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The Mission of Jesus

October 27, 2019 Speaker: Brian Wilbur Series: The Gospel of Mark

Topic: The Mission of Christ Passage: Mark 1:29–45

THE MISSION OF JESUS

An Exposition of Mark 1:29-45

By Pastor Brian Wilbur

Date:   October 27, 2019

Series: Mark: Knowing and Following God’s Son

Note:   Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard   Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

THE SCRIPTURAL TEXT

Here is the Word of God as it is written in Mark 1:29-45 –

29 And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons.33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.”39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

40 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter. (Mark 1:29-45)

INTRODUCTION

In Mark 1:21-28, Jesus taught in the synagogue of Capernaum and ordered an unclean spirit to depart. The people were astonished and overwhelmed by the kind of authority that Jesus displayed in their midst: “And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”” (Mark 1:27) Jesus “taught them as one who had authority” (Mark 1:22) and, at the same time, He was able to overpower the forces of darkness. This demonstration of authority created quite a buzz in the seaside town of Capernaum and spread beyond into the region of Galilee. Knowing that “his fame spread” (Mark 1:28) prepares us for what follows: “Everyone is looking for [Jesus].” (v. 37)

The Rhythm of Jesus’ Ministry

Notice the rhythm of Jesus’ ministry, as Mark presents it to us in Mark 1:29-45. After that memorable worship service in the synagogue, Jesus and His four followers (the ones we met in Mark 1:16-20) go home – specifically, to “the house of Simon and Andrew.” (v. 29) Whether you are going to your own home or to another’s home, isn’t it nice to be able to go home and be refreshed with family and friends after a worship service? But by the time that evening rolls around, what is happening? “[The] whole city was gathered at the door.” (v. 33) They had come to see Jesus. The quiet of home becomes the clamor of a needy world.

After a very busy evening of ministry, and perhaps a few hours of sleep, Jesus rose early the next morning “and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” (v. 35) Before too long, however, the quiet of prayer in a secluded location becomes, once more, the clamor of a needy world: “And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.”” (v. 37)

As the passage concludes, the townships of Galilee are so thick with interest in Jesus, that Jesus “could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.” (v. 45) Jesus’ fame was so pronounced that He had to keep a low profile. And yet, the quiet of desolate places kept becoming the clamor of a needy world.

Do you see the rhythm of Jesus’ ministry? Quiet and clamor, quiet and clamor, quiet and clamor.

Snapshots and Central Aim

In this passage, Mark is giving us snapshots of Jesus’ life and ministry. All told, the season of ministry in verses 29-45 would have included hundreds, if not thousands, of interactions with different individuals in several towns and outlying areas throughout Galilee. Along the way, Mark gives us short statements that summarize Jesus’ ministry: “And he healed many…, and cast out many demons.” (v. 34) “And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.” (v. 39) Even the final statement in verse 45 that “people were coming to him from every quarter” implies Jesus’ ongoing ministry to the many people who came to see Him.

Even so, in the midst of all this activity, Jesus’ mission is clearly revealed to us – and that’s the main thing that Mark would have us see. For mere human beings, it is often in the midst of sustained busyness that our sense of core purpose is derailed, obscured, or lost. For us, how often does the packed schedule or nonstop demands result in drifting from our most fundamental mission? For Jesus, however, the quickening pace of ministry gave Him an opportunity to tell His first disciples what His priority in ministry actually was. And Mark wrote it down so that Jesus’s 21st century disciples could be confronted with that same priority, that we also might be faithful participants in Jesus’ mission.

When I say that the main purpose of Mark 1:29-45 is to reveal Jesus’ mission to us, I don’t mean that this is the only thing to see in this passage. In fact, there are many good and helpful things to see in this passage. With God-breathed words, Mark is painting for us a portrait of Jesus, and we need to see all of it. So let me take a few moments to ponder the various features of this portrait, before we focus our attention on the core mission that this passage reveals.

COME AND SEE JESUS

First, we see Jesus’ tenderness. After Jesus’ ministry at the Capernaum synagogue earlier in the day, He “left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.” (v. 29) As it happened, Simon’s mother-in-law had taken ill, and the disciples told Jesus about her condition. “And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up.” (v. 31) Isn’t this a beautiful picture of our Savior’s tenderness? He is “the Son of God” (Mark 1:1), “the Lord” (Mark 1:3), the authoritative Teacher, and the Spirit-empowered Messiah who can command demons and diseases to flee, and they flee. John the Baptist said that he himself wasn’t even “worthy to stoop down and untie [the strap of Jesus’s sandals].” (Mark 1:7) And yet, this Mighty One deals so gently and tenderly with those who are sick. With the very best bedside manners, the Great Physician “lifted her up, and the fever” departed. Then, with renewed health, “she began to serve them [her family and guests].” (v. 31)

This same tenderness is on display in an even more heightened way in His cleansing of the leper. Lepers weren’t just physically diseased – for in consequence of their leprosy they were rendered socially unclean, unfit for participation in the life of the community. Whatever one might do to a leper, touching a leper was not among the viable options. They were ‘the untouchables’ of their day. They were on the margins, outsiders, quarantined: over there, out of sight, and out of reach. But when the leper came into the presence of Jesus, the true King reached “out his hand and touched him.” (v. 41) By means of this tender human touch, Jesus rehumanized the untouchable man.

