In this passage we see Jesus teaching and healing with authority. Notice the pattern in Jesus’ ministry: He doesn’t just heal… He teaches the truth. And He doesn’t only heal and teach, He does them with a specific goal in mind, to show His authority.
“The teachers and even the prophets would begin their teaching with, “Thus saith the Lord,” but Jesus would say, “but I say unto you.” This is something neither the teachers of the law nor even the Old Testament prophets ever had the audacity to do. Another unique characteristic of Jesus’ teaching was how he often began a statement by saying “Amen, amen” (translated in the King James as “Verily, verily” and in modern translations as “Truly, I say to you”).
This term was pronounced by elders of the synagogue aftera teaching as a way of approving and validating what the speaker had just said. The term means “yes, this statement squares with the Scripture and the traditions;” it is always used to affirm the teaching of someone else. Jesus, however, begins his statements with this formula and bestows it on Himself. He is saying, “I take away your right to judge my teaching. No one has the authority to reject any part of my teaching nor is there any standard for evaluation of teaching any higher than me.” As one commentator said, Jesus’ use of this phrase was without analogy or precedence in history. No prophet, priest, elder, teacher of the law, or king had ever assumed to speak like this. Jesus was so much more authoritative in his teaching than anyone else had ever been that it left his hearers dumbfounded.” Tim Keller, Gospel of Mark Study
Reflection Questions
-Reflect on each of the 4 main sections in this passage, what category above (teaching, healing, authority) would you put each of the following stories under?
-Ch.1: 23-28 Jesus performs a miracle of healing, but what is the main point? Given what the watchers and listeners were expecting, why does Jesus point towards his authority as the emphasis rather than the exorcism?
-How do you respond to God’s authority?
-Ch. 2:1-12 Jesus says, “Your sins are forgiven”- Why is this such a big deal to the scribes?
- What made the religious people of Jesus’ time feel safe in their social and spiritual lives? What rules have you made to make you feel safe?