R sbc
Date: 10/24/04
Series: Christ The Sum & The Substance of The Bible
Sermon # 19
Subject: “ Mightier Than I”
Text: Mark 1:1-7
Intro: One of the things that stands out in this gospel is the record begins not with his birth or the events that Matthew gives us, but with his forerunner, John the Baptist. It is so clear to John who Jesus was and what he came to do one need only read what he begins to say.
Mark clearly sets forth his writings of these accounts by saying “the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ”. Mark was not one of the apostles but could have been numbered with the seventy that Jesus sent out.
This is the same Mark that accompanied Paul on his first missionary journey, this is also the Mark that deserted Paul and that he refused to take him on the next one. Instead he went with Barnabas...But before Paul died this issue was settle...for read in II Tim 4-11 “Only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
Mark describes the ministry as it relates to John the Baptist first in his writing of this chapter. “As it is written in the prophets” Mark understood what a lot of preachers don’t understand, the credibility of the word of GOD in establishing truth.
He lays out the ministry of this man as it was laid out in the old testament. Notice what he says about him:
That he was a sent messenger: vs 2
Isaiah and Malachi were the two men that prophesied of John the Baptist. The great preacher Isaiah said of John these words:
Isaiah 40:3-5
Malachi 3:1
When this man John proclaimed his message as the messenger of prophecy he had an astounding message to proclaim. He clearly sets forth Jesus Christ as the messiah that was to come and his work. I want to focus primarily on what John said in verse 7 “Mightier than I” This word mightier means “ one who is superior in both body and spirit” thus was John’s estimation of the Lord.
I... “CHRIST IS MIGHTIER IN HIS PERSON”
John may not or may have I don’t really know, that Christ was not just another man, he was a GOD MAN. This made him mightier than John. John proceeded Christ in physical time but not in spiritual time.
John 1-15 “ John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. Recognizing the eternal God now had come to this earth.
John realized that Jesus was man and that he as a man must increase and that John himself must decrease and it begins with his humility in this text: “ I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose”... this is the first step to realizing that you and I are not worthy and that Christ is...
The Centurion said:
Luke 7:6 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:
Oh that Christ would make you see your unworthiness this morning and see this great person the LORD JESUS CHRIST.
1st. Christ is a holy person:
Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Paul said that he was: Hebrews 7:26 For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
He was not created a holy person, for he was not created, he is holy. The holiness of Christ is beyond our comprehension and yet it is true. We know nothing of real holiness just imputed and imparted holiness.
We are holy because he is holy, we are what we are because of what he hath made us, and what GOD made us in him. Paul said in I Corinthians 1-30 “ But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption.This is why John felt unworthy to loose Christ shoe strings because of his holy person. Let it be clearly understood that this is the way it was and this is the way it is, and that this is the way that it will be forever.
II... “ CHRIST IS MIGHTIER IN HIS PREACHING”
As I said last Sunday, they that is the Jewish people had great reverence for all the prophets and that these men were great speakers but nothing like Christ..listen to some of his preaching if you can hear, hear.
John 7:46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. What had Christ said that made these officers proclaim this truth..
He said in 7th verse of this chapter “the world cannot hate you, but me, because I testify of it that the works thereof are evil. He said in verse 19 “ Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?
He said in verse 28-29 “Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. But I know him for I am from him and he hath sent me.
He said in verse 37:38 “ In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters.
What a preacher Christ was. He did not mince words, he did not color coat it, he did not sugar coat it, he went right to the heart of the matter in preaching. He opened their ears so that they could either try to kill him or cry out to him for mercy.
Listen again to three different scriptural statement ...
1st. Christ preaching was with boldness: John 7:26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?
2nd. Christ preaching was with authority: Matthew 7:29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
3rd. Christ preaching was gracious... Luke 4:22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?
Keep in mind it is his words that are spirit and they are life. Take this morning, digest them, live by them, preach by them.. They are what it is all about.
III... “CHRIST WAS MIGHTIER IN HIS WORKS”
As far as I can tell John never performed any miracles like Christ did. Keep in mind that John may never saw a work that Jesus did, but he was waiting his death: Note what is said about him:
Matthew 11:2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
My friends as I said last Sunday all John had was a record. He did not have sight, nor did he have what his followers had, he just had what saith the word of GOD that is all I have. Christ was a mighty worker.
Mark 6:2 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?
John 5:36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
Two things stand out about the works of Christ: (1.) That he was sent to do works by the Father. (2.) That they were mighty works. Christ work was twofold and maybe more than that but let me just mention this...
1. They were spiritual in nature:
They went to the heart of the matter. It is so clear studying the life and the ministry of Christ that when he preached and when he performed miracles that they were of spiritual nature.
The woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, these two women tell us that they had a deep spiritual rooted problem and Christ solved it. They were both in need of a savor rather than a physical need.
Nicodemus was told by Christ: John 3:12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? What is more needful for sinners today than this? Nothing is. This is your need this morning if you are lost, you need a heavenly birth, a direct infusion of life that will radically change you forever.
2. They were physical in nature:
Tell John the deaf hear, the blind see, the lame walk, the dead are raised up. These never changed a sinner. Do you realize that someone could have been healed by Christ in this way and never known him.
Luke 17:11-19 If you get your belly full, if your bank account is full, if your kids are excelling in sports, if you are mighty in all that you do this morning, it is the LORD that has given you that talent and those things but did it change you? No. And it want.
IV... “CHRIST IS MIGHTIER IN THE PERMANENCE OF HIS MINISTRY”
John knew in his heart that it would soon be over. He knew Christ was the Son of God and th savor of his people. He had preached and now it was about time to meet the Father. But this man abideth forever.
It was in the final physical act of Christ, his death, that would spark the reality of his ministry once he was raised from the dead. His mighty ministry would be passed on to his church and they would pass it on to generation to come.
We are living proof of that this morning. Thousands of years have past, untold millions have come to Christ, he lives in us. His ministry touches us, energizes us, equips us, instructs us.
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: John 11:26 “ Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believeth thou this? Vs 27 “She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou at the Christ, the Son of the Living God, which should come into the world.
Believing in Christ:
1st. You must be given faith to believe:
2nd. You must believe that he is able:
3rd. You must believe that you have a need of him:
4th. You must believe that now is the day of salvation, now is the appointed time: