Dr. Bingham’s Lesson for March 18, 2012
Series in Mark
“The Day of Reversal” – Mark 12:1-11
Psalm 118
1-4 – It begins with thanksgiving.
5-7 – The Lord sets David free from anguish.
8-9 – It is better to trust in the Lord.
10-12 – David’s predicament.
13-18 – Deliverance from the Lord because David prayed.
The two testaments should not be view as being separate. The New Testament is the account of the fulfillment of the Old Testament.
Mark 12:1-11
Jesus tells a parable about a vineyard that is an allegory of the history of Israel’s treatment of the prophets and, lastly, how they will deal with Himself.
Jesus then quotes from Psalm 118:22-23.
Verse 24 is often misunderstood. The “day that the Lord has made” should be applied to a day in which you experience a miraculous reversal from being headed toward disaster to having deliverance, from heading to defeat to having victory. It speaks of a thing previously discounted becoming the center of the universe.
Even in the midst of disastrous circumstances we can “rejoice in the day that the Lord has made” by remembering that Jesus has died for your sins and been resurrected. Jesus is the stone that the builders rejected and God has made Him Lord of heaven and earth.
Dr. Bingham’s Lesson for March 11, 2012
Series in Mark
“Jesus’ Authority is Questioned” – Mark 11:27-33
William Hamilton (03/09/1924 – 02/28/2012), a professor of theology on the east coast, taught that God was dead because He was nothing more than a concept, someone made up to sooth the soul.
He argued that for people to live moral and ethical lives, to behave well toward each other, to serve one another, for society to be stable, we don’t need the idea of a self-existent Creator and Sustainer. However, he wanted to hold onto the ethical teaching of Jesus. Until the day he died, Hamilton called himself a Christian because he was a follower of the ethical and moral teachings of Christ. He believed you can argue for the existence of the religion, Christianity, without the need for a self-existent Creator and Sustainer, because Christianity is essentially a life of well-behaved people. This became known as Radical Theology and the Death of God.
Mark 11:27-33
Jesus challenges this idea.
The chief priests, teachers of the law and elders challenge Jesus’ authority to cleanse the temple and quote the prophets authoritatively.
Jesus responded by asking a question of them – was John’s baptism from heaven or from men? Jesus takes them back to the beginning. Was John’s coming something arranged by heaven or something a human being could dream up? Hamilton thought that Christianity was something that could be produced entirely by natural means.
Christianity is not in its essence about discipline. Christianity is in its essence about a supernatural in-breaking of God into this world and into our lives. So the question to the religious leaders of Israel is: Is it supernatural or is it natural?
Isaiah 40:1-5, with which the Gospel of Mark begins.
Isaiah 40:6-8 tells us that the only thing that is self-sustaining is God. The natural is contrasted with the super-natural in these verses.
Isaiah 40:9-11 tells us the One for whom the way is being prepared is the sovereign Lord, not just for another human being.
Isaiah 40:12-14 describes this sovereign Lord; He is the maker and the sustainer.
Isaiah 40:18 – With whom can you compare God?
The answer to Jesus’ question is, of course, heaven.
But the religious leaders discussed it among themselves, considering that, if they said “heaven,” Jesus would ask why they didn’t believe him; but they feared the people if they said from men because the people held that John really was a prophet. They were wind-testers who relied on polls.
Christianity is at its heart the reality of the supernatural. We are committed to the God who exists outside of time and space but has invaded time and space out of His miraculous goodness to us and because of His wrath and judgment. We are a people who believe that there is a realm outside of the natural; and, therefore, we are not wind-testers. We approach everything with this presupposition that God exists and He intervenes into the natural realm and He did it most wonderfully in the incarnation of His Son.
