The Purpose Of Jesus Christ

The Purpose Of God's Servant


"Preaching The Gospel"

Book of Mark Chapter 1:29-45

Purpose is best described as "that which a person sets before himself as an object to be reached or accomplished. It is similar to a "goal" but even to reach a goal requires "purpose"!

Jesus Christ had a "purpose" for everything that He did while He was on this Earth!

In our last lesson we saw Jesus and how He had begun His ministry of training His disciples in Galilee beginning at Capernaum.

Jesus had at least four of His disciples with Him at this time which were, Peter, Andrew, James, and John.

They had left their means to provide for themselves and their families and followed Jesus to become fishers of men.

Jesus had preached His Doctrine in the synagogues and He would many times more.

We know the fame of Jesus was spreading throughout the area.

We also know it was time to gather the future Apostles to begin their training.

So let's pick up where we left off:

*****Mar 1:29  And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.

The greatest lesson we can learn from this verse is this. "When ever we leave our place of worship it is in our best interest to take Jesus with us" and not leave Him at church.

We know that this house was in Capernaum but Peter and Andrew had another house in Bethsaida where it appears they were raised:

Joh 1:44  Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

This city and Capernaum were wicked places to live:

Mat 11:20  Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
Mat 11:21  Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
Mat 11:22  But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.
Mat 11:23  And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

This should remind us somewhat of how people thought at the time of Nimrod and the Tower of Babel.

And we see that James and John went home with Andrew and Peter who had brought Jesus.

*****Mar 1:30  But Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.

We see that Peter was a married man with a wife at home but no children are mentioned.

Normally a widow would have been taken care of by her own sons but we see that this mother was in the house of her daughter and son in law, Peter.

The Laws of Moses stated that widows were to be treated with respect, so we can see the character of Simon Peter.

Many times in the scriptures we seem to find fault with Peter but we know he had had a job, he provided for his family, and he care for his mother in law and obeyed the Laws of Moses.

Exo 22:22  Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.

But also the New Testament:

1Ti 5:3  Honour widows that are widows indeed.
1Ti 5:4  But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.

We can see that this mother in law had some health problems.

Doctor Luke said this was a great fever:

Luk 4:38  And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a "great fever"; and they besought him for her.

A "great fever" in this day would have been a much more serious thing than in our day, when it is still serious.

This woman was very sick, because we all can relate to how it feels to be running a high fever, either ourselves or seeing how it affected our children.

From what these four had witnessed in the synagogue they immediately told Jesus about her.

We may not know anything about Peter's wife but we do know, she also cared for her mother, and

Peter did not hesitate to bring a houseful home to this caring wife which showed her hospitality and her acceptance of the decisions her husband had made in following Jesus, not knowing where her next meal would come that required faith on her part as well.

Again this was still a Sabbath Day.

The Lord was considerate of Peter's situation.

And it seems that Our Lord made this house of Simon Peter and Andrew, His home also when He was in Capernaum.

*****Mar 1:31  And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.

Mark says that Jesus just took her by the hand.

In other words Jesus took control of the sickness!

Jesus Christ showed all that was present and us, that He also had the power over all disease.

Another thing we witness this day about Our Lord, is that He had not only a public ministry He also had a private ministry!

Jesus showed that both had the same importance to Him!

We are never to abandon those that are spiritually sick and we are never to abandon those that are physically sick!

Both require our attention!

But everything Jesus did was used to teach a valuable lesson these disciples!

Jesus still had these words:

Mar 2:17  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.

Those that reject the Word of God and think they are saved by their own works and righteous in their own eyes, are not in need of His attention no more than they need a doctor if they are not sick!

Just as the Bible say, our world seems to be full of evil men in this day we live.

The secular world will say they are in need of a doctor, or they will say they suffer from society, or from their parents and this could be true of a few.

But most are just evil people who reject authority, both secular and Spiritually and these evil people are going to get worse as we can see with our own eyes and as the Word of God so states.

2Ti 3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

It is too easy to say that they are sick when the truth is that they are just evil!

Those evil people, who so easily deceive others will find it even harder to recover themselves from their evil ways.

But we see that this precious mother in law,  immediately, as soon as her fever left her, went to work ministering to her adopted family and friends and her new friend "Jesus of Nazareth".

*****Mar 1:32  And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.

At "even" time would have been the end of the Sabbath day and the beginning of the next day which would have been Sunday.

It is not hard to see that the teaching of the scribes, who were most of them Pharisees, that it could be unlawful to seek a cure even for severe sickness on the Sabbath day.

What we do see that did take place is that these people had spread the word that a miracle man was among them and Andrew had already said that Jesus was the Messiah.

They were either curious or their faith was moving them but as those in need of help passed by, Jesus laid His hands upon them and they were all healed.

Luk 4:40  Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and [he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them].

And those that were possessed with devils, Jesus commanded them to leave with His voice:

Mat 8:16  When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and [he cast out the spirits with his word], and healed all that were sick:

Matthew wrote that all these things were a fulfillment of prophecy from the Old Testament:

Mat 8:17  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

Compare:

Isa 53:4  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: [yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted].

The Jews could only see evil in the miracles of Jesus:

Joh 19:7  The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, [because he made himself the Son of God].

But all these that had come this day, only knew one thing!

They knew they had a need and that need could only be fulfilled by this "Jesus of Nazareth"!

They had heard of this Jesus, they had found out where He was located, and they had brought their needs to Him.

They had been very busy on this Sabbath day when they could only walk so far and only lawful to prepare a meal!.

We should also notice that all these things took place and we did not hear that Jesus was preaching or teaching to any at this time.

Jesus knew that these people had not come to hear the "Gospel", they had only came for the "Free Gifts"!

There are many like these in our churches today that do not want to hear the message of the "Gospel", they only wanted to receive the "Free Gifts" of God!

Salvation is a "free gift" BUT God chose preaching to convey His message and the Apostle Paul understood this when he wrote these words:

1Co 1:21  For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, [it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe].
1Co 1:22  For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

Paul also realized that the Jews would always want to see some miracle to prove the existence of Our Savior.

God still performs these miracles of healing and He still cast out devils every time someone is saved but these things go unnoticed in today's societies!

Jesus would go on to show many miracles to the people of Capernaum but not many ever believed on Him!

*****Mar 1:33  And all the city was gathered together at the door.

Capernaum was large enough to be called a city rather than a village and may have had up to 1500 residents at this time.

Most all of them found out where Peter lived and they came to his house!

To all that doubt the there was a real Jesus of Nazareth, then this is more proof  because these all would have been eyewitness to His existence and to His miracles.

We know that Mark also spent a great deal of time with Peter and was led to the Lord by Peter.

We should realize that Peter would have a great memories along with Andrew, James, and John as they had witnessed the "Power of God" this day!

There is a purpose to everything Our Lord does!

When you bring Jesus into the home, doubts will soon disappear!

*****Mar 1:34  And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.

It was not that Jesus refused to heal all of Capernaum but we can be certain that there were some who had not come to the house of Peter.

Christ Jesus wanted all these people to see God in the flesh not because they were told to but only if they wanted to see Him for themselves.

In the Old Testament God was dealing with the Nation of Israel for the most part and Jesus had begun His ministry dealing with only those of Israel.

In the New Testament as the Church is about to begin, we see that Our Lord is seeking a personal, one on one relationship, with all people and this has not changed as of this day we live.

Jesus certainly did not want His true nature to be confessed by demons.

Jesus was not trying to keep secrets, we will find out later in this passage why this was so important.

Another thing needs to be pointed out here.

These demons had an intellectual and a physical knowledge of their Creator!

James the half-brother of Jesus gave us these words:

Jas 2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

These demons, were evil spirits and subject to Satan, but they also knew who sits on the throne in Heaven.

