Mark: The Good News Of Jesus – Chapter 12 | Christy Ellis

Message Date: March 20, 2024
Bible

Mark: The Good News Of Jesus – Chapter 12

Reading — Mark 12:1-44 NLT

Mark in 3 Acts:

    1. Act 1: Galilee: —
      • Chapters 1-8b —
        • Who Is Jesus?
    2. Acts 2: On the Way —
      • Chapters 8b-10 —
        • What does it mean for Jesus to be Messiah?
    3. Act 3: Jerusalem —
      • Chapters 11-16 —
        • How Jesus became King.

“They demanded, ‘By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?’ – Mark 11:28 NLT

Three themes in chapter 12

      1. Verses 1-12 The Parable of the Wise Vineyard Owner and the Evil Farmers
      2. Verses 28-34 The Most Important Commandments
      3. Verses 35-43 Jesus Teaches a Lesson on Honor

Jesus answers their question with a story.

    1. He does not cast his “pearls before swine.”
      • Their motives are impure and their hearts are hard.
      • Jesus will not act unwisely with treasure.
      • So far, they have not demonstrated capacity to receive direct, profound truth.
    2. It takes humility to receive truth that is spoken in love. JESUS is getting them the truth the only way they are willing to receive it at that time. This is mercy!
    3. Proverbs 25.2…It is the glory of God is to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search it out. We must mine for truth if we desire it.

Characters in Jesus’ story (based on Isaiah 5)

    1. Wise vineyard owner – God the Father
    2. Hired farmers – religious leaders
    3. Servants sent by the Vineyard owner to the hired farmers – Prophets to warn Israel in hope that she would leave her sin and come back to the Lord.
    4. The Heir/The Beloved Son of the Vineyard Owner – Jesus

So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;
the one who relies on it
will never be stricken with panic.
I will make justice the measuring line
and righteousness the plumb line;
hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie,
and water will overflow your hiding place. – Isaiah 28:16-17 NIV

Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” – Mark 12:29-31 NLT

The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22:40 NLT

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! – Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT

And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me. 41 Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will [a]assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul.’ – Jeremiah 32:40-41 NKJV

The Lord said to my Lord,[a]
“Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.” – Psalm 110:1 NLT

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” – Revelation 22:16 NKJV

For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus:

“You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.”

God also said,

“I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son.”

And when he brought his supreme Son into the world, God said,

“Let all of God’s angels worship him.”

But to the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever.
You rule with a scepter of justice.
You love justice and hate evil.
Therefore, O God, your God has anointed you,
pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.” – Hebrews 1:8-9 NLT

How wonderful and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in harmony!
For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil
that was poured over Aaron’s head,
that ran down his beard
and onto the border of his robe.
Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon
that falls on the mountains of Zion.
And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing,
even life everlasting. – Psalm 133:1-3 NLT

Jesus draws a sharp contrast to what honor and unity looks like as He describes the behavior of the religious leaders.

      1. Like to parade around in flowing robes
      2. Receive respectful greetings in the marketplaces
      3. Want seats of honor in the synagogues and at feasts they want to be at the head of the table.
      4. Shamelessly cheat widows out of their property
      5. Pretend to know God by making long prayers in public

Jesus openly models this concept of honor:

      1. Mark 12:41-44 – The wealthy gave a small amount out of their surplus.
      2. Jesus openly honors the impoverished widow for giving everything she had.
      3. JESUS honored HER…GAVE WEIGHT AND FOCUS to the WAY SHE WAS LOVING God in that moment.

This has been recorded in Scripture for all of eternity

Honor is looking through the heart and eyes of God at someone and intentionally giving weight and focus to honorable aspects of their life, character, or behavior with the purpose to bless them no matter their financial standing or place in society.