Christ In The Pressure Cooker #5 Series

Great Lessons from the Life of Christ #5

CHRIST IN THE PRESSURE COOKER (Mark 3:1-35)

If you want to know what a person is really like, watch that person when he/she is under pressure – watch closely those moments of stress and duress…in anxiety producing situations.

• It may be on the ball field or basketball court when the score is tight. It may be during financial negotiations or during a personal financial crisis when money is on the line. It may simply be when someone mistreats you or is rude to you.

• But whenever it is, your response may be good or your response may be bad – but whichever it is, your response is always going be true.

Here is a reminder – as Christians, our goal is to always respond as Jesus would. And I can do that – the question is – will I? Truthfully, sometimes we do and sometimes we don’t. But what I want to discover when I read my Bible, especially the gospels is – I want to know, how did Jesus act and how do I need to act to be more like Him – and there is some really good stuff here in Mark 3 that helps me to do just that.

• It is our selfish human nature when under pressure to try to win over people. Jesus’ goal was always to win people over.

• As I read and reread Mark 3, what I see is the tremendous pressure Jesus is under and how well He handled it…thus, how I am to handle it.

…you do understand that your Christ-like example and influence means more that the score of a ballgame, or even who comes out first in the financial deal, or who gets to merge first on the interstate ramp?

…but truthfully, pressure does tend to bring out the real you. It is like a sponge when you squeeze it – whatever is in it, comes out. I like to point out – that when you put the squeeze on someone you find out real quick if they are cruel, cranky, or Christ like.

As I listen to folk, it seems that many think that we live in the most hectic time in history, that the pressures today are greater than ever before.

• Maybe they are, but when I read Mark 3, I can’t imagine dealing with the pressure Jesus is dealing with.

• You would be so impressed this morning if I took this chapter and with outstanding exegetical ability you left with a perfect understanding of first century demons and the sin against the Holy Spirit – both of which are addressed in this chapter. But if I did that, I’m not sure you would leave with a better understanding of Jesus or the person He calls you to be. When I only have 30 minutes on Sunday morning, my concern and goal is to help you represent Jesus well Monday through Saturday.

The chapter begins by pointing out that while in the synagogue, every eye was on Jesus – some were eyes of admiration and expectation, others were eyes of accusation and condemnation. As we saw last week, the admiring crowds were present looking for what they could receive from Jesus, and the religious leaders are present, seeing what they could uncover about Jesus.

• And He leaves and wherever He goes, the power elite of that day, those who hold the power of life and death over their fellow Jews, are dogging every step, challenging every word, making every false accusation they can come up with against Him. These men are very hostile toward Jesus and are putting the worst interpretation on everything they see and hear.

• What would it be like to be in that position – you can’t go anywhere or say anything without someone in a position of authority questioning you, challenging you, lying about you?

• The crowds, no doubt in the thousands, follow Him every place He goes, wanting to be touched, healed and fed. The crowds are all about what they can get, not what they can become. Jesus cannot drive into the garage, close the door, and turn off His phone. In verse 9 when it says “because of the crowd” the word is literally “crush” – everyday, followed by thousands. Vs. 20-21 says Jesus could not even eat because of the crowd.

• The time has come for Jesus to appoint 12 – twelve with which He will leave the commission to tell the world about Him. How do you go about picking those guys?

• His physical family thinks he is nuts and come to physically force Him to come home where they can both protect Him and not be embarrassed by His actions. If you had a son and one day, he announced that He was God, goes out and gathers a band of followers and begins breaking all the religious customs and traditions that you hold dear – how would you respond?