Sermons by Art Davison

MARK 5:1-20

LESSON 7

Memory Verse: v.15, “And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.”

Introduction:

Jesus traveled to “the other side;” the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, which Jesus visited comparatively seldom. It was about five miles across the lake.

“FRESH from asserting His mastery over winds and waves, the Lord was met by A MORE TERRIBLE ENEMY, the RAGE OF HUMAN NATURE ENSLAVED and impelled by the cruelty of hell. The place where He landed was a theatre NOT UNFIT for the TRAGEDY which it revealed. A mixed race was there, INDIFFERENT TO RELIGION.” —Expositor Bible Commentary.

This lesson reveals why Jesus traveled THROUGH A STORM to get to this place, (Mark 4:35-41). It was TO HELP this poor DEMON POSSESSED MAN where the people DID NOT WANT THE SAVIOR among them. This shows how Jesus loves the lowest of sinners.

I. THE DEMON POSSESSED MAN’S CONDITION. vs. 1-5

A. What the Devil did, vs. 1-3a.

1. He DWELT in the country of the Gadarenes, v. 1, LOCATED EAST of the Sea of Galilee and near the south end. Luke 8:26, “And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.” [That is, on the opposite shore.]

2. The man CAME TO THE LORD as He was getting out of the boat, v. 2; Luke 8:27, “And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.”

3. He DWELT among the TOMBS, vs. 2-3.

NOTE: There are a lot of TOMBS HEWN OUT OF THE CLIFF. Now there are STONE COFFINS LITTERING THE VALLEY below. Vandals robbed the tombs later on. No doubt it was an ACTIVE BURYING PLACE in the days of Jesus. Since the tombs were hewn out ahead of time there would have been empty tombs for this man to dwell in.

4. The DEVIL FILLED HIM with UNCLEAN SPIRITS, v. 2.

NOTE: In the NT, these are persons, AFFLICTED WITH especially SEVERE diseases, either BODILY OR MENTALLY, (such as paralysis, blindness, deafness, loss of speech, epilepsy, melancholy, insanity, etc.) whose bodies IN THE OPINION OF THE JEWS, demons had entered, and so held possession of them as not only to afflict them with ills, but also to DETHRONE THE REASON and TAKE ITS PLACE themselves; accordingly the possessed were WONT [ACCUSTOMED] TO EXPRESS THE MIND and CONSCIOUSNESS of the demons dwelling in them; and their cure was thought to require the expulsion of the demon.

5. The devil is a THEIF, John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Revelation 9:11, “And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.”

6. The man had YIELDED TO the temptations of sin, and SATAN had literally TAKEN OVER HIS LIFE, 2 Timothy 2:26, “And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”

7. Satan has GREAT POWER, 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

8. We were UNDER Satan’s POWER in the past, perhaps to a lesser degree than this man, Ephesians 2:1-3, “And you hath he QUICKENED, who were DEAD in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past YE WALKED according to the course of this world, according to the PRINCE of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE: Among whom also WE ALL had our conversation IN TIMES PAST in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were BY NATURE the CHILDREN OF WRATH, even as others.”

B. What Man COULD NOT DO, vs. 3b-5.

1. NO man could BIND him, v. 3b-4; See Mark 9:18-22.

2. The WEIRD BEHAVIOR that we see in the UNBELIEVABLE ACTS of men is the WORK of the devil, Jeremiah 17:9, “The HEART is DECEITFUL above all things, and DESPERATELY WICKED: who can know it?”

NOTE: Mass murders, SEXUAL PERVERSION AGAINST CHILDREN, and other unbelievable acts today are the work of the devil.

3. Psychiatrists, counselors and the medical profession CANNOT SOLVE these problems. PRISONS CANNOT REFORM THEM.

4. ONLY GOD can CHANGE them THROUGH salvation, Matthew 19:26, “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, WITH MEN this is IMPOSSIBLE; but with God ALL things are POSSIBLE.

a. There is NOTHING TOO HARD for the Lord, Genesis 18:14, Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return u”nto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” Jeremiah 32:27, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?”

b. NOTHING is IMPOSSIBLE for the Lord, Luke 1:37, “For with God NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE.”

