Today, we meet a group of friends who won't take "no" for an answer. They have a need; they see Jesus Christ as the answer to their need and they must get TO Him …and WILL get to Him at any cost. And Jesus Christ not only honors their persistence (really more like desperation!) but He also uses the whole crisis moment to reveal something about Himself that leaves the whole crowd looking to God in a new way, joyful – "we have NEVER seen anything like THIS!"

Let's look at four markers of a time of revelation and growth and see if these may exist in our own present experience: This was a time of:

1. Controversy
2. Companionship
3. Commotion and
4. Captivating Conclusion.

This morning I'd like to look at this "prologue" of Mark. …from this concise introduction, FOUR FACTS or four spiritual truths that have to be known mentally AND ALSO believed, trusted, felt, experienced. And without these realities in place, the spiritual life gets sidetracked and grinds to a halt. Here they are:

1.We Are Driven Out 2. The Heavens Are Rent 3. The New Adam Is Driven Out 4. The Good News of God Has Come

I want to look at this Jehu (he gets a lot of ink…two CHs)

Jehu is a "Mashiach" i.e. anointed, a messiah-figure. So, let's look at that: 1 st - Jehu: a Different Kind of Messiah 2 nd - We Need This Kind of Messiah (sort of!) 3 rd - How the True Messiah Changes Judgment

Let's look at:

1. This Puzzling Episode – a weeping truth-teller who promotes lying and a loyal, trusted aide who betrays his king and usurps the throne!
2. This Puzzling Book – Evaluating Kings
3. The Puzzling Tie to Advent

The Bible demonstrates here, in a variety of ways, God's opinion and response to human weakness. And what eventually emerges fully (in the NT) is an understanding of weakness opposite and counter-intuitive to everything we're taught in society (in the secular world) AND even contrary to what we learn in spirituality, religion and morality as well.

Let's just look at the story and then look at what the Bible is teaching about weakness:

1. Retelling the story AND
2. What this odd story contributes to the Bible's unique understanding of weakness