A Rose By Any Other Name - Henry Knapp

 Names in our culture mean very little. Often there is some family interest in a name—I am named after my father, who was named after his father, named after his father, etc.; but, aside from that familial connection, there is nothing distinctive about my being named “Henry.” While family and friends might tease me about my “Henry-isms,” really, there is nothing “Henry” about it; all my quirks are distinctly my own! Our names are not self-descriptive so much as they are useful labels to identify us as individuals against another person.

 Not all cultures are like that. In the early modern period, a name would be associated with one’s vocation (“smith” or “cooper”), birth (“Jameson”), or location (“Washington,” “Pitt,” or “Atwood”). Stereotypically, the Native American culture would give a name to a youth which captured in some way a particular characteristic of that individual (think of the cinematic portrayal, “Dances with Wolves”).

 In many ways, the biblical culture reflects this interest. “Jesus” is so named for “God-is-Salvation.” “David” means “beloved”; “Zechariah” is “the God who remembers” (very fitting for the prophet). This cultural tradition leads to a fruitful discussion of the names of God Himself—for the names given to Him often reflect something crucial of His character. “God” is “Adonai” or “Sovereign Ruler”; “Immanuel” means “God-with-us”; “Messiah,” “Shield,” “Savior,” “Advocate,” “Master,” “Creator.” All names given to God which highlight His essence and character.

 The same identifying trait is used with Satan. The name, “Satan,” means “Accuser” reflecting Satan’s favorite means of attacking believers—accusing us of our sin, driving us to despair, rather than to Christ. But in the Scripture, other names are also used to identify this ungodly Enemy. “Devil” comes from “to slander,” another description of Satan’s work. “The Father of Lies,” “the Great Dragon,” “the Deceiver,” and many others. Each name identifies some evil trait, action, or work of Satan.  

 In the text for this Sunday, Mark 3:22, Jesus is accused of being possessed by “the prince of demons,” or “Beelzebul,” a variant spelling of “Beelzebub,” “Baal” meaning lord, and “zebub” from “flies” or “gnats”; so, Satan is the “lord of the flies.” Baal, during the time of the Kings, was the god worshipped by Israel’s enemies; he was an idol in whose name the pagans pursued moral depravity and religious decadence. A harsher, more degrading accusation is hard to imagine. Jesus, because of His healings and His ministry to the most vulnerable, is charged with being in league with the very Enemy of God. We all know that “sticks and stones may break our bones, but names can never hurt us,” but such an accusation is hard to ignore.

 Jesus’ response is not to ignore it, but to point out the ludicrous nature of the accusation. Almost in mocking tones, He makes it clear that His work is of the Kingdom of Light, not that of Darkness. Jesus works to further God’s Kingdom and to diminish Satan’s hold. Rather than being a pawn of the Devil, Jesus has come to free those who are held captive by the Evil One.

 This Sunday, we are invited to worship the One who overthrows Satan, frees the captives, and introduces us to a new family—the family of God. Come join us as we worship this King!

 Read Mark 3:21-35.

 1. How does the immediate context of Jesus’ family (see verse 21 and 31) influence the way we understand the work of Jesus referenced here?

 2. Why would the idea that Jesus was possessed by a demon appeal to the scribes? Why would this even be an issue?

 3. What is the logic of Jesus’ statements in verse 24-25? Can you think of exceptions to this? If so, what does that say about Jesus’ words?

 4. In the parable of Jesus, who is the strongman? Who is the thief? What is the house? What is being taken away/stolen?

 5. In verse 35, what does it mean to do the will of God? How do we become Jesus’ family? What does that say about His mother and brothers mentioned in verse 21?

Sleepin' on Sundays - Henry Knapp

My Sundays are, as you can imagine, very busy days. I wake up fairly early, pretty ramped up for the day. I get to the office bright and early, going over the sermon again and again, then participate and enjoy worship (twice!), preaching, sometimes teaching Sunday school. The morning wraps up; and I’m tired, really tired. Sometimes we have Bible study in the evenings or have folks over after dinner, which leaves the afternoon…for sleep! I often don’t intend it, but taking a breather on a Sunday afternoon can quickly lead to snoozing. I can’t think of the last time I took a nap in the middle of the week, but Sunday afternoons? Out like a light.

I’m sure I’m not the only person who has a Sunday routine, something that we normally do on this day off. Of course, worship is central to our day, but what else? What else should a Sunday look like?

