Amazing Unremarkable Healing - Mark 1:28-34a Series

Mark 1:28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee. 29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. 32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.

Introduction

The Historical Jesus

How many of you are familiar with the Jesus Seminar, that was active in the 80’s and 90’s? Liberal scholars got together on what they call the quest for the “historical” Jesus. Their belief is that the Jesus presented in the New Testament was not a historical figure. It’s almost all legend and myth. But these scholars are able to see through all legend and myth and pick out the little bits of truth that applied to the actual, historical Jesus.

It was one of the most colossal displays of scholarly arrogance imaginable. These men, 2000 years removed from the things they pontificate about, want us to believe that they know the historical Jesus better than the men who actually lived with Jesus at that time saw him with their own eyes. And we’re supposed to trust these men, instead of the eyewitnesses. Even though the eyewitnesses show every sign we know of of being truthful witnesses and reliable sources. And they were so genuine, that they laid down their lives and suffered and died for the message that they taught about Jesus. How many of the Jesus seminar scholars do you think of lay down their lives and died for the Jesus that they are propagating? I think you can count them on one thumb and have room left.

The conclusions that these scholars reach is very predictable. They come up with a Jesus that matches our society’s beliefs and world view to a T. It just so happens that the true, historical Jesus fits in to their belief system perfectly. He taught everything they agree with, nothing they disagree with, and the truth about who he was aligns exactly with their conceptions and philosophies about reality. What are the odds?

This is what people always do. They always want to remake Jesus in their own image. The scholarly world has an aversion to the supernatural and to miracles, so, surprise, surprise, the historical Jesus they come up with was not a miracle worker. He had no power. He didn’t claim to be God, or the Messiah or anything like that. There’s really nothing special about him. He shared their value system, their politics, their belief system.

The problem is, not only is there no evidence for their view, and plenty of counter-evidence against it, but also – a man like the Jesus that they imagine would’ve never been crucified. He would’ve bothered anybody. He certainly wouldn’t have been followed as the Messiah or as the Son of God. He would never have been noticed and he would’ve been very quickly forgotten.

If you want to go on a quest for the historical Jesus, don’t go to a bunch of men in a seminar 2000 years removed who have an obvious personal agenda. If you want to see the historical Jesus, study the history. Study the eyewitness accounts. And where are the best eyewitness accounts compiled? In the NT.

I’m always amazed when people say, “Why isn’t there more historical evidence about Jesus outside of the Bible?” The Bible is a collection of all the best historical records. That’s like if someone took all the best historical accounts of Alexander the Great, compiled them in one library, and then someone said, “Why aren’t there any good accounts outside of that library?”

This study that we’re doing here on Saturday nights in the Gospel of Mark is a quest for the historical Jesus and his gospel that he preached. And the goal is very simple. It’s exactly the same goal Jesus had in his ministry.

Mark 1:14 … Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Jesus’ objective was that people would believe and repent. And so that’s our objective. And there will be weeks, like tonight, where there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of practical application. You’ll walk away thinking, “Ok, Jesus said and did those things. That’s great, but what are the implications for how I should live? What’s the practical application?” The practical application is this: believe and repent.