God Was Amazed

God Was Amazed June 28, 2020

Mark 5:21 – 6:6

What a great and vast universe God has created! I marvel at what I see. I am amazed by what God has done. Almighty God IS amazing! He is infinite in power, majesty and glory. He spoke everything into existence. The Bible says, “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.” Then it goes on to explain that He spoke, and it was done. One by one, He created all the major things we take for granted: the light, the sky and space, the oceans and dry land, all the vegetation: the trees, grass, fruit, vegetables, and so on; then He created the stars, the sun and the moon, everything that swims in the water and all the birds, the land animals, and finally, humans. There is no limit to the power of God; therefore He is able to do all these things. He created and maintains all the natural laws that make everything continue to work all these centuries, yet there was a time when even God was amazed! Mark 6:6

What does it take to amaze such an amazing, great and all powerful creator God?

Today, we’re looking at Mark 5:21 – 6:6. 

What a contrast! On the one hand, we have the faith of two people who otherwise might have been forgotten in history: a religious leader, and a woman who was chronically ill. On the other hand, we have the utter faithlessness of the people of the Saviour’s earthly home town.

I. One Man’s Faith

  1. 21 ¶ And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.

22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,

23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.

24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.

  1. Jewish religious leaders were often recorded as being hypocrites who hated Jesus. But in this case, one of the leaders of a local synagogue came to Him. His name was Jairus.

    1. This was in the area of Capernaum, about a nine hour walk from Nazareth.

    2. This man had faith. He asked for Jesus to lay His hands on his very sick daughter. “…that she may be healed; and she shall live,” he confessed.

II. One Woman’s Faith

    1. 25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, 

27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. 

29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? 

31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.

33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. 

  1. This woman had been sick for twelve years. Her condition made her unclean under the Law of Moses, meaning she was an outcast, living apart.

    1. She had spent her life’s savings, trying to get well, but to no avail. Then she heard about Jesus. She heard and had faith.

      1. This woman, being unclean according to the Law, could not openly approach the Saviour. But she believed He was the Son of God and thus that if she could even just touch His garment, she would be healed.

      2. She had faith in the power of God.

III. Jesus is God

  1. There is wonder-working power in Jesus Christ, because Jesus Christ is God. The Bible calls Him “…Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

  1. Virtue went out of Jesus, because He is God. “Virtue” means “power.”

  1. Jesus knew who touched Him because He is God.

    1. Many people were touching Him in the throng, but only one was touching Him by faith for healing. He knew exactly who she was.

IV. Faithless Friends

    1. 35 ¶ While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?

36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. 

37 And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

38 And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.

39 And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. 

40 And they laughed him to scorn.  But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.

41 And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.

42 And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. 

43 And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

      1. Many religious people have no faith. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

        1. Like the faithless friends of the ruler of the synagogue, many can accept that God might be able do some things, if He exists, but they don’t believe that God could create the entire world in six days or raise the dead to life.

V. God Was Amazed

  1. 6:1 ¶ And he went out from thence, and came into his own country (Nazareth); and his disciples follow him.

2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying,

From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? 

3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us?

        1. And they were offended at him. 

4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. 

6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

  1. He marveled because of their unbelief. God was amazed. Jesus Christ, God the Son, co-creator of all things, the most rational of all beings, was amazed at the irrational faithlessness of these people.

    1. Everything in the natural world speaks of its Creator; there is no effect without a cause in the natural world.

    2. The natural world could not have caused itself 

    3. The only Cause that could exist without a cause could not have come from the natural world

      1. there must therefore be a Primary Cause

    4. A cause from outside of the natural world has to be outside of space and time, not confined to space and time

      1. The Primary Cause has to be eternal, without beginning or end.

    5. The Primary Cause must be perfect in every way and able to maintain that perfection, or the effect of that cause could not be perfect, and would not only be unstable from the beginning, but would become increasingly unstable over time.

      1. the universe is stable and ordered and continues to follow the same laws it always has

    6. The Primary Cause by nature must be infinite in power; there can be no other power greater than the primary cause, or it would not be the primary cause.

    7. The Primary Cause must also be infinite in wisdom, knowledge and understanding, in order to maintain perfect order

      1. so that the laws of nature remain laws without changing

    8. The Primary Cause is not limited by anything in the effect (the natural world.)

  2. God IS the primary cause. He is the almighty, all knowing, all wise, perfect, eternal Creator of all things. He is not limited by the natural world. It is completely rational to expect that He would be interested in and involved with His creation.

    1. God has shown that He IS interested and involved

      1. He spoke to mankind throughout the ages by His prophets and by His own Son

      2. He demonstrated His power and provided proof that He is who He says He is by many great works

      3. God the Son came to earth as prophesied, and did many great works (miracles). The unbelief of the people of Nazareth was completely irrational, amazing!

    2. What is more amazing is the continuing unbelief of man, now that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead.

      1. The Bible says, in Acts 1:3, “To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:”

        1. “infallible” means, incapable of being in error, or of failing – in other words – it is the truth

    3. What is most amazing of all is the unbelief of those who already claim to have put their faith in Jesus Christ. You believe in Him; do you believe Him, or not? Jesus said, “…Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matt. 4:19 If we say we believe Him, then why are we not following Him, and if we are following Him, why are we not actively fishing?

    4. It is amazing that people refuse to put their faith in Jesus Christ, and be saved.

    5. It is amazing that people reject the gift of salvation that God has made available to all people, everywhere.

VI. What is Astonishing

  1. It is astonishing when you, who have put your faith in Jesus Christ, knowing the great price He has paid for you, put anything and everything BUT God ahead of Him!

    1. THAT’S why so many are still perishing!

    2. THAT’S why churches in this country are not growing!

    3. THAT’S why our countries are crumbling into moral and structural chaos!

    4. THAT’S why people YOU love are very comfortably and blindly cruising down that wide path that leads to destruction in the Lake of Fire!

      1. Programs and gimmicks are not going to work. 

      2. Scientific arguments, proofs and debates are not going to work. More publications are not going to work.

      3. Faith is what is needed, and REAL faith produces works, like people you love and know getting saved!

      4. Real faith starts from the Word of God and prayer and gathering together, and grows through the Word of God and prayer and gathering together!

      1. Read your Bible every day and pray, pray, pray!

      2. Just like you need to eat good food and work out to build up your physical muscles, you need to feed and exercise your faith so it will grow.

      3. God was amazed. Jesus marveled at their unbelief. He marvels that man is so stubborn and faithless that he would rather spend eternity burning by himself in that great Lake of Fire. Even more amazing is when you know Jesus Christ as your Saviour, yet spend all your time worrying about being comfortable in a world that is going to be burned up and replaced while your friends go to hell in their unbelief!

Conclusion

What is it that amazes God? It is the unbelief of man. With all the evidence that exists all around us, human beings still reject God, choosing rather to believe a lie, than to believe God.

It is not logical to reject God. It is folly to believe the thing created itself. Yet every day, 153, 472 people die. All of them discover the truth at that point: there is an almighty and merciful God who loves us, yet most of them rejected His love and now must face His wrath.

They saw the things that He has made while in this life.

They heard the gospel preached.

They decided to be offended by it, rejecting the one person who could save them from the depths of Hell and the Lake of Fire, Jesus Christ. The Bible says that all have sinned and that “…the wages of sin is death; but that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23 It is amazing that so many accept the wages of sin when you can have the gift of God. Don’t reject Him; be sure that you have accepted His gift of eternal life!