Miracles (Mark 4:35-41; 5:1-43)

(This is supplement 4 to the #mkbiblechat study taking place every Friday morning at 9:30 a.m. Eastern, 6:30 Pacific USA. Pastor Mike is teaching the Gospel of Mark on Twitter. Click here for class schedule and links to the notes. Click here to follow Pastor Mike on Twitter.)

MIRACLES / HEALINGS

Matthew and Luke record 20 miracles. Mark (at half their size) “speaks of 18 specific miracles and refers 10 additional times to miracles that are not described in detail.” (TC 601-602) 24 of the total 28 miracles in the Gospel of Mark are done in the first 8 chapters (half of the book)!

CALMING THE SEA

“And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up.” (Mark 4:37)

These experienced (and over confident?) fisherman should be able to handle this trip. After all, they’ve been fishing here hundreds of times. “You just go ahead and relax, Jesus. When You wake up, we’ll be at our destination safe and sound.”

And we, too, can become “over confident” if we’re not careful. “After all, we’ve been serving the Lord many years.” But there are still things out there we can’t handle apart from Christ. We must totally rely on God no matter what our “resume” says.

When Jesus rebukes the storm He speaks to it as a puppy. (Mark 4:39) (Tedeschi) It’s not a big deal for Christ to calm the storm. When it comes to men’s/women’s hearts, it’s quite another thing.

DELIVERING THE DEMON-POSSESSED MAN

This is the Gospel story in a nutshell. (Mark 5:1-20) Satan has got this man. And Jesus shows up to take him back. Satan had us, but Jesus took us back. It was nothing on our part that brought it about except for Christ’s great love and mercy. It was all God’s grace. “We love, because He first loves us.” (1 John 4:19)

HEALING THE BLEEDING WOMAN

“A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years.” (Mark 5:25)

Sad state. (Mark 5:25-26) Physical bleeding/open wound (nagging issue). Having lasted 12 years. Isolation from relationships. (Leviticus 15; Luke 8:47a) Doctors unable to help her. She’s lost her house, retirement, gone bankrupt over it.

Touching. (Mark 5:27-28) She hears about Jesus. This is a hard thing for her to walk through this crowd (she is to be avoided and has been) let alone to touch anyone or be touched. The woman reaches out and touches Christ’s cloak. Notice the emphasis on touching in these two verses (Mark 5:30c-31)!

Faith. (Mark 5:29) “A little faith will bring your soul to heaven; a great faith will bring heaven to your soul.” ~Spurgeon

RAISING JAIRUS’ DAUGHTER

Jesus is “interrupted” while on his way to help Jairus. (Mark 5:21-24; 35-43) Then the news of his daughter’s death comes. If Christ would have just gotten there sooner, it might not have happened?

We have our own timetable how God needs to work and what He needs to do and when? The fact remains we don’t know anything. God is never late. He is always on time. He does all things well.

Can you be “interrupted”? Are you still at peace when Jesus doesn’t operate according to your dictates/preferences?

STUDY QUESTIONS

1. Have you ever felt like God was “asleep at the wheel” of your life (so to speak)? (Mark 4:38) If not, do you think the feeling can happen with people?

2. The word “entreat” (or form of it) occurs four times in the story of the Gerasene demoniac and once in the story of Jairus’ daughter. (Mark 5:10, 12, 17, 18, 23) Look up “entreat” in the dictionary (or Bible dictionary), then describe what it means in your own words.

3. Why do you think Jesus told the people to leave in Mark 5:40?

4. How could Christ not know who touched Him? (Mark 5:30) Isn’t He God? Doesn’t He know everything? How might you answer/help somebody who asks these questions?