Old Testament Reading – Isaiah 51:1-16
New Testament Reading –Acts 15:36-41
The Suffering Savior
“The Restored Disciple”
Mark 1:1-13
Wayne J. Edwards, Pastor
The above picture is an artist’s rendering of what Mark may have looked like when he wrote his gospel around AD 50-AD 60.
- Most of us think of Mark as that “young man who had a linen cloth cast about his body, and when one of the soldiers tried to catch him, they pulled his linen cloth off, and he fled from them naked.” Mark 4:20
- However, even though he was not an apostle, pastor, teacher, or evangelist, Mark was privileged to serve alongside the Apostle Paul and the Apostle Peter, the two prominent leaders of what became the New Testament Church.
- Mark was probably the first gospel to be written and it may have been used as an outline for the other three.
- While Matthew wrote his gospel to convince the Jews that Jesus Christ was their long-awaited Messiah, Luke wrote his account of the life of Christ to the Gentiles, and John wrote his gospel to all unbelievers to present Jesus as “The Christ: The Son of the Living God,” Mark presents Jesus as that Suffering Savior, who came “not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Mark 0:45
Mark grew up listening to the nightly discussions between Jesus and His disciples as they met in his mother’s home. Acts 12:12
- As a teenager, Mark traveled with the Apostle Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, but he returned home because he could not tolerate the severe persecution.
- When the Apostle Paul and Barnabas made plans to return to every city where they had preached the gospel, Barnabas wanted to take Mark with them, but Paul disagreed.
- Paul took Silas with him to Syria and Cilicia, while Barnabas took Mark with him to Cyprus, and that’s the last we hear of Mark for several years.
- In God’s sovereignty, Mark attached himself to Peter, who was able to disciple him regarding his failures. Therefore, the Gospel of Mark is according to the testimony of the Apostle Peter.
- However, some ten years later, in Colossians 4:10, Paul wrote, “Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner sends his greeting as does Barnabas’ cousin Mark, whom I am sending to you on my behalf, so when he comes, please welcome him.”
- In 2 Timothy 4:6-11, Paul wrote: “The time for my departure is near. Do your best to come to me quickly. Demas has deserted me, Crescens has gone, Titus has gone, only Luke is with me, so get Mark and bring him with you, for he is helpful to me.”
- Hence the title, “The Restored Disciple,” for while Mark began his ministry as a coward, he became the companion and confidant of the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Paul.
Mark said two things about the gospel we must understand, or this study will not mean much to us.
- He referred to his writing as “the beginning of the gospel.”
- The gospel began in the heart of God before the foundation of the world.
- Mark was referring to the time when God’s eternal plan of redemption was revealed through Jesus Christ.
- Mark always addressed Jesus as “the Christ: The Son of God.”
- “Jesus” is the Hebrew form of “Yeshua.”
- “Jesus” identified Him as the “Savior.”
- “Christ” is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word “Messiah.”
- Both terms refer to the “Anointed or Sent One of God to be our Savior and Lord.”
-
How Jesus was announced – Mark 1:1-8 – Vs. 3 – “Prepare ye the way of the Lord!”
In the days of this writing, when a king traveled from city to city, a messenger would go before the king to prepare the people for his coming and the roads for his travel.
- The arrival of Jesus as the Messiah was announced:
- By the prophets – 700 years before Christ came.
- Malachi said the Messiah would be preceded by a forerunner – Vs. 2
- Isaiah said the Messiah would be preceded by a preacher in the wilderness – Vs. 3
- By John the Baptist – an “Elijah” type prophet.
- Preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
- Proclaiming One was coming who would be greater than himself.
- John baptized with water – a symbol of their desire to be cleansed from sin.
- Historians estimate that John baptized 300,000 people in his brief ministry.
- Jesus baptized with the Holy Ghost – the only Person with the Power to forgive.
-
How Jesus was anointed – Mark 1:9-10 – Vs. 9 – “And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan!”
Jesus did not “need” to be baptized, for He had no sin to be repented of or forgiven. Jesus was baptized to identify with the multitudes who would be baptized as outward evidence of their inward faith in Him.
- “For He made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him!” 2 Cor.5:21
- When Jesus came up out of the water, God the Father and God the Holy Spirit affirmed God the Son.
- God the Son was presenting Himself as the Savior – Messiah.
- God the Holy Spirit came and rested upon the shoulder of God the Son in the form of a dove.
- God the Father spoke from heaven: “Thou art My beloved son in whom I am well pleased!”
- Entering the water – Jesus illustrated His death
- Going under the water – Jesus illustrated His burial
- Coming out of the water – Jesus illustrated His resurrection.
-
How Jesus was approved – Mark 1:12-13 – Vss. 12-13 – “And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wilderness, and he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.”
Mark said Jesus moved from heaven’s testimony to hell’s test in less than one day.
- There was a spiritual compulsion – “The Spirit driveth Him into the wilderness!”
- The Holy Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted of Satan to prepare Him for the ministry.
- Once a person is truly born again, the first step of their journey will be into the wilderness of temptation.
- There was a satanic persuasion – “…tempted of Satan, and was with the wild beasts!”
- Satan tempted Jesus:
- Physically – change rocks into food
- Mentally – jump from the temple ledge
- Spiritually – bow before him and bypass the cross – he would give him the world.
- Jesus countered Satan with the Word –
- “It is written” – and He quoted the very promise of Scripture that countered the temptation.
- “Wild beasts” – to frighten him at night
- “Ministering angels” – could not remove the temptation but provided what Jesus needed to survive.
