Redeemer Church

To understand who Jesus is demands following what Jesus requires. Jesus’ path of obedience to the Father went through the suffering of the cross before the glory of heaven, and ours does too. But make no mistake, the cost of following King Jesus now is worth more than anything and everything this world has to offer. Trusting, obeying and following Jesus is always your very best option!

Jesus heals a blind man in two steps; the disciples are challenged to explain who Jesus is. How do these two events relate to each other? John Mark intentionally constructs these two accounts to show us our spiritual blindness and the remedy for our lack of sight. An intimate, vulnerable encounter with Jesus will bring us into the light!

Dull in understanding, slow to believe, and lazy in obedience … all characteristics of the disciples. Mind you, these Twelve were with Jesus, learning by His side. If that’s the case with them, we ought all to be on guard that we don’t develop a hard heart. Jesus warns them against the little “leavens” that corrupt the heart, and we would do well to listen in on His warnings too!

A gentile mom had greater understanding of, and faith in, Jesus than the disciples. How did that happen? Simply – Jesus opened her heart to believe in Him. In our narrative today, we see that beautiful picture of the work of Jesus to open deaf ears and make speechless tongues to give praise to Him. This story brings the cohesive teaching of Mark 7 to a glorious conclusion – Jesus does all things well!

After the strong rebukes of Jesus to the religious leaders who operated from the outside in, we now meet and experience the faith of one who operates from the inside out. We meet a woman, a Gentile, a foreigner … all identities of which the Jews were dismissive. But not Jesus! His posture is one that welcomes genuine faith and rewards those who seek Him. Come meet this mother of faith.

Leading Theme is the Church of Antioch changed the world. They were Selfless with their leaders. They had an A-Team Church Planting Team and rather than keeping them, they sent out their best. We will talk about being a church that is constantly focused on being Selfless.

Jesus despised external religion. The Law of Moses was a shadow that pointed to the substance yet to come, and Jesus was the substance who had come. That the Jewish religious leaders continued to operate out of the law, and press it onto others, was the source of much of Jesus’ corrective teaching. Here, He upends the idea that we live by an outside-in mentality and describes the Gospel mentality of living from the inside-out.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day had used the Bible, and gone way beyond it with their traditions, to create a religion of scrupulous law-keeping. Jesus understood the Bible to be THE means of coming into and growing in a relationship with the living God. He also understood that to read it correctly, we need to see him at its very center.

What happens when we don’t get the rest that we need? Will we look to Jesus as our hope or will we miss Him?

While theories swirled about the identity of Jesus, Mark shows us His identity – The Shepherd of Israel. Jesus is the Good Shepherd (unlike Herod) who leads His people in the wilderness to green pastures and feeds them until they are satisfied. He alone provides the rest we need, always generous so that we lack no good thing.

Jesus has power over creation, demons, disease and death, but still faces the rejection of those closest to him. Headed home to Nazareth, he is not welcomed with a hero’s parade, rather his lineage is questioned, his authority and wisdom dismissed, and unbelief runs as high as any time up to this point in ministry. He knows what rejection feels like, and the disciples soon will too.

Jesus doesn’t play favorites. He came to save sinners – young and old, rich and poor, marginalized and influential. From the woman suffering for twelve years to the twelve-year-old girl who had died. In coming to individuals, He always calls them away from fear and into faith. Our fears may keep us from bothering Jesus, but faith will lead us into real life and intimacy with Jesus.