The Lord of Miracles Series
In these next few sermons, we are going to examine some of the miracles our lord preformed
as recorded in the Gospel of Mark. There was a specific design and reason the Holy Spirit had Mark pen his gospel and there
is a specific message that Jesus was attempted to convey to those of were actually present when he did the miracles and also
for our present day.
Simply, Jesus was declaring his Lordship through these miracles and specifically He
was declaring lordship over a particular area of this world and our life.
Text: Mark 1:23-28
Introduction.
Perhaps it would be wise to define two terms in the simplest manner.
Philippians 2:9 - 11
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every
name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The word used here and many other places in the NT is a Greek word kurios koo'-ree-os.
It comes from a Greek word meaning supremacy. The simple definition is "he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which
he has power of deciding"
Confess Jesus is Lord is declaring Him as owner and forfeiting whatever if any rights
we had; and it declaring that he has the say so in our life. He owns it and He controls it.
The other term that needs to be defined is the term miracle. Every so often I hear
someone say, "it's a miracle" when they speak of the birth of a child. NO! It wonderful but it is not a miracle. It is the
normal natural process that God has put into motion since the garden. We never cease marveling over a birth but it is within
the natural laws establish by the Creator.
A Miracle, on the other hand, is something outside the realm of the natural and the
only explanation is the Supernatural. There are many happenings that are wonderful and marvelous -- but few things that are
truly miraculous - that can only be explained by the supernatural of God breaking into the natural to bring about a specific
result.
We are going to see where true miracles were preformed by our Jesus specifically for declaring himself
to be Lord!
Mark starts with a bang and never stops until he gets to the miracle of all miracle
- the resurrection. So hang on, we're going to examine three miracles found in the very first chapter.
The Miracle of Demons Being Cast Out
The Miracle of Peter's Mother-in-law Being Healed
And the Miracle the Lepers Being Restored
I. The Miracle of Demons Being Cast Out -- Mark 1:23-28
Jesus is Lord of the Devil and Demons
Jesus didn't just perform miracles because he could but rather he used miracles to
declare His Lordship and to declare is Lordship is a specific area. What area of this world and this life does Jesus want
us to know that God is Lord over?
He is: Lord Over The Devil and Demons.
When Jesus is present three things occur.
A. The Devil and His Demons are Forced to Declare Him Lord
B. The Lives of People are made Better
C. Sin Leaves and Worship Takes Place
II. The Miracle of Peter's Mother-in-law Being Healed -- Mark 1:29-34
Jesus is Lord Over Diseases
Note with me not just some diseases - Not just Peter's Mother-in-law but all.
Sickness and Disease is the Devil attempt to lay Claim to this body. From the start
Jesus wanted to declare that he is not only Lord of the Spiritual World but he is Lord of Physical World. He does not wish
to be just Lord of your Soul but also of your Body! Romans 12:1
Note these two things:
A. He is Lord Over Sin and He Lord of Sickness
Three things can be gleaned from this truth.
1) There is always hope for sickness
2) If there is Sickness - Even Death then in must be God Will.
3) There is Always Victory with Jesus
B. The Lord Cares
III. And the Miracle the Lepers Being Restored -- Mark 1:40-42
He is Lord over Despair
A. He is Noble Hope to the Hopeless
John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim's Progress, suffered from bouts of depression, and
we may view as partly autobiographical his account of Christian's falling into
the clutches of Giant Despair.
In the seventh stage of their journey, as Christian and Hopeful grow weary with their
trip and wish for an easier way, they notice a little meadow on their left called By-path Meadow, with a stile leading over
the fence. They detour in this way, but soon night overtakes them and they find themselves lost in a terrible storm. At last,
weary and worried, they fall asleep under a tree and are captured the next day by Giant Despair who beats them cruelly and
throws them into the dungeon of Doubting Castle. It was "a very dark dungeon, nasty and stinking to the spirit," and here
the two men lay in misery from Wednesday morning till Saturday night, without one bit of bread or drink of water or light.
Finally, having reduced them to miserable depression, Giant Despair leaves a knife,
a rope, and poison in their cell, and the two men are sorely tempted to end their lives. But remembering the commandment,
"Thou shalt not kill," they resign themselves to the continued tortures of Giant Despair.
Early on a Sunday morning, Christian suddenly sits up as one half amazed, and says,
"Why a fool, thus to lie in a stinking dungeon when I may as well walk at liberty! I have a key in my bosom called Promise
that will, I am persuaded, open any lock in Doubting Castle." Then said Hopeful, "That is good news; good brother, pluck it
out of thy bosom and try."
Then Christian pulled it out of his bosom, and began to try at the dungeon-door, whose
bolt, as he turned the key, gave back and the door flew open with ease, and Christian and Hopeful both came out.
B. He Light to Darkness
Viktor E. Frank, made this observation while in in a Nazi death camp, "The prisoner
who had lost faith in the future-his future-was doomed."
C. He is the Compassionate Cleanser
