And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Mark 7:24-37

And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” Mark 7:36-37

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 7:24-37, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: Jesus is the incarnate Son of God and during His ministry, although He sought the Messianic Secret - that is He not be more fully revealed who He is until the appropriate time - it is difficult to fathom how Jesus could perform the miracles He did and word not spread about Jesus.  At the same time, John Piper describes a preventing "illumination" of the disciples in particular but also others and us by extension (see vv24, 36).  Piper explains how this "preventing" forces us to acknowledge how badly we need Him.  God's ways are difficult to fathom (Isaiah 55:8) but it is not difficult to fathom how desperately we need Him.  We all desperately need Jesus just as  the woman/daughter and deaf man in the text do.  God heals and saves.  God had a plan and regardless of how others could not follow His plan to prevent the spread of Him, Jesus' plan could not be stopped and Jesus ministry continued until the appointed moment where He died and rose again.  Jesus sought His Father's help in prayer - see v34. 
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: People, once they acknowledge the saving power of Jesus Christ, cannot help but share the Good News (v36, Acts 4:20).   
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Jesus wants us to share who He is - not just what He did.  Yes Jesus performed miracles but most importantly He Saves!  We can also lay claim to the promise that, yes, although we don't know how God works, we do know that He does (Romans 8:28) and that once He starts a work in us, He will continue a work in us until completion - sanctification. This process may be slower than we like but it is according to plan!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are a good, good God.  Perfect in all Your ways.  I may not know how You work but I know that You do, and that You love and save.  I also know that I NEED a savior and You are that Savior.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

[W]henever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.

Mark 3:7-21

[W]henever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” And he strictly ordered them not to make him known. Mark 3:11-12

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 3:7-21, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations from the text using the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: Jesus does not want to be known as just someone who performs signs and wonders - miracles.  He wants it to be clear that He is the One prophesied about in the Old Testament....the incarnate Son of God.  Once again we experience the Messianic Secret.  Jesus is sovereign over demons.  Jesus calls believers to specific roles - in this case the first twelve apostles.  Judas is appointed - even though Judas betrays Jesus, Judas' sin is used for good (see also Genesis 50:20) as Jesus' arrest and crucifixion is required for Jesus to rise again, defeating sin and death.        
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: There will always be people who seek something from God - more than salvation.  They are drawn to Him for what they expect Jesus can do for them not because we all sin and are in need of salvation.  
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey)?: We should come to Jesus in humility, not with expectations that He will do something for us - we must acknowledge that God's will and purposes reign - not our own.  We of course should avoid betraying Jesus - instead we should please, honor and glorify God as this is our purpose. When we are called to a specific role we should follow Jesus' call to do His will.  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of incredible grace and compassion for me - laying down Your live for me, knowing everything about me, including my sin, yet loving me first and saving me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such grace and for my salvation. My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.

Mark 1:35-45

And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.  Mark 1:40-42

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on a commentary-assisted review of Mark 1:35-45, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary.  Excerpts from the third (of three) division of the commentary, which covers 1:40-45:

• "The person with the disease was mocked and shunned. The leper had to wear torn clothes, leave his hair unkempt, cover his face, and cry out “Unclean!” He was forced to live in isolation."
• "Leviticus 13–14 discusses the disease. It was usually regarded as an evidence of divine punishment. As such, the cure could only come from the Lord. Other illnesses could be healed, but leprosy had to be both healed and cleansed. Needless to say, no one in the Bible healed a leper by touch other than Jesus."
• Warren Wiersbe's Be Diligent shares: "When you read the ‘tests’ for leprosy in Leviticus 13, you can see how the disease is a picture of sin. Like sin, leprosy is deeper than the skin (v3); it spreads (vv5-8); it defiles and isolates (vv44-46); and it renders things fit only for the fire (vv47-59). Anyone who has never trusted the Savior is spiritually in worse shape than this man was physically."
• "[The leper] was desperate, and he believed only Jesus could heal him and make him clean. He came, knelt, and begged, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Wow! His faith is astounding! The issue is not whether Jesus could heal him, but would He? This man comes to Jesus with great courage, great humility, and great faith—the same way we, as sin-sick sinners, must come to Him. He came believing in the only One who could change his life and make him whole."
• "As the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53:4, [Jesus] takes on Himself the infirmities of this man, cleanses him, and makes him whole!"
• "Jesus sternly charged the cleansed leper to see the priest to be pronounced clean so that he could return to his community and not to tell anyone. Jesus "wants followers who seek Him! People are always tempted by the sensational. Jesus desires followers who long for truth and want to know Him. He does not want people to come to Him to get what they want."  God is not a vending machine!
• "Ironically, Jesus and the leper have traded places. The leper is now on the inside with family and friends. Jesus is on the outside in a lonely and desolate place. This picture of substitution is the heart of the gospel. It is why Jesus came. He will take on Himself our sin, our sorrow, and our shame. In return He gives us His forgiveness, His holiness, and His righteousness—praise the Lord! What an exchange!"   

Jesus' healing of the leper is of course key to this third and last division (vv40-45) of the text - Mark 1:35 to 1:45. The commentary refers to this division as The Kingdom Advances Through Healing.  The first and second divisions...Through Prayer, and Through Preaching.  We must all recognize that we are all spiritually dead and broken until Jesus saves us - we all need a Savior and the One Who Heals and Binds Our Wounds and Sins.  He does this by taking our sin upon Himself and the punishment we deserve.

Also, in my commentary-assisted study of this division, I once again revisit the "Messianic Secret" which I first explored a few days ago here.  God reveals Himself in the Word through the Holy Spirit.  Yet until glorification, we don't fully comprehend God's Word or even God Himself.  We rely on sanctification to bring about a progressively greater understanding of God.  This post from John Piper on DesiringGod.com explores this topic further as Piper describes the mystery of God, sharing: "[s]o I'm not sure I know why God would hold his insights, and give them at certain points, and then crash us with wonderful insights for a season and then withhold them for others. God knows what he is doing, and we need to profit from it by acknowledging that we are finite and fallible and sinful."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of incredible grace and compassion for me - saving me while I was still hostile and an enemy to You.  You also continue to pour out rich mercies that never cease and I experience every morning.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.