe He was the Messiah of Israel, but so much of what He said and did seemed to contradict their expectations and aspirations. They couldn’t deny His power, and the crowds that followed Him wherever He went made it clear that Jesus was growing in popularity. But His ongoing disputes with the religious leaders confused the disciples. How could He unite the people and lead them to victory over the Romans if He kept alienating the most powerful men in the nation?

But the disciples still had much to learn about the Kingdom and the Messiah’s reign. They had to repent of their preconceived ideas about God’s plans for His people. They had their own visions of the future, and when Jesus didn’t do things the way they expected, they wrestled with doubt.

So this brief mission was meant to put them on the front lines of the battle and strengthen their belief in Jesus’ identity as the Son of God. As He prepared to send them, He gave them “authority over the unclean spirits” (Mark 6:8 ESV). They would possess the same power He had displayed, the power that allowed Him to cast out the demons from the Gadarene demoniac (Mark 5:1-20). But while they would have access to great power, they were to place themselves under God’s mercy and provision. Jesus instructed them to travel light and to trust God for all their needs.

He told them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick—no food, no traveler’s bag, no money. He allowed them to wear sandals but not to take a change of clothes. – Mark 6:9 NLT

Matthew shows that Jesus gave strict instructions about the disciples’ destination. They were to focus their efforts on the Jews and were prohibited from ministering among the Gentiles and Samaritans.

“Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons.” – Matthew 9:5-8 ESV

Their message was clear; they were to declare the same news that John the Baptist preached in the wilderness of Judea. It was the same kingdom message Jesus had been spreading throughout Galilee, and to give their words authority, they were given the power to perform the same kind of miracles Jesus did. These signs and wonders would prove that their message came from God and was to be heard and heeded.

Jesus warns that if anyone refuses to listen to their message, the disciples are to walk away. They are not to waste time on those who reject the kingdom message and the call to repentance. Instead, they are to “shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them” (Mark 6:11 ESV). This symbolic act was meant to condemn the unrepentant Jews as unbelieving, defiled, and subject to divine judgment. Jesus knew many Jews would refuse to listen to His disciples, and these men would experience the same level of rejection He had encountered in Nazareth.

All of this aligns with the words of John in the opening chapter of his gospel.

He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. – John 1:11-13 ESV

Sadly, those Jews who believed themselves to be the children of God but who refused to accept Jesus as the Son of God would find themselves rejected by God.

Equipped with divine power and a clear message, the disciples went into the far reaches of Galilee. They called the people to repentance and “cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them” (Mark 6:13 ESV). This brief but eventful venture would do wonders for the disciples’ confidence and go a long way in solidifying their faith in Jesus. It would give them a glimpse of the future day when their resurrected Lord and Savior would give them His Great Commission.

“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20 NLT

The day was coming when Jesus would depart and turn over the gospel ministry to these very same men. But the message would be slightly different. Rather than declaring that the Kingdom was near and repentance was needed, they would be teaching that the King had come and given His life as an atonement for sin. The Messiah had appeared, not as a conquering warrior, but as a suffering servant and sacrificial lamb. Jesus came to conquer sin, death, and the grave, not the Romans. He came to reconcile unrepentant sinners to a holy God. Their message would be the same one that Jesus delivered to Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die” (John 11:25-26 NLT).

After Jesus’ miraculous resurrection, they would take the good news of salvation to the ends of the earth. But for now, they were being given a taste of what was to come. This missionary excursion was like a dress rehearsal for their future role as His ambassadors. But on this occasion, they would cast out many demons and heal many diseases, but find few converts. They had the power to heal, but they were missing the power of the resurrection. Jesus had not yet died and been raised back to life, so the sins of men had not yet been paid for. That is why Jesus later told His disciples, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives” (John 12:23-24 NLT).

The disciples didn’t understand that their Messiah had come to die. Over time, Jesus tried to explain that His mission was not to set up an earthly kingdom, but to sacrifice His life for mankind’s sins. At His trial before Pilate, He would declare, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36 NLT). He would go on to tell Pilate, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true” (John 18:37 NLT). 

The disciples would experience the thrill of performing miracles, but they would see no lasting life change. Their efforts would be temporary, and any change they produced would be physical, not spiritual. They were missing resurrection power, the kind of power that would raise Jesus from the dead and make possible forgiveness of sins and eternal life. For now, their message was incomplete, and their power was limited. But the day would come when, filled with the Holy Spirit, they would go into the world and declare the reality of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and God’s gracious offer of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Scandal of Disbelief

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1 He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching. – Mark 6:1-6 ESV

After healing the woman with a discharge of blood and raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead, Jesus and His disciples went to Nazareth. But there is one last thing we need to look at before leaving these two amazing miracles behind. In recording the events of these miracles, Mark provides two details that, at first glance, seem unimportant. First, when describing the medical condition of the woman who touched Jesus’ robe, Mark states that she “had had a discharge of blood for twelve years” (Mark 5:25 ESV). One might assume that he included this detail simply to emphasize the long-term and hopeless nature of the woman’s condition.

But then, just a few verses later, in describing the healing of Jairus’ young daughter, Mark adds another interesting detail.

And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age)… – Mark 5:42 ESV

Why did Mark feel the need to provide the girl’s age? Perhaps he did so to explain her ability to walk when commanded. But why did he think it was important to share her exact age? Even a toddler could have responded when Jesus called out, “Little girl, I say to you, arise” (Mark 5:41 ESV).

Did Mark use these two references to years to connect these two miracles? Consider the fact that the very year the woman’s debilitating medical condition began would have been the same year the young girl had been born. While this woman spent the next 12 years visiting physicians and spending all her financial resources seeking a cure, Jairus’s young daughter would have lived a protected, privileged life. After all, her father was a well-respected leader in the local synagogue. For 12 years, the woman’s life would have been marked by pain and suffering, while the young girl most likely experienced a happy and carefree existence. But to the surprise of her family and friends, her young life ended suddenly and tragically in death. No one saw it coming. Although her anxious father sought out the miracle worker Jesus, his efforts proved futile. It was too little, too late.

It would be natural to expect the older woman, who suffered from an incurable medical condition, to be the first to die, but she was spared because she placed her faith in Jesus. Her condition was fatal, and she was close to death; however, she was delivered from death’s door. But the young girl, whose best years were ahead of her, ended up surrounded by mourners grieving her premature and pointless death. But because of her father’s faith, Jesus raised her back to life. Upon hearing the devastating news that his daughter had died, Jairus was told by Jesus, “Do not fear, only believe” (Mark 5:36 ESV). Jesus didn’t tell Jairus why or what he should believe. But the distraught father followed Jesus and witnessed his 12-year-old daughter be miraculously restored to life.

Two women, one old and one young, one sick and the other whole. One anticipated death, and the other was completely surprised by it. And yet, both women were delivered from death by the same man. The one who was near death was prevented from having to experience it. The one who experienced death was brought back from it through the power and authority of Jesus. This reminds us of the words He spoke to Martha just before He raised her brother, Lazarus, from the dead.

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” – John 11:25-26 ESV

When we read the words, “…though he die, yet shall he live,” we should think of the 12-year-old girl. When we read the words, “everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die,” we should think of the woman who had been sick for 12 long years. These two women provide us with living proof of Jesus’ statement. Yes, both would end up dying at some later date. But, in healing them and delivering them from death when He did, Jesus was demonstrating for His disciples that He had power over death and the grave. And, one day, He would prove it with His own death and resurrection.

But back to today’s passage. Jesus and His disciples made their way to Nazareth, the town where He grew up. This is where Mary and Joseph had settled and raised their family. After Jesus’ birth, they had additional children who, unlike their older brothers, all chose to remain in Nazareth.

