On Your Mark, 23 April 2017
On Your Mark—An Intro to the Gospel of Mark
Series— Mark’s Gospel: The Real Jesus
Mark 1:1
Series Big Idea: The shortest gospel is filled with good news about Jesus!
Big Idea: Mark wrote a stunning biography of Jesus, our Messiah and God.
Introduction
He is still risen! He is still risen indeed!
Welcome back! My name is Kirk and last Sunday we had a fantastic celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. But listen to these profound words from N.T. Wright:
But my biggest problem starts on Easter Monday. I regard it as absurd and unjustifiable that we should spend forty days keeping Lent, pondering what it means, preaching about self-denial, being at least a little gloomy, and then bringing it all to a peak with Holy Week, which in turn climaxes in Maundy Thursday and Good Friday…and then, after a rather odd Holy Saturday, we have a single day of celebration.
…Easter week itself ought not to be the time when all the clergy sigh with relief and go on holiday. It ought to be an eight-day festival, with champagne served after morning prayer or even before, with lots of alleluias and extra hymns and spectacular anthems. Is it any wonder people find it hard to believe in the resurrection of Jesus if we don’t throw our hats in the air? Is it any wonder we find it hard to live the resurrection if we don’t do it exuberantly in our liturgies? Is it any wonder the world doesn’t take much notice if Easter is celebrated as simply the one-day happy ending tacked on to forty days of fasting and gloom?
…we should be taking steps to celebrate Easter in creative new ways: in art, literature, children’s games, poetry, music, dance, festivals, bells, special concerts, anything that comes to mind. This is our greatest festival. Take Christmas away, and in biblical terms you lose two chapters at the front of Matthew and Luke, nothing else. Take Easter away, and you don’t have a New Testament; you don’t have a Christianity; as Paul says, you are still in your sins…
…if Lent is a time to give things up, Easter ought to be a time to take things up. Champagne for breakfast again—well, of course. Christian holiness was never meant to be merely negative…. The forty days of the Easter season, until the ascension, ought to be a time to balance out Lent by taking something up, some new task or venture, something wholesome and fruitful and outgoing and self-giving. You may be able to do it only for six weeks, just as you may be able to go without beer or tobacco only for the six weeks of Lent. But if you really make a start on it, it might give you a sniff of new possibilities, new hopes, new ventures you never dreamed of. It might bring something of Easter into your innermost life. It might help you wake up in a whole new way. And that’s what Easter is all about.”
As I said, last Sunday we had a fantastic celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. He is alive! But who is Jesus, really?
If you ask ten people who Jesus is, you may end up with ten different answers. But how can we know for sure? I submit to you two things:
- The Bible provides us with four biographies of Jesus: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
- Jesus is alive and knowable—personally—through prayer and the Bible
One of my greatest frustrations as a pastor is reading about “biblical scholars” who are atheists. It seems like every Eastertime they get busy promoting another book, another theory, hoping to make a buck off some naïve shopper in line at the grocery store with tabloid headlines about another new discovery, a new theory, a secret revealed. With all due respect to intellectuals who study the Biblical texts, the atheists among them miss the point. Jesus is a living Person. He wants us to know Him. He wants to know us. The first thing I want to know about a Bible scholar is if they know the Author…of the Bible, of life. Our faith is completely dependent upon the cross and the empty tomb. If you know the Bible but don’t know Jesus, it’s as useless as analyzing the penmanship of a love letter, missing its message.
The Bible is, in fact, a love letter. It is not written to us, exactly, but for us. Today we’re going to look at the background of the Gospel—or good news—of Mark and the most important question in life.
Why Four Gospels?
Matthew: Hebrew, religious audience, “Son of David,” advertising and announcements
Mark: Roman, strong, rulers, power, emphasizes Jesus the suffering Servant, headlines
Luke: also wrote Acts, Gentile author, historian, “Son of Man,” special features
John: emphasizes deity of Christ, Savior, “Son of God,” editorials/columns
This biography of Jesus will inspire, inform, and hopefully transform you and me to become more like Jesus.
Before we dive into the Gospel of Mark, I want to give you some background.
It’s the first gospel written, one of the first NT books to be written
It was written by John Mark. He was not an apostle, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, but he was an important figure in the early Church
He appears in the book of Acts
When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. (Acts 12:12)
He was a cousin of Barnabus.
