
Jesus is the Son of God! The Sea and the Demoniac (Mark 4:35-5:20)
Jesus demonstrates His authority over nature and demons, calming a storm and delivering a possessed man, revealing His divine Person.
Jesus demonstrates His authority over nature and demons, calming a storm and delivering a possessed man, revealing His divine Person.
These two parables reveal how the kingdom (the church) grows exponentially by the preaching of the gospel, but is infiltrated by Satanic influences.
Jesus tells the parable of a sower whose seed falls on different soils, symbolizing people’s varying responses to God’s word. He explains that parables both reveal and conceal truth, and encourages careful listening and obedience for spiritual growth.
In these sections of Mark’s gospel, the theme centers on the identity of Jesus, or rather the failure to identify Him.
In Mark 2:23–3:6, Jesus confronts the Pharisees over their rigid Sabbath interpretations, defending acts of mercy and necessity. He highlights human need over ritual by citing David’s actions and heals a man on the Sabbath, exposing the Pharisees’ hypocrisy. This sparks their plot to kill Him, marking a significant escalation in opposition to His ministry.