The next Sabbath, Jesus and His disciples went to the local synagogue, where Jesus was honored as a visiting Rabbi or teacher. He was given the opportunity to address the congregation, and what He said that day made a strong impression on those in the room. But His words received mixed reviews.

“Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?” Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” – Mark 6:2-3 NLT

Some marveled at His eloquence and His ability to perform such amazing miracles. News of His most recent demonstrations of power had likely reached Capernaum. But others in the crowd that day were unimpressed because they saw Jesus as nothing more than a common carpenter. They knew His family and were probably aware that even His own brothers thought He had lost His mind (Mark 3:21). His own family refused to believe He was the Messiah of Israel (John 7:5). It seems likely that Jesus’ siblings shared their opinions about their famous brother, and this negative publicity appears to have jaded the minds of those who had known Jesus since He was a child. Mark reveals that the naysayers’ opinion prevailed that day.

They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. – Mark 6:3 NLT

“‘Offense’ comes from the Greek root word skandalizo. It means a stumbling block that causes someone to sin or to distrust another. Jesus expounds on this theme in Matthew. There, He calls Himself a capstone on God’s plan of salvation that the religious leaders stumble on, making it impossible for them to receive Him (Matthew 21:42-46). Luke explains that the people of Nazareth aren’t just doubtful; they try to push Jesus off a cliff (Luke 4:28-30).” – https://www.bibleref.com/Mark/6/Mark-6-3

They were “scandalized” by Jesus’ words and actions. They found Him offensive and off-putting, not someone worthy of their belief and trust.  Mark goes on to note that Jesus “marveled because of their unbelief” (Mark 6:6 ESV). Those who knew Him best rejected His message and refused to believe the rumors that He was the long-awaited Messiah. They knew the rumors about His miracles, and when they heard Him speak, they were amazed at His wisdom. But they couldn’t get past the fact that this was the same man whom they had seen running and playing in the streets of Nazareth as a boy. How could the local carpenter’s son be the long-awaited Messiah? The old adage, “familiarity breeds contempt,” comes to mind. They knew too much, and their knowledge blinded them to the truth.

Sensing their disbelief and outright rejection of His message and ministry, Jesus said, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family” (Mark 6:4 NLT). Even the Old Testament prophets found it hard to get those who knew them best to listen. Their claims to be spokesmen for God went unheeded, and their calls to repentance fell on deaf ears. Jesus joins the rejected and disrespected prophets of God. He was in good company and experienced the same bad outcome.

Their refusal to accept Jesus as the Son of God prevented them from experiencing God’s power. Jesus’ miracles would remain nothing more than rumors. The healings they had heard about would not take place in their community. The sick would find no relief. The demon-possessed would experience no release. The blind would remain sightless and doomed to walk in darkness. The disbelieving citizens of Nazareth would allow the Light of the world to walk away, leaving them wandering in the darkness of their own sin.

Mark paints a pathetic, pitiable picture of the scene as Jesus prepared to leave His hometown.

…because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. – Mark 6:5 NLT

The entire town of Nazareth lacked faith. Despite all they had heard and seen, they couldn’t get past the fact that this was Jesus, the son of Joseph and Mary. He was just a man and no better than them. So, why should they honor Him? Why should they believe Him? Sadly, the Messiah, the anointed one of God, had grown up among them, but their stubborn pride and sin would prevent them from recognizing Him. While Jesus would mercifully heal a few, the rest would be left to die in their sins. Their refusal to believe would have dire, deadly consequences. The real scandal was that the people of Nazareth missed the opportunity to receive new life from the Light of life. Standing outside Lazarus’ grave, Jesus told Martha, “Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:25-26 ESV). Then he asked her, “Do you believe this?” (John 11:26 ESV). 

The two women in Chapter 4 were living witnesses of Jesus’ authority and power, and could testify to His identity as the Son of God. They would have been scandalized by the people of Nazareth’s disbelief. Who, in their right mind, would reject the words and works of someone like Jesus? What could justify such dismissive treatment of the one who could prevent death and restore life? But Jesus, while amazed at the disbelief of His family, friends, and neighbors, was not deterred from His mission. Mark says He “went about among the villages teaching” (Mark 6:6 ESV). He remained committed to His Father’s will and determined to finish what He came to do. The apostle Paul describes Jesus’ unwavering dedication to His Father’s plan. 

Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. – Philippians 2:5-8 ESV

Jesus Himself described how He would fulfill that plan and demonstrate His Father’s love for sinful humanity.

“…the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:14-16 NLT

God showed His love by sending His Son to die for sinful men; that is the real scandal. Choosing to disbelieve that truth is not only shocking but sad. By rejecting Jesus, the people of Nazareth made a fateful decision with eternal implications. The apostle John offers a sobering reminder that disbelief has consequences, but so does belief.

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. – John 1:10-13 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Only Believe

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35 While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler’s house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37 And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. 38 They came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 And when he had entered, he said to them, “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40 And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him and went in where the child was. 41 Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat. – Mark 5:35-43 ESV

While reading Mark’s narrative about the woman’s miraculous healing, it is easy to forget about Jairus. This poor man was forced to bide his time and wait for Jesus to finish His conversation with the woman. Witnessing her miraculous healing must have bolstered his faith in Jesus, but it was probably hard for him to hide his frustration at the unexpected delay. As a concerned father, he would have seen his daughter’s circumstance as more pressing and immediate. The woman had lived with her chronic condition for 12 years, and she could have waited a bit longer. After all, his daughter was dying.

But the chronology of these two events is critical. The woman’s decision to touch Jesus’ garment caused what appeared to be an unexpected delay that seems to have compromised Jesus’ plans and placed Him in a difficult situation. While He had been dealing with the woman, the young girl had died. Mark records that the news of her death came abruptly and bluntly.

While he was still speaking to her, messengers arrived from the home of Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. They told him, “Your daughter is dead. There’s no use troubling the Teacher now.”– Mark 5:35 NLT

The delay had been costly. Yes, the woman received healing from her debilitating medical condition, but it had been at the expense of the young girl’s life. It seems Mark wanted his readers to wrestle with the conflicting emotions this sad scene stirred up. Immediately, one is forced to ask what would have happened if the woman had not touched the edge of Jesus’ garment. What if she hadn’t been able to force her way through the crowd and touch Jesus? There would have been no delay, and the young girl might still be alive. What thoughts must have been running through Jairus’ mind as he was forced to process this devastating news? Was he angry with Jesus? Did he blame the woman?

Mark gives no answers; he simply mentions that Jesus overheard the messengers delivering the fateful news to Jairus. But rather than expressing His sorrow over Jairus’ loss or apologizing for the untimely delay, Jesus told the grieving father, “Do not fear, only believe” (Mark 5:36 ESV).

Let the weight of this statement sink in. Jairus has just heard that his 12-year-old daughter is dead, and the one man whom he believed could heal her is telling him not to believe. In a sense, Jesus encouraged Jairus not to allow this news to frighten or upset him, but to replace his fear with faith.

But Jairus had believed. He came to Jesus, knelt at His feet, and begged Him to help his dying daughter.

“My little daughter is dying,” he said. “Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.” – Mark 5:23 NLT

He had believed that Jesus could do something about her condition, but now, it was too late. She was dead, and Jairus must have struggled to control his frustration and anger at this callous-sounding comment from Jesus. The time for believing was gone.

This scene is similar to one John records in his gospel. He tells of another delay that resulted in death. Jesus had been called to the home of His dear friend Lazarus. Mary and Martha, Lazarus’s sisters, sent Jesus a message saying Lazarus was ill. But upon hearing this news, Jesus delayed His departure for two days, then informed His disciples, “Lazarus has died,  and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him” (John 11:14-15 ESV).

When Jesus finally arrived in Bethany, He was told that Lazarus’s body had been in the tomb for four days. Martha, Lazarus’ sister, expressed her disappointment and frustration with Jesus.