These are the same spirits that work in all those that reject Christ Jesus today and refuse to obey the Word of God!

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, [the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience]:

The Lord Jesus was probably up late and had had little chance to sleep but there was something else more important than sleep!

*****Mar 1:35  And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

The doctrine of the humanity of Christ Jesus is equally important as the doctrine of the Deity of Christ Jesus!

Jesus had to be a man if he was to represent fallen man.

The Apostle John wrote:

1Jn 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

If Jesus Christ was not a real man then His death on the cross would amount to an illusion.

Jesus was a complete human being, having a body, a soul, and a spirit.

Jesus was troubled in His soul on many occasions!

Jesus was self-conscious, that He would have to bear the sins of the world and Jesus expressed His emotions very often.

Joh 11:33  When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, [he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,]

It was God that had stood before all those the prior evening and healed all that came to Him!

But it was that flesh side that needed to be in contact with His Father very early this next morning!

Both of these natures of Our Lord were necessary for redemption.

As a man, Christ Jesus could represent man and die as a man!

As God, that death would provide redemption for the sins of the entire world!

Jesus was an example to us all and this verse shows us the importance of secret prayer:

Mat 6:6  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, [pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly].

*****Mar 1:36  And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.
Mar 1:37  And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.

That morning was still Sunday and Jesus had told these 4 men to follow Him.

Jesus wasted no time showing them the importance of prayer and not just prayer but "Closet Prayer".

Jesus was not just outside the door of Peter's house, they had to search to find Him.

They had not searched for Jesus for their own purpose but they had been awakened by another crowd that had gathered at the house of Simon Peter.

To Mark, the disciples are now just called "Simon and his companions" who did not yet understand "what to follow the Lord" actually meant.

Had Christ not needed this time alone with the Father, He certainly would not have taken it!
For His remaining days before the Cross there would always be some one looking for Him and most of them were His enemies.

These people were seeking Jesus of Nazareth, the "miracle worker" and this hindered the message of Our Lord!

Jesus healed for many reasons but His biggest reason "was because of His compassion for His creation"!

Did Jesus return to perform more miracles?

*****Mar 1:38  And he said unto them, "Let us" go into the next towns, that "I may preach there also": [for therefore came I forth].

Why had God come to this Earth?

Here we have our answer!

Jesus had come to preach the "Gospel"!

Jesus was not impressed by large crowds just seeking something from Him!

It was more important to seek those "that are lost and had never heard His message".

This is our rule of thumb for today. Our priority should be given to those that have never heard the "Gospel" rather than to those that have heard it many times and have rejected it!

Jesus had come to preach!

The Apostle Paul wrote:

Rom 10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Rom 10:14  How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? [and how shall they hear without a preacher]?

What was His message?

We read that in verse 15:

Mar 1:15  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and "believe the gospel".

The message is "to believe the Word of God"!

The "Gospel", the "Good News" of Jesus Christ must be preached to this lost world!

Every follower would have to be grounded in His Word!

"Let us go" meant "are you going with Me"?

Jesus ask everyone of us this same question when He calls us out of this lost world and saves us.

Are you going to pick up your own cross and follow Me?

This is our purpose!

Peter did not yet understand what is was to follow the Lord BUT he followed Him.

*****Mar 1:39  And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.

Lower Galilee contained the tribes of Zebulun and Issachar.

Upper Galilee was considered the "Galilee of the Gentiles".

Mat 4:15  The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;

Matthew also added these words:

Mat 4:16  The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

We know that "great light" was the preaching of "Jesus of Nazareth"!

Where did Jesus get His Words to preach?

Joh 12:49  For I have not spoken of myself; [but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak].

This the same place that every true preacher should get his own sermons!

And it is the preaching of the truth that will "cast out" all of Satan's demons that gather inside the house of God.

*****Mar 1:40  And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

It may be easy to understand why Christ would touch a feverish woman who was trying to take care of her family, but to touch a leper could mean death.

Lepers were supposed to keep their distance and warn people that came into their presence.

Lev 13:45  And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.
Lev 13:46  All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.

This leper understood that if Jesus could heal the sick, the blind, and the crippled, and cast out devils, then it would be no great task for Him to heal a leper also.

This leper was just not sure if Christ was willing!

Most every lost sinner has it in their mind that their sins are so great that they could never be forgiven, but just like this leper they should know that God has made  it abundantly clear that "He is "not willing" that sinners perish".

2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, "not willing that any should perish", but that all should come to repentance.

Those that perish because of sin, do so because they chose to do so, by rejecting the truth of the "Gospel"!

Our Lord wants all mankind to be saved:

1Ti 2:4  Who will have "all men to be saved", and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

It is then not hard to see that leprosy is in fact, a picture of sin!

SO, "to be clean" is then to be enlightened to the "Gospel of Jesus Christ"!

1Jn 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, "and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin".

*****Mar 1:41  And Jesus, [moved with compassion], put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.

Jesus had compassion.

To have compassion is to actually feel the pain and the suffering of someone else!

Jesus could feel the pain of this leper!

Jesus could feel the longing this leper had just for the touch of another human being!

Jesus healed this leper with His Word just as He had brought all creation into existence, just by His spoken Word!

Jesus had compassion on this leper because he had sought Him out!

Jesus healed many while He was on this Earth simply because God Is Compassionate!

Jesus has compassion on the lost because they are like sheep, who have no shepherd!

Mat 9:36  But when he saw the multitudes, [he was moved with compassion on them], because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, "as sheep having no shepherd".

*****Mar 1:42  And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.

How long did it take for this man to be healed?

The Lord spoke and it was done!

No drugs, No follow up, No rehab, No nothing, just healed!

Physically and emotionally healed!

What is the difference between regeneration and religion?

Religion has an agenda:

Religion calls for good works, for rites, for rituals, for self-denials, and for some, payments. But religion never healed anyone and certainly not a leper. Religion is a creation of man!

Regeneration is instantaneous!

Regeneration is miraculous!

Regeneration is ETERNAL!

Regeneration can only come by "Touch" of Christ and God's Word!

When God speaks, His Creation listens, all but Humans, who He gave a choice.

*****Mar 1:43  And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;
Mar 1:44  And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

Jesus could have kept this leper around to draw a crowd as some faith healers do but Jesus sent him home but so could tell others what had happened to him.

There should be some things that are just between you and God!

There was only one thing that he must do. He was to present himself to the priests.

Lepers were robbed of their name, a chance to work, fellowship, family, and a chance to worship.

None of these things could be restored until they went to the priest!

Under the Laws of Moses, this man was not clean until a priest said he was clean. (Leviticus 14)

*****Mar 1:45  But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, [insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places]: and they came to him from every quarter.

Jesus was God in the flesh and He had all power over His creation, over diseases, and over all evil spirits but He allows man to rule his own heart and his own mind.

God does not want a bunch of robots!

It is that free will that God gives to mankind that separates us from all His other creations on Earth.

God also gave free will to the angels in Heaven but they only have one chance.

The greatest question this world has to answer is "What Are You Going To Do With Jesus"?

Sadly most of our world has chosen to "reject" Christ Jesus.

Jesus could no longer enter the cities because drawing large crowds could cause many wrong things to happen.

Jesus did not stop His ministry!

The people now had to come to Jesus on His terms "and so they did"!

What have we learned?

1.) If Jesus came as a servant, then we are to be servants. There is no greater calling than that of a servant in the House of God.

2.) God shares His authority with His servants. Only those servants called of God can have the
authority of God

3.) All servants must have compassion not only on other believers but also on the "Lost".

If it is inconvenient to serve God, then you cannot pick up your cross and follow Jesus.
The "Cross" is a sign of suffering and death!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

The Preaching of Jesus

The Preaching Of God's Servant

Repent, Believe, Follow

Book of Mark 1_14-28

We began our study into the Book of Mark last week.