Editor’s note:
William Hamilton was not the first to use the phrase, “God is Dead.” The German philosopher, Frederick Nietzsche (1844 – 1900), in his work, Thus Spake Zarathustra, used the phrase. Nietzsche was a favorite of the Nazis, who came along in the late 1920’s and 1930’s; and Nietzsche spoke in his writing of man as having made his way from the worm and advanced the idea that a new kind of man could be cultivated, a “superman.” Nietzsche said, in speaking of his ideals found among warrior nations, “One cannot fail to see at the bottom of all these noble races the beast of prey, the splendid blond beast prowling about avidly in search of spoil and victory; this hidden core needs to erupt from time to time, the animal has to get out again and go back to the wilderness.” Nietzsche also blamed Jews and Christians for all the world’s troubles. His ideas led to the killing of the infirm, the practice of genocide, and war.
Dr. Bingham’s Lesson for March 4, 2012
Series in Mark
“Pray in Faith and Forgiveness” – Mark 11:12-25
Jesus withered the fig tree to remind everyone to read Isaiah 56:1-7 and know all who come to the Lord in faith are welcome into His presence and should not consider themselves a dry, withered tree.
The holy mountain in Isaiah 56 is the temple mount.
Mark 11:22-24
Jesus speaks of a mountain casting itself into the sea. This is again the temple mount; not the Mount of Olives.
If you think it is impossible for a foreigner or a eunuch to enter the presence of God, you must believe the impossible, such as telling the temple mount to cast itself into the sea, and know that these can be brought into the temple and become as close to God as a son or daughter.
When you pray in faith (confidence) that God can do something and, if it is according to His will, it will be done.
The corollary to faith in prayer is forgiveness.
Matthew 6:14
Colossians 3:13; Ephesians 4:32; 1 Peter 4:8
Dr. Bingham’s Lesson for February 26, 2012
Series in Mark
“Jesus comes to clean house, like a new Jehu” – Mark 11:11-21
Jonathan Edwards wrote a book where he argued that conversions are surprising. There is nothing we can do to bring about conversions; there is no methodology. The Holy Spirit must invade a persons life and change him from hating God and shunning God to finding God beautiful, to loving God, and believing that the cross brings salvation and forgiveness of sins. Conversions are surprising, and so is true worship because it requires the presence of the Spirit in our hearts. It requires conversion so that we can worship in truth and in Spirit.
Mark 11:11-17
The next day, on reaching the temple, Jesus drove out the money changers and those buying and selling.
As in the days of Jehu (2 Kings 9), worship had become corrupt.
Jesus quotes Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11.
Jeremiah 7:1-11
It’s so easy to appear spiritual when you are in the temple.
If you really are spiritual there are virtues that come with it. Only if you have the Holy Spirit living in you can you possibly be virtuous.
Isaiah 56:1-7
Even a eunuch who comes before the Lord God with a true heart is accepted into the temple. In Deuteronomy, eunuchs were banned from the temple.
Mark 11:20-21
In the morning, the disciples find the fig tree, that Jesus had cursed the day before for not bearing fruit, had dried up.
In Isaiah 56:3, God said, “Do not let the eunuch say, ‘Behold, I am a dry tree.'”
Those who belong in the temple are those whose heart has been converted by the Spirit of God, that has as its signs mercy, compassion, justice, righteousness, forgiveness, and acceptance.
Dr. Bingham’s Lesson for February 19, 2012
Series in Mark
“When God wants it, it happens” – Mark 11:1-10
At the time of the First Great Awakening, 100 years after the establishment of Protestant Christianity in the British Colonies of North America, people had become comfortable with substituting the acceptance of Christian culture for Christian conversion. It is so easy to imitate Christianity.
The Great Awakening began with the preaching of Theodore Frelinghuysen, who began to preach the gospel to his congregation, then spread to the Presbyterian community because of the preaching of Gilbert Tennent. Jonathan Edwards in Massachusetts also began preaching the gospel to his congregation and preached five sermons to his congregation on justification by faith. Because of this, for two years, conversions burst forth in the Dutch Reformed churches of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Then they suddenly died down; this was also the case among the Presbyterians. It was also the case for the Congregationalists of Massachusetts. Jonathan Edwards explained this sudden abatement by saying this: “Because conversions are surprising.” In other words, there isn’t a thing anyone can do to make someone convert to Christ. It requires the Holy Spirit to invade someone’s life and draw him to Christ. As further explanation, Jonathan Edwards used John 3:8 that describes the Spirit as being like the wind.