“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” – John 11:21 ESV

Mary echoed her feelings.

 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” – John 11:32 ESV

But what did Jesus tell His disciples when He heard the news of Lazarus’ passing?

“…for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe.” – John 11:15 ESV

Jesus delayed His departure on purpose; two days had been more than enough time for Lazarus to die and be buried. Jesus deliberately created an apparently hopeless scenario that even His disciples would have viewed as beyond His power to remedy. But Jesus had delayed so that they might believe. He wasn’t surprised by the news of Lazarus’ death, and He wasn’t concerned that, after four days, the body of Lazarus would have already begun to decay. He stepped up to the tomb, commanded the stone to be rolled away, and confidently shouted, “Lazarus, come out” (John 11:43 ESV), and John records, “the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth” (John 11:44 NLT). The words Jesus spoke to Martha just before this incredible event must have been ringing in her ears.

“Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” – John 11:40 NLT

So, when Jesus told Jairus, “Do not fear, only believe,” He meant it, because He knew what He was about to do. If Jairus continued to believe despite the circumstances, he too would see God’s glory.

Amazingly, the grieving father faithfully accompanied Jesus and three of His disciples to his home. When they arrived, they found a scene of great sorrow with “people weeping and wailing loudly” (Mark 5:38 ESV). The mourning process had already begun, and the funeral preparations were already well underway. But Jesus interrupted the proceedings with a question and a comment: “Why all this commotion and weeping? The child isn’t dead; she’s only asleep” (Mark 5:39 ESV).

His words must have come across as either painfully callous and insensitive or simply misinformed. Either way, the people responded with derisive laughter. But Jesus ignored their reaction and had them removed. Then, accompanied by the deceased girl’s parents and His three disciples, Jesus entered her room. As Jairus and his wife wept and the disciples watched in disbelief, Jesus took the little girl’s hand and spoke to her. “Talitha koum,” which means “Little girl, get up!” (Mark 5:41 NLT).

And according to Mark’s account, the transformation was instantaneous.

And the girl, who was twelve years old, immediately stood up and walked around! They were overwhelmed and totally amazed. – Mark 5:42 NLT

She went from being fully dead to being fully alive — in an instant. And her amazing transformation was as if she had simply been awakened from sleep. For Jesus, restoring the dead girl to life had been no more difficult than waking someone up. It’s no coincidence that Jesus used the waking-sleeping analogy in both of these death-to-life scenarios. Even though Jesus knew Lazarus had died, He told His disciples, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him” (John 11:11 ESV).

For Jesus, death was no obstacle. As John wrote in his gospel account, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4 ESV). Jesus would later refer to Himself as “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6 NLT). As the Son of God, Jesus was the author of all life. He was the Creator-God who gave life to all things, and He would soon prove Himself to be the conqueror of death.

These two events were meant to encourage His disciples to believe that He was who He claimed to be. As impressed as they were by His calming of the storm and His exorcism of the demons, this miracle must have left them completely shocked. Mark simply says they were overcome with amazement.

They couldn’t believe their eyes because they had just witnessed Jesus do the impossible. Peter, James, and John must have been eager to tell their companions what they had just seen. But before they could rush out the door and spread the news of this amazing miracle, Jesus cooled their enthusiasm. He commanded them not to tell anyone what they had seen, and this prohibition applied to the parents as well.

Jesus gave them strict orders not to tell anyone what had happened, and then he told them to give her something to eat. – Mark 5:43 NLT

Jesus operated on a divine timeline, and His mission followed a tightly orchestrated schedule that was part of God’s preordained plan. As a student of human nature, Jesus knew that if news of this miracle got out, people would attempt to make Him their king. It would prove He was the long-awaited Messiah who possessed the power to raise the dead to life and would have no problem defeating the Romans. But Jesus’ hour had not yet come. He had more ministry to accomplish and much more training to complete with His disciples.

This incredible miracle was meant to give His disciples undeniable proof of His power and authority, and to clarify the nature of His mission. He had not come to be their King, at least, not yet. He had not come to destroy the Romans or restore Israel’s political fortunes. No, He came to restore the spiritually dead to new life, and that was the message He communicated to Martha just before restoring her brother to life.

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” – John 11:25-26 ESV

Thanks to Jesus, the young girl and Lazarus were alive. But their new lives were temporary and not permanent. They would both face death again, which meant that they needed to experience the new birth Jesus described to Nicodemus.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again [from above]  he cannot see the kingdom of God.” – John 3:3 ESV

The real resurrection from death to life was yet to come. But it would require Jesus to sacrifice His life as payment for men’s sins. Jesus didn’t want news of this miracle to spread because He was on a mission to provide resurrection life, not just restoration from death. Both the young girl and Lazarus received new life from Jesus, but it wasn’t the kind of life He came to provide. Because of their sins, they were still under the condemnation of eternal separation from God. But Jesus changed that when He willfully went to the cross as the sinless sacrifice that satisfied the just demands of His Holy Father. The author of Hebrews wrote, “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22 NLT). But the apostle Paul explained, “Sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 14:56-57 NLT).

Jesus came not just to provide new life, but eternal life — a never-ending, uninterrupted existence with God the Father and His Son. This new existence would not become available until Jesus completed His mission by giving His life as atonement for mankind’s sins. His death, burial, and resurrection would be the means by which sinful men and women could be restored to new life, but it would require belief, just as Jesus had told Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:25-26 NLT). But the question that needs to be answered is, “Do you believe this?”

“For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” – John 6:40 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Healing Faith

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21 And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. 22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet 23 and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” 24 And he went with him.

And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. 25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” 31 And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 And he looked around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” – Mark 5:21-34 ESV

The disciples sailed back to the opposite shore with their minds filled with the images of the herd of demon-possessed swine plummeting over the cliff into the sea and the former demoniac sitting calmly at the feet of Jesus. It had been a whirlwind 24 hours. They had witnessed Jesus calm a violent storm and restore a demon-possessed man to sanity. In addition, they had heard those demons refer to their master as the “Jesus, Son of the Most High God” (Mark 5:7 ESV). With the demons’ testimony still ringing in their ears, they had unknowingly received the answer to the question they had posed earlier. After witnessing the miracle of Jesus calming the storm, they asked, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:41 ESV).

They had their answer, but Jesus was not done revealing His true identity. More God-ordained encounters in the days ahead would provide further proof that Jesus was who He claimed to be and who the demons confessed Him to be.

After their brief but eventful trip to the region of Decapolis, Jesus and His disciples found themselves immediately surrounded by a large crowd. Mark gives the impression that, before Jesus could even disembark from the boat, the masses had lined the shoreline. Luke supports that idea by adding, “they were all waiting for him” (Luke 8:40 ESV).

Still standing by the sea and surrounded by a crowd, Jesus was approached by a man named Jairus, a ruler in the local synagogue. This man was not a professional priest, but a layman responsible for conducting Sabbath services and overseeing the synagogue’s ongoing care. His role would have made him a recognized and well-respected member of the local community. His high-visibility position likely gave him familiarity with the Pharisees and other religious rulers of Israel. So, when he kneeled at the feet of Jesus before a large gathering of his own neighbors and friends, he was taking a great risk, not only personally but professionally.

We know from John’s gospel that the religious leaders of Israel were intensifying their efforts to discredit Jesus and prevent the people from following Him. John records an occasion when Jesus healed a man who had been blind from birth. The Pharisees interrogated the man’s parents, questioning whether their son had really been blind at all. Racked with fear, they responded, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself” (John 9:20-21 ESV). John provides color commentary that explains their cautious response.

His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. – John 9:22 ESV

The religious leaders refused to believe that Jesus was the Christ, yet Jairus, a ruler in the local synagogue, knelt before Jesus and begged Him to heal His daughter.

