S-1322 2SAP/3B 6/10/12 Hymns: (O) #360; (S) #262; LS. # 199; #369; #314; (C) #47
Text: Genesis 3:8-15; 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1; Mark 3:20-35
Theme: “Out of His Mind” (Mark 3:20-21).
Question: “Have you ever said, “He/she is out of her mind!?” Armour, SD.
Faithful followers of the Savior, Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia! The text is from the Gospel lesson: “Then He[Jesus] went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. And when His family heard it, they went out to seize Him, for they were saying, ‘He is out of His mind’” (Mark 3:20-21).
Oh most loved children of the heavenly Father, some people do stupid things and we wonder if they have all their marbles together. Here are some things people do and we question their sanity. On October 5th 1985 a Canadian mechanic “Super Dave” went over Niagara Falls in a barrel. That wasn’t enough for him, and so he made a second trip on September 26th 1993. In the mid 1850 a Frenchman known as “The Great Blondin” walked a tight rope between the American and Canadian sides of Niagara Falls. And if that wasn’t enough he walked again with someone on his shoulders. Evel Knievel was an American daredevil and entertainer. In his career he attempted many motorcycle jumps. The longest was over 24 dump trucks that is 200 feet long. A person, who studies sharks, is willing to jump into shark infested water without any protection. And if that is not bad enough there is now an invitation for you too: “Make 2012 your year. The year you discover big sharks and shark diving in remarkable locations with Shark Divers. In just ten minutes from now you could be on your way and we’re looking forward to meeting you. The next step is an email. In Texas a wedding party spent $250.000 on flowers. As you listen to these stories, we must admit and say, “These people are out of their minds!”
Of course when we hear of people doing stupid and dangerous stunts, we wonder what possess them to do these things. And we say, “He/she is out of his/her mind!” When one of your friends who has a modest income decides to purchase a house obviously beyond his means, we say, “he is out of his mind.” There are lots of situations in which we might ask that question of someone we know, but we are shocked when someone asks that question of Jesus. In verse 21, we find the statement, “People were saying, ‘He has gone out of His mind’”
It is hard for us to believe that Jesus is given such a derogatory title: “HE IS OUT OF HIS MIND!” and this title is given by His own family. St. Mark tells us today, that some people were quite alarmed by Jesus’ behavior. They were offended about what He claimed to be able to do and say. Even His own family didn’t believe Him to be the Messiah nor saw His ministry as one of Divine nature. In fact, we read in John 7:5, “His brothers did not believe in Him.”
We are told in Scripture that our Savior Jesus grew up as a normal boy. His brothers who lived with Him just thought of Him as a brother. They were surprised when He began preaching. When they learned of some of the things He was saying, they wanted Him to quit. They came as a group ready to seize Him, get Him away from the crowds, and have Him deprogrammed. When they finally arrived, there was such a crowd that they could not get in to see Him. They sent Him a message, but he left them standing on the outside, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” He acknowledged no special ties or obligation to them.
Jesus also alarmed the Pharisees, but we are much more familiar with their negative reactions. The Pharisees from Jerusalem had made the considerable journey to Galilee to look into this Jesus sensation. They said His power was not a good power. He had been taken over by Beelzebul, an unclean, satanic, demonic spirit. They warned the crowds about Him. And they tried to find any reason to get rid of Him and put Him to death. PAUSE.
But are the brothers and Pharisees wrong in thinking that Jesus is out of His mind? How about the people of today, do they say, “That Jesus is out of Him?” What about you sitting here, would you say, that “Jesus is out of His mind?” You may not think so, but I do believe that He is. I will use God’s mighty living Word to declare this truth.
I say Jesus is out of His mind, for He claims things that no other human being has ever dared to dream, think or do. In Mark 5, Jesus is asked by a Synagogue leader Jairus to come to the aid of his daughter who is terribly ill. As Jesus begins to head to the house, a servant comes and tells Jairus “His daughter is dead don’t bother the Teacher!” But Jesus responds, “Do not fear, only believe…And when He had entered, He said to them, ‘Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but sleeping’” (Mark 5:37, 39). Those in attendance must have said, “He is out of His mind.”
Even more, when Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19), the Jewish Leaders must have really thought He is truly out of His mind for it took 46 years to build this Temple. Can you imagine those who were comforting Mary and Martha at the death of their brother Lazarus, when Jesus said, “Remove the stone?” They certainly thought He has really lost it, HE IS FOR SURE OUT OF HIS MIND.
That is the facts about Jesus; He is out of His mind to love you with such love that can’t be humanly comprehended or fathomed. Jesus is out of His mind to be willing to be put on flesh and bone and be born in a lowly manger. He is out of His mind to walk for 3 years teaching simple men to be His Ambassadors. He is out of His mind to suffer all sorts of humiliation and indignation for you. He is out of His mind to allow people to spit upon Him, pull His beard, slap and plow furrows on His back. He is out of His mind to allow people to drive 12 inch spike nails into His hands and feet. He is out of His mind as He lets them crucify Him on a cruel cross. He is out of His mind to take the full wrath of God and the punishment of hell for all of humanity. He is out of His mind to allow men to put Him to death. Why? For me, the worthless worm, scum and slime of the earth, the worst of sinners.
Yes, for me He was out of His mind to love with such unbelievable love that He would endure all to give us life and eternity with Him. Oh, what kind of hot and inexpressibly great fire must burn in God’s heart toward us Christians that He resolved before we were born—even from eternity—to choose us? This is a love that is higher than the heaven, wider than the earth, deeper than the ocean, and as long as eternity. PAUSE.
Today, non-Christians, call us Christians as people who are out of our minds. They say, we are out of our minds for believing this old fairy tale—the Bible. We are out of our minds when we hold to the truth that is taught in Scriptures. We are out of our minds, when we teach that the Commandments are still true and should not be broken. We are out of our minds, because we will not sell ourselves short and live outside the marriage bonds as husband and wife. We are out of our minds when we give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. We are out of our minds when we hold to the confession of faith, that Jesus and ONLY Jesus Saves. We are out of our minds when we preach unless you repent you shall have no life with Him.
And it’s hard to see the love when Jesus says, “Unless you repent, you too will all perish” (Luke 13:5). But if no one tells you what will happen to you if you keep heading the wrong way, where will you end up? Preaching repentance absolutely is an act of love. It comes with the same hope and desire the Lord has: “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). But preaching repentance is more than pointing out sin. It is also pointing to the Savior, Jesus Christ. It is a call to turn back to the only source of forgiveness, the One Way of salvation, the certain promise of eternal life. Then the love is not so hard to see, especially at His cross.
At His cross, you realize that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). At His cross, you recognize that Jesus “was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
At His cross, you understand that it wasn’t the nails that kept Jesus on IT. What kept Him there was what placed Him there—His fervent passion to do His Father’s will and His love for us—the sinners. This is why we would teach that He is out of His mind about YOU. He is so much in love with you that He will not let you live as you are, but changes you to be with Him where He is.
By the grace of God, we say, THANK YOU JESUS FOR BEING OUT OF YOUR MIND TO LOVE ME, FORGIVE ME, SAVE ME AND REDEEM ME. AMEN.
Now the peace of God…
SOLI DEO GLORIA!!!
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