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Texts -- Mark 2:1-28 (NET)

Context
Healing and Forgiving a Paralytic
2:1 Now after some days , when he returned to Capernaum , the news spread that he was at home . 2:2 So many gathered that there was no longer any room , not even by the door , and he preached the word to them . 2:3 Some people came bringing to him a paralytic , carried by four of them. 2:4 When they were not able to bring him in because of the crowd , they removed the roof above Jesus . Then , after tearing it out , they lowered the stretcher the paralytic was lying on . 2:5 When Jesus saw their faith , he said to the paralytic , “Son , your sins are forgiven .” 2:6 Now some of the experts in the law were sitting there , turning these things over in their minds : 2:7 “Why does this man speak this way ? He is blaspheming ! Who can forgive sins but God alone ?” 2:8 Now immediately , when Jesus realized in his spirit that they were contemplating such thoughts, he said to them , “Why are you thinking such things in your hearts ? 2:9 Which is easier , to say to the paralytic , ‘Your sins are forgiven ,’ or to say , ‘Stand up , take your stretcher , and walk ’? 2:10 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins ,”– he said to the paralytic 2:11 “I tell you , stand up , take your stretcher , and go home .” 2:12 And immediately the man stood up , took his stretcher , and went out in front of them all . They were all amazed and glorified God , saying , “We have never seen anything like this !”
The Call of Levi; Eating with Sinners
2:13 Jesus went out again by the sea . The whole crowd came to him , and he taught them . 2:14 As he went along , he saw Levi , the son of Alphaeus , sitting at the tax booth . “Follow me ,” he said to him . And he got up and followed him . 2:15 As Jesus was having a meal in Levi’s home , many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples , for there were many who followed him . 2:16 When the experts in the law and the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors , they said to his disciples , “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners ?” 2:17 When Jesus heard this he said to them , “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician , but those who are sick do . I have not come to call the righteous , but sinners .”
The Superiority of the New
2:18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting . So they came to Jesus and said , “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast , but your disciples don’t fast ?” 2:19 Jesus said to them , “The wedding guests cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them , can they? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they do not fast . 2:20 But the days are coming when the bridegroom will be taken from them , and at that time they will fast . 2:21 No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment ; otherwise , the patch pulls away from it , the new from the old , and the tear becomes worse . 2:22 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins ; otherwise , the wine will burst the skins , and both the wine and the skins will be destroyed . Instead new wine is poured into new wineskins .”
Lord of the Sabbath
2:23 Jesus was going through the grain fields on a Sabbath , and his disciples began to pick some heads of wheat as they made their way . 2:24 So the Pharisees said to him , “Look , why are they doing what is against the law on the Sabbath ?” 2:25 He said to them , “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry 2:26 how he entered the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the sacred bread , which is against the law law for any but the priests to eat , and also gave it to his companions ?” companions ?” 2:27 Then he said to them , “The Sabbath was made for people , not people for the Sabbath . 2:28 For this reason the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath .”

Pericope

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Hymns

(Note: In "active" or "on" condition, the hymns music will be played automatically when mouse hover on a hymns title)
  • Meski Tak Layak Diriku [KJ.27]
  • Petugas di Pabean [KJ.147]
  • Sang Maha Tabib T'lah Dekat [KJ.149]
  • Sungguh Lembut Tuhan Yesus Memanggil [KJ.353]
  • Tiap Hari Bergembira [KJ.150]
  • Tuhanku Bangkit! Nyanyilah [KJ.211]

Questions

Sermon Illustrations

Mark 2:1-12; General; Purpose of Miracles; A Student; Jesus’ Incarnation; Who Is Jesus Christ?; Philippians 2:2-11

