The Controversy of Jesus
- Jesus attracts SINNERS. (Mk 2:13-15)
- Jesus evokes CRITICISM. (Mk 2:16)
- Jesus invites the SICK. (Mk 2:17)
What's your DIAGNOSIS?
Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!
Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Mark 2:13-17
- Since He had not yet died on the cross, how could Jesus offer forgiveness to the paralytic (Matthew 2:1-12) and Levi (Mk 2:13-17)?
(Faith in Jesus is the only thing that ever saved anyone. Some, before His death on the cross [including those saved in OT times], believed in what He was going to do, others, like us, believe in what He had already done. Both are by faith.)
- In Mk 2:17, Jesus makes an analogy and a mission statement. Was He saying the scribes and Pharisees were actually righteous and didn’t need Him?
(NO! Jesus was graciously deflecting their objections. They knew from the OT that there was “none righteous”, though they were acting as though they were righteous. Jesus was simply saying, “You are righteous? I am not here for you. I am here for people who recognize their need.)
- If we are to imitate Jesus and be a “friend of sinners”, and at the same time “not be unequally yoked with unbelievers” (read 2 Corinthians 6:14-18), how can we effectively do both at the same time without violating the other?
Breakout Questions:
Pray for one another.