We first met John the Baptist. We then met many who came to be baptized by John.

This included the Lamb of God, The Lord Jesus Christ.

As Jesus came up out of the water we met the Holy Spirit and then the voice of Our Father in Heaven spoke out.

We next met Satan, so now we have met the main characters in the Gospels.

What Mark does that others don't do, is that Mark goes directly into the ministry of Jesus Christ in Galilee.

*****Mar 1:14  Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

Why was John put in prison?

We know that all scripture is given by the inspiration of God, "this includes the Gospels".

In the Book of Mark, the Holy Spirit decided to let us know that as soon as Jesus' ministry began, "the ministry of John the Baptist was to cease".

John the Baptist was imprisoned by King Herod.

John had become the enemy of the ruling government of Israel.

How was John an enemy to the government?

It was bad enough that Palestine was ruled by Rome but those that ruled Israel were just as evil if not more so!


John was not afraid to point out the evils of the government of Herod!

Luk 3:19  But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and "for all the evils which Herod had done",
Luk 3:20  Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

First, this was not Herod the Great but it was one of his sons Herod Antipas. He reigned from 4 BC to 39 AD.

It is this same Herod that was in power, under Rome, during the time of Jesus.

Herod the Great had had 9 or 10 wives depending on which books you read and many sons and this had led to many of them seeking his throne.

It is said that Herod the Great killed two of his wives and 3 or more of his sons. Herod the Great was not a Jew but he did practice Jewish tradition.

Jews do not eat pork so this Herod did not kill pigs, so with this in mind, Augustus Caesar describe this Herod this way.

"It is better to be a pig in Jerusalem than to be a Son of Herod the Great"!

Herod Antipas did not set as king but only as  "tetrarch" of Galilee and Perea "But" he was evil just like his father!

Jesus labeled him "That fox" when He was told that this Herod intended to kill Him:

Luk 13:31  The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.
Luk 13:32  And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell "that fox", Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

And this is the Herod that Jesus stood before at His false trial before being crucified:

Luk 23:6  When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean.
Luk 23:7  And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.

Herod Antipas had a half-brother named Philip who was probably never a ruler but his wife Herodias craved royalty and the life that came with it and was willing to do anything to be a part of that life.

Herodias was the daughter of Aristobulus, a Roman, and Bernice who we met in our study of the Book of Acts, who lived in an incestuous relationship with her brother another Herod. (Herod Agrippa)

We can see how these things kind of ran in the family.

While John had no problem with telling the government of this Herod how wicked it was, John also had no problem telling this Herod that under Jewish law, he was living in great sin.

But it was Herodias, his evil wife, that help to plot for John's arrest and later his death, being beheaded.

Not many governments like it when the Church, the Body of Christ, takes a stand on the truth!

****Between verse 13 of last weeks lesson and verse 14 a whole year has come and  passed.
Jesus had already performed His first signs and miracles.

He had also began His ministry but had spent most all of His first year and after His temptation, in Judah.

It is the Apostle John, in his "Gospel" that fills in the blanks for this first year of the ministry of Jesus.

John the Baptist preached like Elijah and he was rewarded for his preaching by being  put in prison.

We may still see this happen in America one day soon!

Because governments do not like for their sins to be pointed out!

In many other nations pastors and preachers are arrested more "for preaching the sin of government" than they are for preaching Jesus.

We must first keep our focus on Jesus and then go where that leads us!

But, we are told to take our stand on the Word of God!

Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, "to stand".

*****Mar 1:15  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Jesus was saying:

**1) The time is fulfilled:

The Apostle Paul said it this way:

Gal 4:4  But when "the fulness of the time was come", God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Gal 4:5  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Many prophets had told of this day:

Dan 9:24  Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
Dan 9:25  Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem [unto the Messiah the Prince] shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.
Dan 9:26  And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

Isa 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Mic 5:2  But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

This the period of time "that was fulfilled" that Jesus was referring to, the time until He came the first time to establish His Church!

**2) The kingdom of God is at hand:

We have the kingdom of God, the kingdom of Christ (Matt 6:33), the kingdom of Heaven (Matt 13:41), the kingdom of Christ and God  (Eph 5:5)

So what does all this mean?

a) What it is not at this time is the Kingdom of Glory!

The Kingdom of Glory will be the New Heaven and the New Earth!

Rev 21:1  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

b) What it was not at this time the kingdom of "Grace"!

For only believers can partake of the kingdom of "Grace"

2Ti 1:9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
2Ti 1:10  But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

c) What it was:

It was the kingdom of the Messiah that was at hand!
He was ready to appear. (time Fulfilled)
He would be made known to Israel.
He would enter into the work that He came to accomplish. (ministry then the cross)
He would show His absolute authority over this earth. (miracles)(rebuking Satan and his demons)
He would show the blessings and advantages that flow from His rule,
He would point out the ones who would be welcome into His kingdom.

It would take repentance!

It would take faith, but not just faith, but faith in the "Gospel", the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who stood before the world at this fulness of time. (Christ means Messiah)

This was the message that Jesus preached!

*****Mar 1:16  Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

Galilee is roughly 50 miles long by 25 miles wide. On it's eastern border is the Sea of Galilee, which is about 14 miles long and seven mile wide.

Where ever you stand on this lake you can see all of it. This explains how people could follow Jesus around the shore line, they could see where he was going.

In Jesus day, Galilee was the most populated province in the Middle East!

It was a region where Roman, Greek, and Jews mixed and intermingled and it was just as much Gentile as it was Jewish.

John had preached in the wilderness, but Jesus preached in the highways and the hedges and in the cities.

People went to John in the wilderness, but Jesus went to the people "whosoever" they were and wherever they were located.

The message of John was "Repent"!

The message of the Messiah was "Believe"!

And we can see that Jesus was preaching this message before He had even chosen any of His 12 disciples!

The Jews had expected the Messiah to be King.
The Jews had expected their own peace and prosperity and to be out from under Rome and all foreign rule.
The Jews had expected the return to the Garden of Eden.
The Jews had expected the lion to lie down with the lamb and eat straw and not the cattle.
The Jews had expected crime and disease and crime to vanish and a life of splendor.

Luk 19:11  And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God "should immediately appear".

The Jews had not listened to the Word of God!

Because what the Jews got was also in from the prophets:

Isa 53:2  For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
Isa 53:3  He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

They forgot Psalms 22 where it says:

Psa 22:6  But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.


Psa 22:13  They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

And they forgot:

Psa 22:27  All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.
Psa 22:28  For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations.

Psa 22:31  They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

****Andrew had been a follower of John the Baptist and had introduced his brother Peter to Jesus but after this Jesus had gone into the wilderness to be tempted of Satan and some time, at least a year had past.

So, this was not the first time they had met Jesus!

These two were already fishermen by trade.

But this time Jesus had these words for them:

*****Mar 1:17  And Jesus said unto them, "Come" ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

First:  they were offered the privilege of following the Savior, just as we are!

Second:  this was not a request, it was not an offer, and it was not an invitation, this was a command!

It was time for these men to make a choice!

It was a time to respond or a time to ignore!

This was a command for them to be a part of the business of the "Gospel"!

It was because Jesus preached with authority that people would leave their occupations and become His disciples!

Jesus had met these men previously, in fact being raised up in the same area they could have already known each other on a personal level.

Remember, Jesus was different from them all because He had never sinned in His lifetime and they could have already known this!

Andrew had already said the Jesus was the Messiah:

Joh 1:40  One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
Joh 1:41  He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, [We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ].