Second, we see Jesus’ compassionate hospitality. The events of Mark 1:21-34 took place in a single day: teaching in the synagogue, casting out of the demon, and healing Simon’s mother-in-law. We are still in the same day when we come to verses 32-33: “That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door.” Thus we see the cost of fame: everyone wanted a piece of the action. But notice what Jesus’ didn’t do: He didn’t hide behind the door, and He didn’t send them away. He showed genuine hospitality: He made room in His heart and ministry for these weary souls. And He showed genuine compassion: “And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons.” (v. 34) The healing of Simon’s mother-in-law was the first of many healings on the same day. The casting out of the demon in the synagogue was the first of many exorcisms on the same day.

The compassionate hospitality of Jesus is again on display in the healing of the leper: Jesus didn’t turn a deaf ear to the leper’s plea, but was willing to grant his request. And verse 41 begins: “Moved with pity.” Some manuscripts say that “Jesus was indignant” (NIV) instead of “[moved] with pity.” We cannot be sure which one is original, but if the reference to Jesus’ anger is correct, then James Edwards might be on the right track when he says, “Jesus was indignant at the misery of the leper.”[1] Such indignance is not unrelated to compassion.

Third, we see Jesus’ authority. We must take to heart the profound reality that in this world of darkness and death, Jesus has divine authority to drive out both demons and diseases. When Jesus comes face to face with those who are not well, He is able to make them well.

Now there is another aspect of Jesus’ authority that surfaces in this passage: Jesus has authority over the publicizing of His message. According to Mark 1:14-15, “Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”” Jesus had authorization from His Father in heaven to proclaim and publicize the gospel. This authorization was conveyed to Jesus when He was anointed by the Holy Spirit immediately after He had been baptized. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,” Jesus said in another passage, “because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.” (Luke 4:18)

Jesus’ authority over the publicizing of His message means not only that He has authority to proclaim it, but also that He has authority to authorize others to proclaim it or, as we see in this passage, to prohibit others from proclaiming it. The final part of verses 34 says: “And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.” In other words, the demons were not authorized to proclaim the good news about Jesus. It is not fitting for demons, who oppose God’s kingdom and hate the good news, to be the ones who are telling people about it. Demons would just play the part of annoying media personalities who don’t care about the right manner and right timetable for the release of information.

The other prohibition that comes up in our passage is a bit more complex. After Jesus healed the leper, He “sternly charged him and sent him away at once, and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.”” (v. 43-44) Jesus wanted the now-cleansed leper to keep a low profile, to act in accordance with the Law for his ceremonial cleansing and restoration to the community, and to not make much ado about the fact that Jesus had healed him. While to our Great Commission ‘evangelistic ears’ this may seem like an odd prohibition, we must remember that Jesus had just begun His ministry and that people didn’t really have a good understanding of who He is and what He had come to do. So at this early stage of His ministry, Jesus wanted to avoid unhelpful publicity.

In fact, the wisdom of Jesus’ prohibition is seen in what followed after the leper’s disobedience – and however much we may sympathize with the leper’s zeal to share what had happened, we must call it disobedience. Verse 45 says: “But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town.” As we shall see, the very thing that Jesus knew He must do was to “go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also.” (v. 38) So understand this: the leper’s unauthorized publicizing of “the news” about Jesus made it more difficult for Jesus, the authorized proclaimer of the gospel, to do the work He had come to do. Even though the leper had demonstrated faith in Jesus’ ability to cleanse him, he still had an important lesson to learn about discipleship: if Jesus tells you to keep your mouth shut, you keep it shut. And why? Because Jesus has authority over all, including over the who and the when of proclaiming the gospel.    Fourth, we see Jesus’ prayerfulness. After the utter busyness and exhaustion of the previous day, Jesus didn’t sleep in. Whether or not sleeping in might ever be the spiritually wise course of action, is beyond the scope of this sermon. What we need to see is that Jesus neither slept in nor passively allowed the day to sneak up on Him. Instead, He took the day by prayer: “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” (v. 35) Notice the deliberateness with which He sought a place of prayer: He rose “very early”, left the house, and found a secluded location that was suitable for prayer. “[And] there he prayed.”