The Westminster Confession is a summary of our biblical faith and says this about the Christian Sunday: “[Sunday] is kept holy unto the Lord when men, after preparing their hearts and ordering their everyday affairs, not only observe a holy day of rest… but also are engaged in the exercise of public and private worship, as well as acts of necessity and mercy.” WCF 21.8.  In other words, Sundays are good for worship, ministry to others, and “necessary acts” (which may or may not include sleeping!).

The question of how to best honor our Lord on the Sabbath day is not an idle one—in the Old Testament, keeping the Sabbath was a clear mark of one’s connection to the people of God. Numerous times in God’s Law a concern to keep the Sabbath holy is expressed, not the least of which is in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11. See also, Genesis 2:3; Leviticus 23:3; Exodus 31; Isaiah 58; Deuteronomy 5). One of the primary accusations leveled at the Israelite nation is their failure to honor the Sabbath day (Isaiah 56; Nehemiah 13; Ezekiel 20).

It is not surprising, then, that faithful Sabbath observance occupied the religious leaders of Jesus’ day; the Pharisees frequently cited the adherence to the Sabbath as central to faithfulness. And, surprisingly, this led Jesus and the religious leaders of His day into direct conflict. Numerous times throughout His ministry, the Gospel writers recount events where Jesus’ treatment of the Sabbath led to conflict with the Pharisees. And, frequently, it seems like Jesus instigated these interactions, almost like He was stirring the pot, trying to teach something that He knew would be controversial. See, for instance, this week’s passage in Mark 3.

If a correct understanding of the Sabbath is so important to Jesus, perhaps we should take it more seriously as well. What does the Sabbath mean? Why is it important to God, and why does Jesus observe the Sabbath as He does? In Mark 3, we get a glimpse into Jesus’ view of the Sabbath—let us gather together and explore this together!

 Read Mark 3:1-12.

 1. What might the cause of a withered hand be? Why would this serve as a good spiritual analogy?

 2. What is the goal of their “watching” Jesus in verse 2? How does that differ from what they conclude in verse 6?

 3. What is the answer to Jesus’ question in verse 4? Why do the Pharisees stay silent?

 4. What emotions are evident in verse 5? What is the cause? How might that parallel your own life? How does Jesus “work through” these emotions?

 5. Speculate on verses 11 and 12. Why might Jesus command the evil spirits not to make him known?

Missing the Point - Henry Knapp

 I can be a bit of a contrarian—my initial reaction to any statement is not to focus on the truth in it, but to look for ways to undercut it. If you tell me the sky is blue, my first reaction is to point out all the clouds. I’m not proud of it, but there ya go.

 One of the many downsides of this approach to life is that I often get fixated on minor aspects of an idea and miss the main point. I can get so wrapped up in my own contrary thinking that I miss the overarching message. Hearing, for instance, that you are going on vacation, my first reaction is to be concerned about safety in travel, etc., rather than first of all rejoicing in your time away.

 Thinking most charitably of the Pharisees, I suspect they often fell into this same trap—thinking of all the negatives and missing the overwhelming positive. Take, for instance, this week’s text in Mark 2:13-17. Jesus visits with “tax collectors and sinners,” and the Pharisees are appalled. They object and challenge Jesus: “Why are you meeting with them?” they ask. Of course, maybe they are just being jerks—snooty, nose-in-the-air, I’m-better-than-you snobs. Or, maybe, they just are obsessing on the minor point and missing the main one.

 Possible minor points: “Don’t let the bad people drag you down.” “They are not likely to hear you and/or your message well.” “Why don’t you start with the most influential people, then work your way down.” “Perhaps your time would be better spent elsewhere”?

 But, they miss the main point, Jesus’ point, and He brings it home powerfully to the audience: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but the sinners.” (Mark 2:17)

 Marvelous! Whatever dangers might be present in Jesus’ approach, whatever potential flaws the Pharisees and others might find, the main point remains: Jesus has come to save exactly those who need Him—that is, He came to save us all.

 In preparation for worship this Sunday, and so you might hear Him most clearly, read and think about Mark 2:13-17.

 1. What is the connection between the setting of verse 13 and the calling of Levi in verse 14? What is it about where and what Jesus is doing that prompts Levi’s call to discipleship?

 2. The call to discipleship is not a one-time event.   In what ways are you to respond everyday like Levi did in verse 14?

 3. Tax collectors were representative of all the wickedness and oppression of the conquering Romans. Who would Jesus be eating with today if He wanted to make this same impression?

 4. What possible reasons might the Pharisees object to Jesus spending time with “sinners”? Besides just being annoying jerks, what might be their thinking?