“My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” – Mark 5:23 ESV

Mark conveys the intensity of the man’s desperation when he writes, “he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly” (Mark 5:22-23 ESV). Mark uses the Greek word parakaleō, the same one he used to describe how the demons begged Jesus not to torment them, but to cast them into the swine. He used the same word to describe the fearful townspeople begging Jesus to leave their community. It is an emotionally intense word that conveys earnest begging or beseeching.  

This man was emotionally distraught and willing to do anything to save the life of his dying daughter. She meant far more to him than his career or reputation. If expressing faith in Jesus could preserve her life, the loss of his job was a price he was willing to pay. To his relief, Jesus agreed to go with him, but they didn’t go alone. Mark reports that “a great crowd followed him and thronged about him” (Mark 5:24 ESV). The crowd moved en masse, pressing in on Jesus and the anxious father as they made their way to the man’s home. But before they reached their destination, something else happened.

Another individual was in the crowd that day. But unlike the ruler of the synagogue, this person held no high position in the community. She was an obscure, unnamed woman who had made her way to the seashore that day, hoping to be healed by a man named Jesus. But she was just one among many, struggling through the crowd to get close enough to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment.

This woman had what appears to be an incurable medical condition that Mark describes as “a discharge of blood” (Mark 5:25 ESV). She had suffered with it for 12 long years. Not only that, she had exhausted all her resources seeking a cure through traditional medical treatments, but nothing had worked. In fact, her condition had grown worse, leaving her in a state of desperation. But unlike Jairus, the crowd would not part and let her to Jesus. She had to fight and claw her way through the sea of humanity to get close enough to see Jesus. But what stands out is the woman’s faith. She fully believed that if she touched Jesus’ robe, she would be healed.

“If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” – Mark 5:28 ESV

Jairus was convinced that if Jesus would only touch his daughter, she would be made well. This woman believed that if she could just touch Jesus, she would be made whole. Both believed that Jesus was the solution.

Somehow, this frail and physically weakened woman forced her way through the crowd and touched the edge of Jesus’ robe. Mark describes that “Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.” (Mark 5:29 NLT). Her healing was immediate, and she knew it. But no one else in the crowd even noticed her or realized a miracle had taken place. Yet, Jesus knew.

Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?” – Mark 5:30 NLT

Luke reports that Jesus informed His disciples, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me” (Luke 8:46 ESV). Jesus likely knew the woman’s identity. He could have said nothing and simply let the woman walk away unnoticed, rejoicing in her renewed health. But He wanted His disciples to know what had happened, and He was willing to postpone his trip to Jairus’ house to reveal the miracle that had just taken place.

Suddenly exposed and unable to extricate herself from the crowd, the woman timidly and guiltily stepped forward. She “came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth” (Mark 5:33 ESV). Her confession was not for Jesus’ benefit; He already knew what had happened. This woman’s remarkable testimony was meant to encourage the disciples and provide them with further proof of who Jesus was. It also illustrated the kind of faith they were supposed to have. In response to her confession, Jesus said, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease” (Mark 5:34 ESV).

Jesus had not spoken a word or touched the woman, yet she stood before Him completely whole. Her faith brought about her remarkable transformation, but Jesus wanted to correct a dangerous misconception in her thinking. She had reasoned that Jesus was a powerful healer whose power was transferable. But Jesus insisted her healing resulted from faith, not superstition or some kind of supernatural force field.

As incredible as it may sound, the moment the woman touched the edge of His robe, Jesus knew she was there and why she had come, and He willingly released His power to heal her. This was not some automatic outflow of energy outside Jesus’ control or volition. Countless people touched Him that day, many of whom longed to receive healing, but only this woman received what she hoped for. Jesus described her action as an example of faith.

The author of Hebrews describes faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 ESV). This woman hoped to be healed and was fully assured it would happen if she could only get close enough to touch the edge of Jesus’ robe. She didn’t need to talk to Him; she believed His power was so great that a simple touch of His garment could do what countless physicians had been unable to do. And her faith was rewarded.

When Jesus said, “Be healed of your disease,” He confirmed the truth of her testimony and the source of her healing; it had been Him. His words conveyed the reality and permanence of her healing. Her faith in Jesus had made her whole.

But before the crowds could take in what had happened or the disciples could ask any questions, the mood would take a dramatically dark turn. The focus would shift from healing to death, from joy to sorrow, and from hope to despair. But Jesus was far from done.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Freedom In Christ

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1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.

14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16 And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17 And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled. – Mark 5:1-20 ESV

After their harrowing night on the Sea of Galilee, the disciples sailed to the eastern shore and arrived in a region known as Gerasene. It seems unlikely this was their original destination when they set sail, but the storm must have blown them off course. Yet, in God’s sovereign will, He orchestrated everything that had happened, including their arrival at this desolate place.

The disciples, exhausted from all the rowing and bailing of water they had done during the storm, were probably glad to be on dry land. But before they could relax, they found themselves in yet another tense and potentially dangerous situation. Mark records that as soon as Jesus stepped out of the boat, “immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit” (Mark 5:2 ESV). There were no crowds of people eager to watch Jesus perform yet another miracle. No scribes or Pharisees dog His steps, anxiously seeking evidence to use against Him. 

Jesus was welcomed by a greeting party of one: a demon-possessed man. In his gospel account, Matthew describes a second demon-possessed man, while Mark and Luke only mention one. This seeming discrepancy is likely nothing more than Mark and Luke focusing on the one man who showed the greatest transformation after his encounter with Jesus. While Matthew records Jesus casting out demons from both men, he provides no details regarding what happened next. Yet Mark and Luke recount that one of the men was dramatically impacted by Jesus’ deliverance.

To help his readers understand the violent nature of the situation, Mark describes the man in great detail.

This man lived in the burial caves and could no longer be restrained, even with a chain. Whenever he was put into chains and shackles—as he often was—he snapped the chains from his wrists and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Day and night he wandered among the burial caves and in the hills, howling and cutting himself with sharp stones. – Mark 5:3-5 NLT

Mark’s mention of chains and shackles reveals that this man had probably become a threat to the community. Their attempts to bind him had failed, and this poor man spent all his time wandering among the dead and despised by the living. Mark wants us to understand how hopeless this man’s situation was. He was out of control. His life was not his own. Yet when the man saw Jesus, “he ran and fell down before him” (Mark 5:6 ESV).

You can almost sense the battle going on within this man. He saw Jesus, and in his desperation, ran to him for help. Somehow, the man recognized that Jesus could do something about his hopeless condition. Probably naked, filthy, and covered in scars, the man must have been a frightful sight to behold. His sudden appearance and shocking condition must have made the disciples step back in revulsion and fear.

But as the man knelt before Jesus, a voice came from his body that was not his own. The demon controlling him cried out, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me” (Mark 5:7 ESV).

Whatever spark of humanity remained in this man was overwhelmed by the presence and power of the demonic forces residing in him. And Mark makes it clear that Jesus knew what was wrong as soon as He saw the man. He didn’t need to hear the demon speak to know that the man was possessed. As the man knelt before Him, Jesus said, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” (Mark 5:8 ESV), and this forceful command prompted the demon to speak.

In the same way Jesus recognized the presence of a demon, the demon recognized the presence of the Most High God. He addressed Jesus by His proper title and revealed his understanding that Jesus possessed a power greater than his own. The demon had met his match in Jesus and knew it. When Jesus addressed the demon and demanded to know his name, the demon revealed that he was not alone.

“My name is Legion, for we are many.” – Mark 5:9 ESV

This poor man was being tormented by a host of demonic beings, which explains the extreme nature of his condition. Jesus alluded to this very kind of situation in an address He gave to the scribes and Pharisees. In attempting to expose the unrepentant and adulterous condition of the people of Israel, Jesus compared them to a man possessed by a demon. Even if they could somehow remove the demon, they would find themselves worse off than before. Their unrepentant hearts would leave them exposed and an easy target for the enemy.