Thus we have added four important features to Mark’s portrait of Jesus. There is the tenderness that touches the sick and the outcast. There is the hospitality that welcomes the diseased and oppressed, and the compassion that brings healing. There is the authority to command sicknesses and unclean spirits to depart, and they oblige. There is also the authority to publicize the good news of God’s kingdom and, at the same time, to prohibit others from doing so. And there is the prayerfulness that points to the fellowship between the faithful Son and His Father in heaven. All of this is very important and helps us to see the excellence of Jesus. But none of it is the main point of this particular passage.

THE MISSION OF JESUS

The unique burden of this passage is to show us Jesus’ mission – to show us the priority of His ministry. In fact, the unique burden of this passage is packed into the middle verses.

In the first six verses (v. 29-34), we enter a situation where “the whole city was gathered together at the door” (v. 33), seeking Jesus. In the final six verses (v. 40-45), we conclude with a situation where “people were coming to him from every quarter” (v. 45). But in the middle five verses (v. 35-39), we find a statement concerning His mission. And Mark sets it up for us in a very interesting way.

First, Mark sets it up for us in terms of prayer. Jesus had just been spending the early morning hours in prayer, right before He reveals His mission to His disciples. Jesus, refreshed and strengthened and focused through His prayerful communion with the Father, had a clear sense of the task before Him.

Second, Mark sets it up for us in terms of the clamor of a world in need. By all accounts, the day prior was a memorable one in Capernaum. The morning edition of the Galilee Gazette would have talked about ‘The Showdown in the Synagogue’ and about how ‘The Fishermen’s House Becomes a Healing Center’. Jesus had become ‘the talk of the town’. “What is this?” (Mark 1:27) What does it mean? How can I get in on the action? Well, that’s rather obvious: go and find Jesus! After Simon, Andrew, James, and John got their bearings on the day and realized that Jesus was nowhere to be found, they went and “searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.”” (v. 36-37) The idea seems to be: yesterday was a big splash, you transformed the physical and mental health of nearly the entire town last evening, and lots of people want to see you. They’re expecting to find you back in Capernaum. So shouldn’t we return to town and satisfy their quest? The question is: will Jesus’ ministry be governed by all the people who are looking for Him? The answer that comes is a resounding ‘No’!

Now, for the first time in our passage, Jesus speaks. This is yet another way in which Mark is calling attention to the great importance of this statement concerning Jesus’ mission. “Everyone is looking for you,” the disciples said. “And he [Jesus] said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.”” (v. 38) This is the main point of the whole passage, and it reveals Jesus’ mission to us. Although it doesn’t reveal everything about His mission, it reveals the key task. What is it? The key task of Jesus’ mission is this: taking the Word to other places, preaching the gospel in other towns: “[The] kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15) must be proclaimed everywhere!

What makes the mission statement of verse 38 so important isn’t just the priority of ministry, but the geography of ministry. Do you see this? Jesus isn’t just saying that the priority of His ministry is to preach the Word. He is saying that, but He isn’t just saying that. Yes, preaching and teaching is the priority of His ministry (Mark 1:14-15, 21-22, 39-40; Mark 2:2). But Jesus is making a larger point in verse 38: “Let us go”! The Word that must be preached, must be preached in “the next towns.” The gospel that must be proclaimed, must be proclaimed throughout the region. “[For] that,” Jesus says, “is why I came out.” (v. 38) The phrase “came out” (in v. 38) is the same as “went out” (in v. 35). So the idea might be that the reason Jesus “went out to a desolate place” to pray was to prepare for the upcoming ‘preaching trip’ through the various towns of Galilee. Earlier we were told, “Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God” (Mark 1:14). In fact, this is why He had come into our broken world, to bring God’s life-giving Word (see Luke 4:43).

So, it is not enough for the good news of God’s kingdom to be made known in Capernaum. Remember the takeaway lesson from our sermon on Mark 1:21-28 – Jesus’ word carries divine authority to topple the kingdom of darkness. It is not enough for this darkness-toppling word to be preached in Capernaum. It must also be preached in Bethsaida, Chorazin, Gennesaret, and Magdala.

And the Word that must be preached in one town after another isn’t just a darkness-toppling word – it is also a health-restoring word. In Mark 1:21-28, the authority of Jesus’ teaching was demonstrated in the casting out of the demon. In Mark 1:39-42, the power of Jesus’ word is demonstrated in the cleansing of the leper. In that earlier passage, Jesus spoke to the unclean spirit – “Be silent, and come out of him!” (Mark 1:25). Now Jesus speaks to the leper – “I will; be clean.” (v. 41) In the earlier passage, the unclean spirit obeyed Jesus. Now it is the leprosy’s turn to obey: “And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.” (v. 42) Jesus’ health-restoring word to the leper didn’t just restore his physical health; it also restored his social health, rendering him fit to be reintegrated into his community.

