
Definitions:
“The Law” - Torah is the Hebrew word for law. The Torah is the first 5 books our the Old
Testament and makes up the Jewish bible. It is God’s law give to the children of Israel through
Moses. The most famous are the 10 commandments.
The Pharisees - a movement of several thousand Jewish scholars and priests who sought to
interpret the law very carefully. Societally they were very popular and respected but had no
political authority. They saw themselves as the gate keepers of the law.
Fence Laws - Man made laws that were created and added to God’s law’s (Torah) to help keep
the Jewish people from even coming close to breaking God’s law.
Challenge/Riposte - in honor/shame cultures challenge/riposte was a public attempt to gain
honor at someone else’s expense by publicly posing a question or statement meant to
challenge ones actions, reputation, or scholastic knowledge. Risposte would be the response to
the challenge or claim.
Jesus is establishing his Divinity as the Son of God through His authority to forgive sins,
His authority over religion (Torah) law, and his authority over the Regions Establishment.
Jesus’s shows His divinity by His Authority to forgive sins:
Mark 2:5-11
'When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of
the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this fellow speak in this
way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” At once Jesus perceived in his
spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, “Why
do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins
are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and take your mat and walk’? But so that you may know that
the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you,
stand up, take your mat and go to your home.” '
Bar-adam- The Aramaic word for Son of Man, literally translated to human-being
Daniel 7:13-14
'As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of
heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him. To him was given
dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His
dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall
never be destroyed. ‘
Jesus show His Authority over the Religious Establishment by calling Levi the tax
collector:
Mark 2:13-17
'Jesus went out again beside the sea; the whole crowd gathered around him, and he taught
them. As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he
said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in Levi's
house, many tax collectors and sinners were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples—for there
were many who followed him. When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with
sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and
sinners?” When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a
physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.” ‘
Jesus tells of His divinity and shows His authority over “The Law” and the religious
establishment:
Mark 2:23-28
'One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples
began to pluck heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not
lawful on the sabbath?” And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he and
his companions were hungry and in need of food? He entered the house of God, when Abiathar
was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests
to eat, and he gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made
for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the
sabbath.”’
Mark 2:22
'And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the
wine is lost, and so are the skins; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.” '
"Once we become illuminated to the need for Jesus in our lives are we willing to forgo our rights,
and lay down the earthly kingdoms we have built, in order to go through the disruption,
stretching and expanding of the newness that Jesus wants to bring. Or are we the Pharisees
who protect and defend the kingdoms we have built?”
Questions:
What little kingdoms have you built up, that Jesus is calling you to submit to His authority?
What “fence laws” have you created in your relationship with Jesus? Do you hold others to
those same standards and expectations.
What are the “old” things in your life, that Jesus wants to disrupt in order to bring in something
“new”