And Jesus had already singled out Peter:

Joh 1:42  And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

Jesus had a specific purpose for calling Peter and all the rest:

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock "I will build my church"; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mat 16:19  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

It was time to begin the building of God's Church!

To "become" would be a long and slow process and would take the next two and one half years in daily company of Our Lord.

Jesus would take simple fishermen and transform them into "fishers of men".

Most every true preacher began as laymen and have left that lively hood to serve The Lord!

"I Will":  It was only Christ Jesus who could have converted these men into the Apostles.

It would be these Apostles that would build the Church on the foundation of Jesus Christ.
Jesus did all the work!

Our one piece of work to do to be saved "Is To Believe"!

Jesus said all the work that needed to be done for our salvation He had taken care of:

Joh 17:4  I have glorified thee on the earth: "I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do".

And that work was completed on the Cross:

Joh 19:30  When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished": and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

It is these men, eventually 12, who would cast the "Gospel Net":

Mat 13:47  Again, "the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net", that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
Mat 13:48  Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.

It is believed that at least 7 of the 12 disciples were at one time fishermen by trade.

*****Mar 1:18  And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.

It was not just these two Andrew and Peter that did this but "All" 12 forsaked everything to follow Jesus.

Mat 19:27  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, "we have forsaken all", and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?

Well maybe there was one who had not forsaken all but stayed the same, Judas Iscariot.

Joh 12:6  This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but "because he was a thief", and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

Judas "was a thief" long before walking with Christ and "a thief" all the time he walk with Jesus Christ but Jesus also knew this all along.

Joh 6:70  Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and "one of you is a devil"?
Joh 6:71  He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

Jesus gave Satan a front row seat of how the "Gospel" was to be spread throughout this world we live in.

Jesus defeated Satan on the cross and He was rubbing Satan's face in it now!

**Straightway means they followed immediately without hesitation!

*****Mar 1:19  And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.
Mar 1:20  And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.

Peter and Andrew had left their boat and their job.

James and John had left their boat and their job, their business and their earthly father.

But because it was Jesus that called, they all obeyed.

Zebedee may not have been rich but he ran a business. He owned 2 boats and was able to hire servants.

James and John followed Jesus not only giving up their family but also giving up their inheritance.

Zebedee was not completely caught of guard because he also knew Jesus. His wife Salome seems to be the sister of Mary the virgin mother of Our Lord.

But Jesus also makes another promise to His 12 Apostles:

Mat 19:28  And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Mat 19:29  And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
T
he rewards of Heaven are much greater than anything we can receive on this Earth!

Jesus did not go to the University of Jerusalem in search of scholars!
Jesus did not go to the Rabbinical Schools to see which ones were ready to graduate!
Jesus did not go to the Sadducees, nor the Pharisees, nor the Scribes to get those that supposedly knew the scriptures!
Jesus did not go to the Sanhedrin Court in search of permission!

Jesus Christ used ordinary people who were just humble working men!

Jesus called and they left all behind!

*****Mar 1:21  And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.

To go to Capernaum was a fulfillment of prophesy:

Mat 4:13  And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
Mat 4:14  That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
Mat 4:15  The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
Mat 4:16  The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
Mat 4:17  From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Capernaum became Jesus' adopted home!

Capernaum was also one of the most prosperous cities in Palestine at that time.

The Sabbath day, brought Jesus into the local synagogue and their could have been more than one in this city.

In fact it is probable that each sect of people had their own synagogue as there was in Jerusalem.

Act 6:9  Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.

In any case Jesus came to preach, as He did in every synagogue He entered.

Luk 4:16  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, [as his custom was], he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

We know that the Apostle Paul also followed this guideline set forth by Christ Jesus after all He is our example to follow:

Act 17:2  And Paul, "as his manner was", went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

Jesus did not enter in to listen, Jesus went in to preach and to teach.

Jesus did not have a modern day version of the scriptures, because He taught from the same scriptures that were used in each synagogue.

Act 13:15  And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.

Once the ruler of the synagogue had read from the Word of God, then others could exhort the people.

Jesus would teach from the Laws of Moses and from the same prophets that they already knew.

"Exhort" means to advise, and to warn, and to caution and this was exactly why Jesus had come!

*****Mar 1:22  And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.

In the New Testament times, most of the scribes were actually Pharisees.

They added to the Laws of Moses with their own traditions and rituals.

This obscured the truth of the Law and made in non-effective as a means of teaching the truth of the Word of God.

It is therefore important to know how Christ Jesus treated the Written Word of God which was only the Old Testament in His days on Earth.

Jesus had these words:

Mat 5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Mat 5:18  For verily I say unto you, "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled".

We are all to accept the Word of God "in the context" that it is written.

Again the words of Jesus:

Luk 24:44  And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, "that all things must be fulfilled", which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

Jesus said all things written about Him in the Old Testament must be fulfilled!

When Jesus debated with unbelievers concerning His right to be called the "Son of God" and He used this verse:

Psa 82:6  I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
And He said that "the scriptures cannot be broken":

When we reject the Word of God, we have then made our own selves "little gods" placing our selves above Him!

Joh 10:35  If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
Joh 10:36  Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

In other words just because there are many that do not believe the Word of God is true, does not change the fact that "It Is True"!

Adding this:

Joh 10:37  If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
Joh 10:38  But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

Jesus Christ quoted the Old Testament accepting it just as it was written!

Jesus refuted the Devil, Satan, by using Old Testament scriptures.(Deut 8:2; 6:13,16)

Jesus used the Book of Psalms to teach that the Messiah would be rejected. (Matthew 21:42)

Jesus quoted the Old Testament (Isaiah) to show the Jew that the Gentiles would also be accepted. Matthew 12:18-21)

Jesus quoted Exodus 3:6 to the Sadducees.

Jesus quoted from the Pentateuch, therefore accepting it.

Jesus quoted from the Septuagint, therefore accepting it.

Jesus said God is the "God of the living" and not the "God of the dead".

The dead have no God!

So to suggest there are errors in the Bible is to attack the character of God!

Jesus taught the truth of God's Word and God's Word is the authority!

Jesus taught with "authority" because he was the "author".

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Heb 4:13  Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

*****Mar 1:23  And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
Mar 1:24  Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
Mar 1:25  And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.

Along with preaching like these people had never heard before, they even saw miracles performed by Christ Jesus, things no earthly man could have done!

BUT, we can also see that whenever the truth is preached, "because these people had not hearing the truth", even Satan showed up for the sermon.

This was the same unclean spirit that hindered King Saul as we have just studied in 1 Samuel.

The devil had had little to fear from the usual service in the synagogue but he feared now because God had come to create His Church.

We should not miss this fact stated by the unclean spirits for they acknowledge that this Jesus had the power to destroy them, that no one else had!

Notice it is the evil spirit that let's us all know that it was not just any man named Jesus, but Jesus of Nazareth!

And that this same Jesus of Nazareth was indeed, the Holy One of God or the Messiah!

Did Jesus show emotions? Let's look as He commands this demon.

The Greek word "phimoo" is used for our English phrase "hold thy peace". This word means "to muzzle" so Jesus was saying "put a muzzle on it demon" and get out of the house of God!

This is the same command Jesus gave to an unruly wind later while in a boat on the sea of Galilee.

Jesus told that wind "to put a muzzle on it"!

Satan is just a created being just like we are!

God has full control over all His creation and we can see that this "Jesus of Nazareth" had that same power!

*****Mar 1:26  And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.

Satan still knows that he must obey God and just like he is today he is still defiant. He will leave as much destruction behind as he can but only as God allows.

It was Jesus who had control over this entire situation and not this demon of Satan.

There will never be a day that Our Savior needs any help from Satan for believers to know who He is!

We should also notice that a healing had taken place on a Sabbath and no one even questioned it!

These people were too astonished to say anything!

