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Gospel of Mark #44 ~ (11:27-33)

Started by Al Moak, August 10, 2004, 09:24:27 AM

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Al Moak

Mark 11:27 - 33
A Lesson In Boldness


The incident before us in Mark today is a negative lesson. It's an example we shouldn't follow! And, as with everything, we need our Father's help to avoid following it. I hope we'll be moved to fervent prayer for that help.

Jesus had just finished disturbing the peace! He had angered the Jewish leaders by driving the money changers out of the temple and overturning their merchandise tables!  They wanted to know just exactly where He got His authority to do things like that!

They thought they knew what authority He would claim, and they were prepared.  They hoped He would claim God as His authority, because then they would again demand a "sign from heaven" just as they had previously (Mark 8:11). If He couldn't produce the special kind of sign they demanded, then they would label Him as an imposter, a false Messiah.  They were, after all, the Supreme Court of Judaism, the Sanhedrin.  They thought they were authorized to demand signs such as those performed by Elijah or Elisha in calling down fire from heaven.

Of course Jesus had already performed many true "signs," but their unbelief hadn't been moved in the slightest. He had healed the deaf, the lame, and the blind, but that wasn't enough for them. They should, though, have done a little more considering before demanding the spectacular signs they had in mind.

They would have done well, for instance, to remember a little more about what happened when Elijah actually did call down fire from heaven. The fire consumed the sacrifice, the rocks, and the water in the trench around the altar! The result was that the people were finally convinced that Baal was a false god and that Jehovah was the true God.  The people therefore then killed all the priests of Baal! What would the present people do? The Jewish leaders in this case were opposed to Jesus. Did they really want a sign from Jesus that proved His Messiahship?

Like the Baal worshippers of Elijah's day, these leaders couldn't win! And they didn't. Loud enough for all the crowd to hear, Jesus asked them whether John the Baptist's baptism had been from heaven or from men. The leaders immediately knew they were in trouble, because if they said it was from men, they would be considered fools, since all the people believed it was from God. On the other hand, if they said it was from God, then their attempt to discredit Jesus would be exposed, because John testified that Jesus was Messiah, and that His authority was therefore from God. The'd be answering their own question!

They did the only thing they could think of - they pled ignorance. They probably did so as quietly as possible, so that the people might not hear. But Jesus made sure the people did hear. He said, in a normal tone of voice that all could hear, "Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things!"

Our natural reaction is to call these Jewish leaders fools. We ask ourselves, "Why didn't they simply believe the obvious? But in so saying, we convict ourselves, because we often cave in to peer pressure as much as they did. Have you ever found yourself, for instance, downplaying your relationship to Christ because everybody around you was ridiculing Christianity? It's like Peter's denial. Perhaps you didn't go as far as he did, but - did you try to find as much common ground as possible to agree with the unbelievers? Was it for the purpose of winning them? Or were you just trying to keep from losing their esteem? Have you ever wanted to "crawl into a hole and hide" when unbelievers were asking you revealing questions about your relationship to Christ?

We need to notice that these questioners were leaders. They were expected to lead, to show by word and example the way the people should go. But, like many leaders, they were afraid of losing popularity, afraid of losing their position at the front. They'd forgotten a great principle of successful leadership, a principle often forgotten in our day as well: they had considered three possible answers to Jesus' question, but they had forgotten a fourth alternative, the alternative of honesty. They should have said, "Master, we see what You're saying. We had forgotten that John testified that You were the Messiah sent from God. We're sorry for having tried to discredit You. It's obvious that we were wrong, because it's obvious that Your authority comes from the God Who sent You!"

And these leaders would not have lost face! In fact, they would have gained esteem, because the people would have perceived them as admitting they were just like everyone else - capable of error. And it would have been obvious that they had the courage to admit error, to be corrected, and to grow. May I suggest that we pray for our political and religious leaders? May I suggest that we as Christian voters look for this attitude in the candidates of our choice?