2 Kings 9:1-37
When God wants something done, it happens.
Mark 11:1-6 is another example of when God wants something, it happens.
Mark 11:7-8 – Think of 2 Kings 9 where Jehu’s men spread their cloaks before him to declare him king.
Mark 11:9-10 – Hosanna means “save us.” It is from Psalm 118. Hosanna became a typical way of hailing the king of Israel.
“Grant us success” (or grant us victory), which is in Psalm 118 was not quoted by the people welcoming Jesus. Although Jesus came as king, this wasn’t the time.
God was doing His will as much in accomplishing the death of Jesus as in bringing about His resurrection.
We must always be ready to submit to God’s will no matter what it is.
Dr. Bingham’s Lesson for February 12, 2012
Guest speaker: Kevin Dodge
“The Necessity of Atonement” – Leviticus 16:1-22
Atonement means reconciling two parties that are estranged.
Leviticus 16
The Day of Atonement
It was inaugurated right after Aarons’s two sons were killed while making an unauthorized offering a short time after Aaron was consecrated as High Priest and they were consecrated as priests. They approached God without the proper preparation of sacrifice.
It was given as an act of grace to the Israelites. For the first time, a man would be allowed to come into the presence of God on a regular basis.
Before Aaron is to go into the presence of God, he has to change out of the exalted clothing of the High Priest and put on the clothing of a bond servant.
Aaron makes atonement for himself before entering the Most Holy Place.
Two goats are set aside and one is chosen for a sin offering for the people by casting lots and the other becomes the scapegoat. (“Scapegoat” is a word coined by William Tyndale to describe the goat that would be taken away into the wilderness and set free, bearing the sins of the people.)
The goat offered for sin is a substitutionary sacrifice in our place.
Aaron’s entrance into the Most Holy Place shows our need for a representative before God.
We also need a way for the people to identify with the work of the sacrifice and with the representation. This is done by the High Priest laying hands on the scapegoat and confessing all the sins of the people before it is taken out into the wilderness and turned loose. Early Christian writings describe the scapegoat as having a scarlet cord tied around its neck and the people spitting on it and kicking it as it was taken away, evoking for us the imagery of Christ being taken to be crucified.
Hebrews 9:22-28
Jesus’ sacrifice was superior to the one offered on the Day of Atonement and He did not enter into a copy of the heavenly places but into heaven itself.
Jesus’ sacrifice was only needed once to last for all time.
Jesus was our substitute in sacrifice, who bore the sins of us all, and our representative before God.
Dr. Bingham’s Lesson for February 5, 2012
Series in Mark
“Jesus asks a Question” – Mark 10:32-52
Jesus asks a question of two different people in this passage: “What do you want for me to do for you?
Mark 10:32-34
For the third time in as many chapters, beginning in chapter 8, Jesus predicts His death.
The Jews were expecting a messiah who would come in glory and power not in humility ending in suffering and death.
Mark 10:35-45
The disciples are still filled with the vision of the transfiguration and, disregarding His words about his coming death, can only think about what Jesus can do for them. They want the most privileged places in glory.
Jesus demonstrates His humility in answering the disciples.
See also Matthew 20:23.
Some things are foreordained by God.
Don’t confuse God with someone you are used to manipulating.
The ten who were indignant were just as guilty.
Your relationship with Jesus in this life should be an opportunity to imitate Him in being a servant to others.
Concentrate on a prayer life that makes you a better servant.
Mark 10:46-52
It is the blind man who really sees, who knows how to answer the question – be merciful to me.
Dr. Bingham’s Lesson for January 29, 2012
Series in Mark
“Divorce, Children, & the Rich Young Man” – Mark 10:1-31
Deuteronomy 24:1-4
The first verse is what the Pharisees have in mind when speaking to Jesus.
In verse 23, the word in Hebrew, translated as “indecent,” is actually a Hebrew euphemism for sexual perverseness such as adultery, incest, etc.