*****Mar 1:27  And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.
Mar 1:28  And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.

Those that attended the House of God that day had never witnessed anything like this!

We should see that it was the message of Jesus that was of greater importance and not the miracles!

The miracles only added to the message!

These people were beginning to realize that the "truth" is of itself a powerful message.

They had had the truth all along but their leaders would not teach the Word of God as it was written!
Joh 8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall "make" you free.

It is a fact that this lost world is tired of "legalism".
The lost world is tired of "ritualism".
The lost world is tired of "rationalism".
The lost world is tired of "hypocrisy".
The lost world is tired of these things they see coming from the church these days.
The lost world is tired of unfruitful words, psychological preaching, the doctrines of nature, and worn out cliches.
The lost world does not care to see more charismatic extremism, or phony ecumenism and universalism.

The lost world is tired of dead sermons!

The Lost world is ready for the truth that makes men free!

When the Church returns to the "doctrine" of the Holy One of God, Jesus of Nazareth, The Lord Jesus Christ, then Satan will be cast our of our places of worship and the Church will be filled with Holy Ghost power and the "Truth" will again make us free and the lost world will then take notice!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

The Presentation Of God's Servant

The Presentation Of God's Servant

Baptized By John

Book of Mark Chapter 1:1-13

In last weeks lesson we saw David becoming the second king of Israel. This week we will begin a study into the Book of Mark.

We will study about the King of Kings!

Even David was a servant before he was king of Israel and The Lord Jesus Christ came to serve before He will sit as King!

So before we get started, just who is this Mark?

The early Christian Church said that this was John Mark:

Act 12:12 And when he had considered the thing, [he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark]; where many were gathered together praying.

This John Mark was a relative of the same Barnabas who helped Paul and then traveled with the Apostle Paul on his first missionary journey.

Col 4:10 Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, [sister's son to Barnabas], (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)

This the Mark that was led to the Lord and was discipled by the Apostle Peter:

1Pe 5:13 The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; [and so doth Marcus my son].

This Mark traveled some with Barnabas and Paul.

It was this Mark, whose mother Mary, owned the upper room, the place of Jesus' last supper.

But, Mark does not appear in the "Gospel" he wrote unless it was he that the Romans caught when Jesus was arrested:

Mar 14:51 And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him:

Mar 14:52 And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.

It seems that Mark wrote these words, guided by the Holy Spirit, around 58 AD and this would make it the first of the Gospels to be written.

The Gospel of Mark was first written in the Greek language because that was the common language spoken in the Roman Empire at that time.

So, Why do we need four Gospels?

It was God, through His Holy Spirit, that decided we needed four Gospels:

2Ti 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God", and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

God still prefers to speak to all of us through other human beings!

We will see that this is why Jesus chose His first disciples and all others that have followed through their work.

There can be "no more" Apostles than those Jesus chose and for that reason but everyone that accepts the Lord Jesus as Savior is a "Disciple"!

So with four Gospels we have four points of view of the same subject who is, Our Lord Jesus Christ!

We should also note that it was in these years of the Book of Mark, that the Han dynasty in China had been recently founded and Buddhism was introduced to China, so Satan was also busy.

As Christianity began to spread, Satan was spreading his false religions.

And Nero also began persecuting the Christians throughout the Roman Empire.

As we study the Book of Mark we will see that he focused on the actions of Jesus and not so much the person of Jesus.

The birth of Jesus is not even mentioned.

We will see that Mark also focuses on the emotional life of Jesus. Mark tells us about the compassion Jesus had for the lost, but also His sorrow and His sighing for Israel.

In Mark we will see how Jesus prepared the disciples for their future ministry.

Mark gives us the purpose that Jesus chooses all his disciples:

Mar 3:14 And he ordained twelve, [that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,]

The Book of Mark also tells us the shortcomings of disciples and the patience of Our Lord Jesus in dealing with them.

There was no doubt to Mark that Jesus was truly the Messiah, The Son of God and that is where he begins his Gospel:

*****Mar 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

That title "Jesus Christ" is used exactly 5 times in the Gospels. (5 the number for "Grace")

"Jesus" is the human side of Our Lord and "Christ" (the Messiah) is His office when He first came, and "Son of God" is His eternal nature.

That word "beginning" means that this sentence is the first and the Word of God that will follow.

That word "beginning" is up front, that on the acceptance of these words, then there will be no ending but a new beginning and life eternal!

To compare:

Gen 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

On this day was the beginning of all life and Mark emphasizes that there is now a new beginning of a new life in Jesus Christ!

The "Gospel" comes from the Greek word "Evangelion" which means "good message" or "good news".

This is not just any "good news" but the "good news" of Jesus Christ.

To compare, Isaiah said this of "evangelizing":

Isa 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth "good tidings", that publisheth peace; that bringeth "good tidings of good", that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!

This "good news" is not just about "victory" but "the victory that brings an end to the oppression of sin"!

Jesus Christ was a servant whose weapon is love and whose victory came through the cross!

Jesus Christ is the "only news" that is "good" for all guilty and all hopeless sinners!

This "good news" is cause for celebration!

*****Mar 1:2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

Mar 1:3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

The first voice that we hear in Mark's gospel will not be that of Christ Jesus.

In this first passage of Mark we see the final promise of God in the Old Testament and the fulfillment of that promise in the New Testament some 450 years later.

There should be no doubt that God intended for us to learn from His prophets.

God had a rule for all His prophets:

Deu 18:22 When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, "nor come to pass", that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

Not one prophet of God prophesied when they pleased, but only when they were moved by the Holy Ghost:

2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: "but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost".

What is written by the prophets of God will be true prophecy!

Mark quotes from two of God's prophets here in this verse:

First from Malachi:

Mal 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

Then from Isaiah:

Isa 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

In ancient times, before a king visited any part of his realm, a messenger was sent before him to prepare the way.

The roads had to be prepared for the arrival of the king but more important the people had to be prepared for the king!

Johns message would be that "The King Is Coming"!

What is "the way"?

In the Old Testament the emphasis was on the wilderness journey.

So John began as a voice in the wilderness to teach "the way" that God will be made known and this is through Christ Jesus.

John the Baptist did indeed, prepare and baptize all the men but Paul who later would become the Apostles of Jesus.

Act 1:21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

Act 1:22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

*****Mar 1:4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

John the Baptist was born to be a priest!

His father was Zacharias of the line of Abia of the descendants of Ithamar and his mother Elizabeth from the long line of Aaron, the God appointed priests of Israel.

Luk 1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.

These were parents who were righteous "because they did things right" according to the Word of God!

It was in the wilderness that Israel became God's chosen people.

It was in the wilderness where God tested His people.

It was through the wilderness that God had led His people back from Babylon.

And it is in "the wilderness" where God will accept a repenting people who will then be Baptized into the New Covenant.

This is "the promise" fulfilled as taught by Jeremiah:

Jer 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

This is "the covenant" promised to the Gentiles:

1Pe 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

This is "the promised covenant to whosoever" will call on the name of Jesus:

Act 19:4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, [that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus].

John was preparing "the way" to Jesus Christ because, "the only way" to Heaven is by Jesus Christ:

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus firmly tells us all that it is He that is "the way" in fact "the only way"!

That "Baptism of Repentance" is what Jesus brings with Him and can only come by the Baptism of the Holy Spirit!

Repentance signifies a change of the heart, a change of the mind, a change of attitude, and a change of direction along with remorse for all past actions!

In other words we must return to God for a New Beginning!

Jesus said we must be "born again".

As John reached out to Israel, he stood at the River Jordan.

This was a sign that Israel needed to recross Jordan to get to the true promised land.

That promised land could only be provided by Jesus who would come after John.

*****Mar 1:5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

There is no doubt that we can see the success of John's ministry because "the people came to him"!

