Journey to the Cross
Journey to the cross • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Beginning His Ministry
Beginning His Ministry
Let us start of tonight with a word of prayer.
Last week we discussed a very brief synopsis of Christ’s earthly ministry from the time He came to earth at His miraculous birth until His sacrificial death on the cross for the sins of the world. Starting this week we are going to start a series of messages that will take us from Christmas all the way up through Easter by using the “Gospel of Mark” as our chronology for our journey through Christ’s earthly ministry.
Mark’s Gospel emphasizes actions and deeds. Jesus is on the go—healing, casting out demons, performing miracles, hurrying from place to place, and teaching. In Mark everything happens “immediately.” As soon as one episode ends, another begins. The rapid pace slows down when Jesus enters Jerusalem in Chapter 11. After that, events are marked by days, and His final day even by hours.
Mark recorded, what most scholars believe, is the apostle Peter’s accounts about the things Jesus said and did. The Mark who wrote this Gospel was John Mark, the son of a widow named Mary, in whose house the church in Jerusalem sometimes gathered, as Acts 12:12 tells us:
12 So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.
Mark was the cousin of Paul’s traveling missionary companion Barnabas as Col 4:10 tells us:
10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him),
Mark also accompanied Barnabas and Paul back to Antioch after their famine relief mission to Jerusalem. Acts 12:25
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.
Mark next went with Paul and Barnabas on part of Paul’s first missionary journey as an assistant. Acts 13:5
5 And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.
But at Perga, Mark turned back. Acts 13:13
13 Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.
When the apostle Peter wrote to the churches in Asia Minor shortly before his martyrdom, he sent greetings from Mark, whom he called “my son”. 1 Peter 5:13.
Then shortly before his execution, Paul asked Timothy to “Bring Mark with him, for he is useful to me in the ministry”. After Paul’s execution, Mark is said to have moved to Egypt, established churches, and served them in Alexandria. Some scholars have suggested the young man in Mark 14:51–52 was Mark himself:
51 Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of him, 52 and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.
According to the early church fathers, Mark wrote his Gospel in Rome just before or just after Peter’s martyrdom. Because Mark wrote primarily for Roman Gentiles, he explained Jewish customs, and rarely quoted from the OT. Most Bible scholars are convinced that Mark was the earliest Gospel and served as one of the sources of information for the gospels of Matthew and Luke.
Mark’s Gospel is a narrative about Jesus. Mark identified his theme in the first verse: “the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” That Jesus is the divine Son of God is the major emphasis of his Gospel. God announced it at Jesus’ baptism in Mark 1:11
11 Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Demons and unclean spirits recognized and acknowledged it in Mark 3:11 and 5:7.
11 And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, “You are the Son of God.”
7 And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.”
God reaffirmed Jesus was His Son at the transfiguration on the mountain in Mark 9:7
7 And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!”
Jesus taught it in parables, and hinted that He was the Son of God in Mark 13:32.
32 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
And confessed it directly in Mark 14:61–62
Mark 14:61–62 (NKJV)
61 But He kept silent and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him, saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”62 Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
Finally, the Roman centurion at the foot of the cross after Jesus’ death confessed it openly and without qualification in Mark 15:39
39 So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”
Thus Mark’s purpose was to summon people to repent and respond in faith to the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God.
Many concepts of the Messiah existed in Jesus’ day, and several individuals laid claim to the title. What Mark contributes is a clarification of that concept, and a redefining of the term. Peter’s insightful confession at Caesarea Philippi in Mark 8:29
Mark 8:29 (NKJV)
29 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.”
This became the turning point at which Jesus began to explain that the divine conception of the Messiah involved rejection, suffering, death, and then resurrection. Mark also shows us the human side of Jesus. In fact, more than the other Gospel writers, Mark emphasizes Jesus’ human side and His emotions. Thus Mark gives us a strong picture of both the humanity and the divinity of Jesus.
The Gospel of Mark begins with a Prologue (1:1–13), which is then followed by three major sections. The first (1:14–8:21) tells of Jesus’ Galilean ministry. There Jesus healed and cast out demons and worked miracles. The second section (8:22–10:52) is transitional. Jesus began His journey that would take Him to Jerusalem. The final section (11:1–16:8) involves a week in Jerusalem. From the time Jesus entered the city He was at odds with the religious leaders, who quickly brought about His execution. In (16:9–20), Mark discusses some of Jesus’ appearances, His commissioning of His disciples, and His ascension back to heaven.