“When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order. Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.” – Matthew 12:43-45 NLT

Mark provides no details regarding this man’s past. We don’t know how he came to be possessed or how long he had suffered under this condition. But his circumstances were aggravated by the presence of many demons. However, as plentiful and powerful as these demonic forces may have been, they were no match for Jesus, and they knew it. They begged Jesus not to cast them out, and they alluded to the fact that they knew a day would come when God would punish them. They knew their days were numbered, but they had no desire to suffer their fate prematurely. Interestingly, the demon(s) pleaded with Jesus by the name of God.

“In the name of God, I beg you, don’t torture me!” – Mark 5:7 NLT

The demons knew that God had a future judgment in store for them. The apostle John was given a vision of what will happen to Satan and all those who aligned themselves with him. The day will come when Jesus, according to the will of God the Father, will deliver a final blow to Satan and his minions, casting them into hell where they will remain for eternity.

Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. – Revelation 21:10 NLT

Fearing the worst, the demons begged Jesus to allow them to leave the man and possess a herd of swine. Their greatest fear was that Jesus would consign them to their future fate prematurely. Rather than having to face eternal torment, they begged that Jesus would let them take up residence in the pigs. When Jesus agreed, the results were immediate. The 2,000 pigs, suddenly possessed by demons, hurled themselves off a nearby cliff. As Jesus alluded to in His address to the scribes and Pharisees, a dispossessed demon is left to wander until it can find another soul to possess. With the deaths of the swine, these demons would be forced to seek out another host to torment.

But freed from the demons’ control, the man “was sitting there fully clothed and perfectly sane” (Mark 5:15 NLT). He had been radically transformed; so much so that when Jesus prepared to leave, the man begged that he might be allowed to go with Him. But Jesus had other plans, encouraging him, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been” (Mark 5:19 NLT).

The man obeyed Jesus and immediately set off to the surrounding towns and villages, “to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them” (Mark 5:20 NLT). He had his work cut out for him because people from a nearby town were upset about what Jesus had done to their herd of swine. They even begged Jesus to leave, fearing that He might do more damage.

Mark notes several times in this story when Jesus was approached by those who begged or pleaded with Him. The first instance was when the demons begged (parakaleō) Jesus not to torment them. The second is when they begged Jesus not to cast them out of the country, but to allow them to possess the swine. The third was when the townspeople begged Jesus to leave the region. The fourth and final instance was when the man begged Jesus to let him become His disciple. Interestingly, everyone got exactly what they asked for from Jesus, except the man. The demons were cast into the swine just as they had asked. Jesus left the region, just as the townspeople had requested. But the man was not allowed to go with Jesus. Instead, Jesus commissioned him to carry the news of what He had done: “Tell them how much the Lord has done for you” (Mark 5:19 ESV). This formerly demon-possessed man now possessed a calling from Jesus Himself. He had purpose in life and a mission to spread the good news of all that Jesus had done for Him. 

The demons were forced to wander until they found another victim. The townspeople focused on their loss. But freed from the demons and his chains, the man could use his restored voice to shout the praises of the One who had set him free. He had experienced the truth of Jesus’ claim when He had read from the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue in Nazareth.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” – Luke 4:18-19 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Peace. Be Still!

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35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”  – Mark 4:35-41 ESV

It had been a long and event-filled day for Jesus and His disciples, and as it came to an end, they sought to escape the constant pressure of the ever-present crowds. Jesus instructed the disciples to take Him by boat to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, but Mark indicates that “other boats were with him” (Mark 4:36 ESV). It seems that there would be no rest for the weary. Perhaps these additional boats were carrying home those who had traveled from other towns in the region to see Jesus. Or it could be that when some of those who had been following Jesus saw Him sail away, they decided to continue their pursuit by boat. They wouldn’t let Him out of their sight.

Interest in Jesus was at an all-time high. His miracles had clearly attracted many, but His messages about the Kingdom had also proven to be a draw. Rumors were already circulating that Jesus might be the Messiah, and His healing of the man with the withered hand (Mark 3:1-6) prompted some to wonder if those rumors might be true. These same people had seen Jesus heal those possessed by demons and had heard the demons shout, “You are the Son of God” (Mark 3:11) as He had cast them out.

But not everyone believed; His own family members had claimed He had lost His mind (Mark 3:21), and the religious leaders declared that He was in league with Satan (Mark 3:22). The reviews were mixed, yet the crowds continued to show up, day after day. Even as Jesus and His disciples made their way across the Sea of Galilee, some followed in His literal wake.

But something significant happened as they crossed the sea. As Jesus slept in the stern of the boat, “a great windstorm arose” that turned the placid surface of the sea into a boiling cauldron, with waves so high that they washed over the sides of the boats. The unique geography surrounding the Sea of Galilee makes it extremely susceptible to these kinds of sudden and violent storms. These extreme weather conditions often appeared without warning, leaving even the most seasoned fishermen fearing for their lives.

So, even though Simon, Andrew, James, and John were all professional fishermen, they were just as concerned as the other disciples. The boat quickly filled with water, and the risk of capsizing was becoming increasingly likely. Yet, amid the chaos and confusion, Jesus remained in a deep sleep, likely indicating His extreme weariness. But in fear and desperation, the disciples woke Him up and exclaimed, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38 ESV).

Whether they realized it or not, their reaction to the storm and their response to Jesus revealed much about the condition of their faith in who He was. In this moment of uncertainty, they addressed Him as “teacher.” Unlike the demons, the disciples of Jesus didn’t acknowledge Jesus as “the Son of God” or call out to Him as their Messiah. In the middle of a life-threatening storm, they saw Jesus as nothing more than a physically worn-out Rabbi who was sleeping while they were suffering.

But if you read the accounts of this event in Matthew and Luke, it becomes clear that at least a few of the disciples saw Jesus as more than just a Rabbi. In the confusion of the circumstances, the disciples shouted as they tried to make themselves heard over the howling wind and crashing waves. One of them cried out, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing” (Matthew 8:25 ESV). Another one shouted, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” (Luke 8:24 ESV). Those terms, “Lord” and “Master,” indicate only that the men in the boat regarded Jesus as their official leader. They were turning to Him for guidance and wanted to know what He thought they should do about their dire circumstances.

This whole scene began with Jesus’ rather innocuous statement: “Let us go across to the other side” (Mark 4:35 ESV). When He said those words, the disciples thought nothing of them. Most of these men had made the same trip countless times, but this time was different. Yet Jesus’ words were more than a suggestion; He pointed to a destination and assured their arrival there. But the unexpected presence of the wind and the waves had caused the disciples to lose hope and to take their eyes off the objective of their trip. They no longer cared where they were going or why they had begun the trip in the first place. All they cared about was their own physical safety.

Mark matter-of-factly states that Jesus “rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’” (Mark 4:39 ESV). Matthew adds, “there was a great calm” (Matthew 8:26 ESV). At Jesus’ words, the wind and waves immediately subsided, the storm ceased, and the threat of danger faded away. Chaos and confusion gave way to a great calm. Just picture the scene for a moment. The disciples stood in the boat, drenched to the bone. They breathed heavily from all their efforts to row, bail water, and keep the boat afloat in the storm. But now, they were surrounded by placid waters that gently lapped on the bow of the boat. The crisis was over in an instant.

But these men were also dumbstruck by what they had just witnessed. When they woke Jesus, they had no idea what He would do. They had no preconceived expectations for how He would get them out of their predicament. But He spoke, and the waves and winds immediately ceased. Calamity was replaced by calm.