John explained to all that came that sin was like dirt.

Sin is a filth that must be removed!

First, Sin had to be acknowledged!

Next, Sin had to be confessed!

John's message was not that the water could wash those that were baptized, "clean" but it was only in the Jesus, who would follow, that would bring "the means to clean them" of all sin!

The confession of sins must relate to the act of being baptized not by water but only by the Holy Spirit!

If there is no remission of sin then there can be no pardon for sin!

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

That debt cannot be erased it must be cleansed!

*****Mar 1:6 And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;

Is, John the Elijah who is to come?

Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

Elijah was the troubler of Israel:

1Ki 18:17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, '"Art thou he that troubleth Israel"?

Elijah denounced the corruption of the kings of Israel and pronounced the worship of the Lord.

Elijah also wore a leather belt and was a hairy man:

2Ki 1:8 And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite.

Elijah also went east of the Jordan River and ate of nature as he ate what the ravens brought him.

The Bible does say that Elijah would return:

Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

Mal 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Will God still send Elijah?

Most believers think yes.

Elijah had appeared to Israel unexpected and certainly was uninvited in a time of corruption in the government of Israel.

I also believe that Elijah will be one of the two witnesses God sends during the Tribulation period also certainly uninvited and certainly a time of corruption:

Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto "my two witnesses", and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

Rev 11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

And Jesus said these words:

Mat 17:11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, [Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things].

Mat 17:12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.

In the time of John the Baptist, the governments of the world were indeed corrupt, including that of Israel but John proclaimed that "The One" who followed him would be much greater than all that came before him!

John came in fulfillment of prophecy!

John came also of a miraculous birth!

John dressed as Elijah because he practiced what he preached!

John's sermons had an immediate impact on all of Israel and even on the secular government as they also took notice of John.

John focused on those that were great and on all those that were poor, and all those that were in between, but Johns message was never about himself!

A new day had come and John's message spread throughout all of Israel!

Mat 3:5 Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, "and all the region round about Jordan",

But John had a message greater than that of repentance and we have that same message today!

John preached about the coming of the "Son of God"!

And, the people trembled at the preaching of John.

Even the King (Herod) was afraid of John.

John had said that the Jewish religious leaders were nothing more than "a generation of vipers".

John was mighty in his deeds and his words but John knew that he was nothing, so John preached Jesus.

Every pastor or preacher any where in the world is wrong "when they do not preach Jesus".

Every prayer will go unanswered unless that prayer "ends in the name of Jesus".

If that hurts some ones feelings then so be it, we must pray in the name of Jesus for God to hear us!

Joh 16:23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

It is Jesus that provides the means of all our salvation, "whosoever we are"!

John was a mere man!

John was a voice crying out in the wilderness!

But Christ Jesus is the Word of God!

Heb 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

John was a mighty preacher and his sermon was this.

*****Mar 1:7 And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.

Mar 1:8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

We see that John the Baptist from the beginning was preaching Christ and John was also filled with the Holy Spirit "while still in his mothers womb".

Thank God there were no abortion considered by Elizabeth after all she was much past the years of a normal birth!

BUT, John was very careful to exalt Jesus Christ and not his own self!

"Mightier" means Jesus would have more authority than any man!

Not only was Jesus promised but John also preached the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Only God can give of His Spirit so John was preaching the coming of the Messiah, "God in the flesh".

Christ Jesus would have the "Power of God". (John only had physical power)

Christ Jesus would preach words that were spirit and life. (John could only preach of His coming)

Christ Jesus would do miracles. (John did no miracles)

Christ Jesus would have an everlasting ministry. (even John's disciples had to be converted)

Christ Jesus died to begin His never ending ministry. (John's ministry died when he died)

Christ Jesus had power over the human heart. (John could only bring the fear of God)

Mere man can do none of these things that Jesus did!

Not one person on this Earth and not one angel in Heaven "is worthy enough" to unloose the latchet of His shoes!

In the Bible times "not even a slave" was not asked to remove the shoes of some one else.!

John was saying that he was no more that any slave in Israel.

The baptising work of the Holy Spirit can only be defined as the work whereby the Spirit places each believer into a union with Christ Jesus and "also" into a union with all other believers which then become the 'Body Of Christ"!

1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

This baptism began on the day of Pentecost and is unique to the Church Age!

Listen to what Jesus said:

Act 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; "but" ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

Jesus said these words a few days before Pentecost.

Listen to what happens:

Act 11:15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, "as on us at the beginning".

Act 11:16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water;"but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost".

This is the message of John the Baptist.

This is the action of that Messiah, that Mighty One, that John was speaking of.

This is the message of salvation:

Eph 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

And then He came:

*****Mar 1:9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

It would have taken Jesus 10 days to travel from Nazareth on foot to where John was.

He could have easily said at any time that we were just not worth all He was going to endure for the next 3 and 1/2 years!

Jesus had had 30 years to come to this decision!

To Israel, Nazareth was a place of contempt and nothing good could come out of Nazareth "But" all of a sudden Christ Jesus had come from Nazareth to begin His Ministry.

That phrase "in those days" gives us a time line, that the baptism of Jesus came about in the days of John the Baptist and his preaching at the River Jordan.

Time does what time does, it comes and it passes. One era was ending and "a new era" was about to begin for Israel and for all mankind!

The rejection of Christ by Israel, and the beginning of Church Age for "whosoever would come" to follow!

Not since the days of Adam had a perfect man walked on this earth and Adam had not stayed perfect.

The Apostle Paul said it like this:

Gal 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

Gal 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that "we" might receive the adoption of sons.

The early years of Jesus were mostly quiet years but the Apostle John had these words to say:

Joh 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

And then Jesus was baptized!

This was the exact reason Jesus had journeyed for 10 days, so He could be baptized and not just to be baptized but to be baptized by John!

Mat 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, "to be baptized of him".

Jesus then waited until John had baptized everyone else that came that day!

Luk 3:21 Now "when all the people were baptized", it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

This day may have even been the 30th birthday of Jesus.

Luk 3:23 "And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age", being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,

Christ Jesus was not just one of the crowd that day, "BUT" He had not come for repentance because He had nothing to repent of!

*****Mar 1:10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

Mar 1:11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

John baptized with a full immersion as this verse shows but this baptism had nothing to do with sin because we know Jesus had no sin.

Jesus was baptized to fulfill all the requirements of the law!

Jesus was baptized so John could fulfill his own ministry!

Jesus was baptized to give us an example of how we should publicly acknowledge our own separation from sin and to be consecrated to His service!

**"And straightway"

Isaiah wrote these words:

Isa 64:1 Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,

Our verse describes what John saw:

John saw the heavens opened!

John saw the Holy Spirit, "like" a dove descending upon Christ Jesus.

Luk 3:22 says: And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape "like" a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

Matt 3:16 says: And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending "like" a dove, and lighting upon him:

John 1:32 says: Joh 1:32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven "like" a dove, and it abode upon him.

Did John see a dove?

We can be sure that what is represented here is that the Holy Spirit descended out of Heaven onto Christ Jesus.

What are the characteristics of a dove?

The dove is an emblem of "Peace"!

After God's wrath Noah sent forth the dove three times:

1.) The dove was sent and found no place to rest the souls of her feet.

This dove came back to the "Comforter's hands.

2.) The dove was sent forth again and brought back an olive branch.

Indicating a restored earth.

3.) The dove is sent forth a third time and no longer needed the shelter of the ark.

Indicating the return of the Holy Spirit to the earth.

a.) The dove, Represents the return of our souls to the promised rest by the Holy Spirit.

b.) The dove, Points us in the direction of Christ Jesus.

c.) The dove, Is the earnest of our inheritance until Jesus returns to take us to the New Heaven and the New Earth.

