Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for March 31, 2019

“Utterly Trustworthy”   Mark 6:1-56   Bible Study   03/31/19

In Mark 6, we are presented with several “snapshots” of the public ministry of Jesus as it soars in popularity. However, in this same chapter we also may observe some indications of the rising tide of opposition to the identity and authority of Jesus. With his fast-paced commentary, Mark answers two key questions regarding Jesus: 1) Who is Jesus? and 2) Can this Jesus be trusted? His affirmation of the identity and utter trustworthiness of Jesus continues to assure and encourage current readers of his gospel.

1. Unbelief at Nazareth (1-6a)

• return visit to Nazareth (Luke 2:51)
• engagement in Kingdom work
• amazement of the people
• opposition of the people
• impact of opposition
• response of Jesus

2. The 12 Sent Out (6b-13)

• moving on to spread the good news
• distinction between fearless perseverance and foolish persistence
• sent with authority
• minimum of personal supplies/urgency of message
• shaking off contracted contamination

3. Death of John the Baptist and Herod’s Self-Indulgence (14-29)

4. Jesus as the Faithful Shepherd (30-44)

• return of disciples and instruction to rest
• compassion on the crowd
• feeding of 5000 (Ezek. 34:23, Ex. 18:21, Psa. 23:2)
• Mark’s “delayed” answer

5. Jesus Walks on Water (45-52)

• abrupt transition and its explanation
• alone to pray
• the 3:00 a.m. test
• It is I
• hardness of heart and glory of the Master

6. Ministering to Endless Needs (53-56)

• from the fourth watch of the night to the heat of the noonday sun

7. So What?

• Because Jesus is utterly trustworthy, entrust yourself to His compassionate care.
• Recognize that nearness to Jesus can be both delightful and dangerous.
• Maximize the message and minimize the messenger.
• See John 10:11!
• “Perverse and foolish oft I strayed, but yet in love He sought me, and on His shoulder gently laid, and home, rejoicing, brought me. And so through all the length of days Thy goodness faileth never; Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise within Thy house forever.” (H. Baker)

Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for March 24, 2019

“Called Out and Raised Up”   Mark 5:21-43   Bible Study   03/24/19

This morning we will turn our attention to a text which dramatically demonstrates the dynamic power of Jesus over disease and death. As He did in chapter 3, Mark again employs the “split-screen” technique to tell the story of the earthly ministry of Jesus. We also can observe the continued emphasis of the twin themes of the identity and authority of Jesus. He remains today the Great Physician who calls out and raises up desperate people.

1. Reviewing the Context

• Mark 4: sower 1-20, lamp/basket 21-25, seed 26-29, mustard seed 30-34, calms storm 36-41
• Mark 5: healing of demon-possessed man
• authority over creation, demons, disease, death
• setting for 5:21-43: back across the sea and crowds

2. A Desperate Synagogue Ruler (22-24)

• approach and appeal of Jairus
• 12 year-old daughter near death (see verse 42)
• the accessibility and availability of Jesus
• the crowd-again

3. A Desperate Diseased Woman (25-34)

• illness for 12 years
• drained of financial and physical strength
• a desperate touch and an immediate healing
• the perception of Jesus and dismay of disciples
• the woman’s admission
• the pronouncement of Jesus

4. The Deliverance of a Desperate Man’s Daughter (35-43)

• notification of her death
• two commands from Jesus
• Peter, James and John
• death/sleep connection
• ridicule of mourners
• words and touch of Jesus
• miraculous restoration and strict charge

5. So What?

• Ponder the glorious “preview.”
• Because He is authoritatively compassionate, trust Jesus to call out and raise up the desperate.
• In the midst of your utter helplessness, trust Jesus to be who He is and to do what He does.
• Remember that “interruptions” don’t affect Jesus. He is Lord of time and eternity.
• Respond with gratitude to the Great Physician!
• Go into peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)

Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for March 17, 2019

“The Real Deal”   Mark 3:20-35   Bible Study   03/17/19

This morning our text continues to build on the twin themes of the identity and authority of Jesus. Because of His identity, He has authority over all things-including creation, disease, the devil and death.