But Jesus’ next words had the greatest impact. He looked at His disciples and said, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” (Mark 4:40 ESV). Luke records that Jesus asked them, “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8:25 ESV). This simple question seems to reveal what Jesus was trying to expose. He was addressing a pre-existing condition. The storm had not caused their lack of faith; it had only exposed it. Jesus knew they had struggled with His identity since the day they first met Him. Despite all the miracles they had seen Him perform and the messages they had heard Him deliver, they still questioned His identity. They were filled with doubts and questions. Could He truly be the Messiah? Was there a chance his family was right, and Jesus was nothing but a lunatic? What about the religious leaders? Could these learned men be telling the truth? Had Jesus been doing miracles by Satan’s power?

All of these thoughts must have crossed their minds at one time or another. But in the heat of the moment, when the storm pressed in, and their lives were threatened, the disciples began to have serious second thoughts about Jesus. But He was completely aware of the thoughts that had filled their minds as they faced what they believed to be their certain deaths.

After Jesus rebukes them, Mark describes the disciples as “filled with great fear” (Mark 4:41 ESV). The storm was over, but their fear remained; this was a different kind of fear. They were awestruck by what they had just witnessed. With nothing but His words, Jesus had completely eradicated a violent storm. He spoke, and the winds and waves obeyed. This experience left them dumbfounded, but not speechless. Mark records that they turned to one another and said, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:41 ESV).

Their response reveals their limited understanding of who Jesus was. Matthew reports that they asked, “What sort of man is this?” (Matthew 8:27 ESV). This man was their Rabbi, teacher, Lord, and master, but He had just done the unthinkable and inexplicable. He had displayed mastery over the forces of nature.  The miracle they had just witnessed was like something from the writings of Moses. It reminded them of the day God parted the waters of the Red Sea so the people of Israel could pass through on dry ground (Exodus 14). It was like the time God delivered the people of Israel by destroying their enemies with hail and prolonging the battle by causing the sun to stand still in the sky (Joshua 10).

What Jesus had done had been God-like; it had God’s handprints all over it. But all they could manage to say was, “What sort of man is this?” Was He a teacher, a prophet, a holy man, or could He possibly be who He claimed to be: the Son of God? At this moment, they were still wrestling over who Jesus was, but in time, their faith would grow. Mark later records Jesus asking these same men, “Who do people say I am?” (Mark 8:27 NLT). They responded, “Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other prophets” (Mark 8:28 NLT). But when Jesus asked, “Who do you say I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Messiah” (Mark 8:29 NLT).

With each passing day, their faith and confidence grew. The more time they spent with Jesus, the more convinced they became that He was the long-awaited Messiah. But centuries of faulty interpretation of God’s promises clouded their understanding of the Messiah’s role. Like their ancestors before them, they were looking for a Savior, but not one who would deliver them from slavery to sin and death. They expected a king who would rise to power, free them from Roman oppression, and restore Israel to power and prominence. If Jesus could still the raging storm, He could certainly defeat Israel’s enemies. At least, that was their hope. But when Jesus said, “Peace. Be Still!” He wasn’t just addressing the wind and waves; He was speaking to the storm raging inside the hearts of His disciples. They were being blown by the winds of expectation. They were storm-tossed by waves of doubt and disappointment. If Jesus was the Messiah, what was He waiting for? Why was He wasting time in Galilee when He should be mustering an army to take the battle to Rome? 

These men were confused and conflicted. They had heard Jesus say, “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34 NLT). But in the garden, when armed guards came to arrest Jesus and Peter cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant, Jesus said, “Put away your sword…Those who use the sword will die by the sword. Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?” (Matthew 26:52-54 NLT).

Jesus was the Messiah, but He had come to His Father’s will, not to fulfill the expectations of His disciples. He was bringing a Kingdom, but it would not be what they longed for. And while they continued to watch, wait, and wrestle over their understanding of who Jesus was, He would quietly say, “Peace. Be Still!”

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Mystery of the Kingdom

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26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28 The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34 He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything. – Mark 4:26-34 ESV

In this passage, Jesus continues to utilize parables when addressing the large crowd that had gathered to hear him speak. These simple stories were extended metaphors meant to make complex concepts easier to understand. But even Jesus’ closest disciples found it difficult to grasp their meaning. So, Jesus took the time to explain each detail of the parable, ensuring that the twelve understood the point He was trying to make.

In these two parables, Jesus focuses His attention on the Kingdom of God. His earlier parable made no mention of the Kingdom but addressed how different people received the Word of God. But what aspect of the Word did Jesus have in mind? If you recall, Jesus began His ministry by proclaiming the same message John the Baptist preached in the Judean wilderness: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17 ESV).

Later, when Jesus sent the 12 disciples on their first missionary journey, He commanded them to “proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 10:7 ESV). He also told them this message was intended for one audience only: “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:6 ESV).

This message of the Kingdom was central to Jesus’ ministry and mission. He declared Himself the one who would usher in the Kingdom of God, but many in Israel were confused about the exact nature of that Kingdom. Most Jews believed that when God’s Kingdom came to earth, it would feature an earthly king ruling over the restored nation of Israel. They expected a king to arise who, as a descendant of David, would reestablish the Davidic dynasty. This human savior would be a warrior-king who would set them free from their enslavement and subjugation to Rome. He would restore Israel’s political, military, and financial fortunes, making it a force to be reckoned with in the region.

But Jesus presents a much different picture of the Kingdom than the one they held, and He describes it through two parables. In both cases, He focuses on the Kingdom’s mysterious nature: it will not come quickly or through military power. Jesus once again utilizes agrarian imagery to make His point, describing the Kingdom of God as seed being sown. This bucolic imagery must have seemed odd to people expecting the kingdom to come in a more aggressive, revolutionary way.

While this parable shares similarities with the earlier one Jesus told, they appear to be unrelated. While both mention the sowing of seed, the second parable portrays a sower who is a rather passive participant in the process. Jesus states that this farmer scatters the seed, then “Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens” (Mark 4:27 NLT). The sower is clueless about the germination process needed to turn a single seed into grain. He simply sows and waits to see what happens. Once the farmer sows the seed, the rest is out of his hands, and Jesus describes the unseen process that must take place for fruit to be produced.

“The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens.” – Mark 4:28 NLT

Jesus is clearly emphasizing the process of time; the Kingdom will not come overnight. It will not involve a radical and immediate overturning of the status quo. Instead, it will be methodical and divinely orchestrated, operating unseen but ultimately producing abundant fruitfulness. Only then does the sower step back into the process.

“…as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest time has come.” – Mark 4:29 NLT

This recalls another account of Jesus and His 12 disciples making their way through Galilee, “proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom” (Matthew 9:35 NLT).  Matthew describes Jesus as seeing the crowds and having compassion on them, “because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36 NLT). Jesus turned to His disciples and said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:38 NLT).

Sowing the word about the Kingdom would produce fruit, but it would take time. The disciples were responsible for two things: Sowing and harvesting. But it was up to God to produce the fruit. When He did, many would need to harvest the fruit of God’s labor. Don’t miss the point of this parable. The sower sowed the seed, but God caused the seed (the Word) to take root and produce fruit. The sower could not explain the process, but was integral in making it happen. His job was to sow and harvest what God produced.

Ultimately, salvation is God’s work. The apostle Paul explained it this way:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV

And Jesus clearly communicated the vital role He would play in the process, using another agrarian metaphor to explain His pending death.

“I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.” – John 12:24 NLT

The farmer sows the seed, and God does the rest. What happens in between is a miracle and a mystery. But Jesus assures His disciples that there will be “a plentiful harvest of new lives” (John 12:24 NLT).

With the second parable, Jesus extends His focus on the mystery of the Kingdom. He seems to be searching for the right metaphor, and he lands on the image of the mustard seed. Jesus states a fact that would have been well known to His audience: the mustard seed is “the smallest of all seeds” (Mark 4:31 NLT). But He points out that, when planted, this tiny, seemingly insignificant seed “becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade” (Mark 4:32 NLT).

Everyone in His audience was familiar with the mustard seed and what kind of tree it produced. But they had no idea how the transformation from one to the other took place. It was a mystery, and that seems to be Jesus’ point.

Jesus used the imagery of the mustard seed to illustrate the nature of God’s Kingdom, and what He said stood in direct contrast to the Jews’ expectations. They were not looking for a small, insignificant Kingdom that would ultimately grow into something more impressive and impactful. They wanted immediate results because they had been waiting a long time for God to make things right. It had been hundreds of years since they had been a powerful nation with their very own king. So the thought of waiting for the “seed” to take root and grow would not have appealed to them.

But Jesus had come to establish a different kind of Kingdom. Several years later, as He stood before Pilate, the Roman governor, Jesus would declare, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36 NLT).

Jesus had not come to sit on a throne, but to hang on a cross. He had not come to be exalted to the highest office in the land, but to take “the humble position of a slave” and be “born as a human being” (Philippians 2:7 NLT). Paul goes on to state that Jesus  “humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8 NLT). As a result of His willing humiliation and sacrificial offering of His own life, “God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11 NLT).

One day, the exalted King will return and set up His Kingdom on earth. But in the meantime, the Word concerning the Kingdom must be faithfully sown. Those who sow must faithfully trust that God will do what only He can do: produce a plentiful harvest of new lives because God is in the business of producing citizens for His Son’s future Kingdom. He is raising up children who will live with Him and His Son for eternity. How does He do it? It is a mystery. How long will it take? No one knows. How much fruit will He produce? Only He knows. But we must faithfully sow and be ready to reap the harvest that He will produce.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Some Things Bear Repeating

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21 And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? 22 For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. 25 For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” – Mark 4:21-25 ESV

It’s easy to assume that because Jesus was the Son of God, every time He spoke, the words that came out of His mouth were totally new and unique. In other words, He never said the same thing twice. He never repeated Himself. But the Old Testament is filled with evidence that even God the Father had a habit of repeating Himself. Just look at how many times God warned His people about making and worshiping false gods.

“You are not to make any gods alongside Me; you are not to make for yourselves gods of silver or gold.” – Exodus 20:23 BSB

“You shall not make for yourself any gods of cast metal.” – Exodus 34:17 ESV

“Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the LORD your God.” – Leviticus 19:4 ESV

“You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.” – Deuteronomy 5:8 NLT

God repeated Himself because His people kept disregarding His commands. So, He habitually reminded them of His expectation of faithfulness by repeating His prohibition against idolatry.

But what does this have to do with today’s passage? As the Son of God, Jesus also said the same thing many times on different occasions because His audience kept changing. But ultimately, His tendency to repeat Himself was for the benefit of His disciples. He wanted them to hear some messages again and again so they could fully grasp His intended meaning and the lesson He was trying to convey.

In these five verses, Jesus conveys a series of short lessons that appear elsewhere in the gospels, but in different venues and on separate occasions. But rather than view these as possible discrepancies or contradictions in the gospel accounts, it makes more sense to understand them as examples of Jesus’ use of repetition for emphasis and clarity.

For example, in his record of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, Matthew has Jesus stating something very similar to what Mark records in verse 21.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.” – Matthew 5:14-15 ESV

In the same way, Luke includes another example of Jesus utilizing this imagery of the hidden light or lamp.

“No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness.  If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.” – Luke 11:33-36 ESV

Jesus used the same basic imagery, but here He tried to convey a different lesson. Now, consider verse 22.

“For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light.” – Mark 4:22 ESV

Here, Jesus communicates another short, parable-like message that appears elsewhere in the gospels. Matthew records a similar statement that Jesus made.

“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.” – Matthew 10:26-27 ESV

Luke also reports another instance of Jesus using this very same language, but in a completely different context and, in this case, Jesus ties it to a warning concerning the Pharisees.

“Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.” – Luke 12:1-3 ESV

This pattern continues throughout this passage. In verse 24, Jesus states, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you”(Mark 4:24 ESV).

Once again, Jesus used the same basic language in His Sermon on the Mount, but with a different point in mind.

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” – Matthew 7:1-2 ESV

Luke has Jesus saying the same message but at another time and place.

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” – Luke 6:37-38 ESV

Finally, in verse 25, Mark reports that Jesus said, “For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

Matthew has Jesus saying the same thing on two different occasions.

“To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” – Matthew 13:11-12 ESV

Toward the end of his gospel, Matthew includes another instance of Jesus using the same language, but in His parable of the talents. In this case, Jesus put the words in the mouth of one of the characters in His story.

“So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” – Matthew 25:28-29 ESV

Luke includes a similar parable that Jesus told, which also contained the same basic language.

“And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’  And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’  ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” – Luke 19:24-26 ESV

So, what’s the point? It seems that Jesus understood and fully utilized the power of repetition as a teaching tool. He also emphasized the need to hear what He was saying.

“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear… ” – vs 23

“Pay attention to what you hear…” – vs 24

It’s as if Jesus is saying, “Don’t miss this!” He kept repeating these truths until His disciples began to grasp what He was trying to convey. These men were struggling to understand what was going on around them. They were becoming increasingly convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, but much of what He said made no sense to them. His actions and cryptic-sounding messages did not match their expectations of the Messiah.

By using the imagery of the lamp, Jesus let them know they were being enlightened by the “true light” (John 1:9) and the “light of the world” (John 8:12). They were being exposed to the truth of God as revealed in the life of His Son. That message, though still unclear to them at this point, was to be declared to all around them. The day was coming when they would be expected to carry the light of the gospel to the ends of the earth. It was not to be hidden or secreted away like a precious jewel, but to be revealed to all those living in the darkness of sin.

In an encounter Jesus had with Nicodemus, a Pharisee, He told this learned religious leader, “God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants” (John 3:19-21 ESV).

Jesus was that light, and He wanted His disciples to understand the illuminating nature of His ministry and mission. Light not only exposes darkness, but it also expels it. Darkness cannot remain where light exists. Paul understood the illuminating and sin-eradicating nature of “the light of life” (John 8:12).

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. – Ephesians 5:11-14 ESV

Jesus was preparing His disciples for the inevitable. He had come to do the will of His Father, and that included His death on the cross. But that reality remained hidden from the disciples at this point. Even when Jesus began to reveal the truth about His pending death and burial, they struggled to understand and accept it.

But Jesus would keep telling them the truth. Slowly but surely, He would make them aware of the true nature of His mission. In time, they would understand that the Light had come to expel the darkness by sacrificing His life for the sins of mankind. But God the Father would restore His Son to life, rekindling the Light of life and exalting Him to glory by restoring Him to His rightful place at His side.

In the Book of Revelation, the apostle John records a vision that revealed Jesus returning to earth as the Light of the world. In the vision Jesus gave him, John saw the future: Jesus will become the literal and eternal Light of the world, having dispelled all darkness and eliminated the last vestige of night.

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. – Revelation 21:22-25 ESV

Some things bear repeating and, in this case, Jesus’ use of the light metaphor was more than appropriate. He had come into the world to expel the darkness of sin, but for that to happen, the Light of Life had to be snuffed out; the Son of God had to die. And when He did, Mark records, “At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock” (Mark 15:33 NLT). Then, a few moments later, as the land was plunged into darkness, “Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last” (Mark 15:37 NLT). The Light of Life died. But with His death, “the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom” (Mark 15:38 NLT); the barrier between sinful men and a holy God was removed. Jesus, the Light of the World, sacrificed His life so that sinful humanity could be restored to a right relationship with God. And just days later, the Light would be restored and walk out of the grave as proof that He had accomplished His Father’s will and that His sacrifice had been acceptable. And today, the Light still shines in the darkness; a message that bears repeating and should cause rejoicing.

