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Impact on people
The way that we can know what was most impressive about
Jesus is the impact he had on people. What stood out most
to people as they saw Jesus? What did the writers of the
New Testament focusing on when writing about Jesus. The
greatest focus is on Jesus being the Son of God and having
power.
John the Baptist:
The greatest person who ever lived on the face of the earth
up until the time of Jesus (Matthew 11:11) had this say
about Jesus: "After me will come one more powerful
than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop
down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize
you with the Holy Spirit" (Mark 1:7-9). Amazing! The
greatest person on earth up until Jesus was not even worthy
to untie Jesus' shoes. What is the attribute that John chooses
to compare himself to Jesus with? Power - Jesus was more
powerful than he was, so much so that he could not even
touch Jesus in that regard. The second part of this is who
they were inside. John was a powerful man of God with deep
convictions and love for God. Jesus was God in the Flesh.
John baptized with water, Jesus baptized with the Holy Spirit.
John understood the devine nature of Jesus and that is was
impressed him and set him apart from anyone else ever before,
during or after that time.
When John saw Jesus what is the first thing he says? "Look,
the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!....
this is the Son of God." (John 1:29). Then, when he
sees him again he says, "look the Lamb of God!"
(John 1:36) What made Jesus important and set apart in John's
eyes was that Jesus was God in the flesh who came to take
away the sin of the world as The Lamb of God who had been
prophisied about for years.
The first thoughts people had
toward Jesus in Mark:
The people were initially impressed by the authority Jesus
had as he preached to them, as opposed to the way the teachers
of the law were (Mark 1:22,27). Secondly they were amazed
that he did the miracles he did such as driving out demons
(Mark 1:27). The news that spread so rapidly was that Jesus
taught with authority and drove out demons (Mark 1:28).
The main reason most came to Jesus was to have him heal
them and drive out demons (Mark 1:32, 3:10).
Crowds:
Mark 3:8-10 When they heard all he was doing, many people
came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions
across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon.... For he had
healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward
to touch him.
Mark 9:15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were
overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. (NIV)
Matthew 7:28-29 When Jesus had finished saying these things,
the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught
as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the
law. (NIV)
Matthew 9:32-33 While they were going out, a man who was
demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus.
33 And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been
mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing
like this has ever been seen in Israel." (NIV)
The
evil spirits:
Mark 1:24 "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are -- the Holy
One of God!" (NIV)
Mark 3:11 Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down
before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God."
(NIV)
The disciples:
Mark 4:41 They were terrified and asked each other, "Who
is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" (NIV)
Matthew 8:27 The men were amazed and asked, "What kind
of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"
(NIV)
The
man with leprosy: (Mark 1:40)
Jesus heals him, tells him not to say anything, and the
healed leper does nothing but go and tell everyone what?
How Jesus had healed him from his leprosy. How excited was
he and how many people did he tell. So many that Jesus could
not even enter a town openly, yet people came to him from
everywhere.
Soldiers
John 7:45-46 Finally the temple guards went back to the
chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why didn't
you bring him in?"
46 "No one ever spoke the way this man does,"
the guards declared. (NIV)
Two
blind men
Matthew 9:30-31 and their sight was restored. Jesus warned
them sternly, "See that no one knows about this."
31 But they went out and spread the news about him all over
that region. (NIV)
What do you suppose they went out and spread throughout
the whole regions? Jesus gave them back their sight. The
fact that Jesus did a miracle.
Mark
in his gospel:
Mark 2:1 When Jesus entered a home Mark says that so many
gathered that he preached the word to them. He does not
say what he preached to them and we hear nothing of the
contents of the message. What does Mark focus on? How Jesus
healed the paralytic. What are people's response? This amazed
everyone, and they had never seen anything like it (Mark
2:12).
Paul:
First thing he focuses on in Galations is how Jesus had
sent him and how Jesus gave himself for our sins to rescue
us. Galations 1:1-5
When Paul mentions James he immediately mentions, "the
Lord's brother" Galations 1:19.
Paul was focused on the fact that Jesus lived in him, loved
him, and gave himself for him. Galatians 2:20
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