Người Này Là Ai - Đấng Christ?

“7Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee, and a large crowd followed from Judea, 8 Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon. The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing. 9 Then he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, so that the crowd wouldn’t crush him. 10 Since he had healed many, all who had diseases were pressing toward him to touch him. 11 Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!” 12 And he would strongly warn them not to make him known.

Introduction:

In the societies of the Mediterranean Sea, popularity was given a different label. It was called honor. “Honor [was] either ascribed or acquired. Ascribed honor [came] from a person’s family status or honorific position in life. In contrast, acquired honor [was] the result of a person’s behavior. Therefore, it [could] be considered the reward for one’s virtue. Like any honor claim, a claim of acquired honor [had to] be recognized publicly in order for it to count.” That is how it was during Jesus’ time.

Jesus was born in a stable in Nazareth. He was known as the son of a carpenter; one of the lowliest positions a man could have. He did not have rabbinical education. So, his honor had to be acquired.

There were a few ways to acquire honor in that society. You could do extraordinary things. You could teach with unprecedented authority or debate those in authority and win the debate.

When we get to the third chapter of Mark, Jesus’ level of honor has increased because of the several miracles he has performed. In chapter one, he drove out an unclean spirit in a synagogue (1:21-26), he healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, he also healed those who were sick and de-mon possessed at Peter and Andrew’s house (1:29-34), and finally, he healed a leper in Galilee (1:39-45). In chapter two, he forgave and healed a paralytic (2:1-12) and won two debates with the Pharisees on the issue of fasting and the Sabbath (2:18-28). As we enter chapter three, he has healed the shriveled hand of a man at the synagogue (3:1-6). Through those experiences, Jesus’ honor began to increase. And we know that this is occurring, because of the statements found in 1:22; 1:27; and 2:12.

The question that is increasingly being asked by the people of those regions is: Who is this Jesus?

This morning I would like for us to discover the answer to that question by looking at three events that took place within the 6 verses we have just read.

The first event, that will help us answer the question, Who is this Jesus, is

I. Jesus’ Honor Is Increasing (vs. 7-8).

7Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea, and a large crowd followed from Galilee, and a large crowd followed from Judea, 8 Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon. The large crowd came to him because they heard about everything he was doing.

As I already mentioned, Jesus grew up in an honor-shame society. In order for him to be able to get the people’s attention, he had to increase in honor. That honor had to be acquired by winning debates, performing extraordinary things, such as signs and wonders, and by conducting powerful, life transforming teachings. Jesus had done all of that up to this point and his honor was increasing. It was increasing among three different groups of people.

A. Among three different groups of people:

The first group of people is…

The Jews:

And they are identified by the regions they are coming from: Galilee, Judea (including Jerusalem), and beyond the Transjordan or Perea.

The second group of people is…

The Mixed people or biracial:

They are identified by the region of Idu-mea. “Idumea is the Greek name for Edom, but doesn’t refers to ancient Edom.” These people were semi-Jewish.

Then there is a third group of people and they are…

The Gentiles:

They are identified by the regions of Tyre and Sidon. “Tyre and Sidon were to the north on the Phoenician coast (or what is now called Lebanon)…The areas were largely Gentile and the terms are used here to symbolize the world beyond the land of the Jews…”

As you can see, Jesus’ honor had increased among many people of that area. What does that have to do with us today? Let me answer that question with a question. What is Jesus’ popularity among our culture?

B. What Is Jesus’ Popularity Among Our Culture.

We do not live in a shame-honor based culture. “The culture of the United States of America is primarily of western (European) origin and form, but it is influenced by [the cultures of the] African, Native American, Asian, Polynesian and Latin American people.” However, the people in our culture do have an opinion about who Jesus is or his identity.

According a research conducted in 2015, people in the U.S. have at least five popular beliefs about our Lord. First, the vast majority of the people believe that Jesus was a real person. Second, younger generations are increasingly less likely to believe that Jesus was God. Third, Americans are divided on whether Jesus was sinless or not. Fourth, most Americans say they have made a commitment to Jesus Christ. And fifth, people are conflicted between Jesus and ‘good deeds’ as the way to get to heaven. People do have an opinion.

One thing I have learn while knocking on the doors of houses is that people are broken and hurting. It does not matter what is one’s social-economic status, education, race, or language; people are broken and are looking for healing, mending and transformation. We must introduce to them to the Jesus of the Bible.