5. Men could NOT CHANGE him or RESTRAIN him, vs. 4-5; Matthew 8:28, “And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding FIERCE, so that NO MAN MIGHT PASS by that way.”

6. He CONTINUED in this HOPELESS condition, v. 5; John 8:44, “YE ARE OF YOUR FATHER THE DEVIL, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a MURDERER from the beginning, and ABODE NOT IN THE TRUTH, because there is NO TRUTH in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is A LIAR, and THE FATHER OF IT.”

7. He CUT and MUTILATED his on body as did the PROPHETS OF BAAL BEFORE ELIJAH, v. 5; 1 Kings. 18:28, “And they cried aloud, and CUT THEMSELVES after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.”

Note: This explains all the BODY PIERCING that we see in many people today. People with rings in the ear, tongue, eyebrows, nose, and private parts of their bodies, are all indications of the work of the devil today. When people start messing with DRUGS, they OPEN THE DOOR for SATANIC OPPRESSION and demon possession. Drugs play a big part in the worship of Satan.

II. THE MAN’S CONVERSION vv. 6-17

A. What the Lord COULD DO For Him, vs. 6-8.

1. The DEMON POSSESSED man ran and WORSHIPPED JESUS, v. 6.

NOTE: NOT with the SPONTANEOUS ALACRITY [cheerful readiness, promptness, or willingness] which says to Jesus, “Draw me, we will run after thee,” but INWARDLY COMPELLED, with TERRIFIC RAPIDITY BEFORE THE JUDGE, to receive sentence of EXPULSION. —Jamison, Fausset, Brown Commentary.

2. The DEMONS RECOGNIZED Jesus and RESISTED Him, v. 7; James 2:19, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the DEVILS ALSO BELIEVE and TREMBLE.”

a. Unclean spirits ALWAYS RESIST Jesus.

b. They KNOW WHO HE IS and GREATLY FEAR Him, Mark 3:11, “And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, THOU ART THE SON OF GOD.”

3. Jesus had COMMANDED the EVIL SPIRITS TO LEAVE the man, v. 8; Matthew 8:29, “And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?”

B. What the Lord COULD DO TO the Evil Spirits, vv. 9-13.

1. They confessed that they were MANY, v. 9. A LEGION consisted of 6,826 men in the Roman army.

2. They REQUESTED TO REMAIN in that COUNTRY, v. 10.

Note: This must have been a good country for evil spirits to dwell. There are certain regions of the world that seem to be given over to demon activity.

3. The evil spirits WANTED to be PUT in the herd of swine, vv. 11-12. Evil spirits greatly want a body in which to dwell.

a. SWINE were CONSIDERED TO BE UNCLEAN and they were FORBIDDEN TO JEWS, Leviticus 11:7, “And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.” Isaiah 65:4, “Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine’s flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels.”

b. NOTHING is TOO ROTTEN or FILTHY for the devil.

c. This was GENTILE TERRITORY, which explains the swine.

4. The VIOLENT REACTION of the fearful SWINE, v. 13.

a. In their TERROR they RAN OFF A CLIFF into the sea.

b. To lose 2,000 swine was a GREAT economic LOSS.

c. We are NOT TOLD what happened to the evil spirits.

5. The evil spirits BELIEVED and TREMBLED, BUT they COULD NOT BE SAVED, James 2:19, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”

6. They ALSE BELIEVE in a COMING JUDGMENT, Matthew 8:29, “And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?” “The time,” is the time of JUDGMENT that they KNEW WAS COMING.

C. What the PAGAN Swine OWNERS COULD DO, vs. 14:17.

1. The feeders REPORTED THE LOSS, since they did not want to be responsible for the great loss, v. 14a.

2. The owners and others CAME TO SEE what had happened, v. 14b.

3. They were NOT IMPRESSED with the CHANGED CONDITION of the man, v. 15; Matthew 8:34, “And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.”

a. They SHOULD HAVE REJOICED in what they saw.

b. INSTEAD they were interested in THEIR OWN PROSPERITY. The world is NOT impressed when people are saved and changed today.

c. They were AFRAID OF THE MAN before, and they are AFRAID OF THE SUPERNATURAL that had CHANGED HIM, 1 Samuel 16:4, “And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town TREMBLED AT HIS COMING, and said, Comest thou peaceably?”