My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) (Colossians 4:10)
He was the spiritual son of Simon Peter.
She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. (1 Peter 5:13)
This has long been considered Simon Peter’s gospel. John Mark traveled with Paul and later Barnabus.
Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. (Acts 15:37-40)
John Mark made good. Paul later called for him in his letter to Timothy.
Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. (2 Timothy 4:11)
Mark learned about Jesus from Peter and Paul. Mark was also an eyewitness to the events in the life of Christ.
Mark emphasizes Christ as the suffering Servant, the One who came not to be served, but to serve and give His life a ransom for many. Mark likely wrote this book in Rome. A servant needs references, not a birth certificate (no genealogy as in Matthew).
Here’s J. Vernon McGee’s outline of the book:
John introduces the Servant
God the Father identifies the Servant
The temptation initiates the Servant
Works and words illustrate the Servant
It’s filled with more miracles than the other gospels.
Healing: Physical
Nature: Natural
Casting out of demons: spiritual
Raised from the dead: supernatural
Mark 1
The book begins with what might be the most important verse in the entire book. It answers what might be the most important question in all of life:
Who is Jesus?
John Mark’s gospel or “good news” begins…
The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, (Mark 1:1 (NIV)
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Mark 1:1, NASB)
The purpose of the book of Mark is not history. It’s not merely a biography of Jesus. In fact, Jesus’ birth and childhood are omitted. The book begins with Jesus around age 30. No manger. No puberty. No teenage years! Mark begins with the gospel or “good news.” His purpose is “good news.”
The original Greek word for gospel, euaggelion, was often used in a military context. The army would send a message back to the city and proclaim, “A victory has been won. We are not going to die! We are going to live!”
That’s what Mark does. He tells us Jesus is alive and, therefore, a victory has been won for you and me. Life is available for us. Not just survival, but abundant life (John 10:10).
He also tells us two things about Jesus’ identity. First, Christ is not Jesus’ last name! The word means “an anointed, royal figure” in Greek. In Hebrew, it is translated, “the Messiah.” A victory has been won for us by Jesus, the Messiah, the anointed, royal figure proclaimed for generations. Some English translations of this verse replace “Christ” with “The Messiah.”
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, (Mark 1:1, NIV 2011)
Second, Jesus is the Son of God. He’s not just the Messiah, He’s God!
Jesus is Messiah and God. This statement is a dividing line of faith. You can accept or reject the claim. If you believe Jesus is God, the miracles and teachings and resurrection are not difficult to accept. If you don’t believe Jesus is God, the rest of the book of Mark—the rest of the New Testament—will not make much sense.
If you don’t believe Jesus is God, there’s no shame. You belong here. Keep seeking. Keep asking.
Some contemporary Jews believe Jesus is not the Messiah because He did not bring the Kingdom to Israel. He was a failed Messiah. There have been hundreds, maybe thousands of people who claimed to be the Messiah. You’ve probably never heard of any of them.
If Jesus is just another failed Messiah, how would you explain His influence two thousand years later? His Church is still growing, His Name is being worshipped in every part of the world.
What if Mark was correct? Let’s assume Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, God. Let’s assume He really died and rose again. Why do I believe that and others don’t?
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13)
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” (Matthew 16:14)
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15)
Who do you say Jesus is?
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16)
Look at how Jesus replies.
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. (Matthew 16:17)
If you believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the living God, it was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by God the Father. It’s not because of your intellect or morality or a great argument. It’s because your Heavenly Father revealed it. The original Greek word for “revealed” here means “to take the cover off of something.”
Simon Peter is blessed by God.
Believers in Jesus Christ are blessed by God. The truth has been revealed.
The greatest longing in any heart may be to receive the blessing of their father and mother.
If you believe Jesus is the Christ, it’s because God the Father blessed you. Followers of Jesus are blessed sons and daughters of the King of kings.
Who is Jesus?
This is the question we will be answering each week in this series as we examine the gospel of Mark.
Listen to Jesus' answer to the question from the gospel of John:
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
Jesus is the way…to truth, to life, to the Father.
Jesus is the truth.
Jesus is life. He is alive. He conquered death. He offers you and me eternal life. He offers us abundant life.
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, (Mark 1:1, NIV 2011)
Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, the LORD of all.
Credits: some ideas from Matt Carter (Austin Stone Community Church), Warren Wiersbe, NT Wright, J. Vernon McGee, and David Garland.