Now that we’ve got some background on the author, understanding of the purpose for witch the Gospel of Mark was written, and the basic layout of the book, let’s get into the reading and understanding of the text itself. We’ll start off with the first 13 verses of chapter 1. Mark 1:1-13 (read the passage straight through)
Mark 1:1–13 (NKJV)
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the Prophets:
“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.”
3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’ ”
4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
9 It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. 11 Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
12 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. 13 And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.
Now lets go through the passage and take a look at it verse by verse.
Mark 1:1–13. (NKJV)
1 The beginning of the gospel (or good news) of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Notice that in the very first verse how Mark reveals the deity of Jesus by calling Him God’s Son. He wastes no time in letting us know who Jesus is.
2 As it is written in the Prophets:
“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.”
3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make straight paths for Him.”
Mark is quoting straight out of Mal 3:1 and Isa 40:3 here. One of the few times he references the old testament in his gospel. And of course the text is prophesying the arrival of John the Baptist 500 years before it actually happened. One of the many proofs that the Bible is the word of God.
4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission (or forgiveness) of sins.
At this point in time, as the text clearly states, salvation was achieved by faith in what John was doing and calling for. Repenting and being baptised for the forgiveness of sins based on the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus that was going to take place in about 3 years.
5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, (which were Jewish, and 99.9% of them were) went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me ( speaking of Jesus) who is mightier than I, whose sandal’s I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.
John knew that this life is not about gaining glory for ourselves. Rather, life’s chief goal is to bring glory and honor to Jesus Christ. Every Christian should pray the words from the gospel of John Chapter 3 verse 30.” He must increase, but I must decrease.” We should ask God to allow Jesus Christ to “increase” in our life while our fleshly, carnal natures decrease. Day by day we should desire to grow and become more conformed to Christ’s image. More of Jesus, less of me, should become our daily prayer. As we die to self and allow Christ’s life to flow in and through us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus will increase in our lives.
8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
And we all know this in fact happened on the Day of Pentecost, ten days after Jesus ascended back to heaven and fifty days after His resurrection from the dead. Isn’t it incredible that Jesus was able to baptise them with the Holy Spirit even from heaven.
9 And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
We can read more extensively about the baptism of Jesus in the Gospel of Mat 3:13-17 and in the Gospel of Luke 3:21-23.
10 And immediately, coming up from the water, He (John the Baptist) saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him (Jesus) like a dove. 11 Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
The bible doesn’t tell us how many people were present at the baptism of Jesus, but could you even imagine what it must have been like to here God himself speak from heaven? Especially today since God has been silent for almost two thousand years.
12 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. “13 And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.”
We can read more extensively about the temptation of Jesus in Mat 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13. We’ll stop here at the end of verse 13 tonight and pick it up here
I hope and I pray that our study through the book of Mark will help enlighten our knowledge and wisdom, so that we will all be able to accomplish God’s will. And we all know that the will of God is for all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth.
Let’s pray together
As Kristi and Eloise are getting ready for us to sing our last hymn together tonight, and as we’re reflecting on the life of Jesus as He spent time with us on this earth, and if you’ve never honored Him by asking the Lord Jesus to come into your heart and be your personal Lord and savior, this would be the perfect time to do just that. God has made that so easy for us. The Bible says that anyone, and I do mean anyone, who calls on the name of the Lord WILL BE SAVED. It doesn’t matter what your past may look like. Remember the apostle Paul, before the Lord saved him on that road to Damascus, how he persecuted the church, and had the Lord’s people put in prison. And King David who commited adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband Uriah murdered on the battlefield. Those two “Great men of God” commited terrible sins, and the Lord forgave them, and even chose then to do great things for the Lord. The Lord doesn’t care about our past, He just cares about our future. And He wants all people to spend that future with Him in eternity, in that place He calls heaven. Don’t wait another second. If you have any doubt at all about your eternal security, or what’s going to happen when you die, I beg you to get it settled. Settle it now. Get it taken care of right now, right here,--- right where you are sitting.---Just quietly, as the rest of us are singing, with your heads bowed, and your heart’s toward God, just pray a little prayer like this..............Just pray......