 5. What does Jesus hope the Pharisees will realize in light of His response in verse 17? Obviously, there are a few possibilities/levels of understanding here. What might they be, and how might they be reflected in your own response?

The Pharisees and Logical Necessity - Henry Knapp

 Most of the time when we talk about the Pharisees, we are in critical mode, and well we should. The Bible pulls no punches in dealing with this religious body.  The Pharisees live out a religious approach to life that Jesus finds abhorrent in many ways. Where the good news Jesus proclaimed centered on faith, reliance upon Himself as Savior, the Pharisees stressed a moral reform and practice which placed their salvation in their own hands. This kind of legalism (obedience to the Law is the only way to be saved) ignores the real live problem that no one can faithfully follow the Law. And so, the Pharisees represent the ultimate boogeyman of our faith. Whereas Jesus wants us to look to Him, the Pharisees want us to look to our own power. From a theological perspective, then, the Pharisees stand for the antithesis of the Gospel; instead of the free grace of Christ, we have the self-justification of works-righteousness.

 But that is not the only reason, or even the major reason, why the Gospel writers contrast Jesus with the Pharisees. The opposition of the religious establishment to Jesus has less to do with the means of salvation, and so much more to do with the Person of Jesus Himself. Their rejection of Jesus is not based primarily on their rejection of His message, but of His claim about Himself.

 As one reads through the Gospels, the opposition of the Pharisees to Jesus grows and grows until, finally, they plot to kill Him—eventually leading, of course, to the cross. Certainly the religious establishment was offended by what Jesus taught, upset by His popularity, concerned He would undercut their stable relationship with Rome; but what ultimately drove them to call for His execution was a simple logical deduction based on Jesus’ teaching…

 A “logical necessity” is a conclusion one draws from statements when no other alternative is possible. It is “necessary” in that a conclusion must be true given what is stated earlier. If this, then that MUST be. Using this straightforward way of thinking, the Pharisees, after listening to Jesus, made a necessary conclusion about Jesus’ understanding about Himself… and that drove them to seek His death.

 In Mark 2, Jesus tells a paralyzed man that his sins are forgiven. It is a wonderful picture of the power of the Gospel, the Kingdom of God, to bring healing at our deepest need, our sin. As a demonstration of this forgiveness, the paralyzed man is healed, not just of his sin, but also of his physical condition. The story is a beautiful one where “everyone wins,” and normally would be the cause of great rejoicing. However, the Pharisees notice something and draw a logically necessary conclusion—that Jesus is claiming to be God.

 The Pharisees rightly realize that ultimately each and every sin is an offense against God Himself. Certainly our sin impacts ourselves and others, but ultimately, it is God Himself who is the aggrieved party. Only the offended party can forgive: It makes no sense for me to forgive you for hurting someone else. If sin is an attack against God, then only God can forgive. When Jesus, then, tells the paralytic that his sins are forgiven, Jesus is claiming that He is in a position to forgive them, that He is the One offended by the sin of the paralyzed man. In other words, the Pharisees draw the necessary conclusion: Jesus thinks He is God!

 That kind of blaspheme can be dealt with in only two ways—either it is a lie and it must be stamped out (hence, their conclusion that Jesus must die); or, it is the truth, and it must be embraced. Of course, the Pharisees cannot accept that this guy might be God Himself, so they elect to seek His destruction. We too are confronted every day with Jesus’ claim—He thinks Himself to be God: shall we reject this? Or, accept Him as the One who can (and does) forgive our sin?

 Come join us in worship on Sunday as we eagerly worship our Savior, our Lord and God, Jesus Christ.

 Read Mark 2:1-12.

 1. This event took place when Jesus was at home in Capernaum. What difference might it make that this happened where Jesus was well known?

 2. The crowd here functions as a hindrance or barrier for the paralytic and his friends. How might that parallel what you experience every day? Worse yet, where might you (and your “crowd”) be part of the hindrance to others?

 3. Why did the friends take such effort with the paralytic? What do you think they were hoping would happen? Were they satisfied early on with Jesus’ forgiveness of his sin?

 4. Always a challenge for me… notice that Jesus responds with forgiveness when He sees “THEIR” faith—not the faith of the paralyzed man, but of his friends. Intriguing, no?

 5. What is “right” about the Pharisees’ theology? What do they get correct about God, sin, forgiveness?

 6. There’s that word, “immediately,” in verse 8. Why is the immediacy of Jesus’ knowledge important to the story here? What would have been different if He only heard about their objections, say, days later?