Mark 10:1-12
Jesus, however, goes back to Genesis 2:23-24, to the fundamental inauguration of marriage, which holds that the man and woman when they join in marriage become one new flesh and are related by flesh as being of the same family, blood relatives. This should govern our concept of marriage rather than the concession of Moses. What is joined together should not be separated.
Mark 10:13-16
People were bringing children to Jesus for Him to touch them, but some disciples rebuked them. Jesus was indignant, however, and ordered them to allow it and declared that the children coming to Him were a demonstration of how everyone should come to Him.
Mark 10:17-31
The rich young man.
Jesus shows the young man that he was not worthy of heaven by his works because he was greedy.
Jesus calls His disciples “children,” reminding everyone of what He said about children and the kingdom of heaven in the preceding incident.
Who then can be saved? With man this is impossible but with God all things are possible.
God needs to regenerate everyone into children, who come to him with nothing checked off, with nothing to offer God.
Come to Him with an attitude of needing to be totally dependent on God.
Dr. Bingham’s Lesson for January 22, 2012
Series in Mark
“Unexpected Things – Part II” – Mark 9:30-50
Last week we covered the first of three unexpected things, that some things happen only if people ask for them to happen; and even if God’s people pray with just a little bit of faith and cry out to God to help them in their faith, some things will happen if they pray.
Isaiah 66:22-24
In the end everyone will bow down to the Lord and Philippians 2:9-11 tells us that it is the Lord Jesus Christ to whom all will bow.
Bowing down will take two forms. The way that God’s people bow down is in the exercise of faith and reliance on Him and they will be rewarded with eternal life. The wicked will bow down also, but will be made to do so, then will be taken away into eternal mortality, decay, and pain forever.
In today’s lesson, Jesus wants you to know that the first way in which you are to bow down before history’s end arrives so that you are not in that group which experience the unending fire is by unending, enduring prayer even if that prayer comes with a little bit of faith. Every time you pray with even a tiny bit of faith you are classed with the Israel that will be resurrected and ushered into the land of blessing in the final days. If you are a people bowing the knee now, one of the things that characterizes you is prayer even when you no longer have the heart to pray. Praying when you don’t have the heart to pray characterizes the people of submission and faith today.
Jesus tells His disciples that He will be betrayed, killed, and resurrected from the dead. This was puzzling to them after witnessing Jesus in His ascension glory and power during the transfiguration.
The disciples were still in a state of awe from the transfiguration when they began to discuss among themselves who was the greatest among them.
The second unexpected thing is, if anyone wants to be first, he must be last.
A servant is someone who seeks to make someone else successful.
The third thing Jesus wants you to know in this lesson is that if we are of the spiritual family of Abraham this side of the end days, we are to value people simply on the basis that we share the same faith in Jesus Christ.
Mark 9:42-48
All of this language about cutting off body parts and plucking out this and that is “exaggeration language” to impress the hearer that it is better to suffer loss ourselves rather than to do anything to cause fellow believers to sin.
Mark 9:50
Spice up your relationships by being at peace with each other.
Dr. Bingham’s Lesson for January 15, 2012
Series in Mark
“Unexpected Things – Part I” – Mark 9:14-48
Isaiah 66:1; 65:17; 66:22-24
These verses speak of a future day when Israel is restored and those who trust in God are redeemed and rewarded but the unrepentant receive everlasting punishment.
The worm in the last verse is indicative of decay.
Mark 9:14-29
Some things will only be done if you earnestly pray for them in faith.
If you plead with God to help you in your unbelief, God will have mercy and help you just the same.
It is unexpected that an answer to prayer doesn’t come just to those who have faith as big as a mountain but to those who have faith only as big as an ant hill but who confess their weakness of faith and cry out to the Lord to increase it.
God will not provide everything that is asked in prayer, only those things that are according to His will (1 John 5:14); and there are things the Lord wants to do for you that He will only do if you ask for them faith.
Mark 9:30-35
The last shall be first.
Mark 9:42-48
Jesus reconfirms the division of humanity into the saved and unsaved as recorded in Isaiah 66:22-24.
