Mark: God's Servant - Victory!

August 3, 2014

Mark: God’s Servant

Victory!

Mark 5

(Advance Slide #1)

Introduction

Jesus was the master of every situation.

• Moreover, He was the conqueror of all enemies.
• If we trust Him and follow His orders, we need never be afraid.
• In fact, He promises much more than that...He promises VICTORY!

(Advance Slide #2)

Victory is a theme that is found in this long section...in fact, it seems to bind it all together!

• You can even go back to the end of the last chapter and the text Bob covered last week.
• In that you find Jesus being victorious over the storm and the lack of the apostle’s faith.

(Advance Slide #3)

Mark 5 records three miracles that Jesus performed, and each miracle announces even to us today the defeat of an enemy.

(Advance Slide #4)

Text

37 In all these things 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:37-39

(Advance Slide #5)

Are you a conqueror?

• Another word for conqueror is VICTOR...are you a VICTOR?
• This text assures us that “we are MORE than conquerors through him who loved us.”
• Nothing is going to seperate us from His love!
• That’s VICTORY!

Lesson

Jesus and His disciples ended their adventure upon the sea by landing on the other shore the next day.

• The text says it was the “country of the Gerasenes.”
• Once Jesus stepped out of the boat it was one exciting event after another.
• We are going to look at 3 specific miracles He performed and the victory He brought.

(Advance Slide #6)

Over Demons

Jesus and His disciples were met by a rather vocal demon that had possessed a man.

• This entire scene seems very unreal to us who live in so-called “modern civilization.”
• A demon taking over a man, he’s naked, living among the graves, cuts himself...a wildman!

(Advance Slide #7)

In this scene we see 3 forces at work:

Satan - We see what Satan can do to people.

• Satan’s ultimate purpose was to destroy this man.
• Satan’s ultimate purpose in our lives as we cultivate sinful lifestyles is to destroy us!
• Because this man was overcome by Satan he lost everything.
• Look at the life he lived!
• Never underestimate the destructive power of Satan.
• He is our enemy and would destroy all of us if he could.
• Like a roaring lion, he seeks to devour us (1 Peter 5:8–9).

Society - In this scene, the society couldn’t accomplish very much.

• All that society can do for problem people is to isolate them, put them under guard and, if necessary, bind them.
• Today, with all of its wonderful scientific achievements, society still cannot cope with the problems caused by Satan and sin.

Savior - What did Jesus do for this man?

• He graciously came to him in love!
• When Jesus spoke to the demon, He permitted the demon to speak to Him.
• It is interesting to note that, as the demons spoke through the man, they confessed what they really believed.
• It believed that Jesus is the Son of God and that He had authority over Him.
• Satan came to destroy this man, but Jesus came to deliver him...to give him VICTORY!
• By the power of His word, He cast out the demons and set the men free.

3 Request are made within this text:

1. The demons request to be put into the pigs.
2. Later when the people see the man healthy they ask Jesus to leave the area.
3. Lastly, the man asks to follow Jesus.

• Jesus grants the first two but not the third one.
• Why not grant this request?
• Jesus knew where this man belonged...it was at home.

(Advance Slide #8)

So the demons that were in this man were sent to the pigs and they all jumped in to the sea and died.

• The swineherder didn’t want to be blamed for the death of all the pigs so he went and go the owner.
• The owner, arrived and was afraid...why?
• He expected to see a crazy man running around cutting himself.
• Instead, what he finds is the man, “sitting there, clothed and in his right mind.”
• He was a new creation (1 Cor. 5:17).

(Advance Slide #9)

Over Disease

The first crowd sighed with relief when the saw Jesus leave, but here was another waiting to welcome Him home to Capernaum.

• In this latter crowd there are two that desperately want to see Jesus.
• Jarius approached Jesus first but it was an unnamed woman that Jesus helped first.

The woman had a hemorrhage that was apparently incurable and was slowly destroying her.

• One can only imagine the pain and emotional pressure that sapped her strength day after day.
• But there was one added burden...
• According to the law, she was ceremonially unclean, which greatly restricted both her religious and her social life.

The woman let nothing stand in her way…she didn’t need an audience with Jesus.

• She only needed to touch His clothing.
• Her faith, when compared to the faith of the apostle’s, was great.
• She could have argued with herself, “He won’t care about me a woman.”
• She put aside all that and approached him!

Jesus honored her faith!

• There is a good lesson here for all of us.
• Not everybody has the same degree of faith, but Jesus responds to faith no matter how feeble it might be.
• When we believe...something happens in our lives.
• There were many others in that crowd who were close to Jesus and even pressing against Him, but they experienced no miracles.
• Why? Because they did not have faith.

(Advance Slide #10)

The woman had planned on slipping away silently, but Jesus wasn’t going to let that happen.

• He tenderly elicited her testimony, of what happened to her.
• He did this for her sake.
• He wanted to be to her something more than a healer:
• He wanted to be her Savior and Friend as well.
• He called her “daughter” and sent her on her way with a benediction of peace.

“Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

• To “be made whole” meant much more than receiving mere physical healing. Jesus had given her spiritual healing as well!

Over Death

(Advance Slide #11)

It would not have been so easy for Jarius to come to Jesus for help.

• He was an important synagogue officer, unlike the woman who was a ‘nobody.’
• He was wealthy...she was bankrupt.

Yet, Jarius was desperate…and like desperate people today he turned to Jesus!

• It is beautiful to read the Lord’s words to this father and see the VICTORY!
• 3 statements were made:

Word of FAITH (vs. 36)

• “Do not fear, only believe.”
• Keep on believing!
• It was easy to believe when he knew his daughter was alive, but the mourners made the truth clear.
• Let’s not be too hard on him.
• We have probably given way to doubts when circumstances and feelings have overwhelmed us.

Word of HOPE (vs. 39)

• “Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping.”
• It was traditional for them to wail loudly, to weep, and to lead the family and friends in lamentation.
• The presence of the mourners in the home is proof that the girl was actually dead.
• She’s not dead...she’s only sleeping!
• To a believer, death is only that...sleep.
• This truth is a great encouragement to all of us who have had Christian loved ones and friends depart in death.
• It is His word of hope to us.

(Advance Slide #12)

Word of LOVE & POWER (vs. 41)

• “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”
• Unbelief laughs at God’s Word, but faith lays hold of it!
• Jesus did not make a spectacle of this miracle.
• He was sensitive to the feelings of the parents and grieved by the scornful attitude of the mourners.
• The girl not only came back to life, but was also healed of her sickness.

As with previous miracles, Jesus told the witnesses to keep quiet.

• We have no reason to doubt that Jarius, his wife and family became followers of Jesus.
• All her life, the daughter was a witness to the power and VICTORY in Jesus Christ.

PRAYER

Conclusion

Yes, God’s Servant is the VICTOR over demons, disease, and death.

• This series of miracles illustrates how Jesus met and helped all kinds of people.
• From His own disciples to the demon possesses, and it assures us that He is able to help us today.

This does not mean that God always must rescue His people from danger (see Acts 12) or heal every affliction (see 2 Cor. 12:1–10).

(Advance Slide #13)

• It does mean that He holds the ultimate authority and that we need never fear.
• We are “more than conquerors (VICTORS) through him that loved us” (Rom. 8:37).