The images in Mark’s gospel have been building in showing us who Jesus is. Jesus is the one who possesses authority like no other. Jesus has authority to call people to follow him, something other people did not do. Rather than saying, “Follow God,” Jesus said, “Follow me.” Jesus has authority over unclean spirits. Unclean spirits know that Jesus is the Holy One of God who has come to destroy the power of Satan (1:24). Jesus has authority over our physical sicknesses, showing that he came to heal us spiritually as Isaiah prophesied. We have seen Jesus having authority over diseases, cleansing a leper so that he is whole. Jesus has come to cleanse Israel and cleanse those who would come to him. As the Gospel of Mark opened, we saw the declaration that this is the beginning of the good news about Jesus as the prophet Isaiah declared. This gospel is showing the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecies. But now we are going to see a shift in the Gospel of Mark. Chapters 2-3 will record for us the building resistance against Jesus. Jesus is now going to be challenged by the religious leaders for his actions and teachings.
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