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.
Series— Mark’s Gospel: The Real Jesus
Mark 1:1
Series Big Idea: The shortest gospel is filled with good news about Jesus!
Big Idea: Mark wrote a stunning biography of Jesus, our Messiah and God.
Introduction
He is still risen! He is still risen indeed!
Welcome back! My name is Kirk and last Sunday we had a fantastic celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. But listen to these profound words from N.T. Wright:
But my biggest problem starts on Easter Monday. I regard it as absurd and unjustifiable that we should spend forty days keeping Lent, pondering what it means, preaching about self-denial, being at least a little gloomy, and then bringing it all to a peak with Holy Week, which in turn climaxes in Maundy Thursday and Good Friday…and then, after a rather odd Holy Saturday, we have a single day of celebration.
…Easter week itself ought not to be the time when all the clergy sigh with relief and go on holiday. It ought to be an eight-day festival, with champagne served after morning prayer or even before, with lots of alleluias and extra hymns and spectacular anthems. Is it any wonder people find it hard to believe in the resurrection of Jesus if we don’t throw our hats in the air? Is it any wonder we find it hard to live the resurrection if we don’t do it exuberantly in our liturgies? Is it any wonder the world doesn’t take much notice if Easter is celebrated as simply the one-day happy ending tacked on to forty days of fasting and gloom?
…we should be taking steps to celebrate Easter in creative new ways: in art, literature, children’s games, poetry, music, dance, festivals, bells, special concerts, anything that comes to mind. This is our greatest festival. Take Christmas away, and in biblical terms you lose two chapters at the front of Matthew and Luke, nothing else. Take Easter away, and you don’t have a New Testament; you don’t have a Christianity; as Paul says, you are still in your sins…
…if Lent is a time to give things up, Easter ought to be a time to take things up. Champagne for breakfast again—well, of course. Christian holiness was never meant to be merely negative…. The forty days of the Easter season, until the ascension, ought to be a time to balance out Lent by taking something up, some new task or venture, something wholesome and fruitful and outgoing and self-giving. You may be able to do it only for six weeks, just as you may be able to go without beer or tobacco only for the six weeks of Lent. But if you really make a start on it, it might give you a sniff of new possibilities, new hopes, new ventures you never dreamed of. It might bring something of Easter into your innermost life. It might help you wake up in a whole new way. And that’s what Easter is all about.”
As I said, last Sunday we had a fantastic celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. He is alive! But who is Jesus, really?
If you ask ten people who Jesus is, you may end up with ten different answers. But how can we know for sure? I submit to you two things:
- The Bible provides us with four biographies of Jesus: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
- Jesus is alive and knowable—personally—through prayer and the Bible
One of my greatest frustrations as a pastor is reading about “biblical scholars” who are atheists. It seems like every Eastertime they get busy promoting another book, another theory, hoping to make a buck off some naïve shopper in line at the grocery store with tabloid headlines about another new discovery, a new theory, a secret revealed. With all due respect to intellectuals who study the Biblical texts, the atheists among them miss the point. Jesus is a living Person. He wants us to know Him. He wants to know us. The first thing I want to know about a Bible scholar is if they know the Author…of the Bible, of life. Our faith is completely dependent upon the cross and the empty tomb. If you know the Bible but don’t know Jesus, it’s as useless as analyzing the penmanship of a love letter, missing its message.
The Bible is, in fact, a love letter. It is not written to us, exactly, but for us. Today we’re going to look at the background of the Gospel—or good news—of Mark and the most important question in life.
Why Four Gospels?
Matthew: Hebrew, religious audience, “Son of David,” advertising and announcements
Mark: Roman, strong, rulers, power, emphasizes Jesus the suffering Servant, headlines
Luke: also wrote Acts, Gentile author, historian, “Son of Man,” special features
John: emphasizes deity of Christ, Savior, “Son of God,” editorials/columns
This biography of Jesus will inspire, inform, and hopefully transform you and me to become more like Jesus.
Before we dive into the Gospel of Mark, I want to give you some background.
It’s the first gospel written, one of the first NT books to be written
It was written by John Mark. He was not an apostle, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, but he was an important figure in the early Church
He appears in the book of Acts
When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. (Acts 12:12)
He was a cousin of Barnabus.
My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) (Colossians 4:10)
He was the spiritual son of Simon Peter.
