This week's Bible Study - September 6, 2009
The Jesus People Should Know
 Background Scripture:
Mark 1:1-14,21-28
Quote of the Week:
"Know where to find the information and how to use it - That's the secret of success."
-- Albert Einstein
This study begins a four lesson series on knowing Jesus. Throughout the next few lessons, we'll see Jesus as the unique Son of God. We'll see his interaction with God the Father and with his people. We'll see His life as an example for us and what it means to be His disciple.
What are things that people should know? There is a minimum set of information that people should know around the world. For example, it is very beneficial if you know how to speak and read the language of the country in which you live. If you can't do this, you will have a difficult time in school, getting a job, driving a vehicle, buying merchandise at a store or just knowing what is going on in general. You should have at least a grasp of mathematics. To be able to quickly deal with numbers helps in making purchases - considering how much multiples items may cost and the tax that must be paid. It helps to know how to tell time, so you can know when you need to be somewhere or do something. I'm sure that you can think of other things as well.
In the context of church, there are some things that are nice to know. Different churches do things differently, so it helps to know what to expect in your church - different styles in worship, dress and schedules. It is good to have a basic understanding of why your church does what it does. However, there is something that is more important than whatever else we may know in life - and what we know about the workings of our church. The most crucial bit of knowledge is how one deals with Jesus Christ. You may think that all church members have an adequate understanding of who Jesus is. However, you might be surprised.
Some people in and out of the church believe Jesus just to be an historical figure. They may see him as a great moral teacher, but they have problems seeing anything more. They may believe in the miracles and realize that he was sent from God, but they wonder if there really is any difference between Jesus and other religious leaders. They all speak of the same sort of things, so why does it matter what anyone believes, really? When this thought comes into the church, we have reason to worry. The whole being of the Christian church is grounded in Christ, and not just the thought that Jesus was a nice man who taught interesting things. And in reality, it matters more what you think. Each person must individually do something with Jesus. Who is Jesus to you? Do you know who he really is?
Each of the gospels tells of the story of John the Baptist. Mark begins with introducing the prophecy of John, but each of the gospels mentions him. In the Old Testament, you can read about how God often led his people and they relied upon him at times and at other times, they forgot him. I believe that we can all relate to this, as we have likely had times where we were close to God and others where we seemed to go our own way - if for a short period of time, or for others - perhaps many years. At the Old Testament, there was a famine from God's word. I'm sure they kept going on what they had learned in their history, but God was not active. However, all of that changed with the birth of Christ and the appearance of John the Baptist.
The prophet Isaiah wrote about the messenger that would come ahead of Jesus and would prepare his way. The voice of this messenger would be one calling in the desert to prepare the way for the Lord and to make straight paths for him. John the Baptist was this messenger and while he was not very much older that Jesus, he began his wilderness ministry prior to the ministry of Christ. He preached a baptism of repentance. Many people think this would not be a successful topic, but people came from the city and across the entire countryside, confessing their sins and being baptized. People inwardly know of their own shortcomings and failures. Some may hesitate to call it sin, but that is what we all deal with. It's not that we just aren't good enough at a task, but it is willful disobedience of what we know is right and continuing to do what we 'want to do'.
Although John could have made a bigger name for himself, his message was that another one was coming after him. This one would be more powerful that John. John stated that he was not even worthy to stoop down and untie the thongs of this mans' sandals. Where John baptized with water, this man would baptize with the Holy Spirit. This man was indeed Jesus. When any church today starts emphasizing itself and deprecating Jesus Christ, they are running on dangerous grounds. All that any church does should point others to Jesus and not to itself.
While John was in the midst of his ministry, Jesus came from Nazareth and was baptized by John in the Jordan River. I am not sure how the baptisms normally took place. At least in my mind's eye, I picture several people lined up to be baptized at one time. If this were the case, you can imagine that several people witnessed the baptism of Christ. Any baptism is a sight to behold, as it indicates the deep desire for a change in a person's life. John preached a baptism of repentance, but Jesus really had nothing to repent of. It was a way of associating with the others and to give validation to John's ministry.
