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Five strikes and you’re out!

Mark moves from authority to oppositionFive examples of Israel’s religious leaders in opposition to the teaching of Jesus

• Jesus had to contend with and overcome them

• Mark’s readers might have faced similar problems

• Popularity with the masses always gets negativeattention from political and religious leaders

Five Strikes and You’re Out!

Strike 1: Forgiveness and Healing – 2:1-12

• Mark points out Jesus was very popular – vv 1-2

• The men bringing their incapacitated friend made a huge effort to “break in” on Jesus from above – vv 3-5

• Jesus’ claim to forgive the paralytic’s sins was offensive – only God could forgive sins! – vv 6-7


• Jesus points out His ability to forgive sin cannot be verified, but His ability to heal can – vv 8-9

• Jesus chose to do what they considered harder (the healing) to prove He could also forgive sins. He was claiming to be the true Messiah – vv 10-11

• The man responded to Jesus’ three commands immediately and obediently, proving Him correct in His assessment of the man and his friends – v 12


Strike 2: Levi and His Feast – 2:13-17• The call of Levi is a different event – v 13

• Jesus’ authority pulls Levi (Matthew) away from his life as a tax-collector – v 14

• Matthew’s generosity to Jesus offends the religious leaders. Why? – vv 15-16

• Jesus responds with a parable that says, “I will meet God’s expectations, not yours” – v 17


Strike 3: Questions About Fasting – 2:18-22

• Unknown why others are fasting – v 18

• Jesus answers a question with a parable – vv 19-20

• Jesus adds two parables to clarify His point – vv 21-22

• The parables’ point: Judaism is like an old garment or an old wineskin. It has served its purpose!


Strike 4: Picking Grain on the Sabbath – 2:23-28

• The “law” Jesus was breaking was a tradition established by the Pharisees – vv 23-24

• Jesus’ answer comes from history – vv 25-26

• Jesus’ point: the Pharisees’ endless rules made the Sabbath a strait-jacket that inhibited true worship by the Jews – vv 27-28


Strike 5: Healing on the Sabbath – 3:1-6

• The Pharisees watched Jesus not to learn, but to find a basis to accuse Him – vv 1-2

• Jesus knew this and provoked a conflict – vv 3-4

• Jesus' anger turned into grief because of their hardness of heart. He wants healing, not revenge – v 5

• The Pharisees anger turned into murderous rage – v 6


Last WordsMark reveals the difference between those who accept and reject Jesus Christ as the Messiah

• Those who accept are healed, both in body and in spirit, as a result of their interaction with Him

• Those who reject are corrupted by the sin they hold on to, using the world’s ways to gain their desires

• What will you hold on to? Jesus or this world?