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • This is the most positively stated of the Ten Commandments. Only one other commandment appears in the affirmative, namely, the fifth. The fourth commandment is a charge to refresh oneself physically and spiritually. The Hebre...
  • God permitted traveling Israelites to glean the grapes and wheat from fields they passed through, but they were not to harvest their neighbors' crops (vv. 24-25; cf. Matt. 12:1; Mark 2:23; Luke 6:1). Here is another way in wh...
  • These two chapters begin with an introduction of the Servant (Messiah) and His mission. That the Servant of the Servant Songs is the same person as the Anointed One (Messiah) of chapter 11 is clear from what Isaiah wrote abou...
  • The main point of this pericope is Jesus' response to the Pharisees' criticism that Jesus and His disciples kept company with tax collectors and sinners.9:9 This incident probably took place in or near Capernaum. The tax offi...
  • Notice first some linguistic characteristics. Mark used a relatively limited vocabulary when he wrote this Gospel. For example, he used only about 80 words that occur nowhere else in the Greek New Testament compared with Luke...
  • I. Introduction 1:1-13A. The title of the book 1:1B. Jesus' preparation for ministry 1:2-131. The ministry of John the Baptist 1:2-82. The baptism of Jesus 1:9-113. The temptation of Jesus 1:12-13II. The Servant's early Galil...
  • Mark omitted Jesus' year of early Judean ministry (John 1:15-4:42), as did the other Synoptic evangelists. He began his account of Jesus' ministry of service in Galilee, northern Israel (1:14-6:6a). Because of increasing oppo...
  • Mark next recorded five instances in which Israel's leaders opposed Jesus, evidently not in chronological order. These occurred during the Galilean ministry of Jesus. However, Mark appears to have grouped them so his readers ...
  • 2:1-2 These two verses are an introduction to what follows. Mark frequently used summaries such as this one (cf. 1:14-15, 39; 2:13; 3:7-12, 23; 4:1, 33-34; 8:21-26, 31; 9:31; 10:1; 12:1). They are a mark of his literary style...
  • The call of Levi as one of Jesus' disciples was the setting for the second instance of opposition from the religious leaders that Mark recorded in this section.2:13 "Again"(Gr. palin) identifies this incident as a different o...
  • The third objection the religious leaders voiced arose from the failure of Jesus' disciples to observe the traditional, not Scriptural, fast days that the Pharisees observed (cf. Lev. 16:29). Jesus' association with tax gathe...
  • 2:23-24 Jesus' disciples did something that the Mosaic Law permitted when they plucked the ears of wheat or barley (Deut. 23:25). However by doing it on a Sabbath day they violated a traditional Pharisaic interpretation of th...
  • The following incident demonstrated Jesus' sovereign authority over the Sabbath. This is the last in this series of conflict accounts. It provides the climax in this section of Mark's narrative.3:1-2 This event happened on a ...
  • There are some structural similarities between 1:14-3:6 and 3:7-6:6a. The beginnings and endings of these two sections are similar. The first section describes Jesus' ministry in Galilee before the religious leaders determine...
  • This pericope introduces Jesus' continuing ministry in Galilee following the religious leaders' decision to kill Him (cf. 1:14-15; 2:13). It provides much more detail than the parallel account in Matthew.3:7-8 The sea to whic...
  • Jesus' selection of 12 disciples constituted an important advance in His ministry. These men would be the primary beneficiaries of His training for leadership to carry out His mission. The plot to take His life made the train...
  • Mark again returned to the opposition theme (cf. 2:1-3:6). He directed his readers back and forth between Jesus' acceptance on a superficial level by the multitudes, His disciples' growing commitment to Him, and the increasin...
  • This is the first of three extended teaching sessions that Mark recorded (cf. 7:1-23; 13:3-37). The three parables in this section describe the character of the messianic kingdom.Parables are illustrations that teach truth by...
  • Jesus apparently taught these parables shortly after the incident Mark just finished recording (3:20-35; cf. Matt. 13:1). This was a very busy day in Jesus' ministry that evidently included all the events in 3:19-4:41 (cf. Ma...
  • This miracle followed the feeding of the 5,000 by just a few hours. Both miracles were important parts of Jesus' discipleship training program for the Twelve.6:45 The feeding of the 5,000 evidently happened on the northeast s...
  • This confrontation played an important part in Jesus' decision to withdraw from Galilee again (v. 24; cf. 2:1-3:6). Along with mounting popularity (6:53-56) came increasing opposition from the Jewish religious leaders. This s...
  • Jesus increased His ministry to Gentiles as He experienced increasing rejection from the Jews. This third withdrawal from Galilee took Jesus outside Palestine for the first time. Mark also recorded Jesus doing more things out...
  • Having comprehended Jesus' true identity the disciples next turned south with Jesus and headed from Caesarea Philippi toward Jerusalem. This section of the Gospel traces that journey and stresses Jesus' preparation of His dis...
  • 8:31 Jesus' clear revelation of His coming suffering, death, and resurrection resulted from Peter's confession of faith. The disciples were now ready to receive what would have been completely incomprehensible if they still v...
  • Jesus now proceeded to explain to His disciples that suffering would not only be His destiny but theirs too.8:34 Jesus addressed the crowds as well as the disciples because the requirements are the same for anyone who contemp...