So we need boldness, and we need to avoid the pitfall of peer pressure when it comes to our relationship to Christ. How and where can we get the courage we need? The answer can be found in at least two places in God's Word. I'd like us to look briefly at those places. The first is 1 Jn. 4:18. There we read, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. but he who fears has not been made perfect in love."

Under the inspiration of the Spirit, John is just telling us that what we need in order to rid us of fear in the Christian life is love. The more love we have to God, the less fear we will have of man. And, also, if we have more love for others, then we'll want to do them good no matter what happens to ourselves.

So we need love to God and love to the lost - and both are supplied only by the Spirit of God. We read in Galatians 5:22, 23, that "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." He who has the Spirit of God can become more and more bold as a Christian.

What can we do about it? Of course, every Christian is indwelt by the Spirit of God, and Paul even said, "He that has not the Spirit of Christ is not His" - but what we need is more of His influence in our lives.

One thing we can do is to ask. Our Lord said, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?" (Lk. 11:13) Do you want to be rid of the attitude of fearfulness that keeps you from speaking up for your Lord? Ask Him for more influence of His Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit for more love to your Lord, and therefore for more boldness in serving Him. He will hear you because it's His will for you to be bold. You may need to go through some trials, your faith may be tested, but He'll be working in your life to give you the boldness.

The other passage I'd like us to notice is 2 Tim. 1:7. There Paul addresses our problem directly.  He says, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, Who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel!"  God the Spirit dwells in every Christian's heart. And He is not a spirit of fear. So we already have the wherewithal to be bold for Christ.

That's why Paul could go on to exhort us to be unashamed of the testimony of Christ. That's why he could even exhort us to do something very unnatural.  He said, "share with me in the suffering for the gospel." Because of His Spirit residing within, we love Jesus Christ, and we can therefore actually be willing to suffer for Him. After all, even if we should die for Him, yet death isn't our enemy, because for us death has been "abolished!" What could possibly harm us? Eternity will have enough joy to make up for a little persecution here!

So - this passage from Mark could be a very negative passage for us, because it shows us, not only the cowardice of the Jewish leaders, but our own cowardice as well. But we can pray for more of His Spirit's influence in our lives, and we can pray that we'll be reminded that nothing can really harm us, since we know that our eternity is real and blessed. Having these things, we can live unashamedly in this life. Having these things, we can be bold and joyful servants of our Lord.

Let's join one another in prayer. Let's pray something like this: O Father, You have raised up our Lord Jesus Christ to Your right hand. He promised to ask You to send Your Spirit unto us, and He told us that You would do so. We ask just now that You would keep us from being like these Jewish leaders, that You would make us bold by Your Spirit, unafraid of those around us, ready to speak the words the world needs to hear. Oh grant us boldness as Your servants through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen!



Chris & Margit Saunders

Proverbs-- "Do not follow a mob to do evil." Even religious leaders can gang up on people who disagree with them and their doctrines.
I heard a preacher today speak on the subject of  blindness,,  saying how do you explain light to someone born in darkness, who has never seen light!
Also that a map is no good if you dont know where you are going, he said the jews looked for the Messiah and when He came, they did not recognise Him because they looked for their own idea of a Messiah, not the scriptural One foretold.
Now they are still looking!
They cannot recognise Him without light being shed upon their hearts and understanding.


Al Moak

I regret to have to say that it's not so different for us.  The natural heart is only interested in a Savior Who does what they themselves prescribe - "their kind of Savior."

Chris & Margit Saunders

Yes I agree Bro, but the Jews were looking for the coming Messiah, people are not looking for God!
I only wish they were. :(

Al Moak

How true.  I often have people tell me that "so and so is seeking the Lord - we ought to encourage him/her."  It isn't so.  It's certainly true that "him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out," but only those drawn by the Father do actually come, and only they truly seek.  Oh how we must thank Him if we have arrived at the safe haven in Christ!