Here again there will be no need for the ark/church to separate us from Our Father who is in Heaven.

And Our Father says as John heard His voice from Heaven:

"Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased"

When God the Father spoke, and the Holy Spirit descended onto Christ Jesus we have the entire Tri-Une God.

While there is only one God, there are three eternally distinct and equal persons in the godhead. Each is distinct from each other, yet all three are united as One.

But, This is the picture we should get just as Christ Jesus rose out of the River Jordan.

Baptism gives a perfect picture of the Death, the Burial, and the Resurrection, of the Lord Jesus Christ.

But the Trinity also represents our command to reach out to the lost of the dying world:

Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost":

Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

God was well pleased that His plan was moving forward on schedule and Jesus said:

Luk 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

*****Mar 1:12 And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.

The Holy Spirit has decided that since we have met John the Baptist, and also The Lord Jesus Christ, along with all the godhead, then we also needed to meet Satan who still tries to hinder the Gospel even more in our day.

"Immediately" means as soon as Jesus was baptized BUT before His ministry began, the Holy Spirit that had just came to Him "as a dove" cast Jesus into the wilderness.

That word "driveth" is the Hebrew "ekballo" and it means "to cast out" or "to throw out" into the wilderness.

Baptism and wilderness are connected because to be separated, "baptized", means that our wilderness lies ahead of us all.

*****Mar 1:13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.

We should notice who is also in this part of the wilderness that man did not know:

1) Satan.

Even back in Genesis 3 when the serpent is mentioned, it is recognized that Satan was that serpent.

The Book of Job specifically mentions Satan.

The Book of Chronicles states that Satan led David to make a census.

In Zachariah, it is Satan that accuses the nation of Israel before God.

Ezekiel and Isaiah refer to Satan even if they don't mention the name Satan.

In the New Testament every writer makes a reference to Satan.

Jesus Christ Himself, mentions Satan 25 times.

We should not be deceived as Satan would have it, he does exist and just as Our Lord describes him!

2) The wild beast, came not to cause harm but to show respect to the Creator. It was Jesus with the wild beast and "NOT" Satan with the wild beast. It was not Satan that made these beast wild!

3.) The Angels, of which it is written:

Psa 91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

Psa 91:12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Mark does not go into the details but "temptation" means "to be tempted to do evil"!

Satan is mentioned as the source of all opposition to the "Gospel" then and now in our day.

2Ti 2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

It is Satan who is, out of sight, and behind the scenes of every evil in this world!

It is the angels who are behind the scenes watching over God's people!

And it is the Holy Spirit that holds back the evil in this world!

2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, "until he be taken out of the way".

That number 40 is a symbol for testing.

Israel was tested for 40 years in the wilderness but Israel failed.

If Jesus survives His temptation, He can then begin His Ministry!

Christ Jesus will be tested for 40 days in the wilderness but Our Lord cannot ever fail!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

A Chosen Sovereign

A Chosen Sovereign David's Reign

1 Samuel 31-2 Samuel 4

1 Chronicles 10

When we last left David, he was being hunted down by King Saul. Saul wanted David dead!

The Philistines had been pushed back into the land that they claimed and were not a threat again until Saul allowed them to regain their strength, while he concentrated all his resources in search of David. Nothing else mattered to King Saul.

If we are to remain free in America we cannot focus on things that lack in importance. We must keep a keen eye on all our enemies while remembering that our number one enemy is Satan and we need to keep our focus on Jesus to keep Satan away.

When Saul could have been making Israel a better place and doing more for the people of Israel, he wasted 10 years trying to destroy David.

We also see this happening in America today when our own politicians are more concern with the destruction of each party rather than for the good of the people and our nation.

Saul was not paying attention to Israel's enemies!

AND, America is not paying close attention to her enemies!

*****1Sa 31:1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.

1Sa 31:2 And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.

Not since Samuel was a child in the hands of Eli and the Ark stolen, had Israel had to flee as they did this day from the Philistines.

Mount Gilboa is a mount that over looks the Valley of Jezreel south of Jerusalem. This mount is remembered in the Bible as the place where Saul and his sons were killed by the Philistines.

Saul's son Jonathan we have read about but Saul had at least three other sons with the two daughters we have already met.

One named Abinadab, also called Ishui, and the other Malchishua who we meet only at their death in this battle with the Philistines.

There was one other son, Ishbosheth, and it is not said why he was not in this battle and we will probably meet him later because Abner made him king after his father's death.

*****1Sa 31:3 And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded of the archers.

I was a Staff Sargent and a Platoon leader when I was in Vietnam but when we were on patrol every soldier dressed alike. We did not wear insignia and among other things I did not stay close to the ones that handled the radios and sometimes we would all make our selves look like we had radios with our camouflage. We did not want the enemy to tell who was in charge. We did not want a sniper to jeopardize the entire mission.

In fact I walked on point most every where we went for many reasons.

BUT, Saul wore the armor of a king which made him an easy target and there are always those, such as snipers, whose only job to is to try to take out the leaders of an army and they had found Saul and his sons who also wore the armor of royalty or of Generals.

Being "sore wounded" meant that Saul may not have survived those wounds even if he had won the battle.

*****1Sa 31:4 Then said Saul unto his armourbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith; lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armourbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.

In those days, a king that was captured in battle was not shown any respect if captured alive.

If we can remember Samson we can see that these Philistines were such a people to do such things.

If we remember Nebuchadnezzar also showed no respect for a King of Israel

It is a fact that even their dead bodies were not shown any respect.

When Saul saw that all his sons had died in battle and he could not defend himself, he chose to die with them.

Jewish tradition says that this armor bearer was Doeg but the Bible does not say who this man was.

It is God who is in charge of all our deaths!

Heb 9:27 And as it is "appointed" unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Appointed means that the time of our death is written down on God's calendar!

It seems Saul did not use his own sword but used a sword nearby, maybe even the sword of Doeg, so it seems he did not want anyone to think he had a weakness even in his death.

Saul wanted to leave an impression that he died in battle!

But even this move had not killed him because his death came by an Amalekite who was scavenging dead bodies to rob them.

*****1Sa 31:5 And when his armourbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.

We should consider that Jewish tradition says this armor bearer was Doeg

Even Josephus, a Jewish historian says this was Doeg, who had been promoted from head sheepherder to armor bearer and that Saul actually used the sword of Doeg to kill himself.

If this is true and many believe it is, then this would also have been the same sword that had killed 85 of God's priests.

It would seem to be justice served of God!

The Bible does not say these things are true and we cannot know these things to be true.

*****1Sa 31:6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.

There are those that point out a conflict in the Bible using this verse and one from the next chapter but we know that there no conflicts in God's Word and we must always realize that our English language does not always have the proper words to use while translating the Hebrew language.

The Bible says:

2Sa 1:5 And David said unto the young man that told him, How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son be dead?

2Sa 1:6 And the young man that told him said, As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.

2Sa 1:7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called unto me. And I answered, Here am I.

2Sa 1:8 And he said unto me, Who art thou? And I answered him, I am an Amalekite.

2Sa 1:9 He said unto me again, Stand, I pray thee, upon me, and slay me: for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.

2Sa 1:10 So I stood upon him, and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen: and I took the crown that was upon his head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord.

We know that when the Philistines found Saul and stripped him of his armor, his crown and bracelet was not mentioned because they had already been stolen.

This Amalekite was scavenging the dead bodies of the soldiers of Israel to take what he could find of value.

It is more than likely that Saul continued to live for a while in a failed attempt of suicide and this man had actually finished killing Saul.

Again we should remember that Saul had been told of God to kill "all" the Amalekites and he had failed to do this again we can see that justice of God was served.

