The name of Jesus is Eternally Famous

Mark 1: 14-34                    

My wife shared in family devotions a while back about how famous the name of The Lord is and how we are to revere Him, and consider how small we are when we think of Him.

In this passage I'd like to point out 4 distinct assignments fulfilled in Jesus that lead to His fame as people began to understand just who He was and why he was sent.

1.        Preaching:

 Verse 14b & 15; Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the Gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Jesus had stepped out of eternity past where He had enjoyed the Father’s presence to humble Himself and be born of a virgin, taking on human flesh so that He could herald the Good News about Himself being the sacrificial Lamb spoken about in the Law & Prophets of old. He was the light that had come into the world to illuminate the minds of men that they would understand their depraved state, understand their deserving of God’s wrath on them, and free them from the burden of this guilt by becoming sin for us, nailing it to the tree.

2.       Calling:

Verse 20; And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.

Jesus came to call sinners to Repentance giving them ears to hear, and new hearts that they might believe and be saved. 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; ¹⁰these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. ¹¹For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹²Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. ¹³And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
¹⁴The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

In Verse 20 Jesus called and they came, for they heard because God gave them spiritual ears to hear Him. They followed Jesus, desiring to know Him and be more like Him. They clearly showed a love for God’s word which is a sign of one who has been truly called. James 1:21

²¹Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

3.      Teaching:

Verse 22; And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.

Jesus’s teaching was unique to the listeners because He was revealing to them from the scriptures who God was, that He himself personally knew the Father, came from the Father and even was in essence one with God. He was the Christ. He was fully Man yet fully God.  John 10:30

He was teaching the Gospel and the legal demand for blood as a payment for sin. He was teaching that there would be a payment made on behalf of those sinners who heard Him calling. You see it’s like this: We have blasphemed God’s famous & Holy name when we fail to revere Him for who He is, We have sinned against the one who has all authority in the whole of creation in that we have placed our own selfish desires ahead of Him (For you shall have no other God’s before me declares The Lord). We have sinned when we fail to give Him one day out of seven to worship His great and famous name or even when failing to praise Him for giving us life!

He taught that even though our sin leaves us guilty before the very judge of the universe, that He (Jesus) would die on the cross in our place. He did this to make payment to God for our sin (our crime against Him). He can now legally dismiss our case, not based on any good we have done, but solely on what Jesus would do on that cross. He also taught from the scriptures of old that He would be raised to life, ascend back up into Heaven where He would rule & reign until the day of His return to judge the world in righteousness. So this begs the question: ARE WE READY?

4.      Healing:

Verse 34: And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. Contrary to popular belief today among charismatics that miraculous healings from God are common place just as they were in Jesus day, we see that Jesus performed these many miracles to prove His deity. Today by God’s sovereign will He has allowed man great strides in way of health care and scientific research that have helped His creation who is so desperately sick. Sick physically, mentally & emotionally; spiritually dead because of the fall.

We also have been taught by the Lord Jesus that we can pray to Him for healing, and that He is the one and only mediator between man and God. That when we pray according to God’s will He will do that which we ask. This doesn’t mean God will do what we say, but rather what His sovereign choice dictates, showing Himself mighty in whatever means & timing He chooses. He may choose not to heal in this life; one may have to patiently wait for the complete & total healing which will come in Heaven, where there will be no more sickness, disease or sin.

But for those who reject such a wonderful calling, such great a salvation, such a great hope, such a great healing; Eternal wrath, eternal sickness, eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth in a place called Hell, ruled by God so sadly awaits. Yes, the second death awaits those who reject the Gospel.

His Fame: Verse 28;  And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
He is great! He is famous! Do you know this famous person? His name is Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Get to know Him.