April 15 Daily Discovery - Read Mark Chapter 2

This passage below is from the King James Version (ekjv.org).

Remarks from the Berean Fellowship follow the passage below.

[1] 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 door: and he preached the word unto them.
[3] And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four.
[4] And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
[5] When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
[6] But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,
[7] Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?
[8] And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?
[9] Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?
[10] But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)
[11] I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.
[12] And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.
[13] 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 he arose and followed him.
[15] And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.
[16] And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
[17] When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
[18] And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?
[19] And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
[20] But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
[21] No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.
[22] And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.
[23] 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 which is not lawful?
[25] And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?
[26] How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?
[27] And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
[28] Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

How Jesus Demonstrated Who He Was

Or, How Jesus Demonstrated he was the "I am" of the Old Covenant Scriptures.

During His public ministry, He was frequently questioned by those that were familiar with the Old Covenant Scriptures who He was. They knew He had prophetic powers to produce signs and that He was a great prophet but was He the Messiah? Was He the one that Moses prophesied about?

Jesus rarely answered this question directly, like he did to the Samaritan woman at the well, recorded in john chapter 4. Have you ever heard that "Actions speak louder than words?" This was true of Jesus. The numerous things that He did during the three years of his public ministry before the people of Judah and Galilee proved who He was without doubt.

He admitted to his disciples that he was Messiah but told them not to go spreading that around, because God the father had appointed a time that He would die for the sins of the world, and Jesus followed his Father's instructions perfectly, ensuring that the sacrifice of His Son would take place on the exact day that God had planned.  

His disciples along with just about everyone else in Israel were believing a concept of the Messiah that was incomplete.  The Messiah would judge the world and establish His kingdom but not before he had loved the world so much that He went to the cross to die for the sins of all men. The messiah wanted to redeem all of men not just become a monarch for one special nation.  

His kingdom would cover the earth but it would not be ruled as they had expected it to be. They only understood a singular aspect of His kingdom when it would be much greater than that.

He Forgave Sins

And only God, the person against Whom sins are committed, could forgive men's sins.

A paralyzed man had been lowered into the house from which Jesus was teaching. Of course, what the man wanted was to be healed of his paralytic condition, but he got something far better: the forgiveness of his sins. Some of the religious establishment, called scribes, were present and they began to challenge this as being blasphemous because only God could forgive sins; and by the declaration, Jesus was demonstrating that He was God. He asked them, "Which is easier for a person to say?Your sins are forgiven? or "Arise, take up your bed and walk?" The shorter phrase was easier. Then He said, "But you need to know that I have the authority to forgive sins on the earth, and then he turned to the man and told him to "Get up and pick up you bed and walk."

He was the Lord of the Sabbath

The religious leaders of the nation of Judah at that time had so perverted the meaning of the weekly sabbath that it had become a burden to the people. God designed it to be a blessing. They had added so many rules and regulations to it that it had become a curse instead. Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law of Moses, and therefore He never violated any law or statute including the keeping of the sabbath day. But He made a point of teaching to violate the additional rules that the people had added to His law thus perverting it. This was one of the major reasons that Jesus had a regular head-on conflict with the scribes and pharisees of his day.

Jesus would have never instructed or allowed his disciples to violate the sabbath day, but since He was the Lawgiver Himself, He made it a point to violate the opinions of men that were connected to his law that made His law a burden instead of a blessing.

He instructed the pharisees about this and then exclaimed that he was "The lord of the sabbath. The sabbath day was given by God to moses. He, calling Himself the Lord of the Sabbath was a claim to be the God that instructed Moses.

His Words are the Highest Law

John 12:34-48

[34] The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?
[35] Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.
[36] While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them.
[37] But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
[38] That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?
[39] Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
[40] He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
[41] These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.
[42] Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:
[43] For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
[44] Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.
[45] And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.
[46] I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
[47] And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
[48] He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

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Do you see any: Commands to Obey, Warnings to Heed, Promises to Claim, Examples to Follow, Vices to Avoid, Praises to Emulate, Prayers to Use, Principles by which to Live, Questions to Ask or Actions to Take?

See: Berean Fellowship Bible Study Method