The Gospel of Mark 1-8
Pt 2: Jesus' Authority
By Louie Marsh, 4-14-2024
1) Like Jesus I need to see every moment as a TEACHING moment.
"2And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. (Mark 2:2–4, ESV)
· This is what true friendship LOOKS LIKE.
In Galilee, the ancient village of Qatzrin has been excavated and reconstructed. Although it was populated centuries after Jesus' time, scholars believe that the buildings and artifacts discovered there represent the practices of the first century.
A typical Galilean home was built of basalt (a dark volcanic rock) and had either one or two stories. A stonemason (sometimes translated as a "carpenter") used a wooden scaffold as he carefully squared the larger rocks and wedged smaller stones in between to provide stability and strength.
Sometimes walls were plastered with mud and straw. The doorframe was built of shaped stones and covered by a wooden door. A courtyard, located between various rooms of a family's housing complex, was paved with stones.
Roofs were flat and often made of wooden beams topped with tree branches and covered with clay. Many homes also used mats between the wooden beams to help hold the clay in place. When it rained, the clay absorbed water, sealing the roof, while the rest ran off. Sometimes people did their work on their roofs, which needed to be repaired every year.
Archaeological work has continued and has found that there were some homes during and after the time of Christ that had tiles on their roofs. So, it's possible that the building Jesus was in during this incident could have had a tile roof as Luke reports.
Archaeologists in Israel say they have discovered the remains of a home from the time of Jesus in the heart of Nazareth. The Israeli Antiquities Authority said the find "sheds light on the way of life at the time of Jesus" in the Jewish settlement of Nazareth... The find marks the first time researchers have uncovered the remains of a home in Nazareth from that time period, the Israeli Antiquities Authority said in a statement.
In the excavation, a large, broad wall that dates to the 15th century was exposed. It was constructed on top of and used the walls of an ancient building…This earlier building — the one that dates to the time of Jesus — consisted of two rooms and a courtyard in which a rock-hewn cistern collected rainwater. Few artifacts were recovered from inside the building — mostly fragments of pottery vessels from the first and second centuries.
"19but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus." (Luke 5:19, ESV)
· Jesus SAW their faith.
5And when Jesus saw their faith,… (Mark 2:5a, ESV)
"18But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." (James 2:18, ESV)
2) Jesus does the exact OPPOSITE of what we want.
5… he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."" (Mark 2:5b, ESV)
· The Scribes were right but they were WRONG!
"6Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7"Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"" (Mark 2:6–7, ESV)
3) Jesus says NOTHING is hard much less impossible for God.
"8And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk'? 10But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"—he said to the paralytic— 11"I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home."" (Mark 2:8–11, ESV)
· It takes no more ENERGY to say one that the other.
· If Jesus can forgive sins which makes him GOD.
"25"I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins." (Isaiah 43:25, ESV)
4) Jesus CREATES another teaching moment.
· This would be legal if not for the SABBATH.
"23One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24And the Pharisees were saying to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?"" (Mark 2:23–24, ESV)
· Jesus goes to the ORIGINAL INTENT of the Law with Scripture.
"25And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?"" (Mark 2:25–26, ESV)
· Jesus is Lord, has AUTHORITY, over the Sabbath.
"27And he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath."" (Mark 2:27–28, ESV)
o So Jesus has authority over EVERYTHING!
"18And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." (Matthew 28:18, ESV)