1. Considering the Context

• Mark 2: call of Matthew 13-17, fasting question 18-22, sabbath question 23-28
• Mark 3: healing 1-6, followed by crowd 7-12, calling of disciples 13-18
• the “split screen” effect in 3:20-35

2. Scene 1: Concern in the Family Circle (20-21)

• home (Capernaum 2:1) and crowd
• family concern and assessment

3. Scene 2: Jewish Theologians Oppose Jesus (22-30)

• the charge: demon-possession and casting out of demons
• refutation: exposure of logical incoherence
• explanation: a ministry of destruction and deliverance (Heb. 2:14-15)
• application: a sober warning regarding the “unpardonable sin”
• evaluation: mad, bad or divine?

4. Scene 3: Clarification about the Family Circle (31-35)

• seeking family members
• unexpected response
• the will of God and identification with Jesus (1 John 5:3)

5. So What?

• When you submit to the authority of Jesus, doing His will becomes your ultimate objective.
• Pray for a tender and teachable sensitivity.
• “May the living God, who is the portion and rest of the saints, make these our carnal minds so spiritual, and our earthly hearts so heavenly, that loving Him, and delighting in Him, may be the work of our lives.” (R. Baxter)
• “Jesus, of Thee shall be my song. To Thee my heart and soul belong. All that I have or am is Thine. And Thou, blest Savior, Thou art mine. Jesus, my Lord, I Thee adore. O make me love Thee more and more.” (Henry Collins)

Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for March 10, 2019

Guest Speaker: Dr. David Norman

Adventures in Missing the Point
Mark 2:1–12

We often do silly things with stories from the Bible. We make heroes out of minor characters. We project our own insecurities and emotions upon characters where the text is silent on those points. In Mark 2, we come to a story that is familiar to many of us. But the biblical author is making a very important point—one we dare not miss.

I. Do incredible things occur in Jesus’s house? Yes. Is this the point? No.

• After preaching and healing in Galilee, Jesus returns home to Capernaum.
• Jesus was preaching the word and had gathered a crowd.

II. Should we bring our friends to Jesus? Yes. Is this the point? No.

• Jesus’s preaching had gathered a crowd.
• Four men brought a paralytic to Jesus.
• They “unroofed the roof.”

III. Jesus forgives sin. Is this the point? Close. Jesus is God.

• Jesus’s claim to forgive sins is to claim his divinity.
• If he is not God, he is blaspheming. “Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
• Jesus’s healing of the paralytic is a sign to them that he has the authority to forgive sin.

In this morning’s passage, Jesus forgives sin, perceives the scribes’ thoughts, and heals the paralytic. But we miss the point of this passage—we miss the point of Jesus the Messiah—if we fail to grasp the world-tilting reality of Jesus’s identity as the eternal Son of God. When we recognize this central truth, we cannot help but be amazed and we cannot help but sing praises to him.

Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for March 3, 2019

“As One with Authority”   Mark 1:1-20   Bible Study   03/03/19

1. Overview of Mark’s Gospel

• writer: John Mark (Acts 12-13; Col. 4:10), connection to Peter
• recipients: Gentile audience (7:3-4, 5:41)
• date: first of the four gospels written (50-60)
• central message: 10:45
• character: “action” gospel, uses “immediately” at least 40 times
• first section: authority revealed (1:1-3:6)

2. Orientation to Authority (1-8)

• concise summary
• gospel as fulfillment of OT prophecy (Mal. 3:1 and Isa. 40:3)
• role of John the Baptist (2 Kings 1:8)

3. Verification of Authority (9-11)

• baptism: identification with humanity
• visible verification
• audible verification (Psa. 2:7 and Isa. 42:1)
• trinitarian symmetry

4. Fortification of Authority (12-13)

• driven by the Spirit into wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11 and Heb. 4:15)
• 40 days: testing/judgment
• with wild animals
• ministered to by angels

5. Articulation of Authority (14-15)

• beginning of ministry in Galilee after John’s imprisonment (6:17-29)
• time fulfilled, kingdom of God, repent and believe, good news

6. Initiation of Authority (16-20)

• Simon, Andrew, James and John
• follow me…fishers of men
• mending/equipping

7. So What?

• Because Jesus is God’s Messiah and is endowed with all authority, follow Him confidently and completely.
• Let Scripture, not sentiment, shape your view of Jesus.
• Celebrate and submit to His authority!
• “Take up thy cross and follow Me, I heard my Master say. I gave my life to ransom thee. Surrender your all today…” (B. B. McKinney)

Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for February 24, 2019

“As They Are Today”   Genesis 50:15-26   Bible Study   02/24/19

“The hand of providence has been chopped off altogether and with the amputation we are left to grope alone in a hostile, or even worse, indifferent universe.” (R. C. Sproul)

1. The Family Gathered to Egypt (47)

2. Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons (48)

3. Jacob Blesses His Sons (49)

4. Joseph and His Brothers Bury Jacob in Canaan (50:1-14)

5. Joseph’s Brothers Fear Retaliation (50:15)

• fears/anxieties resurface
• Jacob had lived for 17 years in Egypt (see 47:28)

6. Joseph’s Brothers Relay a Message Attributed to Jacob (50:16-17)

7. Joseph’s Gracious and Assuring Response (50:18-26)

• sold, slandered and snubbed
• deepened and not deadened by life’s extremities
• clarity about his “place” and God’s “place”
• compassion without minimizing sin: “…evil against me…”
• compassion grounded in grace: “…but God meant it for good…”
• expressing confidence in future “visitation” (connection to Christ)

8. So What?

• Embracing the principle of God’s providence enables you to extend His grace to others.
• “As long as the cross stands in history, no one who knows its meaning will be able to pronounce a limitation on God’s providence.” (Boice)
• If you believe God is in control…
• “Every joy or trial falleth from above, traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love; We may trust Him fully, all for us to do; They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.” (Havergal)

Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for February 17, 2019

“Operation Reconciliation”   Genesis 44:14-45:15   Bible Study   02/17/19

In Genesis 44-45 we may observe the resolution to the dramatic story regarding Joseph and his brothers which begins in Genesis 37. This powerful resolution serves to remind us that the will of God, not the will of man, is the controlling reality in the circumstances of our lives.

1. Background/Context

• the brothers go to Egypt (42): guilty consciences awakened
• the brothers return to Egypt (43): the test of maturity
• the brothers are tested again (44): the test of loyalty

2. Guilt Acknowledged 44:14-17

• the brothers fall to the ground (see also 42:6)
• confession of guilt
• Benjamin to be held as a slave

3. Judah’s Appeal 44:18-34

• recollection of previous meeting (18-23)
• Jacob’s concern for Benjamin (24-29)
• Jacob’s sorrow (30-32)
• request to take Benjamin’s place (33-34)

4. Emotional Revelation to the Brothers and Their Response 45:1-3

• Joseph overcome by emotion
• Brothers overcome by terror

5. Joseph Addresses His Brothers 45:4-13

• explanation of God’s purpose (“sent me” repetition) (4-8)
• instructions for migration to Egypt (9-13)
• note the use of “ruler” in verse 8 (see also 37:8)

6. Emotional Reunion 45:14-15

7. So What?

• When you know God is in control, you can extend forgiveness and experience reconciliation.
• “To see God in all things, both good and evil, enables us to forgive easily those who injure us.” (Barnhouse)
• Apply the elements of true repentance: admission/contrition/exhibition.
• “When you hold a grudge, you doubt the Judge.” (Piper)
• the Joseph-Jesus connection.
• Get the strings of your heart tuned to the cross.

Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for February 10, 2019

“Who’s in Charge Here?”   Genesis 41:1-57   Bible Study   02/10/19

As we focus this morning on Genesis 41, we find ourselves at a crucial turning-point or transition in the Joseph narrative. Following the dream of Genesis 37 and before its fulfillment in Genesis 45, we have a dream and its interpretation which result in Joseph’s elevation to power. There are three key characters in Genesis 41. First, there is the faithful servant, Joseph. Then, there is the potential antagonist, Pharaoh, who ends up quietly acquiescing to God’s sovereignty. The third, and most significant, character is the God Himself. This chapter shows clearly that He is completely in charge of the events that transpire. The good news for us is that He remains in complete control today.

1. Pharaoh Dreams 1-8

• after 2 years
• cows and grain
• troubled spirit and inability to interpret

2. Cupbearer Remembers 9-13

• imprisonment and dreams
• identification of Joseph
• accurate interpretation recalled

3. Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dream 14-36

• Joseph is summoned
• Joseph acknowledges his God
• Pharaoh relates his dream
• 7 years of plenty and 7 years of famine
• fixed by God
• Joseph’s wise counsel

4. Pharaoh Promotes Joseph 37-57

• recognition of Joseph’s giftedness
• endowed with authority: “God speaks and lives”
• administrates grain storage at age 30
• births of Manasseh and Ephraim
• all the earth comes to Egypt and Joseph

5. So What?

• Because God sovereignly controls the destinies of nations in order to protect and provide for His own people, declare His power and submit to His plan.
• “He who is aware of God is humble and fearless at the same time. Even a king is nothing compared to God” (A. Ross) (Prov. 21:1)
• “Joseph acts out of confidence in the character of God.” (B. Waltke)
• “Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; the clouds ye so much dread are big with mercy, and shall break in blessings on your head. Blind unbelief is sure to err, and scan His work in vain; God is His own interpreter, and He will make it plain.” (W. Cowper)
• Since God is in His place, our place is on our faces-awed, amazed, staggered and surrendered!

Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for February 3, 2019

“Joseph’s Prison Ministry”   Genesis 40:1-23   Bible Study   02/03/19

As we focus on Genesis 40 this morning, we find Joseph in prison after having been falsely accused by Mrs. Potiphar. Rather than curling up in a fetal position and bemoaning his circumstances, Joseph perseveres in faith and provides a lasting model for all who find themselves in circumstances they never anticipated.

1. The Cupbearer and Baker Imprisoned 1-4

• positions of significant authority
• confined with Joseph
• Joseph appointed to attend them

2. The Cupbearer and Baker Have Dreams 5-8

• disturbing dreams
• dejection
• Joseph’s recognition and request

3. Joseph Interprets the Cupbearer’s Dream 9-15

• cup in Pharaoh’s hand
• restoration within 3 days
• Joseph’s request and declaration

4. Joseph Interprets the Baker’s Dream 16-19

• expectation of a positive interpretation
• birds devour baked goods
• execution within 3 days
• telling it like God says it is

5. Fulfillment and Forgetfulness 20-23

• restoration of cupbearer
• execution of baker
• forgotten by man but remembered by God

6. So What?

• Knowing that the Lord wants to work in and through you, remain faithful in discouraging circumstances.
• Determine to stand on the promises rather than the circumstances.
• Rely on the revelation of God. Joseph had dreams. We have the Word.
• What “prison ministry” do you need to cultivate?
• Rest in the assurance that the Lord never forgets His own.
• Look to the One whose sufferings exceeded those of Joseph.

Dr. McKellar’s Lesson for January 27, 2019

“Armed Resistance”   Genesis 39:1-23   Bible Study   01/27/19

This morning, as we continue our focus on the life of Joseph, we will examine his experience and triumph over temptation at a particularly vulnerable time in his life. His encounter with Mrs. Potiphar demonstrates that only a superior satisfaction in God can arm one against the assault of the ticking bomb of temptation.

1. Blessed with God’s Presence 1-6a

• continuation from 37:36
• the LORD’S presence with Joseph
• favor in the sight of Potiphar

2. Propositioned by Mrs. Potiphar 6b-10

• Joseph’s form and appearance: away/advancing/attractive
• proposition and refusal
• Joseph’s perspective
• the persistence of Mrs. Potiphar: powerful/punctual/persistent

3. Falsely Accused 11-18

• the problem intensified
• Joseph flees
• Mrs. Potiphar accuses

4. Imprisoned but Not Abandoned 19-23

• Potiphar’s anger
• Joseph imprisoned: elevation/temptation/incarceration
• the LORD’S presence with Joseph

5. So What?

• When assaulted by the ticking bomb of temptation, arm yourself with a superior satisfaction in God.
• “The joy of the Lord will arm us against the assaults of our spiritual enemies and put our mouths out of taste for those pleasures with which the tempter baits his hooks.” (M. Henry)
• “Jesus is all the world to me, and true to Him I’ll be; Oh, how could I this Friend deny, when He’s so true to me…” (W. Thompson)