4. The event was EXPLAINED but they were NOT IMPRESSED, v. 16.

a. CHARISMATICS BELIEVE that healing, casting out demons, and speaking in tongues will cause people to believe and be saved today.

b. IT IS NOT SO, Luke 16:30-31, “And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, NEITHER WILL THEY BE PERSUADED, THOUGH ONE ROSE FROM THE DEAD.”

5. They wanted TO GET RID OF JESUS, v. 17.

NOTE: This is what is going on in the world today. They want to get Jesus and the bible OUT OF THE SCHOOLS, GOVERNMENT, AND PUBLIC LIFE.

III. HIS COMMISSION vs. 15, 18-20

A. The Lord Calls Converted (Changed) Men, v. 15.

1. He was sitting at the feet of Jesus, Luke 8:35, “Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.”

a. He is now at peace, John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

b. Sitting is the place of learning, Luke 10:39, “And she [Mary] had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.”

2. He was clothed.

a. He was now clothed in the righteousness of God, Isaiah 61:10, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.”

b. He was also now modest; the work of the devil is nakedness and immodesty.

3. He was in his right mind.

a. This explains the difference in the man’s behavior. Sinful people are not in their RIGHT mind, but in the WRONG mind.

b. He now has the MIND OF CHRIST, 1 Corinthians 2:16, “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”

B. The Lord Calls Those Who Are Surrendered, vs. 18-20.

1. He earnestly wanted to be with Jesus, v. 18; People who are converted ought to want to be in the Church for He is there, Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

2. He heard the command and obeyed, vs. 19-20.

a. To your own folks [Greek-A. T. Robertson], Psalms 66:16, “Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.”

b. To your friends, John 4:29, “Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?”

3. He became a mighty witness for the Lord.

CONCLUSION

1. Demons begged Him not to send them to the pit, v. 10.

2. Citizens begged Him to leave, v. 17.

3. The healed man begged to go with Jesus, v. 18.

Outline by E. L. Bynum; Revision by Art Davison

QUESTIONS

1. Who me the disciples when they got off the ship?

2. What did the man do when he saw Jesus?

3. What was the name of the unclean spirit?

4. What happened to the swine when the spirits entered them?

5. How did the man appear after the unclean spirits had left him?

LESSON 7

THE SERVANT COMES TO THE SINNER

MARK 5:1-20

Introduction:

Jesus traveled to “the other side;” the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee, which Jesus visited comparatively seldom. It was about five miles across the lake.

“FRESH from asserting His mastery over winds and waves, the Lord was met by A MORE TERRIBLE ENEMY, the RAGE OF HUMAN NATURE ENSLAVED and impelled by the cruelty of hell. The place where He landed was a theatre NOT UNFIT for the TRAGEDY which it revealed. A mixed race was there, INDIFFERENT TO RELIGION.” —Expositor Bible Commentary.

This lesson reveals why Jesus traveled THROUGH A STORM to get to this place, (Mark 4:35-41). It was TO HELP this poor DEMON POSSESSED MAN where the people DID NOT WANT THE SAVIOR among them. This shows how Jesus loves the lowest of sinners.

I. THE DEMON POSSESSED MAN’S CONDITION. vs. 1-5

A. What the Devil did, vs. 1-3a.

1. He DWELT in the country of the Gadarenes, v. 1, LOCATED EAST of the Sea of Galilee and near the south end. Luke 8:26, “And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.” [That is, on the opposite shore.]

2. The man CAME TO THE LORD as He was getting out of the boat, v. 2; Luke 8:27, “And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.”

3. He DWELT among the TOMBS, vs. 2-3.

NOTE: There are a lot of TOMBS HEWN OUT OF THE CLIFF. Now there are STONE COFFINS LITTERING THE VALLEY below. Vandals robbed the tombs later on. No +oubt it was an ACTIVE BURYING PLACE in the days of Jesus. Since the tombs were hewn out ahead of time there would have been empty tombs for this man to dwell in.

