Introducing Jesus Christ, Part 1 - Mark 1:1
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I have to say. I’m really excited to be moving back into expositional preaching. I’m grateful for the topical sermons I preached, the study that went into them, and the result of that labor. But after some time away from weekly verse by serve exposition, I have really missed working through a book and I’m so excited to begin working though this one, especially because we are going to get to see Jesus every week as we move through this book together, and I cannot think of a better way to spend our Sunday mornings than to gaze upon our Lord through the study of His word.
This sermon is an introductory sermon. In many ways, this is one of those 1-part lecture, 1-part sermon type messages, simply because it is good for us to get a good grasps of the background to the book as that will aid our study as we move forward.
As we look into church history, there are several fascinating details about how Mark was for many years a bit of a neglected Gospel. Though it was regarded as Scripture, the other longer gospel received much more attention. There was no commentary written on the Gospel of Mark for the first 600 years after its composition. By way of comparison, between the years AD 650 and 1000, there were 13 major commentaries written on Matthew, but only four on Mark.
This has been corrected over the years with the publication of many great commentaries on Mark. I have personally been looking forward to teaching through this Gospel for years. Several years back I began teaching through it when I was an associate pastor down at Jeffersontown Bible Church, but I didn’t get very far as it wasn’t long after that we were sent out to launch this church.
I’m looking forward to working through the whole book now, if the Lord should tarry His return.
Let’s begin with the author.
This book is title “The Gospel According to Mark”.
Officially, the book is anonymous, but we have testimony very early on in church history, and there is unanimous agreement that the author is none other than John Mark. But who is he?
Mark was not one of the twelve disciples. He is never called an apostle. How is it that he came to pen Scripture?
The only man in Scripture by the name of Mark is also called John Mark in acts. He was the cousin of Barnabas, the man who helped establish Paul in his ministry. The church in Jerusalem met in Mark’s mother’s house. When Paul and Barnabas came to Jerusalem to deliver supplies to aid in famine relief, they picked up Mark, probably because of the connection to Barnabas.
However, for reasons no stated in the text, Mark left the group and returned home in the middle of their missionary travels.
Later on Paul and Barnabas are preparing to go on another missionary journey, Barnabas wants to give Mark another shot, but Paul says “no way Jose. He abandoned us once, I’m not making that mistake twice.” Paul and Barnabas disagreement was so severe that they ended up parting ways. Barnabas took Mark one direction, and Paul took Silas and went another.
It seems that Mark had his shot, but blew it, and now Paul believed he was disqualified from the ministry. And if that’s all we had about Mark, it would be a pretty depressing story. Furthermore we might wonder, “How did someone like this end up writing Scripture?”
I’m grateful that God doesn’t give up on us. Even if we blow it in major ways, God continue to work in our hearts and will accomplish his purposes in us, amen?
Writing years after these events, Paul wrote in Philemon 1:24, identifying Mark as one of his coworkers in the ministry. In Col 4:10, Paul indicates that Mark was with him when he wrote Colossians and he instructed the church to welcome Mark if Mark came to them. Peter says in 1 Peter 5:13 that Mark is with him and even calls him his son in the faith, which could indicate that Peter either led Mark to faith in Christ, discipled and mentored him in the faith, or both. Finally, and perhaps most significantly, when Paul wrote his last epistle to Timothy, he asks him in 2 Tim 4:11 to come to him and to bring Mark. Why? 2 Tim 4:11 “for he is very useful to me for ministry.”
Mark was once considered a failure by Paul such that Paul didn’t want Mark around at all. But God kept working in Mark’s life, and a restoration of such a magnitude was experienced that Paul identified Mark as being useful to him once again and we have this book as a result. What and incredible testimony to God’s powerful grace.
There are other things we learn about Mark from early church testimony. Mark was closely associated with the Apostle Peter. Peter calls him his son in the faith, and man named Papias, who was an early church pastor, said that the Apostle John talked about how Peter taught Mark and Mark collected Peter’s teachings in order to write the Gospel according to Mark.
Mark’s connection with Peter makes a lot of sense when we consider the content of the Gospel of Mark. The disciples, and Peter in particular, are not portrayed in the most flattering light throughout the Gospel. However, though the characters act as literary foils, contrasting with the faithful servant Jesus, we see how the disciples and Peter are granted second chances. Considering both Peter and Mark’s background with needing second chances, it is not surprising to find this as a minor theme in the book.
When was Mark written?
