1. Mark 1:9-20
Calls
March 3, 2019
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi
USA
What’s the number one thing?
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1 Corinthians 10:31 NASB
31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
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2. March Memory Verse
Isaiah 41:10 NIV
10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Mark 1:9-13 NASB
The Baptism of Jesus
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John
in the Jordan. (prophetic, about the age of 30) 10 Immediately coming up out of
the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending
upon Him; 11 and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in
You I am well-pleased.”
12 Immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. 13 And He
was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the
wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.
Mark 1:9-13 NASB
Jesus was baptized on Yom Kippur, on the Day of Atonement!
Why did the Spirit send Him afterward into the desert?
Jesus became our scapegoat!
The Scapegoat was driven out into the wilderness.
Mark expresses it, "The Spirit impelled (drove) Him into the wilderness.”
A Divine plan was being worked out.
It did not — to use a common expression — "happen" that Jesus met Satan and
was tried.
Neither is it true to say that the devil arranged the temptation.
Temptation here is in the Divine plan and purpose.
Jesus went into the wilderness under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to find the
devil.
If the devil could have escaped that day, he would have done so.

3. Jesus was driven by the Spirit - to enter into direct combat.
This is not the devil's method.
He prefers to put something between himself and the man he would tempt - he
hides his own personality wherever possible.
To our first parents he did not suggest that they should serve him, but that they
should please themselves.
Jesus dragged Satan from behind everything, and put him in front, that for once,
not through the subtlety of a second cause, but directly, he might do his worst
against a pure soul.
The Spirit took Him to the place of temptation and was with Him through the
process of temptation.
Not in His Deity did He resist, but in His perfect Manhood.
Mark 1:14-20 NASB
Jesus Preaches in Galilee
14 Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee,
preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the
kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
16 As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the
brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus
said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
18 Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. 19 Going on a little farther,
He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the
boat mending the nets. 20 Immediately He called them; and they left their father
Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him.
Mark 1:14-20 NASB
Jesus the Rabbi
Rabbi is a word that means "great one" or
"my master."

4. The use of the term, “Rabbi,” to refer to Jesus by the people of His day was a
measure of their great respect for Him as a person and not just a reference to
the activity of teaching He was engaged in.
Many referred to Jesus as Rabbi: His disciples (Luke 7:40), lawyers (Matthew
22:35-36), ordinary people (Luke 12:13), the rich (Matthew 19:16), Pharisees
(Luke 19:39), and Sadducees (Luke 20:27-28).
Jesus fit the description of a first century rabbi especially one at the most
advanced level, the one sought by potential disciples called talmidim.
Jesus (and the rabbis of His day) traveled from place to place with His disciples,
depended on the hospitality of others (Luke 8:1-3) and often met in private
homes (Luke 10:38-42).
In travel, rabbis would visit local synagogues because of the discussion of
Scripture that occurred regularly in these community centers (Matthew 4:23).
Rabbis used similar methods of interpreting Scripture.
The great teachers used a technique today called remez or hint, in which they
used part of a Scripture passage in discussion, assuming their audience's
knowledge of the Bible would allow them to deduce for themselves fuller
meaning.
Apparently, Jesus used this method often.
When the children sang Hosanna to Him in the Temple and the chief priests and
the scribes demanded Jesus quiet them, He responded with a quote from Psalm
8:2.
Psalm 8:2a NASB
2a “From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have
established strength

5. Their anger at Jesus is better understood when you realize that the next phrase in
the Psalm adds the reason why children and infants would praise, because of
the enemies of God who would be silenced (Psalm 8:2).
Psalm 8:2 NASB
2 “From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have
established strength
Because of Your adversaries,
To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.”
In other words, the chief priests and the scribes realized Jesus was saying that
they were God’s enemies.
Another example is Jesus' comments to Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.
Jesus said, "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." (Luke
19:10).
The background to this statement is Ezekiel 34.
God, angry with the leaders of Israel for scattering and harming His flock (the
people of Israel) states the He Himself will become the Shepherd and will seek
the lost ones and deliver (save) them.
Based on this, the people of Jesus' day understood that the Messiah to come
would "seek and save" the lost.
By using this phrase, knowing the people knew the Scripture, Jesus said several
things.
To the people He said, "I am the Messiah and God no less."
To the leaders (whose influence kept Zacchaeus out of the crowd) He said, "you
have scattered and harmed God's flock."