The Priority of Preaching the Word

Some people, perhaps, want to de-emphasize the priority of Jesus’ preaching and teaching. Such people want to say that the casting out of demons, and the healing of diseases, and the cleansing of lepers, and various 21st century forms of social justice, are just as important as the preaching and teaching of the word. But it is not so. Mark consistently emphasizes the priority of preaching and teaching by putting it first, and it is the only ministerial action mentioned in the mission statement of verse 38 (“that I may preach”).

Another reason we know that preaching and teaching is the priority of Jesus’ ministry is because the miracles of exorcism and healing aren’t sufficient to bring about salvation from sin. For a person to experience salvation from sin, he or she must “repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). And if anyone would “repent and believe in the gospel,” he or she must first hear “the gospel of God” (Mark 1:14) proclaimed. Just think about the leper in Mark 1:40-45. He has been cleansed of his leprosy, but note well that he has not yet been cleansed from his disobedience.

Further, and more sobering still, a staggering number of people in Capernaum had experienced healing from disease or deliverance from demonic oppression, but hardly any of them actually repented, believed the good news, and followed Jesus. We know about their failure to repent because of Jesus’ pronouncement of woe upon Capernaum in Matthew 11: “Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent…. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.” (Matthew 11:20, 23-24) Many people experienced the healing touch of our Lord, and yet many of them remained unsaved.

Those Capernaum folks who were seeking Jesus (in v. 32-33 and v. 37) weren’t really doing so for the right reasons. William Lane hits the nail on the head: “The people come to Jesus, not because they recognized his dignity and function but because it is rumored that a miracle worker has come in their midst. Jesus had come to preach repentance and the nearness of the kingdom but the people think only of relief from pain and affliction.”[2] Why do you seek Jesus?

When and where the Lord grants exorcisms and healings, we ought to praise Him. But let us never forget: none of the Lord’s gifts is as precious as His pure and holy Word. Jesus’ priority was to proclaim it: “that I may preach” (v. 38). And whenever and wherever His Word is humbly received in repentance and faith, there its darkness-toppling and health-restoring power is truly and deeply known. And this Word – this gospel – must be proclaimed everywhere: “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also.” (v. 38)

LET US GO!

Notice how the missionary nature of gospel ministry was expressed near the beginning of our Savior’s ministry. He is “the Word” (John 1:1, 14) who came from heaven to earth. In due course He made His way to Capernaum, preaching and teaching. Now He says to His four followers, “Let us go.” Already He is preparing them for their future ministry of going. Jesus, with His disciples with Him, will “go on to the next towns,” and in due course to Samaria and Judea and Jerusalem.  There in Jerusalem He will confront the powers of this present age and conquer them by shedding His blood. Surrendered to the Father, He will lay down His life for the sins of His people. On the cross He will disarm the powers and principalities. Through His perfect obedience and sacrificial love He will satisfy the justice of the Lord God Almighty. He will enter into the sphere of death, undo its power, and topple the darkness forever. He will rise again, take His bride by the hand and lift her up into the heavenly places. He will secure a cleansing that goes deeper than the leper’s skin. Then, with all authority in heaven and earth invested in Him, He will give His people the final and irreversible authorization to go – from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria, and then onward to every nation on earth – in order to preach His gospel and build His church.

“Let us go” – Jesus did!

“Let us go” – what Jesus began to do on earth with His disciples, He intended to continue doing from heaven through His disciples.

“Let us go” – marvel that the death-defeating, life-restoring word of Christ has, through the commitment and sacrifice of faithful believers, traveled the world from Capernaum, Galilee to South Paris, Maine.

“Let us go” – the commission remains in effect until our Lord returns. Where do we need to go? Whereas it was disobedient for the leper “to spread the news,” it is in fact disobedient for us not to spread the good news.

“Let us go” – prayerful like Him, gentle and tender like Him, compassionate and hospitable like Him, always under His authority, always with His words in our mouth.  

“Let us go” – if we are followers of Jesus, then His mission is our mission. We don’t need a carefully crafted mission statement of our own. We only need humble obedience to His.

“Let us go” – because if we don’t go, who will? 

Let us pray.

 

ENDNOTES

[1] James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Mark (The Pillar New Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002: p. 70.

[2] William L. Lane, The Gospel of Mark (The New International Commentary on the New Testament). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974: p. 80.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Mark (The Pillar New Testament Commentary). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002.

William L. Lane, The Gospel of Mark (The New International Commentary on the New Testament). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974.

Eckhard J. Schnabel, Mark (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries Vol. 2). Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2017.

Ben Witherington III, The Gospel of Mark: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001.

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