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    Mark 2:18-3:6  Lesson 67

    Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

    In this lesson:
     
    More opposition and another miracle.
    Study Tip:
     
    Look for something in this passage to avoid.  Look for a commandment to follow.
    Who was...
     
    David -
    David was a prophet, the author of about eighty Psalms in "The Book of Psalms,"     the second and greatest king of Israel, and more importantly, a direct ancestor of Jesus (Acts 2:29-30).  David was born in Bethlehem and spent his early years as a poet and shepherd until invited to play the harp for King Saul (1 Samuel 16:14-23).  Meeting King Saul changed his
    life, forever.  At about the age of twenty, David killed Goliath of Gath in battle (1 Samuel 17:1-58) and eventually married Saul's daughter Michal.  In time, the accomplished David was forced to flee from a jealous King Saul (1 Samuel 18:6-16) to the land of the Philistines.  After Saul and his son Ishbosheth (heir to the throne) passed away, David returned to Israel, became king (2 Samuel 5:1-5), and ushered in a golden era for Israel.  David had leadership skills (1 Samuel 22:2), and his reign was known for its fairness as he established a sound civil government.  God considered David as "a man after his own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14), and although David sinned many times, he always repented and received God's forgiveness.  David died at the age of seventy (2 Samuel 5:4) and his son Solomon became Israel's third king.  It was important for Matthew to give Jesus' genealogy and show that the Messiah was descended from King David (1:1), thus fulfilling the Old Testament prophesies.  David's story can be read in 1 Samuel 16:1-31:13; 2 Samuel 1:1-18:33; 2 Samuel 19:1-1 Kings 2:46.

    The Gospel According to St. Mark

    The King James Bible    ​

    Mark: 2:18-3:6
    Questions about fasting

    18 And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?

    19 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

    20 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

    21 No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.

    22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.

    23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.

    24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?

    25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?

    26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?

    27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

    28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

     
    Mark: Chapter 3:1-6
    Another miracle

    1 And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.

    2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.

    3 And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.

    4 And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.

    5 And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

    ​6 And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.​
    ​Margin notes: 
     
    "The disciples of John." (2:18) - Refers to the disciples of John the Baptist. 
     
    "The disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast." (2:18) - The disciples of John the Baptist fasted twice a week (Matthew 9:14), as did the Pharisees (Luke 18:10-12).
     
    "Can the children of the bridechamber fast?" (2:19) - Means, "Do the friends of the bridegroom fast?"  The Bible frequently refers to Jesus as a bridegroom and the church as His bride (Matthew 25:1-13; Revelations 19:7; 21:2). 
     
    "The bridegroom shall be taken away." (2:20) - Here, Jesus is speaking of His arrest and crucifixion.
     
    "New cloth." (2:21) - "Un-shrunken cloth."
     
    "The rent is made worse." (2:21) - "The tear is made worse."
     
    "The new wine doth burst the bottles." (2:22) - Wine bottles were made of goat skins.  Old bottles lost their elasticity and would burst as new wine fermented and expanded.
     
    "He went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn." (2:23) - Mosaic Law required farmers to make the corners of their fields available for travelers and the hungry to harvest (Leviticus 19:9-10).
     
    "Why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?" (2:24) - The Pharisees misinterpreted Exodus 34:21.  Yes, it was unlawful for farmers to work on the Sabbath, but it was not illegal for hungry people to find food (Deuteronomy 23:25).
     
    "What David did." (2:25) - Read 1 Samuel 21:1-6 to learn about the shewbread and what "David did."  
     
    "Shewbread." (2:26) - Holy or blessed bread.  Each Sabbath, twelve loaves of unleavened bread (one for each tribe of Israel) were ceremoniously placed on the altar in the Holy Place of the Temple. They were an offering of thanks to God and could only be eaten by the priests at the end of the week (Exodus 29:32-33; Leviticus 24:5-9). 
     
    "The Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath." (2:28) - With these ten words Jesus is proclaiming His Deity.
     
    "Heal him on the sabbath." (3:2) - On at least seven occasions Jesus upset the Pharisees by healing on the Sabbath (Mark 1:21-27; 1:29-31; 3:1-6; Luke 13:10-17; 14:1-6; John 5:1-18; 9:1-16). 
      
    "Straightway took counsel with the Herodians." (3:6) - "The Pharisees immediately held discussions with the Herodian's."  The Herodian's were a Jewish political party that supported King Herod Antipas and the Roman occupiers and opposed the Pharisees on almost every issue.
    To read additional accounts of Jesus challenging the Pharisees and healing the man with the  withered hand," see Matthew 12:9-14 and Luke 6:6-11.


                                                  New Living Translation 
     

    Mark: 2:18-3:6
    A Discussion about Fasting

    18 Once when John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and asked, "Why don't your disciples fast like John's disciples and the Pharisees do?"
     
    19 Jesus replied, "Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can't fast while the groom is with them. 20 But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
     
    21 "Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.
     
    22 "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins."
     
    A Discussion about the Sabbath
     
    23 One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat. 24 But the Pharisees said to Jesus, "Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?"
     
    25 Jesus said to them, "Haven't you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 26 He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions."
     
    27 Then Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!"
       
    Mark 3:1-6
    Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
     
    Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand. 2 Since it was the Sabbath, Jesus' enemies watched him closely. If he healed the man's hand, they planned to accuse him of working on the Sabbath.
     
    3 Jesus said to the man with the deformed hand, "Come and stand in front of everyone." 4 Then he turned to his critics and asked, "Does the law permit good deeds on the Sabbath, or is it a day for doing evil? Is this a day to save life or to destroy it?" But they wouldn't answer him.
     
    5 He looked around at them angrily and was deeply saddened by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man, "Hold out your hand." So the man held out his hand, and it was restored! 6 At once the Pharisees went away and met with the supporters of Herod to plot how to kill Jesus. 
    ​    ​
    This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible.  However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
    Today's Question:
     
    1. Why did the Pharisees want to "accuse" Jesus? (3:2) ​

    As we study together, please let me know your thoughts and opinions. ​

    Answer:  (Do you agree?) 
    ​​
    1. The Pharisees looked for things to "accuse" Jesus of because they considered Him a rival.  For centuries they
    anticipated the Messiah's arrival, but they expected him to be a great military/political leader.  When Christ arrived, the stubborn Pharisees refused to recognize Him as the Savior, even after they witnessed His miracles firsthand (Matthew 21:14-15; Mark 3:1-6).  They fasted twice a week, were good at spinning the truth, finding religious fault with others, and placing their man made rules above God.  But few Pharisees were truly religious and Jesus called them hypocrites on many occasions (Matthew 15:7-8; Matthew 22:18; Matthew 23:23-35; Luke 12:1).  Their jealousy, pride, and anger turned to hatred and their hatred lead     them to crucify the Messiah.  To rid themselves of their rival, the Pharisees even "took counsel with the Herodians" (3:6), their enemies.

    Suggested reading: 
     
    For a deeper understanding of Jesus' purpose on earth, read the prophecy in Isaiah 52:13-53:12. ​
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    Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress Books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; "The Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible".  All were critical in putting these lessons together.
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