He still heals. He still does miracles. He still transforms lives. He still has the answers to the questions people have. However, knowing about Jesus is not enough! You can know about Jesus, but not really know Jesus. To know Jesus, you must be willing to turn from your sins and place your faith in him, establishing a personal relationship with him.

If you are here this morning and do not know Jesus, this morning you can begin that experience. Turn from your sins to Him. Ask Him to forgive you. Ask Him to come into your life as Lord and Savior. He will! You will never be same after that.

Jesus’ honor was growing among these three groups of people. This honor was the result of what they had heard Jesus had been doing or maybe saw him do. They knew about him, but did not know him.

Who is this Jesus? He is the son of God who was born into a culture of shame and honor, but without honor. He is God’s beloved Son with whom He is well pleased and whom the angels served. He is God whom fishermen followed and unclean spirits obeyed.

Do you know him? Or do you know about him? Do you have a personal relationship with him?

This text also tells us about a second event that can help us answer the question: Who is this Jesus, and that event is…

II. Jesus’ Platform Is Needed (vs. 9-10).

9 Then he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, so that the crowd wouldn’t crush him. 10Since he had healed many, all who had diseases were pressing toward him to touch him.

Jesus needed a platform…

A. Because the crowd was about to crush him.

Something had happened. All the miracles he had done, thus far, had produced a mob of people. “The sick people did not even wait for him to touch them; they rushed to touch him.” “In a world where medical skills was, by our standards, extremely primitive, someone who appeared to be able to heal almost anyone of almost anything caused a stampede.” That is what is happening here.

However, Jesus decides at that moment to get into a boat, not just to avoid from being crushed but also to teach. Why were the crowds pressing him? We know that he had done miracles and healed people.

However, in that society there was a thing called a gossip network. When we think of gossip, we do not look at it as something good. However, in that culture, the gossip network was “a major factor in the identification and legitimization of leaders. A widely acknowledged reputation, confirmed, and sustained--by an informal gossip net-work--provided a foundation for public authority.” Although it could be used in a negative way to destroy a reputation, arouse distrust and undermine others, it was also used to confirm honor, to spread a good reputation, and to shape and guide public interaction. That was the case here.

The crowds were coming fast, pressing, and attempting to touch Jesus because the gossip network of those days had confirm his honor and had spread his good reputation.

Again, what does this information have to do with us today. Once again, let me answer that question with a question.

B. Where is Jesus’ gossip network in our society today?

Jesus still does exciting things today. Doesn’t he? The Bible says that He is still the same yesterday, today and forever. He still heals people. He still touches people with his divine power. The most exciting thing he does is to save a soul and transform his life. It is a tremendous miracle. Yet, our gossip network seems, in many cases, not to be working. At least, not in the positive sense.

People are not running to church to get a touch from Jesus. People are not pressing unto our boat because the rumors have been spread throughout town that Jesus is here, that he has healed and saved people. Why do you think that is?

Could it be that our gossip network is suffering from a sin? What sin could that be, you are asking? Could it be the sin of silence?

People today are broken. They are hurting. They may have education, money, titles, cars, houses and things. However, they are still hurting. They hide behind the façade of a make-believe world of abundant life. Yet they are filling their empty lives with things that give them temporary joy, gratification, and fulfillment.

How do I know this? I know it because I have been knocking on doors. Yes, knocking on doors still works. Some time ago, I was going to a city to see if we could plant a Spanish-speaking church. I was going door-to-door gossiping, if you will. Sowing the seed of the gospel. My strategy was very simple. I would knock on a door. I would tell the person that answered the door that I was asking God’s blessing on the people of that community. I would ask the person, if there was anything, I could pray. I prayed for him or her and asked if I could return and tell them a Bible story.

Gloria was one of those persons I prayed. She was a 68-year-old widow. She lived alone. She had lost her husband two years prior to my visit. She was broken. I told her the story of the sinful woman, as is found in Luke 7, and shared my testimony and the gospel. I asked her where she found herself at that very moment, in brokenness or in a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. She said, “brokenness.” I asked her where she wanted to be. She said, “a personal relationship with God.” That day Gloria got saved and is now experiencing true abundant life.