 7. Jesus asks, “which is easier…”? Well?  Which is easier? To say, you are forgiven? Or, to heal a man?

The Cost of Doing Nothing - Dan Bender

You know, if we are honest…We all look for excuses to not do things. Sometimes those excuses can be so elaborate that we put more energy into not doing something than actually doing it. I have seen this firsthand when I ask my kids to help with something. Even at their young age they are superiorly cunning when it comes to figuring out ways to not do something that I or Leah ask them to do.

If I am totally honest, they learned that skill set from me. A famous comedian once said that Dads are experts in the art of doing nothing. In order to do nothing, they are magicians in doing something to keep them doing nothing. I have come up with some pretty clever schemes in my life to get out of doing things that I did not want to do. If I were to catalogue these, I am sure that there would be a representative from Guinness World Records giving me a call to talk about my prowess in doing nothing.This week we are going to examine what happens when Jesus confronts us in the space of our doing nothing. While this Scripture for you to study is not where I will be going with the sermon this week, it is a masterclass about what it looks like when we do something vs. doing nothing.

 Read Matthew 25:14-30 and spend some time with the following questions:

1. If you were the master, would you have done things differently with how you might respond to the servants?

2. Have you ever considered calculating the cost of doing nothing more than the cost of doing something?

3. What is a specific thing that you can point to where you paid the cost for inaction?

4. Take time to pray about some areas in your life where you might need to make changes and ask someone you trust to hold you accountable to the change you potentially need to make.

The Messianic Secret - Henry Knapp

 I end up hearing a lot of medical jargon. When I’m visiting with someone in the hospital or discussing concerns about a family member or following up on a medical procedure, people will share the details of what they are going through; and often those details include technical terms, phrases and lingo. If you have dealt with a medical issue in the past, you know how this happens—you soak up everything the doctor says, follow up with your own research; and suddenly, you know a whole lot more about something you had never heard of before. In talking and praying with folks, they frequently share those insights with me.

 Unfortunately, I have no medical background whatsoever. So, when people start talking about this or that –itis or carcino-something-or-other or a blockage in the who-dat thingy, I smile, nod along and simply just let it all go past me. I’m aware that I won’t follow everything, and so I willingly let some things just pass me by.

 A misunderstanding of Scripture (and simple laziness) can lead us down that same pathway. Biblical readers know that there will be plenty in the Bible that we cannot grasp fully—after all, God’s Word is infinitely deep in revealing an infinite God who loves us infinitely. Trying to capture all of that when one is reading or studying the Bible is hard to do! But, sometimes that makes us lazy—we assume that we won’t be able to understand everything; therefore, we don’t even notice when something seems odd. But, we should! That should cause us to question, to explore, to pray.

 So, it is possible that you could read the opening chapters of the Gospel of Mark and not be surprised at a very surprising thing. Three times already in chapter one, and many times in the coming chapters, Jesus will command someone NOT to speak of whom He is. The unclean spirit of verse 25, the demons in verse 34, and the cleansed leper in verse 44 are all told to be silent about Jesus. Similar commands will be given to other spirits, individuals, His disciples and the crowd (Mark 3:12, 5:43, 7:33-36, 8:30, 9:9). Now, this is odd stuff! Normally, we would think Jesus wanted others to know who He is. Indeed, He will send out His disciples to share about His Word and work. Yet, often enough, Mark reports Jesus’ commands to be silent. When we run across such counterintuitive statements in the Bible, we should pull up, stop, think and pray.

 This “Messianic Secret” is one of the trickier parts of studying the Gospel of Mark. You can hardly avoid the question, since it appears over and over again. Why would Jesus at times command others not to reveal who He is and at other times show Himself clearly to the crowds? Through the centuries, Christians have pondered this, scholars have attacked the question, disciples have struggled to understand. A number of satisfying ideas have been put forward, some of which do a great job of highlighting Christ’s ministry, mission and salvation.

 But, the call today is not to miss this oddity.  In your reading of Mark’s Gospel, don’t quickly pass over those spots where Jesus does something surprising. Yes, the Bible is full of passages we will not fully understand; but, every time we explore them more, God draws us closer to Himself.

 Join us this Sunday as we are confronted again by the surprising work of Christ. Read Mark 1:40-45.

 1. In verse 40, the leper comes to Jesus on his knees and “imploring him.” What is the emotional tenor of this situation? How does that impact Jesus’ actions and the actions of the leper later in the story?

 2. When the leper says, “if you will, you can make me clean,” what is he saying to Jesus? What are some options? For instance, could the leper be frustrated with Jesus? Confident?