She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. (1 Peter 5:13)
This has long been considered Simon Peter’s gospel. John Mark traveled with Paul and later Barnabus.
Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. (Acts 15:37-40)
John Mark made good. Paul later called for him in his letter to Timothy.
Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. (2 Timothy 4:11)
Mark learned about Jesus from Peter and Paul. Mark was also an eyewitness to the events in the life of Christ.
Mark emphasizes Christ as the suffering Servant, the One who came not to be served, but to serve and give His life a ransom for many. Mark likely wrote this book in Rome. A servant needs references, not a birth certificate (no genealogy as in Matthew).
Here’s J. Vernon McGee’s outline of the book:
John introduces the Servant
God the Father identifies the Servant
The temptation initiates the Servant
Works and words illustrate the Servant
It’s filled with more miracles than the other gospels.
Healing: Physical
Nature: Natural
Casting out of demons: spiritual
Raised from the dead: supernatural
Mark 1
The book begins with what might be the most important verse in the entire book. It answers what might be the most important question in all of life:
Who is Jesus?
John Mark’s gospel or “good news” begins…
The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, (Mark 1:1 (NIV)
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Mark 1:1, NASB)
The purpose of the book of Mark is not history. It’s not merely a biography of Jesus. In fact, Jesus’ birth and childhood are omitted. The book begins with Jesus around age 30. No manger. No puberty. No teenage years! Mark begins with the gospel or “good news.” His purpose is “good news.”
The original Greek word for gospel, euaggelion, was often used in a military context. The army would send a message back to the city and proclaim, “A victory has been won. We are not going to die! We are going to live!”
That’s what Mark does. He tells us Jesus is alive and, therefore, a victory has been won for you and me. Life is available for us. Not just survival, but abundant life (John 10:10).
He also tells us two things about Jesus’ identity. First, Christ is not Jesus’ last name! The word means “an anointed, royal figure” in Greek. In Hebrew, it is translated, “the Messiah.” A victory has been won for us by Jesus, the Messiah, the anointed, royal figure proclaimed for generations. Some English translations of this verse replace “Christ” with “The Messiah.”
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, (Mark 1:1, NIV 2011)
Second, Jesus is the Son of God. He’s not just the Messiah, He’s God!
Jesus is Messiah and God. This statement is a dividing line of faith. You can accept or reject the claim. If you believe Jesus is God, the miracles and teachings and resurrection are not difficult to accept. If you don’t believe Jesus is God, the rest of the book of Mark—the rest of the New Testament—will not make much sense.
If you don’t believe Jesus is God, there’s no shame. You belong here. Keep seeking. Keep asking.
Some contemporary Jews believe Jesus is not the Messiah because He did not bring the Kingdom to Israel. He was a failed Messiah. There have been hundreds, maybe thousands of people who claimed to be the Messiah. You’ve probably never heard of any of them.
If Jesus is just another failed Messiah, how would you explain His influence two thousand years later? His Church is still growing, His Name is being worshipped in every part of the world.
What if Mark was correct? Let’s assume Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, God. Let’s assume He really died and rose again. Why do I believe that and others don’t?
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13)
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” (Matthew 16:14)
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” (Matthew 16:15)
Who do you say Jesus is?
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16)
Look at how Jesus replies.
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. (Matthew 16:17)
If you believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of the living God, it was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by God the Father. It’s not because of your intellect or morality or a great argument. It’s because your Heavenly Father revealed it. The original Greek word for “revealed” here means “to take the cover off of something.”
Simon Peter is blessed by God.
Believers in Jesus Christ are blessed by God. The truth has been revealed.
The greatest longing in any heart may be to receive the blessing of their father and mother.
If you believe Jesus is the Christ, it’s because God the Father blessed you. Followers of Jesus are blessed sons and daughters of the King of kings.
Who is Jesus?
This is the question we will be answering each week in this series as we examine the gospel of Mark.
Listen to Jesus' answer to the question from the gospel of John:
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
Jesus is the way…to truth, to life, to the Father.
Jesus is the truth.
Jesus is life. He is alive. He conquered death. He offers you and me eternal life. He offers us abundant life.
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, (Mark 1:1, NIV 2011)
Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, the LORD of all.
Credits: some ideas from Matt Carter (Austin Stone Community Church), Warren Wiersbe, NT Wright, J. Vernon McGee, and David Garland.