“God Budgets His Power in this Age – Feeding of 5000” – Mark 6:30-44
Background for the lesson: Ezekiel 34:1-3, 11-24
The Lord directs Ezekiel to speak against the leaders of Israel, pointing out their unwillingness to shepherd the people.
Then the Lord tells Ezekiel that He Himself will lead his sheep and lead them to rich pastures on the hills of Israel and judge those who muddy the water for His sheep.
If you were a Christian living in the second century AD, you would be accused of four things:
The last accusation is the focus of the lesson today.
2 Corinthians 6:18
The Christians of that day took to heart and openly behaved according to the idea that, regardless of biological or marital relationships, older Christians were the parents of younger Christians and, likewise, the younger were the sons and daughters of the older and those of the same age range were brothers and sisters. Christians are a family.
In chapter’s 4, 5, & 6, we see that the minority response to Jesus and His miracles is faith.
Jesus was amazed at their unbelief.
Only two people had the right response to Jesus:
In Mark 3:20, we see that His legal family believes Him to be out of His mind.
Mark 3:33-35
Jesus redefines the family for Christians.
The biological family is no longer placed above our relationship to other Christians.
Mark 10:28-30
A Christian receives multiple new family members.
“The Nature of Leadership: Aaron and the Golden Calf” – Exodus 32:1-14
Jim Collins, in his book, Good to Great, revealed that good leaders were humble and put those who were under them first.
Exodus 25 – 31 tells us in detail how God wants to be worshiped.
But the Israelites decide to represent God as a golden calf.
Moses had a similar experience to Jesus when Jesus was led out into the desert for forty days & nights, without food or water and tempted by the devil.
Moses also went without food or water for forty days & nights and was in the desert. Moses, while on a mountain top like Jesus, was tested to see if he would prefer to allow himself to be exalted in place of the Israelites, to become the founder of his own nation. In the case of Jesus, He was tempted to exalt Himself by taking all the kingdoms of the earth for Himself without the humility of the cross. Moses offered his own life to atone for his people, but God rejected his offer because he was not a suitable sacrifice; it required a totally righteous person to make that sacrifice; it remained for Jesus to do that.
“Jairus’ Daughter & a Woman with an Issue of Blood” – Mark 5:21-43
The number, 12, figures in both stories.
A woman with an issue of blood had suffered with the problem for 12 years.
Leviticus 12 & 15 – The law of Moses concerning this woman’s condition.
Jesus, rather than shunning the woman for making Him ceremonially unclean under the law, responds kindly in informing her that her faith has brought her healing.
Jesus continues to Jairus’ house where his 12-year-old daughter lies dead.
Jesus speaks of the child as only being asleep, a term used widely in the scriptures to describe a pre-resurrection state. Where there is faith in Jesus, death is merely dosing.
If you are unclean, Jesus has time for you; if you are dead, He has words for you.
“The Kingdom of Heaven starts small” – Mark 4:26-41
Jesus calms a storm.
Parable of the growing seed.
Parable of the mustard seed.
Jesus’ healings and miracles were selective, for the purpose of demonstrating who He is and what the coming kingdom will be. In His first coming not everyone was healed and not every storm was stilled.
Psalm 104:3-4; 135:7; 107:23-31
Jesus is the God in these psalms.