As Jesus came up out of the water, heaven was opened and the Spirit descended on him like a dove. A voice came from heaven stating "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." In an earlier lesson, we saw this as one of the instances in Scripture where the Trinity is present. However, at this point, put yourself in the position of another person who either had just been baptized or was going to be next. What would be going through your mind? I wonder if the next person to be baptized told this story over and over throughout his or her life. I also wonder what he or she may have been expecting when they came up out of the water.
As soon as the baptism was over, the Spirit sent Jesus out into the desert. John's ministry was in the wilderness, so Jesus must have already been near the desert. The Bible says that Jesus was in the desert with wild animals, attended to by the angels. After forty days of fasting in the desert, he was tempted by Satan. You may remember that story from Matthew chapter 4, as Jesus was tempted with personal convenience and physical appetite, the presumption of power, and to bow to Satan to gain the world.
There are a couple of things that seem to be drawn from this passage. First, Jesus went from a spiritual high in his baptism to a confrontation with Satan. Sometimes, we will experience a high of sorts and we may think that we are immune from attack. However, this is often one of the most dangerous times, as Satan will come at you when you may have let your guard down or when you figure you are above failure. Be on the lookout at all times. Second, these types of temptations are common to what we experience. It may be in a different measure - you've likely never been tempted to jump from a spire because God's angels will protect you from harm. However, we all deal with the physical temptations, the temptations to impress others and the temptations to take a shortcut and get what this world has to offer. Note that Jesus was not a superhero, immune from the things we deal with. He lived as a human, yet without sin. He knows the power of temptation, yet he does not know the failure associated with giving in. If he did that, his role as our Savior would have been nullified. He lived as one without sin, so that he could pay for our sins.
Following his temptation, Jesus began to select his disciples and then he began his earthly ministry. Throughout his ministry, Jesus would go to different cities and speak in the synagogue on the Sabbath. In this case, they began in Capernaum. When Jesus spoke, the people were amazed at his teaching. You have likely heard many different types of speakers. Some are very interesting and others are rather dull. Some employ humor in their speech, while others never crack a smile. When Jesus spoke, it was less about his delivery and more about his authority. It was written in many places of the amazing authority with which Jesus spoke. He truly knew what he was talking about, while others were trying to figure it out and come up with their own interpretation or express what they had been told by others.
As Jesus was teaching, there was a disturbance in the synagogue. Anytime someone besides the speaker in a church service starts speaking, there is a potential problem. In this case, a man was possessed by an evil spirit and he cried out "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy One of God!" Instead of allowing this revelation to continue, Jesus called the evil spirit out of the man. The spirit shook the man violently and came out with a shriek.
This was not the type of thing that happened most weeks in the synagogue. Can you imagine the fervor that must have been caused? From growing up in church and attending many different services, when anything goes awry it makes an impression. The people began talking with each other, asking "What is this? A new teaching - and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him." Jesus certainly made an impact. Their understanding of Jesus was certainly incomplete, but news about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
Closing
The message that John the Baptist preached was one of repentance. It was confession of sins and repentance of sins that allowed people to have a relationship with Jesus. It is still the same today. Nobody can come to Christ in their own goodness. They must first acknowledge their sin and then come to Jesus Christ as Lord. Sure, we will all still fail at different points in life. We never achieve a level of perfection. We always see the need for confession, but we know that Jesus is the one for whom John the Baptist came. He is the one we need today, as well.
Interestingly enough, in the vast majority of Scripture, Jesus is referred to as the Son of God, or the Holy One, by Satan, various demons and other detractors. It is not enough to know who Jesus is - it is what each of us does with that knowledge. Many people in churches and even outside of churches can answer Bible Trivia. It isn't what is in your head, but what is in your heart.
If you take a step back, you can begin to see why Jesus tried to limit the news that went around him. Much of what was known and shared along his time of ministry was incomplete. It is vitally important that people know who Jesus is completely. Other views of who Jesus is can cause people to accept him as a great teacher or one who could do great things. An incomplete view of Jesus can bring damage to a life, because it can mimic security that can only be found through a true relationship with the real Jesus.
We know the rest of the story. Jesus lived, died and rose again to life. This is the Jesus that we know and love. It is through this Jesus that we have eternal life. What Jesus do you know?
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