6. To Zacchaeus He said, "you are one of God's lost sheep, He still loves you."
This technique indicated a brilliant understanding of Scripture and incredible
teaching skills on Jesus part.
It also demonstrates the background knowledge of Scripture the common
people had.
Rabbis used similar teaching techniques like the use of parables.
More than 3,500 parables from first century rabbis still exist and Jesus' are the
very best.
He used similar themes (landowner, king, and farmer) as well. (Matthew 13)
Jesus seems to be a type of rabbi believed to have s'mikhah or authority to
make new interpretations.
Matthew 7:28-29 NASB
28 “When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His
teaching; 29 for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their
scribes.”
You see Jesus exercising His s’mikhah in several places in the Sermon on the
Mount.
For example, when Jesus wraps up all His teaching by sharing the parable of the
wise and foolish builder, He communicates that everything He has just said are
“words of Mine” (Matthew 7:24, 26).
When Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, …
But I tell you …” (Matthew 5:21-22; 27-28; 31-32; 33-34; 38-39; 43-44).

7. Most of the teachers were Torah teachers (teachers of the law) who could only
teach accepted interpretations.
Those with authority could make new interpretations and pass legal judgments.
Crowds were amazed because Jesus taught with authority (Hebrew s'mikhah,
Greek exousia) not as their Torah teachers.
Jesus was questioned about His authority.
Matthew 21:23 NASB
23 When He entered the Temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people
came to Him while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing
these things, and who gave You this authority?”
Rabbis invited people to learn to keep the Torah.
This was called taking "the yoke of Torah" or "the yoke of the Kingdom of
Heaven".
Rabbi's with s'mikhah would have a new interpretation or yoke.
Jesus invitation to those of His day who listened to many teachers helps establish
Him as a Rabbi with authority and would present an interpretation that was easy
and light to understand (not necessarily to do - Matthew 13:11-30).
As such, He was probably not only speaking to unsaved people burdened with
sin but also to people unsure of the many interpretations they heard in the
dynamic religious debate in Galilee.
Fulfilling the Torah was the task of a first century rabbi.
The technical term for interpreting the Scripture so it would be obeyed correctly
was "fulfill."
To interpret Scripture incorrectly so it would not be obeyed as God intended was
to "destroy" the Torah.
Jesus used these terms to describe His task as well.
Matthew 5:17 NASB
17 “Do not think that I came to abolish (destroy) the Law or the Prophets; I did not
come to abolish but to fulfill.

8. Contrary to what some think, Jesus did not come to do away with God's Torah
(Old Testament).
He came to complete it and to show how to correctly keep it.
One of the ways Jesus interpreted the Torah was to stress the importance of the
right attitude of heart as well as the right action.
Matthew 5:27-28 NASB
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; 28 but I say to
you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already
committed adultery with her in his heart.
The Disciples as Talmidim:
The decision to follow a rabbi as a talmid meant total commitment in the first
century as it does today.
Since a talmid was totally devoted to becoming like the rabbi he would have
spent his entire time listening and observing the teacher to know how to
understand the Scripture and how to put it into practice.

9. Jesus describes His relationship to His disciples in exactly this way (Matthew
10:24-25; Luke 6:40).
He chose them to be with Him (Mark 3:13-19) so they could be like Him (John
13:15).
Most students sought out the rabbis they wished to follow.
This happened to Jesus on occasion (Mark 5:19; Luke 9:57).
There were a few exceptional rabbis who were famous for seeking out their own
students.
If a student wanted to study with a rabbi, he would ask if he might "follow" the
rabbi.
The rabbi would consider the student’s potential to become like him and
whether he would make the commitment necessary.
It is likely most students were turned away.
Some of course were invited to "follow me."
This indicated the rabbi believed the potential talmid had the ability and
commitment to become like him.
It would be a remarkable affirmation of the confidence the teacher had in the
student.
In that light, consider whether the disciples of Jesus were talmidim as understood
by the people of His time.
They were to be "with" Him (Mark 3:13-19); to follow Him (Mark 1:16-20); to live
by His teaching (John 8:31); were to imitate His actions (John 13:13-15); were to
make everything else secondary to their learning from the rabbi (Luke 14:26).
This explains Peter's walking on water (Matthew 14:22-33).
When Jesus (the rabbi) walked on water, Peter (the talmid) wanted to be like
Him.
Certainly, Peter had not walked on water before nor could he have imagined
being able to do it.

10. However, if the teacher, who chose me because he believed I could be like
him, can do it - so must I.
And he did!
It was a miracle, but he was just like the rabbi!
And then ... he doubted.
Doubted what?
Traditionally we have seen that Peter doubted Jesus' power.
Maybe, but Jesus was still standing on the water.
Peter doubted himself, or maybe, his capacity to be empowered by Jesus.
Jesus’ response, "why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:31) then means "why did
you doubt I could empower you to be like me?"
That is a crucial message for the talmid of today (you and me).
We must believe that Jesus calls us to be disciples because He knows He can so
instruct, empower, and fill us with His Spirit that we can be like Him.
We must believe in His power to work in and through us!
Otherwise we will doubt that He can use us and as a result we will not be like
Him.
He is more than able to complete the work He began in you!
Being like the rabbi is the major focus of the life of talmidim.
They listen and question, they respond when questioned, they follow without
knowing where the rabbi is taking them knowing that the rabbi has good reason
for bringing them to the right place for His teaching to make the most sense.

