Mark part one…January 7th 2015.
Mark 10:45
I want to start a study tonight on the book of Mark and I have several reasons why I feel
this book is important to study.
I will give those reasons as we go through this opening message tonight.
When it comes to the Gospels, Matthew wrote primarily for the Jews and he opened his
book with a genealogy.
He did that in order to prove to his readers that Jesus Christ was indeed the rightful heir to
David’s throne.
When you read the book of Luke it was written to Greek readers.
Luke focused mainly on the sympathetic ministry of Jesus and emphasizes Jesus’ humanity.
Luke knew that Greek readers would identify with the perfect baby who grew up to be the
perfect Man.
John’s Gospel begins with a statement about eternity.
The reason was because John wanted to prove to the whole world that Jesus Christ of Nazareth is
the Son of God.
The subject of John’s Gospel is the deity of Christ…
And the object of John’s Gospel is to encourage his readers to believe on Jesus and receive the
gift of eternal life.
Mark wrote for Romans and his theme is Jesus Christ the Servant.
The fact that Mark wrote with the Romans in mind helps us understand his style and approach.
The emphasis in Mark is on activity.
Mark describes Jesus as he busily moves from place to place and meets the physical and spiritual
needs of all kinds of people.
One of Marks words is straightway or immediately.
He uses that word 41 times.
Each time it shows Jesus on the move.
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Mark does not record many of Jesus’ sermons.
The reason is because his emphasis is on what Jesus did rather than what Jesus said.
Mark reveals Jesus as God’s servant sent to minister to suffering people and to die for the sins of
the world.
Mark gives no account of Jesus’ birth nor does he record a genealogy as it is not necessary in
regards to a servant.
For a minute or two I want us to take a look at Mark the man.
Mark was a close companion of the Apostle Peter and Mark is a recurring character in the book
of Acts…
He is known as John whose surname was Mark.
John Mark was son of Mary a wealthy and prominent Christian woman of Jerusalem.
The name John Mark bears the double name of a Jewish and Roman heritage.
He enjoyed all comforts of a large affluent home which was the home base for the Apostle’s
after Pentecost.
As he grew up he heard all the talk and conversations the Apostles had in their meetings in the
house.
It was John Mark’s mother’s home in Jerusalem that prayer was going up for Peter while
he was in prison.
Since Mark’s mother’s home was the Apostles home base it is where Peter went when he was
miraculously released from prison.
Mark was the cousin of Barnabas who accompanied Paul and Barnabas on Paul’s first
missionary journey.
But when Paul got to Perga and proposed going beyond their goal and into the uncharted and
untested spiritual wilderness of Asia Minor…
Mark who had his reason’s maybe fear or homesickness deserted Paul and went back home.
Later when Barnabas wanted Paul to take Mark on the second missionary journey Paul refused.
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Paul saw Mark as a quitter and deserter and did not want any part of him.
That refusal caused Barnabas and Paul to split in their working relationship.
Paul then chose Silas and Barnabas chose Mark.
But as time went on Mark corrected his immature ways and became a man of great
strength and maturity.
And in time he proved himself to Paul.
Later Paul told the Colossians that if Mark came they were to welcome him.
Paul even listed Mark as a fellow worker in Philemon 24.
Paul also told Timothy to get Mark and bring him with him for he is useful to me in ministry 2nd
Tim. 4:11.
Grace turned their relationship full circle.
And the one whom Paul once announced as a deserter became his trusted companion and
effective co-worker and his indispensible servant.
We see from all this that Mark was not always successful nor was he accepted.
He made bad decisions and was seen and known as a deserter.
One who would let you down…
One who could not take the pressure.
But he was restored and over time he was accepted and approved of by the one he deserted.
His restoration may have been in part due
to the ministry of Peter.
Mark and Peter were very close as is evidenced by 1rst Peter 5:13 when Peter referred to
him as Mark my son.
Not his physical son but his spiritual son.
Peter himself was no stranger to failure and he himself had experienced the power of restoration
after denying Jesus.
So Peter must have had great influence on Mark and became his mentor.
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Peter was instrumental in helping Mark out of his instability.
And into the maturity and strength he would need for the work in which God had called him to
do.
One reason why I am doing this series is to show failure is not the end of a career or life.
Unless you let it be the end.
Another reason is to show the importance of helping someone who has messed up recover
and be restored.
It is one thing to talk about our failure is something else to use that failure to help someone else
who has failed be able to see they can overcome it.
Mark’s human failures are used by him to demonstrate the humanity of Jesus more clearly
than any of the other evangelists.
Mark shows us that God uses restored deserters, recovering sinners and recovered defectors.
Mark shows us that even though we desert the Lord He doesn’t desert us.
Another reason is Mark is proof of friendships and working relationships that have been
divided can be mended.
There are a lot of families in and out of the church that are at odds with each other.
Division because of what someone did or didn’t do…
Division because of what someone said or the way they said it.
Or division between family members who have felt like were deserted when they were needed
the worse.
Mark has been one those people and through Jesus Christ found restoration.
Mark uses his experience to emphasize Jesus’ emotions…
Mark emphasizes Jesus’ human limitations.
And Mark gives other details that highlight’s the human side of the Son of God.
Mark unlike the other Gospel writers writes an action Gospel.
It is faced fast as I said the word immediately appears 41 times.
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Mark wrote to Roman Christians and for the most part they were illiterate therefore it had to be
read to them.
So Mark wrote a fast paced story that can be grasped and would keep the interest of the hearer.
The source of Mark’s information for his writing is the eyewitness account of the Apostle Peter.
Peter is the one who lived it and experienced it and Mark is the one who interpreted it from him.
Mark is pictured as a young man sitting at the feet of the great Apostle and hearing him recall the
graphic events of Jesus’ life.
To take the readers into the depths of Jesus’ personality mark writes about…
Jesus’ sighs…Jesus’ compassion
Jesus’ wonder…Jesus’ anger
Jesus’ love…Jesus’ hunger and Jesus’ fatigue.
Mark picks up details that the other writers miss…
No other writer described the scene of Jesus taking up a little child into His arms…9:36
Or Jesus sleeping on a pillow at the back of a ship…4:38
The book of Mark even though it is after Matthew in order of the Bible is really the earliest of
the Gospels and the first written of the life of Jesus as we know it.
And the great thing is we can see ourselves all the way through it as we read it.
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