There is a lot of debate about the exact timing of Mark’s writing. It appears Mark was writing during a time of difficulty and that the book stands as a challenge to believers regarding how they will respond when things go against them. It is also possible that the death of Peter may have prompted Mark to write the Gospel to preserve Peter’s teachings about the Christ. Peter is believed to have died in the persecutions of Nero in the mid-60s A.D., which puts the date of writing in the late 60s.
Setting: Rome
It is commonly accepted that Mark wrote from Rome. If we have the date of writing correct, this is very significant because it would mean Mark wrote while at the epicenter of persecution and suffering of the Christians.
Key Verse: Mark 10:45
45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Characteristics:
It is the shortest and punchiest of the Gospels. Mark moves very quickly through the story from event to event. The word “immediately” is used to often which quickens the pace. Mark is more focused on Jesus’ actions rather than on His words.
In the same vein, many look at Mark’s Gospel and it seems to be rather abrupt. It begins abruptly, there is no birth narrative, the accounts of Jesus Baptism and temptation are truncated, and Mark wastes no time moving from episode to episode within narrative. Even so, the traditional elements of a well-constructed story are all present. There is an opening setting, and the story progresses along with rising action. We find conflict, problems, and tension. This action rises to a climax where the conflict comes to a head, and then there is falling action where the story begins to wind down before coming to conclusion and resolution. Even though it is abrupt, it is still a masterfully told story.
2. Mark present Jesus as the suffering servant. As we move through this book, we will find the ever-overflowing compassion of our Lord. Mark has an emphasis on the miracles of Christ, and this further demonstrates the servant character of our Lord. As we move through the narrative there is a decided shift about the half way point where Jesus begins to make it known to his disciples that he will have to suffer many things and he repeats it to them with increasing frequency as He moves closer to Jerusalem. This is why Mark 10:45 is widely recognized as one of the verse verses of the book.
3. Mark Emphasizes the concepts of Discipleship and what it means to follow Jesus. Jesus has certain expectations of His followers, and yet there is an understanding that they will follow imperfectly. Mark seems to have the lowest view of the disciples of all the Gospel writers. They are constantly presented as confused and they often misunderstand Jesus’ words and actions. And yet, even though they are presented as imperfect followers of Christ, they follow him, learn from Him, and Jesus gives them second chances. These are men in process. Following Jesus requires our commitment to him, but we also recognize that we are all in process, and are learning how to follow Jesus better each and every day.
This Gospel can be outlined in the following manner
After the introduction, Jesus is going to spend most of his time in the region of Galilee. He teaches about the nature of the Kingdom, and shows his disciples what it looks like to be his follower and be fishers of men.
There is a decided shift in chapter eight. From this point on Jesus begins to move toward Jerusalem and begins teaching his disciples that he must suffer and die. Though all of this he is teaching his disciples more of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, even through suffering.
The latter portion of this section is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ upon the cross.
But Jesus does not stay dead! He rises against from the dead and triumphs over death! There is an implicit challenge within the ending of the book. This book is written to suffering believers. It demonstrates how Christ himself suffered, but was ultimately triumphant. The challenge with the closing of the book is this: How will you respond to the this message? Will you take up the call to discipleship? Will you follow Jesus, even if it costs you your life? Or will you run away in fear?
That gives us much of the background information that we will need to bear in mind as we study this marvelous book over the next several months.
I do want us to begin our study today with the first verse of chapter one.
Mark 1:1 “1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God”
The beginning. Mark starts his work where every great story starts. At the beginning. But this isn’t a “once upon a time” fairytale beginning. This is the beginning of the greatest story ever told. It is the beginning of an accurate historical account of the greatest man who ever lived, a man who was more than a man. He is the Christ, the Son of God.
The beginning of the Gospel.
Gospel. Today this word is used all over the place. It has become a commonplace expression that most people have at least heard of. This was not the case in the first century. Many of you know that the word Gospel literally means good news. When this term was used in the first century, it was often used in Roman culture to speak of major events in life of the Roman emperor and his family. When there a birth announcement of the heir to Caesar, for example, the announce was called “the gospel about the birth of so-and-so”.
So when Christians began to call the message about Christ the true Gospel, this would have been jarring, especially to those reading Mark’s Gospel where he wrote it in Rome. The Gospel of Jesus Christ stands unique. The good news is not just about some earthly ruler who has an overly inflated view of himself. This Good News is about the creator of all things. The Roman rules thought they had power, but Jesus is going to demonstrate that He is the one with the real authority.
Mark seem interested in jarring his readers. This indeed would have been jarring to those who are not used to hear the word gospel like we are.
