Lord of the Sabbath
Mark 2:23- 3:6 Six-hundred and thirteen, this is the number of laws that are found in the Old Testament. Three-hundred and sixty-five of them speak of what you are not to do, and two-hundred fourth eight is what you are to do. A good Jew would want to be able to obey all of these laws. They would ensure that they would uphold the law in all aspects of their life. However, they became servants of the Law not the giver
For us and our salvation
The next portion of the creed looks at the Son as he comes to earth as the mediator between God and man. The introductory statement, "For us men and for our salvation," teaches us the important decision we have mentioned before (The only Son of God), the ontological and economic Trinity. Last week, we looked at God's divine activity or the doctrine of inseparable operations. Each person of the Trinity is the creator. The term "economic Trinity" focuses on what
Fasting and Furious
Mark 2:18-22 The conflict is rising between the religious leaders and Jesus. We have noted several times this rising tension, which continues to grow throughout Mark's Gospel. The tension will finally be felt at the end of Mark when Jesus is crucified on a cross. However, we notice even in the early chapters they sought to destroy him (Mark 3:6). Mark chapter two shows this tension builds, with the question of who can forgive sins? (Mark 2:7) or Why does he
Through him all things were made
As we have been looking at the second person of the Trinity in the Nicene creed, we have noted that the only Son of God is eternally begotten, not made, of the Father. He is the same essence as the Father. God from God, Light from Light, very God from very God. One of the critical aspects of this is that the Son is NOT a created being but is the creator. This error is the beginning of many heretical
How to get clean
Mark 1:40-2:17 Mark's gospel moves at a rapid pace, in which we see how various people respond to Jesus. Last week we saw the chaos ensue and crowds surround him, even after finding a quiet place to pray. Today's passage is back to the chaos and crowds. We will see how three men on the outside of society came to Jesus and their different reactions. We also see the seed of tension, which continues to grow throughout the gospel. I. Leaper (1:40-45) The
Begotten, not made
We have been looking at the eternal generation of the Son. This important doctrine is misunderstood or forgotten. One of my favorite stories is the discussion between Arius, a heretic whose teaching sparked the need for the Nicene Creed. Arius was talking to ‘Saint Nicholas’ (yes, he was a real person), and Nicholas finally slapped Arius across the face. This might seem like a strong reaction. However, the topic we are talking about has significant theological implications. Is the Son
Desolate Place
Mark 1:35-39 When you have small children, there are not many moments of rest. They wake up; you are then up. From that moment, your day is filled with needs, questions, discipline, encouragement, and a wide array of tasks. Even when they might be resting, you still have to prepare for the next stint in the race, clean their clothes, etc. There is always a need before you. The child is dependent upon the parent. They might be left for a
God from God
The next line in the creed is “God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God.” This line addresses one of the teachings of Arius. Arius taught that God the Father was eternal, and Jesus was the firstborn of creation (created). Jesus was like God, but not God. The major term he used was ‘homoiousios,’ which means a similar substance. However, the term ‘homoousios’ means the same substance. We will talk about this more when we get to