4. The DEVIL FILLED HIM with UNCLEAN SPIRITS, v. 2.

NOTE: In the NT, these are persons, AFFLICTED WITH especially SEVERE diseases, either BODILY OR MENTALLY, (such as paralysis, blindness, deafness, loss of speech, epilepsy, melancholy, insanity, etc.) whose bodies IN THE OPINION OF THE JEWS, demons had entered, and so held possession of them as not only to afflict them with ills, but also to DETHRONE THE REASON and TAKE ITS PLACE themselves; accordingly the possessed were WONT [ACCUSTOMED] TO EXPRESS THE MIND and CONSCIOUSNESS of the demons dwelling in them; and their cure was thought to require the expulsion of the demon.

5. The devil is a THEIF, John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Revelation 9:11, “And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.”

6. The man had YIELDED TO the temptations of sin, and SATAN had literally TAKEN OVER HIS LIFE, 2 Timothy 2:26, “And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.”

7. Satan has GREAT POWER, 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

8. We were UNDER Satan’s POWER in the past, perhaps to a lesser degree than this man, Ephesians 2:1-3, “And you hath he QUICKENED, who were DEAD in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past YE WALKED according to the course of this world, according to the PRINCE of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE: Among whom also WE ALL had our conversation IN TIMES PAST in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were BY NATURE the CHILDREN OF WRATH, even as others.”

B. What Man COULD NOT DO, vs. 3b-5.

1. NO man could BIND him, v. 3b-4; See Mark 9:18-22.

2. The WEIRD BEHAVIOR that we see in the UNBELIEVABLE ACTS of men is the WORK of the devil, Jeremiah 17:9, “The HEART is DECEITFUL above all things, and DESPERATELY WICKED: who can know it?”

NOTE: Mass murders, SEXUAL PERVERSION AGAINST CHILDREN, and other unbelievable acts today are the work of the devil.

3. Psychiatrists, counselors and the medical profession CANNOT SOLVE these problems. PRISONS CANNOT REFORM THEM.

4. ONLY GOD can CHANGE them THROUGH salvation, Matthew 19:26, “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, WITH MEN this is IMPOSSIBLE; but with God ALL things are POSSIBLE.

a. There is NOTHING TOO HARD for the Lord, Genesis 18:14, Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” thing too hard for me?”

b. NOTHING is IMPOSSIBLE for the Lord, Luke 1:37, “For with God NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE.”

5. Men could NOT CHANGE him or RESTRAIN him, vs. 4-5; Matthew 8:28, “And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding FIERCE, so that NO MAN MIGHT PASS by that way.”

6. He CONTINUED in this HOPELESS condition, v. 5; John 8:44, “YE ARE OF YOUR FATHER THE DEVIL, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a MURDERER from the beginning, and ABODE NOT IN THE TRUTH, because there is NO TRUTH in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is A LIAR, and THE FATHER OF IT.”

7. He CUT and MUTILATED his on body as did the PROPHETS OF BAAL BEFORE ELIJAH, v. 5; 1 Kings. 18:28, “And they cried aloud, and CUT THEMSELVES after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.”

Note: This explains all the BODY PIERCING that we see in many people today. People with rings in the ear, tongue, eyebrows, nose, and private parts of their bodies, are all indications of the work of the devil today. When people start messing with DRUGS, they OPEN THE DOOR for SATANIC OPPRESSION and demon possession. Drugs play a big part in the worship of Satan.

MARK, LESSON 6 C

II. THE STILLING OF THE STORM, vs. 35-41.

A. The Awesome Storm, vs. 35-38.

1. A strange proposal, v. 35, “Let us pass over unto the other side.”

NOTE: Jesus certainly knew that a great storm was coming, but He wanted them to see that Christians must face the storms of life.

2. They had just HEARD THE WORD of God, and it PRODUCES FAITH so now they are going to be TESTED, Romans 10:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

3. Jonah was in a storm because of disobedience, but they were in the storm BECAUSE OF OBEDIENCE, v. 35; John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

4. Reasons why they had NOTHING TO FEAR:

a. Jesus SAID they would go to the OTHER SIDE.

b. Jesus Himself was WITH THEM and they had seen His MIRACLE WORKING POWER.

c. Jesus Himself had gone to SLEEP, REVEALING that there was NOTHING to be afraid of, Psalm 4:8, “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.”

