You can't add Jesus....

Many people want Jesus in their lives, but on their own terms. Hence, the temptation is to customize Jesus to fit our desires. For example, religions edit Jesus by keeping the teacher and prophet but delete the Lord and Savior. Philosophers tame Jesus by saying that He is inspiring, but not authoritative. They acknowledge Him as historical, but deny that He is supernatural. Furthermore, culture uses Jesus as part of a formula: Jesus + my preferences = consumerism or Jesus + my agenda = personal deity. However, Mark 2 makes it clear that we cannot customize Jesus into our mold or patch Him into our lives. Jesus is not simply renting space in our lives. He is not even renovating. He is building the foundation that our lives are built upon. The question the Scriptures are asking each of us is this: Are you simply adding Jesus to fit into the life that you want or are you allowing Him to transform your life?

To properly understand this passage, we must first understand some history about fasting. By studying the Old Testament, we learn that fasting was required once a year on the Day of Atonement. Additionally, fasting was also practiced for a variety of other purposes. Two examples provided in scripture are as follows: 1) Ezra led Israel in fasting to seek God’s blessing (Ezra 8:21) and 2) Israel fasted during times of mourning (2 Samuel 1:12). Now, during Jesus’ time on Earth, the pharisees fasted twice each week (Luke 18:12) and, when doing so, made their faces look disheveled and sad (Matthew 6:16). In this specific passage, we see that John the Baptist’s disciples were also fasting either because of his message of repentance or his imprisonment (Mark 2:18). However, in this same verse, we also read that Jesus was questioned as to why His disciples were not fasting during this same time. Jesus’ response was simple: You cannot mourn when the Groom is here (Mark 2:18-20). 

Now, Imagine going to a wedding, a celebratory event, and you arrive looking sad and disheveled as the pharisees did when they fasted. Obviously, doing so would dishonor the couple about to be married. Likewise, since Jesus is Israel’s divine groom that has come, a celebration is in order. We know that Jesus is Israel's long awaited groom because of several Old Testament passages that allude to this (Isaiah 42:9; 43:18-19; 48:6; 54:5-7; 62:4-5). Christian, in these very verses (Mark 2:18-19), Jesus is identifying as God, the promised one who will eventually marry his bride, the church. And, when that marriage ceremony takes place, what a glorious day of rejoicing that will be! The Apostle John describes it this way in Revelation 19:6-7: “Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude…crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exalt and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready”. Brothers and sisters, because the Groom (Jesus) has already come and the wedding feast is coming, Christian people are joyful people. The One long-predicted and long-promised has come.  So, be joyful. Be confident. This joy is a settled assurance of all that God has promised is true. And, because of this settled assurance that Christ has provided, we must respond by both rejoicing in Him and  by allowing Christ to completely transform our lives!

To listen to this entire message, click here. To watch this entire message, click on the YouTube video below.