11. In the story recorded in Matthew 16, Jesus walked nearly thirty miles one way to
be in Caesarea Philippi for a lesson that fit the location perfectly.
This means that the present day talmid (disciple) must be no less focused on the
rabbi.
We must be with Him in His Word, we must follow Him even if we are not sure of
the final destination, we must live by His teaching (which means we must know
those teachings well), and we must imitate Him whenever we can.
Everything becomes secondary in life to being like Him.
When they had observed and learned for a time, they were sent out to begin to
practice being like the Teacher (Luke 9:1-6; 10:1-24).
The amazement of the talmidim in discovering they could be like their teacher is
delightful (Luke 10:17).
It is very understandable to anyone who has seen the deep attachment of
talmidim to his or her rabbi even today.
It is most affirming when a student discovers that being like the teacher is
possible.

12. The teacher’s joy is no less as he discovers his students have learned well and
are gifted and empowered by God to act as the rabbi does (Luke 10:21; see
also John 17:16, 18).
When the teacher believed that his talmidim were prepared to be like him he
would commission them to become disciple makers.
He was saying, "As far as is possible you are like me. Now go and seek others
who will imitate you."
Because you are like me, when they imitate you, they will be like me.
This practice certainly lies behind Jesus’ Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).
While in one sense no one can be like Jesus in His divine nature, or in His perfect
human nature, when taught by the Rabbi, empowered and blessed by the Spirit
of God, imitating Jesus becomes a possibility.
The mission of the disciples was to seek others who would imitate them and
therefore become like Jesus.
That strategy, blessed by God's Spirit, would bear amazing fruit especially in the
Gentile world.
It also helps to understand the teaching of Paul who sought to make disciples.
He invited Herod Agrippa and the Roman governor to become like him (Acts
26:28-29).
He taught the young churches to imitate him and others who were like Jesus (1
Corinthians 4:15-16, 11:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7, 2:14; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-9; 1
Timothy 4:12).
The writer to the Hebrews had the same mission (Hebrews 6:12, 13:7).
This is one of the most significant concepts of the New Testament.
Jesus, the divine Messiah, chose the rabbi-talmid system.
He taught like a rabbi in real life situations, using the most brilliant methods ever
devised.

13. He interpreted God's word and completed it.
He demonstrated obedience to it.
He chose disciples whom He would empower to become like Him and led them
around until they began to imitate Him.
Then (after the gift of the Holy Spirit) He sent them out to make disciples ... to
lead people to imitate them by obeying Jesus.
And that strategy, by God's blessing would change the most pagan of cultures.
That is our call too!
Jesus calls us to be His talmidim.
We must know God's Word and Jesus' interpretation of it.
We must be passionate in our devotion to that Word and Jesus example.
As we are filled with His Spirit, we must be obsessed with being like Him as far as
is humanly possible.
We must strive for relationships with others so they will observe us and seek to
imitate our love and devotion to God and our Jesus-like lifestyle
(1 Corinthians 2:16, 11:1; Galatians 3:27).
By God's grace, that strategy can change the most pagan of cultures ... our
own!
When Jesus commissions His disciples after His resurrection, He says, "All
authority [all s’mikhah] in Heaven and on Earth has been given to Me ….
Therefore go …. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:18-20)

14. Since Jesus’ presence constantly and always accompanies His people, that
means that His s’mikhah also comes along with Him and with His people!
If we lived in the reality of Jesus with us and His s'mikhah in us, how would that
change the way we live and how we relate to the world around us?
Sunday
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Mark 2:1-12
Forgives
Jesus Heals A Paralytic
March 10, 2018
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi
USA
The Plan of Hope & Salvation
John 3:16 NASB
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
John 14:6 NASB
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to
the Father but through me.”
Romans 3:23 NASB
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23a NASB
23a For the wages of sin is death,
• Death in this life (the first death) is 100%.
• Even Jesus, the one who doesn’t deserve death, died in this life to pay the
penalty for our sins.
• The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the second death explained in
Revelation 21:8.

15. Revelation 21:8 NASB
8 “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and
immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the
lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
• Anyone who’s lifestyle is one or more of the sins listed in Revelation 21:8,
will experience the “second death” if they do not repent.
• To Repent means to turn around, to go in the opposite direction, to turn
away from sin and to come to Jesus.
Romans 6:23b NASB
23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 5:8 NASB
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for
us.
Revelation 21:7 NASB
7 “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be
My son.”
• Romans 10:9-10 explains to us how to be overcomers.
Romans 10:9-10 NASB
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that
God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person
believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in
salvation.
Romans 10:13 NASB
13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Have questions?
Would you like to know more?
Please, contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or
http://firstbaptistjackson.org/contact/