Lord of Sabbath

Religious leaders from Jerusalem objected to the looseness of Jesus to their Sabbath traditions, but he used the opportunity to demonstrate that the “Son of Man” is “Lord” even over that day. God ceased His creative activities on the seventh day, but its formal establishment as a regulated day on which no work could be done did not occur until the Torah was given at Mount Sinai (“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy”).

Forgiving Sin

The literary unit in chapters 1 and 2 of the Gospel of Mark includes five stories highlighting the authority of Jesus as the “Son of Man.” It also shows the growing conflicts between him and the religious authorities based in the Jerusalem Temple, especially over issues of ritual purity and Sabbath regulations. There are parallels between the present story and the preceding one about the cleansing of the leper.

Authority over Purity Codes

The touch of the Nazarene cleansed a leper from ritual impurity, restoring him physically AND religiously, and Jesus touched the leper BEFORE he was cleansed of his ritual defilement. Any concern over contracting “uncleanness” did not prevent the Messiah from healing a Son of Israel - His touch drove out the disease and cleansed the man’s ritual defilement - (Mark 1:40-45).

Authority over Disease

Jesus did not allow scruples over purity regulations to keep him from healing the sick and delivering the oppressed from demonic spirits. Neither Sabbath restrictions nor Levitical rules on ritual purity were intended to prevent human needs from being met, at least, not if the Messiah of Israel was present and establishing the Kingdom of God.

Authority over Satan

Jesus defeated Satan in the wilderness by rejecting his temptations and lies. The effects of that victory were demonstrated when he exercised authority over demonic forces in the village of Capernaum near the Sea of Galilee. The first incident occurred in the local synagogue, typically, a place where Jews would gather to study the Torah and pray.

Su Autoridad

Después de derrotar a Satanás, Jesús comenzó a proclamar las “Buenas Nuevas” del Reino en Galilea: “Se ha cumplido el tiempo, se acerca el reino de Dios. Arrepiéntanse y crean en el evangelio.” El término “Reino de Dios” es una declaración resumida que significaba cosas diferentes para diferentes personas, pero el hombre de Nazaret identificó su misión con la gloriosa figura del “Hijo del Hombre” descrita en el Libro de Daniel.

His Authority

After defeating Satan, Jesus began to proclaim the “Good News” of the Kingdom – “The season is fulfilled, the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the Gospel.” The term “Kingdom of God” is a summary statement that meant different things to different people, but the man from Nazareth identified his mission and coming reign with the glorious “Son of Man” figure first introduced in the Book of Daniel.

The Son of Man

In the three synoptic gospels, the term “Son of Man” is the self-designation found most often on the lips of Jesus. It is derived from Daniel’s vision of the one “like a Son of Man” who received the “dominion and kingdom” from the “Ancient of Days.” According to Jesus, “All the tribes of the Earth” will mourn when “they see the Son of man coming on the clouds of Heaven.”