Following Jesus in the Gospel of MarkSample

HEALING

Look Closely: In this passage and the section from yesterday, we see Jesus healing a lot of people. Each healing has some similarities, yet there are differences based on the needs of the situation. Notice that in the narrative of the paralyzed man, Jesus doesn’t immediately heal him, like He has done with other healings. Instead, He addresses the spiritual problem behind the man's physical issue, his sin. This doesn’t mean that every illness is related to sin (see the book of Job). But in this situation, with these people, Jesus is making a point to reveal who He is in a new way. Several times in the Old Testament, God is the one who says He will heal His people and forgive their sins (Micah 7:18). Jesus uses the term “son of man” from Daniel 7:13-14 to refer to Himself and implies that He is fulfilling that prophecy. What hopes might this have stirred up in the people who heard Jesus and saw these miracles?

Spotlight: Son of Man in Daniel 7

This prophecy was about a human ruler who would be partnered with God to come down and bring judgment upon the earthly rulers of the time. He would bring God’s kingdom and have the authority to right the wrongs of these rulers. Many people in Jesus’ time were waiting for the “son of man” to come and take out the Roman rulers who were oppressing them. It would have been a common passage talked about by the people that would bring them hope for relief from the Romans. Jesus refers to Himself as “the Son of Man” around 80 times in the four gospels, leaving no doubt that He is fulfilling this prophecy in some way. Although, it isn’t the way that the people expected him to. They expected a warrior king, not a servant king who laid down his life for them. Jesus is ushering in the beginning of His kingdom, and it will be fulfilled in the times referred to in Revelation when Jesus will come back as the warrior king and finally defeat sin and death forever.

Challenge: What does it look like to talk about Jesus in your circles in a way that helps them to better see who Jesus really is?