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Jesus, the Light of the world;
join the triumph of the skies,
Jesus, the Light of the world. 

Christ, by highest heav’n adored,
Jesus, the Light of the world;
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Jesus, the Light of the world. [Refrain]

Hail the heav’n-born Prince of peace!
Jesus, the Light of the world.
hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Jesus, the Light of the world.

We’ll walk in the light, beautiful light;
come where the dewdrops of mercy are bright,
shine all around us by day and by night,
Jesus, the Light of the world. – Charles Wesley

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Fruit of Faith

/ kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

1 Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2 And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” 9 And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 

10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that

“‘they may indeed see but not perceive,
    and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”

13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” – Mark 4:1-20 ESV

For some reason, Luke records this event as taking place before Jesus’ mother and brothers showed up to see Him. Yet, Matthew and Mark place this parable after their arrival. This is not a contradiction in the Bible so much as the gospel authors arranging the events of Jesus’ life to drive home their point. Each places a different emphasis on various aspects of Jesus’ life and ministry because they are chronicling the story from their own perspective and with a specific audience in mind. But all three authors of the Synoptic Gospels include this parable.

Over the centuries, it has been referred to by many names, including the parable of the seeds, the parable of the sower, and the parable of the soils. Whatever you call it, this parable is a classic example of a teaching style common in Jesus’ day. Parables were extended metaphors that communicated difficult truths through comparison. Jesus utilized this teaching method frequently, especially when addressing large crowds. But as this passage shows, Jesus often took time to explain the parable’s meaning to His 12 disciples.

Matthew records that Jesus told this parable the same day His mother and brothers came to see Him.

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables… – Matthew 13:1-3 ESV

Remember what Jesus said earlier that same day.

And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” – Matthew 12:49-50 ESV

The next scene reveals Jesus sitting in a boat just off the shore of the Sea of Galilee, as a large crowd gathers on the shoreline to hear what He has to say. Mark indicates that Jesus began “teaching them many things in parables.” As usual, His audience included all types of people, including His faithful followers, the curious, those seeking healing, and the ever-present Pharisees and scribes. It is likely that HIs mother, Mary, and his half-brothers were also in attendance that day. The diversity of His audience becomes increasingly important as the parable unfolds.

Jesus told a story about a farmer who went out to sow seed. This imagery would have been very familiar to His audience because they lived in an agrarian culture where this scene was commonplace and uneventful. But in His story, Jesus describes the farmer’s valuable seeds falling onto four different surfaces: A well-worn path, rocky ground, a thorn-infested patch of land, and finally, a field that had been properly prepared for sowing.

The mostly rural audience Jesus addressed would have immediately guessed the outcome. You didn’t have to be a farmer to understand that many of the seeds would have been wasted because they were scattered in inhospitable, unfruitful places. And Jesus confirms this conclusion by describing the seeds as being eaten by birds, scorched by the sun, and choked out by thorns. In a few cases, the seeds took root but failed to produce fruit.

This story would have resonated with people heavily taxed by the Romans and who saw poverty and deprivation all around them. For many, making ends meet was a daily struggle, and the thought of valuable seeds sown so carelessly would have caught their attention. It’s likely they began to draw their own conclusions about the story’s meaning. They were familiar with parables, and knew there was a hidden lesson to be learned. Some probably assumed Jesus was pointing out the farmer’s carelessness. His haphazard scattering of the seeds illustrated the need for good stewardship. Others focused on the seeds themselves, noting that some were quickly consumed, while others sprouted but failed to produce fruit. Maybe Jesus was illustrating the need for good works. The farmer had intended for all the seeds to produce fruit, but most did not. In Judaism’s works-based environment, it would have been easy to assume Jesus was promoting faithful observance of the law.

Jesus makes no effort to explain His story, but simply concludes, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4:9 ESV). The NET Bible provides a bit more forceful rendering of Jesus’ words: “Whoever has ears to hear had better listen!”

This wasn’t just a story; it was an important lesson that had real-life implications. So, Jesus warned them that hearing what He had to say would not be enough. He expected them to listen and learn. The lesson behind His story was meant to be apprehended and applied. But the people were confused. Mark indicates that some of Jesus’ followers approached Him asking for an explanation.

…those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. – Mark 4:10 ESV

Matthew adds that the 12 disciples had a more specific question for Jesus.

“Why do you speak to them in parables?” – Matthew 13:10 ESV

And Jesus revealed to His closest followers the purpose behind His use of parables.

“To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables…” – Mark 4:11 ESV

Jesus revealed that God had set apart the 12 disciples to receive knowledge that was unavailable and inaccessible to everyone else. They had been given the privilege of knowing divine truths about the kingdom of God that the scribes and Pharisees did not know. Israel’s religious leaders were famous for their knowledge of the Mosaic Law and their encyclopedic understanding of the Hebrew Scriptures, but they were ignorant of what God was doing. Jesus later accused these men of letting their knowledge blind them to the reality of His identity.

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” – John 5:39-40 ESV

Even these learned men could not grasp the parable’s meaning because Jesus said it was hidden from them. He quotes the prophet Isaiah, explaining that God chooses to reveal hidden truths and, according to His sovereign will, sometimes blinds the eyes and deafens the ears of some so they might not turn and be forgiven.

“Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
Make the heart of this people dull,
    and their ears heavy,
    and blind their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes,
    and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
    and turn and be healed.” – Isaiah 6:9-10 ESV

Jesus was saying that God must provide the ability to hear and understand the deep truths about the kingdom of God. He alone can open the eyes and ears of the spiritually blind and deaf so they can see and hear the truth. The scribes and Pharisees spent years studying Scripture but remained oblivious to the truths it revealed. Despite their knowledge, they were ignorant of what God was doing among them. Unless God opened their eyes, they would remain blind to the truth about Jesus. Unless God opened their ears, they would hear but never understand the gospel message.

John’s gospel records Jesus’ powerful words about men’s inability to understand the ways of God.

“The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But some of you do not believe me.” – John 6:63-64 NLT

Jesus went on to reveal man’s complete reliance upon God for salvation.

“That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.” – John 6:65 NLT

Which brings us back to the parable. Jesus knew His disciples hadn’t grasped its meaning, so He explained it to them. The seed represented the word or the message He had come to proclaim. Mark described that message this way:

Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News. “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” – Mark 1:14-15 NLT

The message was the good news concerning the King and His Kingdom. The Messiah had come. But while John the Baptist and Jesus proclaimed that message near and far, it fell on deaf ears. Many had heard it and begun to believe Jesus might be the long-awaited Messiah, but they began to doubt. Their initial faith was choked out by the cares and concerns of this world. Others heard the word and refused to believe at all. The scribes and Pharisees were in this camp. Others heard the word but feared being excommunicated by the religious leaders, so they walked away.

But Jesus described a fourth group “who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted” (Mark 4:20 NLT). Like the 12 disciples, God chose them to understand the truth about the King and His Kingdom. The message concerning the Son of God fell on them, took root, and, in time, produced much fruit. Their ability to hear and accept the message resulted from the Spirit of God because “the Spirit alone gives eternal life” (John 6:63 NLT).

While the Word of God is powerful, it requires a receptive heart to be effective. A seed contains everything necessary to produce new life, but it must be sown in soil where it can germinate and grow. A farmer must till and prepare the soil so that it is ready to receive the seed. In the same way, God must prepare men’s hearts to receive the gospel message. Hardened hearts must be softened before the Word can take root. God prepares the human heart by removing the stones of resistance, weeding out the thorns of distraction, and cultivating spiritual readiness so that His truth can take root and bear fruit. The parable of the soils illustrates that establishing the kingdom is ultimately God’s work, not the result of human effort or planning. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.