5. Some of His disciples were EXPERIENCED SAILORS, BUT even they were afraid. This happens when we walk by sight and not by faith, 2 Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”

6. God does NOT EXEMPT is children FROM THE STORMS of this life, 1 Peter 4:12, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.”

5. We should MAKE SURE that we have the Lord WITH US, when the storms hit, Psalm 23:4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

a. He is our refuge, Psalm 46:11, “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”

b. He will GO WITH US through every difficulty, Isaiah 43:2, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.”

c. He is the STRENGTH of our life, Psalm 27:1, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

B. The Awesome Calm, vs. 39-41.

1. The AUTHORITY of His words, v. 39; Psalm 107:29, “He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.”

a. The Lord is the ONE we need TO FEAR, Jeremiah 5:22, “Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?”

b. The Lord RULES THE SEA, Psalm 89:9, “Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.”

c. With a word He brought an UNCOMMON PEACE, John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

d. This is a PEACE that PASSES our understanding, Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

2. He REBUKED them for their LACK of faith, v. 40; Matthew 8:26, “And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.”

3. They LEARNED a great lesson ABOUT HIM, v. 41.

a. They feared the Lord, Revelation 15:4, “Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.”

NOTE: “That is, the men in the ship, the mariners to whom the ship belonged, and who had the management of it.” —John Gill’s Expositor.

b. What manner of man is this?

(1) He is a man mightier than the waves of the sea, Psalms 93:4, “The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.”

(2) He is the Son of God, Matthew 14:33, “Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.”

THE PARABLES AND THE STORM CONT.
MARK, LESSON 6 B

5. Let us notice some IMPORTANT LESSONS for us.

a. There MUST BE A SOWER and that is OUR responsibility.

b. We DO NOT KNOW HOW the process works, BUT that is in the HAND of God, 1 Corinthians 3:6-9, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”

c. It is THROUGH the HOLY SPIRIT that this comes about, John 1:11-13, “He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

d. As there is A PROCESS that works with the corn, so is there a process as God works in the heart of a man. We must remember that the mighty oak was once an acorn.

e. We must WAIT FOR the harvest, Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

B. The Parable of the MUSTARD SEED, vs. 30-34.

Note: This parable must be interpreted very carefully, or we will make it teach error instead of truth. It can best be interpreted in relationship to the prophetic parables of Matthew 13.

1) In the parable of the sower we see the seed sown with different degrees of success, Matthew 13:3-23. This we can expect in the age of grace.

2) The tares among the wheat show us that the devil will imitate the work of God with evil seed, which will produce a mixed crop, Matthew 13:24-30.

3) The MUSTARD SEED represents the building of a religion that will END UP AS THE ONE WORLD CHURCH of the last days, Matthew 13:31-32; Mark 4:30-32.

4) The placing of the LEAVEN in the meal represents the PLANTING OF FALSEHOOD among the truth, which of course is what we have in the religious world, Matthew 13:33-35, “Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. 34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: 35 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.”

5) The net cast into the sea brings forth two kinds of fish. One is good and the other is evil. This shows the mixing of the lost and the saved in religion which only God can sort out.

1. This parable of the mustard seed also SHOWS the DETERIORATION IN KIND and QUALITY. It represents PROFESSING Christianity, but NOT THE PURE THINGS of God.

2. The mustard seed PRODUCES a MONSTROSITY that becomes a tree, Matthew 13:32, “Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.”

3. This is the PUBLIC MANIFESTATION of religion as we see in the GREAT APOSTASY of our day.

4. The FOWLS of the air REPRESENT SATAN and his EVIL WORKERS who are ROOSTING in FALSE RELIGION of the last days. The fowls represent evil, Revelation 18:2, “And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every UNCLEAN and HATEFUL BIRD.”

a. There is a CONTRAST BETWEEN the seed in the PREVIOUS parable and the seed in THIS parable. Corn (v. 38) is a FITTING TYPE of Jesus Christ the BREAD OF LIFE.

b. The seed in this parable is MUSTARD seed, which CANNOT REPRESENT Christ the bread of life.

c. The mustard plant is NO MORE EVIL than the LEAVEN, BUT they are SYMBOLS of EVIL in this case.

