Ritual, Religion, and Regeneration (Part c)

Message Notes:

The Gospel According to Mark

C. Jesus’ Ministry Transitioning (6:1-8:26)

7. Ritual, Religion, and Regeneration: The Law in the New Age (7:1-23) (Part a)

a. The Controversy Between Jesus and the Religious Leadership: Ritual Revisited (7:1-13)

1) The Setting of the Controversy: The Rebuke by the Religious Leadership (7:1-5)

2) The Snuffing out of the Controversy: The Rebuttal by Jesus (7:6-13)

b. The Clarification by Jesus for His Followers: Religion Vs. Regeneration (7:14-23)

1) Jesus’ Public Explanation of His Position (7:14-16)

a) The Importance of Jesus’ Statement (7:14)

b) The Setting of the Mosaic Covenant (7:15a)

c) The Rising of the New Covenant (7:15b)

2) Jesus’ Private Explanation of His Position (7:17-23)

a) The Limitations of the Jewish Religion (7:17-19)

(1) The Failure of the Disciples to Understand (7:17-18a)

(2) The Key to Understand Jesus’ Declaration (7:18b-19b)

(3) The Limits of the Legal Realities (7:19c)

b) The Necessity of Regeneration (7:20-23)

(1) The Corruption of the Human Heart Stated (7:20)

(2) The Corruption of the Human Heart Illustrated (7:21-22)

(3) The Corruption of the Human Heart Reiterated (7:23)

● Differences of conscience should not be characterized by passing judgement on the person with whom one disagrees (14:1-4)

● A person’s decision on matters of conscience should be characterized by one’s personal conviction on the matter (14:5, 22-23)

● A person’s decision on matters of conscience should be an expression of their worship of God (14:6-8)

● A person must realize that their decision on matters of conscience will be judged by the Lord (14:9-12)

● A person must not spiritually injure another brother through doing things that are offensive to them, although they are not sins in and of themselves (14:13-21)