OBSERVATIONS

JESUS CLAIMED FOR HIMSELF THE RIGHT TO FORGIVE SINS MARK 2:1-12. HIS CLAIM  INCENSED THE SCRIBES, WHO INSISTED ONLY GOD COULD FORGIVE SINS, 2:7. THEY WERE CORRECT, BUT IN THEIR BLINDNESS COULD NOT SEE WHO STOOD BEFORE THEM. JESUS NEVER DID ANYTHING TO BENEFIT HIMSELF. HE CONSISTENTLY REFUSED TO USE HIS DIVINE POWER TO PERFORM  A MIRACLE TO SERVE HIS OWN PERSONAL NEEDS. EVEN WHEN HE WAS HUNGRY, HE CHOSE TO REMAIN HUNGRY RATHER THAN TO CHANGE STONES INTO BREAD, MATTHEW 4:4. JESUS WAS ALWAYS THE "SERVANT;" HE SOUGHT ONLY TO PLACE HIMSELF AND HIS POWERS AT THE SERVICE OF HUMANITY. AS JESUS MOVED AMONG PEOPLE, HE DEMONSTRATED A REMARKABLE COMPASSION. FOR EXAMPLE, BEFORE, HEALING A LEPER, HE REACH OUT AND TOUCHED HIM, 1:40-45 THE PHARISEES ON OCCASION THREW ROCKS ON LEPERS AND SAID THAT THEIR SUFFERING WAS THE RESULT OF SOME SIN THEY HAD COMMITTED. FURTHERMORE, JESUS SOUGHT THE COMPANY  OF "SINNERS, TAX COLLECTORS," AND THE LIKE 2:15-17 HIS ACTIONS UPSET THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES FOR THEY FELT THAT IF HE REALLY WAS THE MESSIAH, HE WOULD SEEK OUT THE "RIGHTEOUS" (NAMELY THEMSELVES). JESUS'  CONCERNS FOR THE GENTILES  WOULD ALSO BEEN REPUGNANT TO MANY IN ISRAEL WHO BELIEVED THAT WHEN FINALLY WHEN THE MESSIANIC AGE CAME, THE GENTILES WOULD BE DESTROYED, OR AT BEST MADE SLAVES OF THE JEWS; 7:24-30.
JESUS  IGNORED TRADITIONAL ATTITUDES CONCERNING THE OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH, 1,21; 2:23; 3:2. WHAT MATTERED TO HIM WAS THE WELL-BEING OF THE PEOPLE, NOT KEEPING OF RITUALS AND TRADITIONS. THIS WAS BOUND TO BRING HIM INTO A HEADLONG CONFRONTATION WITH THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, FOR HIS ACTIONS CALLED INTO QUESTION THE VALIDITY OF THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE LAW. ALL BUT ONE OF JESUS MIRACLES ( AS REPORTED IN MARK)  WAS DONE IN AND AROUND GALILEE. JESUS PERFORMS ONLY ONE MIRACLE AFTER LEAVING GALILEE. HE HEALS BLIND BARTIMAEUS NEAR JERICHO 10:46-52.
HE PERFORMS NO MIRACLE IN OR NEAR JERUSALEM, THE "CITY OF OPPOSITION."
WHEN JESUS WAS RECOGNIZED, HE WARNED THE PERSON OR SPIRIT WHO HAD RECOGNIZED HIM TO SAY NOTHING ABOUT THE MATTER, 1:33,44; 5:43; 9;9. WHY?
 FIRST, JESUS WANTED TO MAKE CLEAR THAT THE MESSIANIC AGE HAD COME, AND HE WAS INDEED THE MESSIAH. SECOND, HE WANTED TO MAKE IT CLEAR WHAT KIND OF A MESSIAH HE HAD COME TO BE. THE COMMUNITY HAD CONTAINED MANY BURNING WITH DESIRE TO BE RID OF THE ROMANS AND TO GAIN POLITICAL INDEPENDENCE. JESUS NEEDED TIME TO DEMONSTRATE THAT HE WAS NOT THE KIND OF MESSIAH WHO WOULD FIT THAT KIND OF EXPECTATION. HE HAD NOT COME TO BE  A POLITICAL DELIVERER. (NOTE THE EXCEPTION OF MARK 5:19, 20.  WHERE JESUS COMMANDS THE MAN HEALED OF DEMON POSSESSION TO BEAR WITNESS IN GENTILE TERRITORY!) IN MARK 8:27-30 JESUS PUTS TWO QUESTIONS TO HIS DISCIPLES:" WHO DO MEN SAY THAT I AM?" THE SECOND IS: WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?"  THOUGH HE DID NOT PREVIOUSLY PUT THESE QUESTIONS TO ANYONE, HE WAS RECOGNIZED PRIOR TO THE TIME BY THE DEMONS! (1:24; 1:34; 3:11; 5:7).
JESUS WAS ALWAYS THAT OF A SERVANT. HE DEMONSTRATED GREAT COMPASSION TO THOSE WITH WHOM HE CAME INTO CONTACT. AT THE SAME TIME, HE CONSISTENTLY REFUSED TO USE HIS POWER TO BENEFIT HIMSELF IN ANY WAY. THE PEOPLE, THE AUTHORITIES AND HIS DISCIPLES FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO RELATE HIS LIFESTYLE TO TRADITIONAL  EXPECTATIONS ABOUT WHAT THE MESSIAH WOULD BE LIKE AND WHAT HE WOULD ACCOMPLISH.