6. There is NO HARVEST, but just a TREE FULL of EVIL BIRDS, Daniel 4:20-22, “The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth; Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation: It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.”

a. The TREE in Daniel 4 represented the EVIL CORRUPT EMPIRE OF Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.

b. Notice that IT TOO IS FILLED with EVIL birds, Daniel 4:14, “He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches:”

7. Jesus used MANY PARABLES to teach the MULTITUDE, BUT when He was alone with His DISCIPLES He EXPLAINED THEM.

LESSON 6A

THE PARABLES AND THE STORM

Mark 4:21-41

Memory Verse: Mark 4:39

Introduction:

Jesus had now taught that the only good ground was that in which the good seed bore fruit. And He adds explicitly, that men receive the truth in order to spread it, and are given grace that they may become, in turn, good stewards of the manifold grace of God. —Expositor’s Bible Commentary.

I. THE PARABLES. vs. 21-34

A. The Parable of the Candle, vs. 21-25.

1. The PURPOSE of a candle, Psalm 119:130, “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”

2. It should be placed ON a candlestick, v. 21; Matthew 5:15, “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.”

3. The light of God’s truth is NOT TO BE HIDDEN, 2 Corinthians 4:3, “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:”

a. Putting it under a bushel REFERS TO people letting their MONEY OR BUSINESS INTERESTS hide their light.

b. Putting it under a BED speaks of letting COMFORTS and LAZINESS cover the light.

4. The CANDLESTICK is WHERE the light is placed, in order to give THE MOST LIGHT. New Testament Scriptural CHURCHES are represented as being candlesticks, Revelation 2:5, “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” [ Spoken to the church at Ephesus]

a. This is WHERE every Christian OUGHT TO BE that their light would shine, Hebrews 10:25, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

b. If they are not, then they are hiding their light, Revelation 1:20, “The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.”

4. We are NOT ONLY to RECEIVE light, but we are TO IMPART LIGHT. This refers to ALL Christians, NOT just the pastor,Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

a. Use the gifts God has given you, 1 Peter 4:10, “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

b. Be a testimony in your walk among men, Ephesians 5:8, “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.”

c. We may be the only Gospel other see, Philippians 2:15, “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.”

5. We are NOT TO HIDE the TRUTH, NOR to hide SIN, for it will be revealed on that day, v. 22;

a. God will bring to light the truth, 1 Corinthians 4:5, “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”

b. We are to manifest the truth, 2 Corinthians 4:2, “But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”

6. We are to be CAREFUL WHAT we HEAR and HOW we hear, v. 24a, Luke 8:18, “Take heed therefore HOW ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.” We are to hear the truth and apply it to our lives.

7. The MEASURE of our REWARD will be according to the measure of our DILIGENT LABOR for Him, v. 24b; Luke 6:38, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” We decide whether God will use a teaspoon or a shovel when He gives us our reward.

8. Our rewards will be ADJUSTED TO FIT the case, v. 25; Luke 8:18, ke heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.”

B. The Parable of the SEED, vs. 26-29.

Note: “This beautiful parable is PECULIAR TO MARK. Its design is to teach the Imperceptible Growth of the word sown in the heart, from its earliest stage of development to the ripest fruits of practical righteousness.” —Jamison, Fausset, Brown Commentary.

1. The SEED is the WORD of God, and the GROUND is the WORLD of LOST MEN, v. 26. (See v. 14, “The sower soweth the word.”).

2. The seed DOES NOT bring forth results IMMEDIATELY. We must wait for the results, v. 27; Ecclesiastes 11:5, “As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all.”

3. We have NO CONTROL over the process, v. 28; Isaiah 61:11, “For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.”

4. The HARVEST will come IN DUE TIME, v. 29; John 4:38, “I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.”

Outline by E. L. Bynum; Revision by Art Davison–CONTINUED IN LESSON 6B