God said these things:

1Ch 10:13 So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;

1Ch 10:14 And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.

And this next verse in the Book of Hosea is a reminder to all national leaders especially Israel:

Hos 13:11 I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath.

David could not condone what this Amalekite had done because David himself had had this same opportunity several times and would not kill Saul.

David also knew that if Saul had obeyed the Word of God then this Amalekite could not have killed King Saul.

After all Saul was still in the hands of God and not mankind!

So we read what David had to do:

2Sa 1:15 And David called one of the young men, and said, Go near, and fall upon him. And he smote him that he died.

2Sa 1:16 And David said unto him, Thy blood be upon thy head; for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, I have slain the LORD'S anointed.

Again, One of reasons Saul was condemned was because he had not destroyed the Amalekites, So David could not allow this thief and lier to live!

*****2Sa 1:11 Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:

When we would think that David would have been relieved at the death of Saul, we see in David the opposite is true.

The Lord had not allowed David to assist in the destruction of Israel.

In fact the Lord had sent David after some of the Amalekites that Saul had failed to destroy.

It had taken three days for the news of Israel defeat to reach David at Ziklag which was 80 miles from the battlefield of Israel.

That Amalekite was not expecting to see this sudden remorse of David and had really expected a reward BUT all he got was death himself.

David had never seen Saul as his enemy but only as the God appointed King of Israel!

If God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked then we should also be like Him!

The Bible teaches us in the Book of Ezekiel:

Eze 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

God ask every lost sinner this same question: Why Do You Choose To Die?

*****2Sa 1:12 And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.

There was this inward show of grief and this outward show of tears because Israel had lost the battle.

Israel had lost their king.

David had lost his closest friend.

It was time to mourn for these things happening to Israel because they had fallen by the sword.

Those that can have joy and not remorse at a time when our own nation is suffering are not true patriots.

We must pray for our nation and it's leaders because they are still God's appointed!

And then David then wrote a new song.

*****2Sa 1:25 How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places.

2Sa 1:26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.

2Sa 1:27 How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!

Just as in this day in Israel, many soldiers die in battle and we need to mourn for them.

Since the Revolutionary War, 1,190,085 soldiers, are recorded as died defending our nation.

Since the Revolutionary War, 1,430,290 soldiers, are recorded as wounded defending our nation.

The death or the wounding of every American soldier deserve our respect.

These are the mighty men of America, not the politicians, not the movie stars and not the sports stars.

BUT, even mightier that these are all those that serve in the army of God!

David knew many of these men and David knew these officers and Generals of Saul's army.

As a soldier I can still relate to those that are on the battlefield but I can also relate to those that die as mighty men and heroes of our nation.

We could not be America if these men had not shed their blood!

That hill top Jonathan had chosen to defend had brought his death.

He was David's brother in law and as a brother to David but most of all he was a friend to David, much more than a brother.

Jonathan was not a soldier nor these others that had died on foreign soils but they had died defending their own nation on their own soil.

Hopefully our soldiers will never have to die on our own soil!

We cannot allow our nation be get so weak that our sons and daughters die defending our nation at home but it seems our government chooses this way today!

David would miss all the pleasant conversations he would have with his closest friend.

They had agreed on more things than they had disagreed on.

It was Israel that had bound these two together!

That love they had could be compared to that of a husband and wife, not a sexual thing, but an absolute caring love and respect for each other.

Those weapons of war were not just the armament that they carried.

The true weapons of war that each nation has is in the men and women who carry and use those weapons.

It is these living weapons that were truly lost at this time to Israel.

*****2Sa 2:1 And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.

David knew that Israel was in a turmoil so he did what he should have done, he enquired of the Lord!

David had the only organized army left in all of Israel so God told David to go to Hebron.

Hebron is centrally located in the land assigned to Judah about 20 miles south of Jerusalem.

Hebron was on a mountain and could be defended from an attack.

Hebron was also the city of refuge given to Caleb a mighty man in the time of Joshua.

If David was to defend Israel from her enemies, it would have to begin with the land assigned to his own tribe of Judah.

So, David prepared to defend Israel from the Philistines and all other enemies of Israel!

*****2Sa 2:2 So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal's wife the Carmelite.

2Sa 2:3 And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

David was in fact Israel's lawful king but at this time it was a time that David's own soldiers and all their families could reunite.

Most of the elders of Judah and all those that knew how David had acted wisely, would also be at Hebron.

*****2Sa 2:4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.

David was now 30 years old and had gained the respect of these elders who had witnessed him all the time of King Saul.

This was the second time that David was anointed to be King of Israel.

The Bible tells us 3 times that David was anointed to be King.

Samuel had anointed David:

1Sa 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

A second time in our verse and there will be a third time:

2Sa 5:3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel.

It was this day that David learned the fate of the bodies of Saul and his sons.

The Bible teaches us:

1Sa 31:11 And when the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul;

1Sa 31:12 All the valiant men arose, and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan, and came to Jabesh, and burnt them there.

1Sa 31:13 And they took their bones, and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

And David immediately thanked these men for what they had done:

2Sa 2:5 And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have shewed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.

But Abner the general of Saul's army had other plans at this time and King Saul did have one son still alive.

Remember Abner was not only Saul's General, he was also Saul's uncle and adviser!

2Sa 2:8 But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;

2Sa 2:9 And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

These things caused much turmoil to the nation of Israel and God would not allow this to stand!

God had already anointed the next king of Israel!

*****2Sa 3:1 Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.

This long civil war in Israel lasted 7 and one half years.

David waited patiently in Hebron while God removed all the obstacles and paved the way for David to unite Israel again under one king.

What should this remind us of?

Mar 12:36 For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.

David wrote these words in one of his songs and the Apostle Paul added:

Heb 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

Heb 10:13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

We have seen David as a "type" of a Holy Ghost filled sinner, doing good when he followed the Word of God, and doing badly when he did things his own way.

But at this time we can see him as a "type" of Christ.

We will end our lessons on David at this time and next week move into the Book of Mark.

So, Let's revue some things about David:

David was the youngest of 8 sons in an ordinary family that came from the city of Bethlehem.

David had a sincere love for God and a profound trust in Him.

He had displayed this trust in God by slaying a bear and a lion in defense of his father's sheep.

It was God that chose David to replace King Saul.

God knew that Davids heart was firmly planted and anchored in the Lord.

Only Samuel knew what God told him to do with David.

This is where we stand or fall with God!

Because just as Samuel, we are to know and believe what the Word of God tells us!

David's promotion was not announced in the daily paper.

David's promotion was not displayed on the city streets.

None of David's neighbors were told that David was anointed to be their new king.

But what did happened was that the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and then, only then, did an evil spirit trouble Saul.

This was something Saul caused and not God!

David was brought in before King Saul because he made beautiful music but even then Saul would have killed David if he had known what Samuel had done and once he sensed it Saul spent the rest of his life trying to kill David.

David had removed one giant that hindered Israel.

But God removed the other thing that hindered Israel.

David in all his ways behaved himself wisely in his time with Saul.

In all these things we should be able to see a "type" of Our Lord Jesus Christ!

Both were born in Bethlehem.

Both were shepherds of their father's flock.

Both were obedient sons and humble in their ways.

Both were misunderstood by their brothers.

Both were mistreated by governmental officials.

Both fled from a king that was trying to kill them. (Herod)

Both of them had many enemies and suffered of them,

Both were men after God's own heart.

Both were anointed to be king long before they reigned. (The Lord will soon be King Of Kings on this Earth)

Both were prophets.

Both wept over Jerusalem.

And Both had the promise of a house from the Father.

David promised to build the Temple, a house for God.

But Jesus promised to prepare a house for those that are the Temple of God!

The Bible says:

Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Questions?

Let's Pray!