  • 11:27-28 The chief priests, teachers or scribes, and elders constituted the three components of the Sanhedrin. This was a very official inquiry prompted by Jesus' presence and made necessary by His cleansing of the temple. Is...
  • "The other major example of the concentric [chiastic] pattern in Mark's story [beside 2:1-3:6] is the series of Jesus' conflicts with the authorities in Jerusalem [ch. 12], comprised of seven episodes: Episodes A and A1 invol...
  • 14:53 The high priest in view here was Caiaphas. Interestingly Mark never mentioned him by name. He was the high priest that the Romans had appointed in 18 A.D., and he served in this capacity until 36 A.D.This was an unoffic...
  • Adams, J. McKee. Biblical Backgrounds. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1965.Alexander, Joseph Addison. The Gospel According to Mark. 1881. Reprint ed. London: Banner of Truth, 1960.Alexander, William M. Demonic Possession in the N...
  • Luke documented Jesus' authority in yet another area of life by showing His power to forgive sins. In this incident the miracle is secondary and the issue of Jesus' authority is primary. Jesus claimed to be God by forgiving t...
  • The setting of this controversy is the same as the previous one, Levi's banquet.5:33 The religious leaders (v. 30; Mark 2:18) and John's disciples (Matt. 9:14; Mark 2:18) raised the question of fasting. They did so because it...
  • The writer now turned his attention from John the Baptist's witness to Jesus to record the reactions of some men to Jesus' witness. Two of John the Baptist's disciples left him to follow Jesus when they heard John's testimony...
  • Sometime after the miracle just narrated, Jesus went down topographically from Cana to Capernaum. Cana was on a higher elevation than Capernaum, though Capernaum was about 13 miles northeast of Cana. Some family members (cf. ...
  • This third sign in John's Gospel signaled Jesus' identity and created controversy that followed. Particularly it testified to Jesus' authority over time.2095:1 Some time later Jesus returned to Jerusalem to celebrate one of t...
  • More than once Jesus used His Sabbath activities to make the Jews consider who He was (cf. Matt. 12:1-14; Mark 2:23-3:6; Luke 13:10-17; 14:1-6). Here He wanted them to realize that He had the right to work on the Sabbath as H...
  • 7:14 Toward the middle of the week Jesus began teaching publicly in the temple. This verse sets the scene for what follows immediately.7:15 It was quite common for Jewish males to read and write. The people do not appear to h...
  • Jesus next addressed those in His audience who had expressed some faith Him (v. 30).8:31 The mark of a true disciple is continuation in the instructions of his or her teacher. A disciple is by definition a learner, not necess...
  • This pericope contains another post-resurrection appearance of Jesus that bolstered the disciples' faith. It also contains John's account of the Great Commission.20:19 John moved his readers directly from the events of Easter...
  • 6:8 Stephen was full of grace (cf. cf. 4:33; Luke 4:22) and power (cf. 2:22; 4:33) as well as the Holy Spirit (vv. 3, 5), wisdom (v. 3), and faith (v. 5). His ability to perform miracles seems unrelated to his having been app...
  • Peter continued his itinerant ministry around Palestine (cf. 8:25).9:32 Lydda (modern Lod, the site of Israel's international airport) lay on the Mediterranean coastal plain about 10 miles from the sea. It was about 25 miles ...
  • Paul thanked God for changing him to enable Timothy to appreciate the fact that God can transform even the worst of sinners and enable His saints to accomplish supernatural feats. What precipitated Paul's testimony here was t...
  • Peter proceeded to address the situation of Christians working under the authority of others."The unusual fact, unnoticed by most Bible readers, is that he [Peter], along with Paul (1 Cor. 7:21; Eph. 6:5-8; Col. 3:22-25; 1 Ti...
  • "The present vv, 3:4-9, form six strophes, each of which divides . . . roughly into half. The two halves of the strophes balance one another; for the second part of the v provides a development of the first part (vv 4, 5, 7),...
  • This pericope has strong ties to what precedes (16:17-18:24). It is the concluding revelation concerning the fall of Babylon, the latter-day Egypt and Tyre, and Antichrist, the ultimate Pharaoh of the Exodus and King of Tyre....

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • Mark 1-9
  • And again He entered into Capernaum after some days: and it was noised that He was in the house. 2. And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the do...
  • Mark would have us see something supernatural in the swiftness of Christ's knowledge of the muttered criticisms. He perceived it straightway' and in His spirit,' which is tantamount to saying by divine discernment, and not by...
  • And He went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto Him, and He taught them. 14 And as He passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And...
  • And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? '--Mark 2:19.THIS is part of our Lord's answer to the question put by John's disciples as to the reason for the omission ...
  • And it came to pass, that He went through the corn fields on the Sabbath day! and His disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. 24. And the Pharisees said unto Him, Behold, why do they on the Sabbath day that ...
  • Whether we adopt the view that the disciples were clearing a path through standing corn, or the simpler one, that they gathered the ears of corn on the edge of a made path as they went, the point of the Pharisees' objection w...
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