But it is not just generic good news, no this is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ. Jesus the Christ. I recall sitting in Youth Group one day when one student who had no church background asked what Jesus’ last name was. Another student piped up “Christ!” Frist name Jesus, last name Christ, right?
Not quite. Christ is not Jesus’ last name simply to differentiate Him from the other Jesus’s around. No, His name is Jesus, and His title is the Christ.
Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Messiah. It means anointed one. Mark is saying that Jesus is the one who fulfills all the prophecies contained in the First Testament. To call Jesus the Christ is to make a critical claim that Jesus is indeed worthy of worship, is indeed worthy of being proclaimed. If calling the message about Jesus the “Good News” was jarring to the gentiles in Rome, calling Jesus the Messiah is equaling is not even more jarring to the Jews.
Jesus isn’t just another prophet.
He isn’t just another teacher.
He isn’t just another rabbi.
He isn’t just a good man.
He isn’t a cult leader, politician, or charlatan.
He is the Messiah. The anointed one, the one who was to come. The one who brings light and life. The one who brings deliverance.
Jesus is the Christ.
Not only is Jesus the Christ, he’s the Son of God. This is the most startling piece of information of all.
Calling the message about Jesus the Gospel would have been startling to gentiles and pagans steeped in Roman religion.
Calling Jesus the Christ would have startling to the Jews who had been long awaiting their Messiah to come and liberate them from their oppressors.
But Jesus the Son of God, which is to call Him God, would have been startling to everyone.
Jesus is the Son of God? Really? This is truly an audacious claim! Never in the history of the world has God put on human flesh! Never has someone ever claimed to be God and were proved to have been telling the truth.
What Mark is going to show us is that this reality, that Jesus is the Son of God, this has enormous implications for us.
If He is who He says He is then He is Lord, and you owe Him your life, you owe Him your obedience, you own Him your worship.
As we move through this book we are going to be confronted with a picture of the Messiah that will challenge us. We will find a man that challenged those in His day when He on earth, a man that was a living scandal to the Jews and Gentiles alike, and remains a scandal do this day.
Michael Card is a Christian musician that I have a lot of appreciation for, and he wrote a song called the Scandalon. Listen to the lyrics:
The seers and the prophets had foretold it long ago
That the long awaited one would make men stumble
But they were looking for a king to conquer and to kill
Who'd have ever thought He'd be so meek and humble
He will be the truth that will offend them one and all
A stone that makes men stumble
And a rock that makes them fall
Many will be broken so that He can make them whole
And many will be crushed and lose their own soul
Along the path of life there lies a stubborn Scandalon
And all who come this way must be offended
To some He is a barrier, To others He's the way
For all should know the scandal of believing
It seems today the Scandalon offends no one at all
The image we present can be stepped over
Could it be that we are like the others long ago
Will we ever learn that all who come must stumble
Jesus challenged the perceptions of the Messiah in His day. Today many preach Jesus but do so in ways that try to minimize the scandal. On this point one commentator wrote
“As was the case during Jesus’ ministry, so today many will not believe or will try to mold Christ into their own images by telling him who he is and what he is to do. They want glamorous, gimmicky, short-term solutions to their own problems. Many try to domesticate the scandal, turn the cross into jewelry, [or] turn the Christ into a teacher of self-actualization. The Gospel of Mark is the antidote to this distortion as it presents the foundation story of the gospel about Jesus Christ, who suffers and dies on a cross”
(David Garland NIVAC)
What if your version of Christianity isn’t the Christianity of Scripture? What if we’re missing something? What if we have taken the Jesus of Scripture and have fashioned Him after our own image, to fit our own politics, to fit our own ideas of how the world should work, to fit our ideas of what church should look like, etc.?
How comfortable are you with your current understanding of Jesus? When was the last time you read one of the Gospels and Jesus made you uncomfortable? On one hand Jesus exemplifies tremendous compassion and love to those around Him, and we like that picture. But on the other hand, this same Jesus is seen cursing fig trees, making whips and driving everyone out the temple marketplace. On one hand he invites us to come to Him like little children, but on the other hand He speaks in parables so that “hearing they may hear, but not understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven.” Mark wants to jar us. Mark wants us to wake up and see Jesus Christ for who He really is. He wants us to be uncomfortable, for it is when we are uncomfortable that we learn about who this Jesus is and who we are. As we move through this book, we are going to come face to face with Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, the one who defies expectations. Foolishness to Gentiles and to Jews a stumbling block. What will he be to you?