Chapter # 6 Paragraph # 1 Study # 2
June 15, 2021
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
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Thesis: This last paragraph in this subsection of Mark's record winds up his focus upon Jesus' preparation of The Twelve with a particular focus upon God's non-negotiable (faith) by way of contrast.
Introduction: In our last study we did not get past the introduction so that our focus came down fairly heavily upon the issue of "purpose" as the backdrop of all of Jesus' actions, including the selection of The Twelve. This focus upon "purpose" is "ground zero" in a large part of Paul's presentation of the theology of the Gospels as we see from
Romans 8:28: all things are "worked together unto good" for those who are "called according to
purpose". Thus, Mark's record falls into this issue of "purpose" in a way that makes it imperative for us to seek to understand his "purposes" in the way he puts his material together.
Therefore, as we look into this paragraph at the end of an entire subsection of Mark's record, we will be looking for his "purpose" as well as how he seeks to accomplish it.
- I. The Bigger Picture.
- II. The Details.
- A. This subsection dovetails into 1:38 as it reveals that Jesus intended to fulfill His "purpose" for being sent both by doing the work and by training The Twelve to carry that purpose forward after His accomplishment of His part of the "purpose".
- 1. This makes the material that exists in this record after the stilling of the storm and the exorcism of "Legion" critical to the training of The Twelve.
- a. The doctrinal issue involved is raised at the end of the stilling of the storm by the disciples' question, "Who is This?" This is probably the most significant "doctrinal" issue; everything hangs upon the answer to this question.
- b. The second doctrinal issue involved in the following material is raised by a two-fold presentation of the efficacy of "faith" in Jesus Who has the power to still the storm and command the legion of demons.
- 2. At this point, the "training of The Twelve" moves from the presentation to the disciples to a participation by the disciples in the form of two persons who are moved by their need in life to act by reason of "faith" that is in Jesus: this is the participation stage.
- a. For clarity in terms of progressive revelation, the "faith in Jesus" that was exercised by the "believers" in respect to their particular need is now exercised by "believers" in "the Spirit of Jesus" (Philippians 1:19) Who dwells in every "believer" for the purpose of addressing our needs.
- b. Other texts expand this fact: Romans 8:9 (the Spirit of God is called the Spirit of Christ in this verse); and 1 Peter 1:11 (this verse attributes "predictions" to "the Spirit of Christ within").
- 3. The "point" is that God has a non-negotiable that determines the level of participation of men in the "Life" of God: "faith".
- a. For clarity, we need to make this point: men are not to "act upon their faith"; they are to "believe" so that they are moved to act by faith.
- b. Acting "upon one's faith" puts the monkey on the back of the individual and twists the nature of "faith".
- 1) By definition, the action that occurs when "faith" exists is "God-action", not "man-action".
- 2) Also by definition, "faith" does not exist when the "believer" is unmoved by God to act ("faith" that is mere profession is often called "faith" but it is "unbelief"; God is outside that picture: but, "faith" that exists is always attended by the God Who made the Truth evident with conviction and that will, of itself, move the "believer" to behavior that is in harmony with God).
- II. More Details.
- A. The departure from the setting that included the house of the ruler of the synagogue is typical historical narrative: Jesus went out from there (past tense verb characteristic of "historical" narrative).
- B. The verb tense immediately switches to the present in order to make his action the focal point: He is coming into His "homeland".
- 1. Watch Jesus moving from the raising of the daughter of the ruler toward His "homeland".
- a. The word translated "homeland" is identified in this paragraph as the place where the synagogue of His youth resided [Nazareth, but not so called at this point].
- b. Jesus is going into the place where He lived throughout His life to the point of His leaving to go to John to be baptized by him (1:9).
- c. Up to this point in the record, the phenomenal things that occurred at His baptism were not front and center in the minds of His life-associates in His "homeland".
- 2. This "moving into His homeland" is associated with 1:38 by the use of the same verb and with 1:7 by the use of the same verb: thus, making Jesus the Coming One (1:7) as the Sent One for the purpose of accomplishing the divine purpose of His Life (1:38).
- C. The reason for the tense shift is shown by the comment that His disciples "are following Him".
- 1. Clearly, then, something highly significant is about to happen that the disciples need to see and understand.
- 2. In the bigger picture, the thing necessary to see and understand is the non-negotiable of God presented in terms of "contrast": this makes it the non-negotiable.