 3. In verse 41, Jesus acts. Mark describes him as doing four different things: What are they, and what do they say about Jesus?

 4. Jesus says, “I will.” In English this can mean, “I am going to in the future” or it could mean, “I desire this and will make it happen.” Which is closer to what Jesus says here?

 5. Why do you think Mark stresses that the leper was “immediately” healed? Why is this important?

 6. Jesus tells the healed leper to show himself to the priest. In the Old Testament, if/when one was healed from an infectious disease, you showed your healing to the priest to gain re-admittance into the community. What is Jesus encouraging the healed man to do here?

 7. What clue in verse 45 is given for why Jesus might not have wanted the leper to share what had happened with everyone? How might that speak to the “Messianic Secret” in the Gospel according to Mark?

In a Time of Persecution - Henry Knapp

Emperor Nero was a depraved, wicked individual; yet, amazingly enough, he was not the most morally corrupt emperor to have ever ruled Rome. Over the hundreds of years of world dominance by the Roman Empire, the Empire was led by many able and talented individuals, some of whom displayed character, moral fiber and strength. Unfortunately, Nero was not one of them. The young emperor followed instead in the footsteps of more tyrannical and self-indulgent rulers. Rising to power as a teenager, initially Nero followed the advice of wise counselors, and his reign got off to a good start. Soon, however, he sought to rule without oversight and rid himself of troublesome advisors, including his own mother whom he eventually murdered. Contemporary sources identify Nero as compulsive, cruel, corrupt, debauched and tyrannical.

Significantly, this was the emperor who was ruling in Rome when the Apostle Peter arrived to share the Gospel and strengthen the fledgling church. Accompanied, tradition informs us, by the younger disciple, Mark, who served as his translator, Peter faithfully witnessed to Christ’s salvation, preaching and teaching both in private and in public. The Apostle recounted the message of Jesus, relating his own experiences with the Savior, and echoing his Pentecost sermon—“repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins!” (Acts 2:38). These events and stories Mark heard from Peter, faithfully translated to the Romans, and eventually, wrote them down.

Drastically, a devastating fire broke out in the poorer sections of the city. Given the lack of coordinated urban planning, flammable construction material, the absence of an adequate water supply, and the general neglect of the city’s administration, the fire burned for days wildly throughout the city. The Emperor Nero, who fancied himself a poet, reportedly went to a high vantage point and composed poetry and music while the city was consumed—Nero “fiddled while Rome burned.”

Eventually, the fire burned out, but the public’s anger over the negligence and inadequate response of the government threatened rebellion. The emperor, seeking to divert the public’s wrath, sought out a scapegoat, and settled on an obscure branch of the Jewish people, the “Christian sect.” Seizing low-born and prominent Christians, Nero instituted the first politically-sanctioned persecution of the Church. Soon, both the Apostles Peter and Paul were swept up in Nero’s tyranny—Paul, as a Roman citizen, executed by beheading, and Peter, crucified upside down. Most ordinary believers, however, caught up in Nero’s persecution were burned alive, an ironic reflection of the city’s fiery experience.

It is this persecution that serves as the immediate backdrop of the Gospel According to Mark. In recounting the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news of our salvation from sin, Mark was witnessing firsthand the rejection, abuse and oppression brought about by the enemies of the Gospel. Mark is no rose-colored optimist.  He knows exactly how Satan will respond to a full-hearted pursuit of the Gospel message. The powers raised in opposition to the message of Christ should never be underestimated— the wickedness of Nero dwells far too close to the surface for anyone to ignore.

Reading Mark’s account of the Gospel is no slight thing—it is a recognition that you are reading something that has turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6), and there will be opposition to God’s healing—even violent opposition at times. Are you ready for this kind of Gospel?

Join us this week as we explore the Gospel According to Mark. Read Mark 1:16-20.

1. This text comes immediately after Jesus’ proclamation of the Gospel in verse 15: “The Kingdom of God is at hand!” How might this influence where Mark sought to include this story?

2. Why do you think Mark tells us what Peter and Andrew were doing when Jesus called them? How might that shape how you think of your every-day tasks?

3. Jesus’ call to the first disciples was in two parts: “follow me” and “I will make you…” (vs. 17). What is distinctive about each? Why are both “necessary” to understand the Gospel?

4. Both groups of disciples—Peter/Andrew and James/John—respond to Jesus “immediately.” Why do you think Mark notes this? What might it look like in your own discipleship?

5. Following Jesus entails also a leaving. Where is this noted by Mark? What does this mean for your life as a believer?