Ransom for Many

He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

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And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach (Mark 3:14).

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And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach (Mark 3:13-14).

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One Saturday morning almost four years ago I received a phone call from a young woman; “me and my partner want to get baptised, but we’ve no idea what to do...” I invited them to come along to church.

The next day Lewis, his now wife, and their two young boys attended the services at St Mellons Baptist Church where I am Pastor. This was the first time Lewis had ever been in a church and he had never before met a Christian ... and yet he had been saved just a couple of days previously!

How did it happen? Here is his wonderful story of saving grace; from the emptiness of cannabis; to fullness of Life in Christ! 

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Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” And he strictly ordered them not to make him known (Mark 3:7-12)

Jesus leaves the wickedness of the Pharisees and begins ministering to the common people around Him. They knew what He was doing and they flocked to Him. In this particular crowd, there were two types of people. Those who didn't know their needs and those who did. Those who knew their needs pressed in to touch Him so much He was in danger of bring crushed! Which type are you? Press into Jesus. Know your need.

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Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him (Mark 3:1-6).

Noticed the Pharisees' response to Jesus. They sought to kill Him. But Jesus response to their sin was a righteous anger. But His response was also filled with grieving and pity.

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Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him (Mark 3:1-6).

Jesus is again in the synagogue. He singled out one man in need of healing. He asked the Pharisees a question they are too afraid to answer. But consider the joy of this man who had been disabled for an unknown number of years. His hand was fully and powerfully restored. We know individuals who have had withered souls their entire lives. Let us bring them to the One who can completely and powerfully restore them.

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And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27-28).

The whole point of the Sabbath day is a rest from our regular routine as an opportunity to spend quality time with God. The Pharisees redefined it to the end it became a burden. Jesus makes it clear Sabbath is a gift that should be delighted in!

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One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath" (Mark 2:23-28).

Beware of Christ-less religion. It is a heavy burden. First the disciples were criticized for not fasting. Now they are criticized for reaping. But the problem wasn't the actions of the disciples but the hearts of the Pharisees who embraced a dead religion that had nothing to do with the living Lord.

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No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins"(Mark 2:21-22).

This is a parable that has caused some conclusion, but there is a simple application to it for us today. Do not hold to old religion, hold to Christ. Release the old life and embrace newness of life found only in Jesus!

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