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Texts -- Mark 2:12-28 (NET)

Context
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

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Capernaum

    [smith] (village of Nahum) was on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. (Matthew 4:13) comp. John 6:24 It was in the "land of Gennesaret," [ (Matthew 14:34) comp. John 6:17,21,24 ] It was of sufficient size to be always called a "...
    [nave] CAPERNAUM A city on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus chose, as the place of his abode, Matt. 4:13; Luke 4:31. Miracles of Jesus performed at, Matt. 9:1-26; 17:24-27; Mark 1:21-45; 2; 3:1-6; Luke 7:1-10; John 4:46-53; ...

  • Jesus, The Christ

    [nave] JESUS, THE CHRIST. Index of Sub-topics History of; Miscellaneous Facts Concerning; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Ascension of; Atonement by; Attributes of; Compassion of; Confessing; Creator; Death of; Design of His...

  • JESUS CHRIST, 4C1

    [isbe] JESUS CHRIST, 4C1 - C. THE GALILEAN MINISTRY AND VISITS TO THE FEASTS 1. The Scene: Galilee was divided into upper Galilee and lower Galilee. It has already been remarked that upper Galilee was inhabited by a mixed populatio...

  • Sabbath

    [ebd] (Heb. verb shabbath, meaning "to rest from labour"), the day of rest. It is first mentioned as having been instituted in Paradise, when man was in innocence (Gen. 2:2). "The sabbath was made for man," as a day of rest and re...
    [isbe] SABBATH - sab'-ath (shabbath, shabbathon; sabbaton, ta sabbata; the root shabhath in Hebrew means "to desist," "cease," "rest"): I. ORIGIN OF THE SABBATH 1. The Biblical Account 2. Critical Theories II. HISTORY OF THE SABBAT...
    [nave] SABBATH Signifying a rest period, Gen. 2:2, 3; Lev. 23; 25; 26:34, 35. Preparations for, Ex. 16:22; Matt. 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:31. Religious usages on, Gen. 2:3; Mark 6:2; Luke 4:16, 31; 6:6; 13:10; Acts ...

  • WASHING OF FEET

    [isbe] WASHING OF FEET - The Old Testament references (Gen 18:4; 19:2: 24:32; 43:24; Jdg 19:21; 1 Sam 25:41; 2 Sam 11:8; Song 5:3; Ps 58:10) show that the washing of the feet was the first act on entering the tent or house after a ...

  • TEN COMMANDMENTS, THE

    [isbe] TEN COMMANDMENTS, THE - I. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, AN ISRAELITISH CODE II. THE PROMULGATON OF THE DECALOGUE III. ANALYSIS OF THE DECALOGUE WITH BRIEF EXEGETICAL NOTES 1. How Numbered 2. How Grouped 3. Original Form 4. Brief Ex...

  • ABSTINENCE

    [isbe] ABSTINENCE - abs'-ti-nens: Abstinence as a form of asceticism reaches back into remote antiquity, and is found among most ancient peoples. It may be defined as a self-discipline which consists in the habitual renunciation, i...

  • Matthew

    [ebd] gift of God, a common Jewish name after the Exile. He was the son of Alphaeus, and was a publican or tax-gatherer at Capernaum. On one occasion Jesus, coming up from the side of the lake, passed the custom-house where Matthe...
    [isbe] MATTHEW - math'-u: Matthew the apostle and evangelist is mentioned in the 4 catalogues of the apostles in Mt 10:3; Mk 3:18; Lk 6:15; Acts 1:13, though his place is not constant in this list, varying between the 7th and the 8...
    [nave] MATTHEW, called also Levi. A receiver of customs. Becomes a disciple of Jesus, Matt. 9:9, 10; 13:3; Mark 2:14, 15; 3:18; Luke 5:27-29; 6:15; Acts 1:13.

  • JOY

    [isbe] JOY - joi (simchah; chara): 1. Terms: The idea of joy is expressed in the Old Testament by a wealth of synonymous terms that cannot easily be differentiated. The commonest is simchah (1 Sam 18:6, etc.), variously translated ...

  • MARK, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO, 1

    [isbe] MARK, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO, 1 - || I. OUR SECOND GOSPEL II. CONTENTS AND GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS 1. Scope 2. Material Peculiar to Mark 3. Quotations 4. A Book of Mighty Works 5. The Worker Is Also a Teacher 6. A Book of G...

  • Salvation

    [isbe] SALVATION - sal-va'-shun: I. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT 1. General 2. Individualism 3. Faith 4. Moral Law 5. Sacrifices 6. Ritual Law II. INTERMEDIATE LITERATURE 1. General 2. The Law III. THE TEACHING OF CHRIST 1. The Baptist 2. ...
    [nave] SALVATION (Scriptures relating directly and remotely to a topic of the nature of this one, are difficult to separate accurately into sub-topics without giving space beyond reasonable limits. The plan of salvation, begun and ...

  • Alphaeus

    [ebd] (1.) The father of James the Less, the apostle and writer of the epistle (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13), and the husband of Mary (John 19:25). The Hebrew form of this name is Cleopas, or Clopas (q.v.). (2.) Th...
    [isbe] ALPHAEUS - al-fe'-us (Alphaios; Westcott and Hort, The New Testament in Greek, Halphaios): (1) The father of the second James in the list of the apostles (Mt 10:3; Mk 3:18; Lk 6:15; Acts 1:13). (2) The father of Levi, the pu...
    [nave] ALPHAEUS 1. Father of James, Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18. 2. Father of Levi, Mark 2:14.

  • Bottle

    [ebd] a vessel made of skins for holding wine (Josh. 9:4. 13; 1 Sam. 16:20; Matt. 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37, 38), or milk (Judg. 4:19), or water (Gen. 21:14, 15, 19), or strong drink (Hab. 2:15). Earthenware vessels were also sim...
    [isbe] BOTTLE - bot'-'-l (chemeth, no'-dh, nebhel, baqbuq, 'obh; askos): The most literal rendering of all the words for bottle in English Versions of the Bible is "skin," or "wine-skin," the Revised Version (British and American)....
    [nave] BOTTLE, Gen. 21:14. Made of skins, Josh. 9:4, 13; Job 32:19; Psa. 119:83; Matt. 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37, 38; of clay, Isa. 30:14; Jer. 19:1, 10; 48:12. Used as a lachrymatory, Psa. 56:8. See: Pitcher.

  • Consecrated Bread

    [nave] CONSECRATED BREAD Heb. 9:2. Called Hallowed Bread, 1 Sam. 21:6. Ordinance concerning, Lev. 24:5-9. Required to be kept before the Lord continually, Ex. 25:30; 2 Chr. 2:4. Provided by a yearly per capita tax, Neh. 10:32,...

  • MAKE, MAKER

    [isbe] MAKE, MAKER - mak, mak'-er (`asah, nathan, sum; poieo, tithemi, kathistemi): 1. As Used in the Old Testament: "Make" is a frequently used word, meaning "to create," "construct," "cause," "constitute," etc., and represents di...

  • Bridegroom

    [nave] BRIDEGROOM Ornaments of, Isa. 61:10. Exempt from military duty, Deut. 24:5. Companions of, Judg. 14:11. Joy with, Matt. 9:14; Mark 2:19, 20; Luke 5:34, 35. Parable of, Matt. 25:1-13. Song of, Song 4:7-16. Figurative E...

  • LEVI

    [ebd] adhesion. (1.) The third son of Jacob by Leah. The origin of the name is found in Leah's words (Gen. 29:34), "This time will my husband be joined [Heb. yillaveh] unto me." He is mentioned as taking a prominent part in avengi...
    [smith] (joined). The name of the third son of Jacob by his wife Leah. (B.C. about 1753.) The name, derived from lavah , "to adhere," gave utterance to the hope of the mother that the affections of her husband, which had hitherto re...

  • MEDIATION; MEDIATOR

    [isbe] MEDIATION; MEDIATOR - me-di-a'-shun, me'-di-a-ter: I. INTRODUCTORY 1. The Terms (1) Mediation (2) Mediator 2. The Principle of Mediation II. MEDIATION IN THE OLD TESTAMENT 1. Negative Teaching in the Old Testament 2. The Pos...

  • ABIATHAR

    [ebd] father of abundance, or my father excels, the son of Ahimelech the high priest. He was the tenth high priest, and the fourth in descent from Eli. When his father was slain with the priests of Nob, he escaped, and bearing wit...
    [isbe] ABIATHAR - a-bi'-a-thar, ab-i-a'-thar ('ebhyathar, "father of super-excellence," or, "the super-excellent one is father." With changed phraseology these are the explanations commonly given, though "a father remains" would be...

  • Ahimelech

    [isbe] AHIMELECH - a-him'-e-lek ('achimelekh, "brother of a king," or, "my brother is king," or, "king is brother"): (1) The father of David's high priest Abiathar: son of Ahitub, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli (1 Sam 21:1,2,8...
    [nave] AHIMELECH A high priest, during the reign of David. Gives consecrated bread and the sword of Goliath to David, 1 Sam. 21; Mark 2:26. Slain by command of Saul, 1 Sam. 22:9-22. 2. A Hittite, and friend of David, 1 Sam. 26:6....
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Arts

Hymns

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  • Meski Tak Layak Diriku [KJ.27]
  • Petugas di Pabean [KJ.147]
  • Tuhanku Bangkit! Nyanyilah [KJ.211]

Questions

  • Curtis Mitchell's article in Bibliotheca Sacra, Vol 147 #588 Oct 1990 answers this question well. The Practice of Fasting in the New Testament Is religious fasting a legitimate practice for today? If it is, how and wh...
  • I think the first thing we need to do is to consider the context. It is repeated that Jesus is now on His way to Jerusalem (17:11; 18:31; 19:11, 28, 41). In Luke 18:31-34 Jesus tells His disciples that He will fulfill prophec...
  • Mark 2:21,22 is designed to illustrate the difference between the old and new economies, and the result of mixing up one with the other. The "new wine" was the evangelical freedom which Christ was introducing into the old spi...
  • Each of the gospels get its name from the names of the human authors who wrote them, of course, God being the One who enable them to write their message under His inspiration (2 Pet. 1:21). All of these men were either an apo...
  • The answer of the Bible is an unqualified "Yes!" The Bible teaches that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit are one, and yet they are three. Note these statements from Scripture: Isaiah 7:14 /Matthew 1:23 = M...

Sermon Illustrations

Mark 2:1-12; General; A Student

Resources/Books

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...
  • 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...
  • 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...
  • 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...
  • 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...
  • 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...
  • 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 ...
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