I was gossiping about Jesus. I was spreading the rumors of who Jesus is and what he is doing. I had been building Jesus’ honor.

What are you doing to spread Jesus’ honor in this community?

That takes us to the last event that can help us answer the question: Who is this Jesus. That event is…

III. Jesus’ Identity and Authority is Recognized (vs. 11-12).

11 Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God!” 12 And he would strongly warn them not to make him known.

Who is this Jesus? He is the one whose honor is increasing. He is also the one whose identity and authority is recognized. Who recognizes his identity and authority? His identity and authority is recognized…

By unclean spirits.

Another version of the Bible calls them, “defiling spirits.”

Mark tells us that as Jesus got into his teaching boat, the unclean spirits “saw him and fell down before him.” The image we get from this scene is one “of an inferior falling in a subservient position before a superior.”

Think about this. The people who were afflicted fell upon him and touched him, but the unclean spirits fell down before him. Why is this happening? One author puts it this way. “The [spirits] are conscientious of their own character. Because of their intelligence, they are correct judges of the character of other beings. Their awful degradation cowers in the presence of moral purity.” In other words, the spirits fell down before Jesus because they recognized He was pure and they were wicked.

Second, notice that the spirits cried out: “You are the Son of God!”

“There was a common belief that the knowledge of one’s precise name conferred power over that person. In other words, by stating Jesus’ title the [spirits] tried to show that they were superior to him. However, that didn’t work out so well for them” for what they had done was to spill out Jesus’ true identity, which the disciples were just beginning to understand. What the spirits had just done was to make an excessive claim of honor about Jesus.

However, Jesus does something strange here. He responds by warning them not to make him known. This is called by social scientists the “secrecy motif.” The secrecy motif was what people in those days used to protect a person’s reputation. “Since honor was largely determined by public opinion, it became critical that the public know nothing that might damage a person or the person’s family’s reputation.”

In Jesus’ case, it became critical that the public know nothing about his true identity until the appropriate time. What was the appropriate time? The Cross.

Again, what does this have to do with us today? Let me answer that question with a question.

Is Jesus’ Authority and Identity Recognized today?

When we accepted Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, we are born again. The Bible says that we have become new creations. What that means is that we have a new DNA. That new DNA is found in Matthew 28:19-20. The first part of that statement says that Jesus has been given all authority on heaven and earth.

When we received Jesus as our Lord & Savior, we told him that from that he had authority over our lives. But is that still true? If it is, then every aspect of the Great Commission belongs to you and me. In other words, if Jesus has all authority over our lives…we would “go,” “be” and “make disciples”. Are we doing that? Are we becoming disciples who produce disciples? If not, are we truly submitting ourselves to his authority?

The spirits in our text identified Jesus as the Son of God. Their confession was not one of commitment, but of fear. Jesus commanded them to stay quiet not because he is not the Son of God, but because the time had not come for him to affirm that claim that would eventually send him to the cross to die for our sins.

However, he has already died on the cross to pay for our sins and he has already risen from the grave to prove that he is God. The question that you and I have to respond to is not only who is this Jesus, but are we really following him. If we admit and confess that he is who the Scriptures present him to be, we must be on his side. If we are on his side, we must make him known.

We must respond like the lepers in 2 Kings 7:9 who were saved from the Aramean war. They said to each other, “We’re not doing what is right. Today is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until morning light, our sin will catch up with us. Let’s go tell the king’s household!”

Or like the woman at the well in John 4:29. “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could this be the Messiah?” Or like the man who had been born blind (9:25). “One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I can see!”

So I ask you, who is this Jesus to you? Is he to you the person these three events has described to us?

Conclusion:

Who is this Jesus? He is the one whose honor was increasing. He is the one who needed a platform. He is the one whose identity and authority was recognized by spirits.

Who do you say Jesus is? Is he your Lord and Savior? If he is not, you can make him your Lord and Savior this morning.

Maybe you have received Jesus into your life as Lord and Savior, but have not taken the first step of obedience…believer’s baptism.

If God has spoken to your heart and you have decided to take your first step of obedience, you come.

Maybe you have been attending this church for some time, you are a baptized believer, but have not requested to be accepted as member.

Maybe God has been calling you to vocational ministry. Maybe he has been calling to be a preacher, pastor, or missionary, but you have yet to take that step of obedience. However, today you are ready to obey.